There’s no time like the present to buy and/or sell a house!
I can think of THOUSANDS of reasons that TODAY is a GREAT day to begin the process of Buying a new/different house . . .
I don’t have time to write all of those thousands of reasons because I do have Home Buyers and Sellers to tend to . . .
How ’bout I just offer up a “Top 10 list”?
10. Interest Rates are still LOW. What this means for the Home Buyer is that she can buy MORE house for LESS money (monthly payment). For every point the interest increases, she will lose @ 11% of her buying power . . . and when interest rates DO begin to increase, they’ll likely do so quickly.
9. First Time Buyers are at the ADVANTAGE! There is a veritable smorgasbord of lending options available (ESPECIALLY in Middle Tennessee) for these House Buyers. It’s entirely possible to buy a home with NO MONEY DOWN, AND these lending options are NOT of the high risk variable rate variety.
8. The Selection of Available Houses is plentiful and (mostly) appealing. In many areas, housing values have appeared to level out as more Sellers have “seen the light” and are now doing the right things in terms of pricing houses competitively and preparing their houses for the market.
7. Short Sales seem to be finding a smoother groove! Bank are finding a more sane level of “reasonableness” and are handling short sales and foreclosure more fairly and efficiently than before. We’re still not “there” yet in terms of predictable process or results, but the waters seem to have calmed a bit.
6. House values appear to have found a relatively “Level” field of play. My crystal ball tells me that house values have largely stabilized in Middle Tennessee and have even begun to increase. Inventory of available homes is shrinking relative to the past 3 years and the buying environment is friendlier. I’m predicting that the smart TODAY buyers (Many of them First time Buyers) will tip the scales towards recovery . . . and with recovery comes inflation . . . Sell your current house NOW at a fair price and buy your next house before values escalate.
5. Banks are getting more interested in lending money for house purchases! For the past 3 (or so) years, most of us in the real estate industry were convinced that banks just didn’t want to loan money because rates were so low and there were so many foreclosures to deal with, they didn’t think it was worth their time . . . and they were literally swamped with refinances. The weather has changed a bit. Refi’s are significantly down in number, and the banks are seeing the writing on the wall that they need to initiate mortgages to help this economy recover (and to give them something to do) . . . We’re even seeing a measure of “creativity” return to the lending environment.
4. Unemployment % is decreasing as Tennessee is consistently reporting MORE JOBS coming into the area! Manufacturing and large business movement into the area and the Quality of Life here in Middle Tennessee is resulting in more people moving in . . . More people with more jobs = MORE HOUSE SALES . . . More house sales will decrease inventory and stimulate a rebirth of the building industry . . . rebirth of the building industry will create more jobs and attract more people to the area . . . and the cycle continues in a positive way.
3. The REALTORS in this market are simply the BEST! If you haven’t hugged a REALTOR recently, you should find one and do so. Any REALTOR who is still standing after this storm cannot be anything but a quintessential real estate professional. Every deal has nuances and surprises that require a very high level of mental acuity and fortitude. I think you’ll find a VERY high level of service from most any REALTOR out there . . .
2. Your current home isn’t “perfect”! How long have you been “making do” with your current living arrangement? Do you really want to stay there and expand or up-grade that house? Or does it make sense to look around and see if there’s a different house maybe in a different neighborhood that fits your needs (and WANTS) better? NOW is the perfect time to evaluate your current environment . . . because NOW you CAN do something about it 🙂
1. YOU DESERVE IT! Honestly if you have weathered this financial quagmire and maintained your personal financial stability and you current living arrangement is not optimal for you, I believe NOW is the PERFECT time for you to reward your good behavior by getting the process started to find a new home whether it be an “Up-size” or “Down-size” move.
So . . . A valid next question you might ask is: “HOW do I “Get this process started”?
The answer is simply: “Call your REALTOR and ask for a consultation!”
If you don’t “have” a REALTOR, give me a call. Pareto Realty is a growing team of Real Estate Professionals, and we are equipped to serve Middle Tennessee House Buyers and Sellers impeccably . . . If you’re not in our service area, we have REALTOR relationships all over the country and can help find a good Real Estate Advocate.
That’s it! Your REALTOR will lead you through the process.
Happy Spring Shopping!
Just sayin’
Best,
b