Women more pessimistic about housing market

Women more pessimistic about housing market

Gender disparity in homeownership is not news. Latest available reports in 2016 showed female-owned homes are on average valued less than male-owned homes, and appreciate at a lower rate. Some suggested income disparity correlates with homeownership disparity – makes sense.

The latest ValueInsured Modern Homebuyer Survey found a gender gap might exist not only where home values and ownership are concerned, but in homebuyer psychology and housing confidence as well - with female homebuyers’ pessimism jarring in some measures

Caught our eye: WSJ says Homeowners Ditch Refinancings as Mortgage Rates Rise

Caught our eye: WSJ says Homeowners Ditch Refinancings as Mortgage Rates Rise

Many lenders over the past few years have found themselves caught up in a "race-to-the-bottom" where technology and the "lowest rates" were king.  This is a side-effect of a booming refi market that finally appears to be drying up.  So what do lenders do now? 

This WSJ article details some efforts many are taking at least at a high-level.  Some are scrambling with more "exotic" loans types while others are repositioning themselves to get back to a traditional purchase operation.  The challenge is that the infrastructure now in place - from systems, to 3rd party lead generation, to even the types of loan officers in place - are still in the quick and easy refi mode. 

Millennials question if home buying is a smart decision

Millennials question if home buying is a smart decision

Last week, the housing industry celebrated a latest NAR report that Millennials are finally making a move into housing, surpassing Baby Boomers as the largest generational segment of homebuyers, and responsible for 36% of home purchases in 2017.

But upon further inspection, and as both NAR and National Mortgage News astutely called out, Millennials are still underperforming as homebuyers to their full potential. After all, when you represent the largest population segment in the country and are in prime life stage for marriage and family formation, it is not too hard to overtake Baby Boomers, many of whom are downsizing, shifting to rentals, or moving in with their family. Homeownership rate among Americans under age 35 is currently at 36% (not to be confused with Millennials’ home purchase share, which is also 36%) according to the latest U.S. Census report. It is a substantial drop from the same age group’s homeownership rate pre-2008 housing crisis, at 43%. In other words, the housing industry has lost 1 out of every 6 under-35 homebuyers in the past decade.

The good news: Millennials’ desire to become homeowners remains high. In the latest ValueInsured Modern Homebuyer Survey, conducted in February, 77% of all American Millennials who do not currently own a home want to become homeowners, and 72% who don’t own a home believe owning is better than renting. The less good news: as home prices heat up, Millennials’ enthusiasm to buy now and their confidence in buying as a smart investment have gradually dropped over the past year.

,

The “ideal” down payment

,
The “ideal” down payment

According to ValueInsured’s latest quarterly results, 7% of all millennials first-time homebuyers, if given the option to choose, hope to put down zero percent down; another 26% ideally wish to put down 3-5%. In other words, 1 in 3 (33%) believe their ideal down payment is up to 5%. Most cite the eagerness to buy immediately as their motive, and express an understanding that they could potentially be paying a higher interest rate and will pay higher monthly mortgage payment after having a lower down payment commitment. To 1 in 3 next-gen homebuyers, that is considered the ideal trade off.

Homeowners more in tune with – and more pessimistic about – interest rate hikes vs. buyers

Homeowners more in tune with – and more pessimistic about – interest rate hikes vs. buyers

The general consensus is that interest rates are going up this year - perhaps quite a bit.  Interestingly, this appears to be something existing homeowners are a lot more in tune with. One would think homeowner hopefuls – Americans who are in the market for a home and desire to buy in the near future – would also be more aware of upcoming rate increases, after all it could have certain implications on their budget and buying timeline. However, according to ValueInsured’s latest quarterly Modern Homebuyer Survey, non-homeowners who wish to buy in the next three year report to have a lower awareness of upcoming rate hikes, or they are more optimistic that a rate hike way not happen.

Homebuyers flee hot real estate markets

Homebuyers flee hot real estate markets

In the latest ValueInsured Modern Homebuyer Survey, majority of Americans and Millennials believe more people will relocate to less expensive housing areas if home prices in their hometown continue to go up.  Other factors are also causing them to consider fleeing hot markets.

The new housing buzzword: Uncertainty

The new housing buzzword: Uncertainty

While both have been effective wealth builders for Americans over the long term, neither stock nor home prices has historically gone up in an ascending straight line. The events in the past week were once again a reminder. As if flipping a switch, a strong equities market turned into a volatile, uncertain market overnight.

The same could happen to the housing industry. Up until now, the bullish stock and housing market were both in large part propelled by historically low interest rates. With more rate hikes on the horizon, the stock market got spooked. One could argue rising interest rates should have even stronger effects on the real estate market, after all, home prices are already high and considered "overvalued" in many major markets; rising interest rates could further strain affordability issues already plaguing homebuyers.

Home buying gifts: millennials like them more than their parents

Home buying gifts: millennials like them more than their parents

Most of us have heard this data point: more Millennials are now living at home with their parents than in any other living arrangements, or in any other time in modern history. Last year, the US Census estimated that one in three Millennials – or 24 million 18- to 34-year-olds – live in their parents’ home. 

It’s fair to say Millennials’ parents have been generous with them. And that generosity extends beyond sharing their home well into a child’s adulthood. Sometimes, parents help their adult child buy a home by providing financial assistance. In ValueInsured’s latest (Q4 2017) Modern Homebuyer Survey, 17% of all surveyed Millennial homebuyers say they plan to rely on a loan or a gift from family member(s) to fund the majority of their down payment. It was recently reported that nearly 1 in 4 (23%) of all purchase loan originations in the U.S. now require a non-spouse co-borrower(s)’ – in most cases a parent’s – credit to afford the loan approved.

Cart (0)