interest rates

Dec 27 2023

Retiring Soon? Why Moving Might Be the Perfect Next Step

If you’re thinking about retirement or have already retired this year, it’s a good time to consider if your current house is still a good fit for the next chapter in your life.

Fortunately, you may be in a better position to make a move than you realize. Here are a few things to think about as you decide whether or not to sell and make a move.

How Long You’ve Been in Your Home

From 1985 to 2008, the average length of time homeowners typically stayed in their homes was only six years. But according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), that number is rising today, meaning many homeowners are living in their houses even longer (see graph below):

When you live in a home for a significant period of time, it’s natural for you to experience a number of changes in your life while you’re in that house. As those life changes and milestones happen, your needs may change. And if your current home no longer meets them, you may have better options waiting for you.

How Much Equity You’ve Gained

Additionally, if you’ve been in your house for more than a few years, you’ve likely built-up significant equity that can fuel your next move. That’s because the longer you’ve been in your house, the more likely it’s grown in value due to home price appreciation. Data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) illustrates that point (see graph below):

While home price growth varies by state and local area, the national average shows the typical homeowner who’s been in their house for five years saw it increase in value by nearly 60%. And the average homeowner who’s owned their home since 1991 saw it more than triple in value over that time.

Consider Your Retirement Goals

Whether you’re looking to downsize, relocate to a dream destination, or simply be closer to loved ones, your home equity can be a key to realizing your homeownership goals. NAR shares that for recent home sellers, the primary reason to move was to be closer to loved ones.

Whatever your home goals are, a trusted real estate agent can work with you to find the best option. They’ll help you sell your current house and guide you through buying the home that’s right for your lifestyle today.

Bottom Line

Retirement can bring about major changes in your life, including what you need from your home. Connect with a local real estate agent to explore the available homes in your area.

Dec 21 2023

New Cash Offer Technology Quickly Identifies 1000 Assumable Mortgages in Seconds

Identifying assumable mortgages in the United States can help all industry stakeholders. Dr. Jan Duffy REALTOR with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada has partnered with FHA Pros, LLC, which is the industry leader, of the new technology to identify assumable mortgages quickly. It allows Dr. Jan Duffy REALTOR and her team to assist her clients in benefiting from assumptions effectively.

Using the latest technology solutions allows her team to identify properties with an assumable mortgage attached. We immediately have access to the seller’s loan details, providing buyers with the relevant information to make an offer to assume the seller’s mortgage.

“This technology assist the buyer and the seller with the assumption process,” says Dr. Jan Duffy REALTOR. She continues, “We provide the seamless assistance required to ensure compliance with assumption rules, making the process easier for everyone.”

My selling homeowner benefits from assumable mortgages because of the shortened contract period required for sales since there are no delays for things like setting up funding or getting appraisals. Meanwhile, servicers also continue to collect the same interest payments that would stop if the buyer were to obtain a new loan.

Buyers Benefit from Assumable Mortgages

Assumable mortgages let our home buyers take over an existing mortgage loan from a home seller. In this rising interest environment, the interest rate savings and terms of the original loan remain the same, resulting in potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings over the life of the loan.

There are about 11.4 million assumable mortgages in the U.S., making up 24% of all home mortgages. These are not conventional mortgages but loans backed by the Federal Housing Association (FHA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

These government-backed outstanding loans allow a qualified buyer to take over from the seller. Until recently, borrowing rates were low, meaning that most of these loans have interest rates of between 2.5% and 3%. Assumable loans weren’t a well-known option until very recently. However, the demand for this financing mechanism has increased with the rise in home-loan interest rates.

All FHA, USDA, and VA mortgages are fully assumable by a buyer, meaning buyers can assume the existing rates and terms of these mortgages from the seller. Assumable mortgages give buyers significant savings from interest payments, costs, and the years required to repay the mortgage.

The buyer of an assumption mortgage enjoys the following benefits:

Interest savings
No new loan origination or funding fees.
Shaves off potential years of payments
No appraisal is required
Possible mortgage insurance savings
Pay no mortgage tax in states where it is applicable
FHA buyers save on the 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium
Faster processing
Qualify for a higher sale price with a lower monthly repayment
More buyers qualify when the repayment is less than that of a new mortgage seller Benefits of Assumption

Assumption also benefits the seller because the lower payment their loan offers creates more demand as more people qualify for the lower payment, which translates to a more attractive property and higher sales price. Once the assumption is complete, the seller is forever released from liability on the mortgage, enabling them to obtain a new mortgage in the event they are purchasing a new home. If you have a home with a FHA, USDA, or VA mortgage, and want to sell your home, reach out to Dr. Jan Duffy REALTOR.

At Speedy Cash Home Offers, we understand that selling your home can be a complicated and time-consuming process. That’s why we offer a solution that not only saves you time but also helps you get the best deal for your property – through our assumption program.

Our assumption program allows buyers to take over your existing mortgage, making the selling process faster and easier for both parties involved. And with this option, you can qualify for a higher sale price while still offering a lower monthly repayment for potential buyers.

But how does assumption benefit the seller? For starters, it creates more demand for your property as more buyers can qualify due to the lower payment offered by your loan. This results in a more attractive property and ultimately leads to higher sales

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how a government shutdown impacts the housing market. You might be wondering: Is it causing everything to grind to a halt?

The short answer? No.

The housing market doesn’t stop. It keeps moving. Homes are still being bought and sold, contracts are still being signed, and closings are still happening. The difference is that a few parts of the process may slow down a little, but overall, the market continues to function.

Here’s What Typically Happens

Whenever the government shuts down, some federal agencies temporarily close or scale back their operations. That can cause a few hiccups in real estate, especially when it comes to processing certain types of government loans and insurance requirements:

“Applicants for FHA, VA, or USDA loans—which account for about one-quarter of all mortgage applications—may encounter significant processing delays due to agency furloughs.” – Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at Cotality
“By recent estimates, more than 2,500 mortgage originations per working day are at risk of delays during a shutdown . . .” – Zillow
Flood insurance approvals may also be paused. The National Flood Insurance Program can be What’s important to note is that the slowdown you see in the orange bars on this graph wasn’t simply due to seasonality in a typical housing market cycle. The sharper, shorter drop in this case lines up exactly with the 35-day government shutdown, and then sales bounced back as soon as it ended.

What This Means for You

If you’re in the middle of buying or selling a home, don’t panic. Most deals will still move forward, even if it takes a few extra days. Jeff Ostrowski, Housing Market Analyst at Bankrate, explains:

“If you’re expecting to close in a week or a month, there could be some slight delay, but I think for most people, it’s probably going to be a blip more than a real deal killer.”

And if you’re just starting to think about buying or selling, this could actually work in your favor. Some buyers and sellers may become cautious and pause their plans during times of uncertainty, like this, and that can open a short window of opportunity.

When fewer people are active in the market, well-prepared buyers may find less competition for homes, and motivated sellers may be more willing to negotiate. These brief slowdowns often create a moment where you can make a move that would be harder once activity ramps back up.

Bottom Line

A government shutdown can cause short-term delays for some buyers, but it doesn’t derail the housing market. The last time this happened, sales picked back up as soon as the government re-opened.

If you’re unsure how this might affect your plans, or just want to make sense of what’s happening, connect with a local real estate agent.