George Duarte, Author at George L. Duarte

S&P Case-Shiller Indices: December Home Price Growth Hits Record High While U.S. home prices grew at record speed in December, rising mortgage rates threatened rapid price appreciation as buyers were sidelined by affordability concerns. S&P Case-Shiller’s National Home Price Index reported 18.80 percent year-over-year home price growth in December.

The 20-City Home Price Index posted a year-over-year gain of 18.60 percent as compared to November’s year-over-year home price gain of 18.30 percent. Home prices rose by 1.50 percent from November to December 2020. Phoenix, Arizona held on to first place in the 20-City Index with year-over-year home price growth of 32.50 percent; Tampa, Florida held second place with 29.40 percent year-over-year home price growth. The Miami, Florida metro area held third place with year-over-year home price growth of 27.30 percent.

Rising Mortgage Rates Impact Affordability for Prospective Homebuyers

Analysts predicted slowing home price growth as mortgage rates rise and affordability issues impact prospective home buyers. Danielle Hale, a chief economist at Realtor.com, said: “Home prices continued to surpass expectations in December, but a marked change may be ahead for growth as rising mortgage rates eat into buyers’ purchasing power.”

Ms. Hale described a trend that could signal slower home price growth. “While typical asking prices continue to accelerate, the pace of median sales price growth has slowed, signaling a potential gap between what buyers are willing and able to pay and what sellers are hoping to receive.”

The quarterly report issued by the Federal Housing Finance Agency supported trends evident in the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices. Prices for homes owned or financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rose by 17.50 percent year-over-year in December. The FHFA reported the strongest home price growth in Arizona, Utah, and Idaho during the fourth quarter of 2021.

The strongest state housing markets for FHFA were Arizona, Utah, and Idaho, while the weakest housing markets were in Washington, DC, Louisiana, and North Dakota. Homebuyers continued to seek homes in less congested suburban and rural areas due to rising home prices. This trend originally started as Covid-19 outbreaks and work-from-home opportunities prompted city dwellers to relocate to areas less affected by the virus.

Analysts recognized that rising home prices sidelined moderate-income and first-time homebuyers, but did not expect home prices to fall in the coming months.

Everything Homeowners Need To Know About Down Payments Buying a house is an exciting time, but homeowners also need to make the best financial decision to meet their needs. One of the biggest decisions potential homeowners will face is how much money to put down.

A down payment is the amount of money that homeowners pay upfront when they purchase a home. Many homeowners believe they need to put down 20 percent; however, this is not always the case. What do homeowners need to know about putting a down payment on a house?

20 Percent Is Not Always Required

The reason why homeowners often believe they need to put down 20 percent is that lenders will often require a 20 percent down payment to avoid paying PMI. PMI stands for private mortgage insurance. If a homeowner puts down less than 20 percent, the lender takes on significant risk if the homeowner defaults. Therefore, the lender may require the homeowner to purchase PMI to protect the lender against the risk of default.

Homeowners might be able to secure a loan with 10 percent down if they are willing to pay PMI. First-time home buyers might be able to secure a home loan with as little as 3.5 percent down if they go with an FHA loan.

The Relationship Between Down Payments And Interest Rates

Homeowners might want to put down more money to earn a lower interest rate. Securing a lower interest rate could save homeowners tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. If homeowners put down more money, the lender doesn’t take on as big of a risk. Therefore, the lender might be willing to charge a lower interest rate.

Work With A Professional

Ultimately, the size of the down payment is one of the biggest decisions potential homeowners have to make. It can take a long time to save up 20 percent for a home, but this is not always required. Homeowners need to know whether they need to pay PMI if they do not put 20 percent down, and they need to understand how the size of the down payment will impact the interest rate on a loan. It is a prudent idea to consult with a professional when deciding how much money to put down for a house.

Recent Articles