Important Distinction: Homes Are Less Affordable, Not Unaffordable

Written by Gulf Breeze Mortgage Syndicated User on October 21, 2021. Posted in Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Gulf Breeze Mortgage, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Gulf Breeze.

It’s impossible to research the subject of buying a home without coming across a headline declaring that the fall in home affordability is a crisis. However, when we add context to the most recent affordability statistics, we soon realize that, though homes are less affordable than they have been over the last few years, they are more affordable than they historically have been. Black Knight, a premier provider of data and analytics for the mortgage industry, just released their latest Monthly Mortgage Monitor which includes a new analysis of the affordability situation. Here’s what the report...

What Does the Future Hold for Home Prices?

Written by Gulf Breeze Mortgage Syndicated User on October 19, 2021. Posted in Buying Myths, For Buyers, For Sellers, Gulf Breeze Mortgage, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Gulf Breeze, Pricing, Selling Myths.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a house, chances are you’ve heard talk about today’s rising home prices. And while this increase in home values is great news for sellers, you may be wondering what the future holds. Will prices continue to rise with time, or should you expect them to fall? To answer that question, let’s first understand a few terms you may be hearing right now. Appreciation is an increase in the value of an asset. Depreciation is a decrease in the value of an asset. Deceleration is when something happens at a slower pace. It’s important to note home prices have increased,...

Don’t Wait for a Lower Mortgage Rate – It Could Cost You

Written by Gulf Breeze Mortgage Syndicated User on October 12, 2021. Posted in Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Gulf Breeze Mortgage, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Mortgage Gulf Breeze, Move-Up Buyers.

Today’s housing market is truly one for the record books. Over the past year, we’ve seen the lowest mortgage rates in history. And while those rates seemed to bottom out in January of this year, the golden window of opportunity for buyers isn’t over just yet. If you’re one of the buyers who worry they’ve missed out, rest assured today’s mortgage rates are still worth taking advantage of. Even today, our mortgage rates are below what they’ve been in recent decades. So, while you may not be able to lock in the rate your friend got recently, you’re still in a great position to secure a rate well...

If You’re a Buyer, Is Offering Asking Price Enough?

Written by Gulf Breeze Mortgage Syndicated User on September 27, 2021. Posted in Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Gulf Breeze Mortgage, Housing Market Updates, Mortgage Gulf Breeze, Move-Up Buyers.

In today’s real estate market, buyers shouldn’t shop for a home with the expectation they’ll be able to negotiate a lower sales price. In a typical housing market, buyers try to determine how much less than the asking price they can offer and still get the home. From there, the buyer and seller typically negotiate and agree on a revised price somewhere in the middle. Things Are Different Today Today’s housing market is anything but normal. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes today are: Receiving an average of 3.8 offers Selling in just 17 days Homes selling quickly...

Two Reasons Why Waiting a Year To Buy Could Cost You

Written by Gulf Breeze Mortgage Syndicated User on September 23, 2021. Posted in Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Gulf Breeze Mortgage, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Mortgage Gulf Breeze, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

If you’re a renter with a desire to become a homeowner, or a homeowner who’s decided your current house no longer fits your needs, you may be hoping that waiting a year might mean better market conditions to purchase a home. To determine if you should buy now or wait, you need to ask yourself two simple questions: What will home prices be like in 2022? Where will mortgage rates be by the end of 2022? Let’s shed some light on the answers to both of these questions. What will home prices be like in 2022? Three major housing industry entities project continued home price appreciation for 2022....

Is a 20% Down Payment Really Necessary To Purchase a Home?

Written by Gulf Breeze Mortgage Syndicated User on September 22, 2021. Posted in Buying Myths, Demographics, Down Payments, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Gen Z, Gulf Breeze Mortgage, Millennials, Mortgage Gulf Breeze.

There’s a common misconception that, as a homebuyer, you need to come up with 20% of the total sale price for your down payment. In fact, a recent survey by Lending Tree asks what is keeping consumers from purchasing a home. For over half of those surveyed, the ability to afford a down payment is the biggest hurdle. That may be because those individuals assume a 20% down payment is necessary. While putting more money down if you’re able can benefit buyers, putting 20% down is not mandatory. As Freddie Mac puts it: “The most damaging down payment myth—since it stops the homebuying process before...

Category: Buying Myths