DID YOU KNOW? Existing-home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual 5.19 million rate in April, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. That was 0.4% lower than March and 4.4% lower than a year ago. The median selling price in April was $267,300, a 3.6% annual increase. First-time buyers made up 32% of transactions in April, while individual investors accounted for 16% of buyers. (Marketwatch)

DID YOU KNOW? Those living in Minnesota have an average score of 713. South Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts round out the top 5 US states with the highest average credit scores for 2018. The lowest score, 652, belonged to those living in Mississippi. Louisiana, Nevada, Georgia, and Texas are all in the bottom of Experian’s ranking as well, with scores of 659 or below. (CNBC)

DID YOU KNOW? Over the past year, 22% of respondents in a survey of 2,200 US adults say the average credit card balance they carried was between $100 - $500, while about 10% of people say they had a balance over $5,000. At close to 18% interest.

DID YOU KNOW?  Over 85% of videos on Facebook are watched without sound. Use subtitles and text. Make the visuals SING!  (INMAN)                                                                                           

DID YOU KNOW? 25% of American jobs - belonging to about 36 million people - are at risk of being replaced by automation or artificial intelligence over the next 20 years, according to a Brookings Institution report issued in January.

DID YOU KNOW? New York City’s economy grew 3% from January through March 2019, a bit more than the 2.7% jump in gross city product recorded in the first quarter of 2018. (Crain’s)  

DID YOU KNOW? Is Madison Avenue retail rebounding? Since January 17 new stores have opened on this corridor that 4 years ago commanded rents up to $1,600/sf. Now, this number is closer to $1,000/sf. There is a growth in wellness, beauty, sustainability, and brands that have prices reaching broader markets. One thing missing from the Avenue that has helped drive retail traffic in other parts? More food. Stores are collaborating with one another. What is the biggest trend worth watching?  Several brands are BUYING their buildings or retail spaces. By doing so they remove the risk of future rent escalations beyond their control. (WWD)

DID YOU KNOW? The homeownership rate among households headed by someone under 35 was 35.4% as of the first quarter of 2019, according to the Census Bureau. In 1999 that level was about 40%.  WHY?

* The Great Recession caused the Millennial unemployment rate of those aged 20 - 24 to go as high as 17% in 2010. It would have been even higher if more young people hadn’t opted to continue schooling instead of joining the labor force or simply stopped looking for work.

* This delayed entry into the workforce is taking them longer to develop the financial wherewithal to buy a home. 

* Many are saddled with higher levels of student debt than previous generations, making mortgage approvals more daunting. 

 * The tough labor market they faced early in their careers may have delayed other life events that often coincide with the decision to own a home: Millennials have been getting married/having children later.

* The 2017 tax cuts reduced financial incentives for homeownership. 

* Banks have become more risk-averse since the crisis, more eager to extend pricey mortgages to wealthier clients than to lend to those seeking smaller home loans, as do many first-time buyers.

* A greater share of millennials live in the central city of a metropolitan area with a population of 500,000+ than did Generation X at the same age...where buying a home is less affordable.

* Fewer urban millennials have decamped to the suburbs in their 30s than previous generations.  (WSJ)

« A Tale of Two Markets [INFOGRAPHIC]

The information contained, and the opinions expressed, in this article are not intended to be construed as investment advice. Keeping Current Matters, Inc. does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. Keeping Current Matters, Inc. will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on the information or opinions contained herein.

When we consider buying an item, we naturally go through a research process prior to making our decision. We ask our friends and family members who have made similar purchases about their experience, we get opinions and insights, and we read reviews online. There’s no difference when considering a home purchase!

Most home buyers start by listening to the news to hear what is being said about the real estate market. They check with family and friends about their experience. They spend time online reading reviews about their desired neighborhood.

The challenge is that comments from the news and those closest to us can contradict the data and reports. One source says one thing, while another source says something completely different.

There is a group of homebuyers that are not allowing comments about an upcoming recession to interfere with their decision to buy a home. According to a survey by realtor.com®,

“Nearly 70 percent of home shoppers this spring think the U.S. will enter a recession in the next three years, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying to close on a home…Despite the fact that they foresee an economic downturn, they generally expressed confidence that a future recession will be better than 2008 for the housing market.”

The report provides more insights from the survey:

• Nearly 30% of the active home shoppers* surveyed expect the next recession to begin sometime in 2020.
• 56% of shoppers believe home prices have hit their peak.
• 41% believe housing will fare better than in 2008.
• 45% of home shoppers feel at least slightly more optimistic about homeownership.
• 33% reported no impact on their feelings about homeownership.

Homebuyers are aware and making decisions with their eyes wide-open. As the report mentioned,

“The fact that some [36%] home shoppers expect the next recession to be harder on the housing market than the last recession suggests that they are buying homes with eyes wide-open and very sober, if not slightly pessimistic, views of the housing market.

This is a stark contrast to the years leading up to the last recession when ‘irrational exuberance’ was more common and yet another reason to expect that the next downturn will be very different for the housing market than the last.”

Bottom Line

If you are considering buying a home, let’s get together to help you understand our local market and determine if buying a home is the right choice for you now.

*Active home shoppers are those consumers who responded that they plan to purchase their next home in 1 year or less.