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Buying a home means making an investment in the real estate market. And, while it may not be your main motivation for buying, the chance that you’ll see a return on that investment is undoubtedly a good thing. It’s among the reasons that homeownership has retained its appeal over the years. It’s also why new numbers from ATTOM Data Solutions are encouraging. Their Year-End 2018 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report shows that in the fourth quarter of last year more than 14.5 million properties were considered equity rich – which means the loans used to purchase the property are 50 percent or less than the estimated value. In short, an increasing number of American homeowners are seeing their investment grow. Todd Teta, ATTOM’s chief product officer, says – in addition to increasing values – homeowners are seeing their equity grow because they’re staying in their homes longer. “With homeowners staying put longer, homeownership equity will most likely continue to strengthen,†Teta said. The rise of equity rich homeowners also coincides with a dramatic decline in the number of seriously underwater properties, which have dropped from nearly 30 percent in 2012 to just 8.8 percent at the end of last year. More here.

Last year’s housing market had its challenges. Though there was plenty of interest from home buyers, too few homes for sale, rising interest rates, and high prices dampened some of the enthusiasm. Now, according to the most recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index from Fannie Mae, Americans may be feeling more optimistic about their options. That’s because, in addition to an 8 percent increase in the number of respondents who say their income is substantially higher than it was at the same time last year, there are also a declining number who feel home prices and mortgage rates will keep rising. In short, consumers feel more confident in their money and see affordability conditions starting to improve. Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae’s senior vice president and chief economist, says the boosted optimism and more favorable conditions may help home sales this year. “Overall, these results are in line with our forecast that, amid improving affordability conditions, home sales should stabilize in 2019 after declining last year for the first time in four years.†More here.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell sharply last week across all loan categories, including 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed-rate loans. But though rates were more favorable, requests for mortgage loan applications still fell. In fact, overall demand was down 2.5 percent from the previous week. Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of industry surveys and forecasts, says, though demand for loans to buy homes dropped, the outlook remains good. “Despite more favorable borrowing costs, and after a three-week surge in activity, purchase applications have slowed over the past two weeks, and are now almost 2 percent lower than a year ago,†Kan said. “However, moderating price gains and the strong job market, including evidence of faster wage growth, should help purchase growth going forward.†The MBA’s weekly survey has been conducted since 1990 and covers 75 percent of all retail residential mortgage applications. More here.

Homeowners who sold a house in 2018 saw an average gain since purchase of $61,000, according to new numbers from ATTOM Data Solutions. ATTOM’s Year-End 2018 U.S. Home Sales Report found that home sellers averaged a 32.6 percent return on investment when comparing the price their home sold for with the original purchase price. The improvement was an $11,000 increase from the year before. But though that’s good news for anyone thinking about selling a home sometime soon, ATTOM’s chief product officer, Todd Teta, says changes may be on the way. “The economy is still going strong and home loan rates remain historically low,†Teta said. “But there are potential clouds on the horizon. The effects of last year’s tax cuts are wearing off as limits on homeowner tax deductions are in place and mortgage rates are ticking up ever so slowly, so this could dampen the potential for home price gains in 2019.†But though market conditions are beginning to change, home prices are still expected to rise this year and, with home seller profits at a 12-year high, that means it’s still a good time to sell a house. More here.

Fannie Mae’s quarterly Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey asks senior mortgage executives for their perceptions of the market and forecast for the future. According to the most recent release, lenders point to an “insufficient supply of homes available for sale” as the primary reason for slow home sales growth last year. In fact, 48 percent of responding lenders said that too few homes for sale held buyers back, while rising interest rates and higher prices were also commonly cited factors. Similarly, when asked for suggestions for what could be done to improve affordability in the months ahead, increasing the housing stock led the list. In short, mortgage execs see low inventory as the market’s biggest issue. This isn’t a surprise. The fact that there’s been a lower-than-typical number of homes for sale has been pushing home prices upward and keeping competition for affordable homes high. The good news, however, is that recent data shows inventory has been rising and, if the trend continues, it could help provide some relief to buyers this year. More here.

Potential spring home buyers may find that they’ve regained some negotiating power when they head out to shop for a house to buy. That’s because, after a few years where sellers held all the cards, buyers are beginning to see conditions shift in a more favorable direction. For example, new data shows that the number of home buyers who paid above asking price in December saw its biggest month-over-month decline in six years. In fact, just 19 percent of homes sold during the month went for a price above what their owner had it listed for. That’s a five percent decline from its peak in May of last year. Simply put, continued home price increases have motivated more homeowners to put their homes up for sale. And, as the number of homes for sale has risen, it’s reduced the amount of competition among buyers. But, while competition may have begun to slow down, it isn’t quite a buyer’s market just yet. So, if you’re looking to buy a home in the months ahead, you should still be prepared, prequalified, and ready to move fast. Good homes will be in high demand, even if the competition isn’t quite as heavy as it has been in years past. More here.

The National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index measures the number of contracts signed to buy homes during a given month. Since it measures signings, and not closings, it can be an important indicator of future home sales. In December, the index fell 2.2 percent from the month before. But, Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, sees some encouraging signs amid the end-of-the-year slowdown. “The longer-term growth potential is high,†Yun says. “The Federal Reserve announced a change in its stance on monetary policy. Rather than four rate hikes, there will likely be only one increase or even no increase at all. This has already spurred a noticeable fall in the 30-year, fixed-rate for mortgages. As a result, the forecast for home transactions has greatly improved.†In addition to good news about rates, there is also an increasing number of homes for sale. And, since more available inventory helps keep prices down, that’s good for home buyers. Cities in the West saw the largest increase in active listings year-over-year, with Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, San Diego-Carlsbad, and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro seeing the biggest improvement compared to the year before. More here.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates increased last week from the week before. Rates were up for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with both conforming and jumbo balances, as well as 15-year fixed-rate loans. Mortgage rates on loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration declined. Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president of industry surveys and forecasts, says the increase caused application demand to dip, though overall interest remains high. “Mortgage applications for purchase and refinances were lower over the past week, as rates nudged higher,†Kan said. “After two weeks of decreases, the purchase index still remained roughly 6 percent above its long-run average, which is good news with spring buying and selling season almost underway. Despite ongoing supply and affordability constraints, the healthy job market and underlying demographic fundamentals both point to gradual purchase growth in the coming months.†In other words, though the market still has some challenges, Americans feel secure financially and are interested in buying. That indicates a busy spring for the housing market. The MBA’s weekly survey has been conducted since 1990 and covers 75 percent of all retail residential mortgage applications. 

Buying a home is mostly a personal decision. Generally, the right time for you to buy has more to do with something happening in your life than it does a shift in market conditions. Maybe it’s a good time to buy because you’ve recently gotten married or have taken a new job in a different part of town. Perhaps you’ve decided to start a family or are approaching retirement. Whatever your reasons, they, most likely, aren’t based on a thorough reading of the housing market and its prospects for a healthy future. But, despite the fact that buyers are going to be more focused on getting a house that fits their lifestyle and has the right number of bedrooms and a good amount of storage, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t take some time to familiarize themselves with where their local market is heading. Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American, says it can help you make a more informed decision. “When considering the right time to buy or sell a home, an important factor in the decision should be the market’s overall health, which is largely a function of supply and demand,†Fleming says. “Knowing how close the market is to a healthy level of activity can help consumers determine if it is a good time to buy or sell, and what might happen to the market in the future.†More here.

When asked, most Americans indicate that they’d rather stay in their current house once they retire. After all, the comforts of home and a community that you know well and have lived in for many years are hard to replace. But not everyone wants to stay where they are once they’ve retired. And there are no shortage of options for Americans looking for a new living arrangement. For example, they can choose to cash in their equity and downsize into a loft, condo, or apartment. They can also look for a place in a retirement community or even move out of state. But, if you’re feeling adventurous and looking to move far from home, where are the most affordable communities for retirees to move to? Well, according to one recent ranking, a lot of them are in places already popular with older Americans. In fact, nearly half of the top 20 are cities in Florida, including Orlando, Tampa, Ocala, Lakeland, and Jacksonville. Other areas that feature a warmer climate, in addition to their affordability, include Phoenix, San Antonio, and Birmingham, Ala. But all of the most affordable communities aren’t located in sunny, southern locations. The number one most affordable place to retire is Sioux Falls, South Dakota and cities in Indiana, Michigan, Delaware, and Tennessee also make the list. More here.