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Case-Shiller Home Price Indices: Home Price Growth Slows in July

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Case-Shiller Home Price Indices: Home Price Growth Slows in JulyThe S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices for July showed a sharp slowing in home price growth from June to July. National home price growth slowed from June’s reading of 18.7 percent year-over-year growth to 16.10 percent home price growth in July. This reading translated to an 0.20 percent loss in month-to-month home price growth.

The S&P Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index fell 0.40 percent in July after increasing by 0.40 percent in June. This was the first time since March 2012 that the 20-City Home Price Index posted a decreasing pace of home price growth; all 20 cities posted slower year-over-year home price growth in July than in June.

Seven cities in the 20-City Index posted higher home price gains in July as compared to June. Demand for homes exceeds supply in many areas; limited availability of homes, rising mortgage rate, and high home prices have discouraged would-be home buyers. Analysts said that home prices fell due to rising mortgage rates impacting affordability. Craig J. Lazzara, managing director for S&P Dow Jones Indices, said that the slowing pace of home price growth in July was the “largest deceleration in the history of the Index.”

Cities that previously enjoyed rapidly rising home prices experienced a marked slowing in home price growth. Home price growth fell by 3.50 percent in San Francisco, California, and Seattle, Washington reported a 3.10 percent decline in home price growth. Home price growth in San Diego, California decreased by 2.50 percent in July. Cities posting gains in home prices included Miami, Florida with month-to-month home price growth of 1.30 percent; Home prices in Cleveland, Ohio rose by one percent, and Home prices in Chicago, Illinois rose by 0.70 percent.

FHFA Reports Home Price Growth in All Regions

The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees government-sponsored mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, reported that year-over-year home prices rose for all nine census divisions and ranged from 10 percent growth in the Pacific region to 18.90 percent growth in the South Atlantic region. FHFA data is based on home sales connected with purchase money mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Speed up Your Mortgage Closing Process With This Handy Four-step Guide

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Speed up Your Mortgage Closing Process With This Handy Four-step GuideAre you in the market for a new house or apartment? If you are financing the purchase by taking out a mortgage, you’ll want to know how to make this transaction run as smooth as possible. In today’s article, we’ll share a quick four-step guide to speeding up the mortgage closing process.

Step #1: Check In On Your Credit Score

The first step before applying for your mortgage is to check in on your credit. Request a copy of your credit score and history from one of the major reporting firms. Go over this report, paying close attention to any old or outstanding items that you may have already dealt with. Many individuals have old delinquencies that must be challenged to be removed from the report, so take care of these first before applying.

Step #2: Have All Your Documents Prepared

As with any loan, taking out a mortgage requires a small mountain of paperwork. The best way to speed this process up is to have all of your financial documentation ready for inspection and use by the lender.

Note that each mortgage provider has different requirements for what you’ll need. A brief list of some items which are commonly requested includes your current employment details, recent pay stubs, recent W-2 forms or tax returns, proof of self-employment or other means of income, asset details such as bank accounts and investments and debt information such as other mortgages, student loans and more.

Step #3: Have An Offer Ready

If you have already settled on the home that you want to buy, it’s best to get your offer prepared in advance of being fully approved for mortgage financing. Your real estate agent will be able to help with crafting an offer that is subject to the home passing an inspection. It’s especially important to have an offer ready in the event that other buyers are competing for the same home that you are.

Step #4: Get The Inspection Finished Promptly

While your lender is completing the home appraisal process, you should be having the home inspected. Getting the inspection completed promptly will prevent any delays due to problem areas that might be uncovered. For example, a pest problem like termites may need to be dealt with, or minor repairs to the roof structure may need to be scheduled.

Following the steps above will help to ensure that your mortgage closing process goes as smoothly as possible. To learn more about your mortgage options or to get the pre-approval process started, contact us today. Our friendly mortgage professionals are happy to assist.

How Can You Invest in Real Estate?

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How Can You Invest in Real Estate?Many people believe that investing in real estate is something reserved only for the super-wealthy. In reality, this is not the case. Investing in real estate is a smart idea because property can generate a consistent cash stream while providing significant capital appreciation combined with tax breaks. There are multiple ways to invest in real estate, and no single path is better than the others.

Consider Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

A real estate investment trust is a low-cost alternative to buying an entire property. Usually shortened to REIT, this is a company that allows investors to pool their money together before the company purchases multiple properties. REITs bring in money by renting, leasing, or selling the properties they own. Instead of individual investors having to purchase properties on their own, they can pool their money with other investors, reducing the barrier to real estate investing. 

Rent Out Residential Properties

When people think about real estate investing, this is usually the first thing that comes to mind. You can purchase a residential property and rent it out to people. This generates recurring income that can cover overhead expenses tied to the house, such as the mortgage. Then, as the property goes up in value, you build wealth. You can decide to rent the property out for short-term stays, which is a popular option with a vacation home on the lake or the beach. Or, you can have long-term renters if you want more income security.

Think About Flipping Houses

If you have ever watched a TV show about houses, you have probably run into flippers. This is the practice of purchasing a distressed property, fixing it up, and then selling it for a significant profit. If done correctly, you can make a lot of money with a much shorter time horizon; however, this requires a lot more time and effort, as you will need to coordinate a lot of contractors to fix the property and list it in a reasonable time frame. 

Consider Investing in Real Estate

These are just a few of the many ways you can invest in real estate. Think about the benefits and drawbacks of each option, and decide which is best for you. 

 

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