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Lancaster, PA Real Estate News

By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Top Home Renovations for Maximum ROI Some Highlights: Whether you are selling your home, just purchased your first home, or are a homeowner planning to stay put for a while, there is value in knowing which home improvement projects will net you the most Return On Investment (ROI). While big projects like adding a bathroom or a complete kitchen remodel are popular ways to increase a home’s value, something as simple as updating landscaping and curb appeal can have a quick impact on a home’s value. For more information about top renovation projects that net you the most ROI, you can check out the complete list here. Sellers , your  agent can help you decide exactly what should be done to prepare your home for the Buyer's Eye Contact mikeperrykw@gmail.com for more info !  
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Inventory Shortages Are Slowing Down the Market The real estate market is moving more and more into a complete recovery. Home values are up. Home sales are up. Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) have fallen dramatically. It seems that 2017 will be the year that the housing market races forward again. However, there is one thing that may cause the industry to tap the brakes: a lack of housing inventory. While buyer demand looks like it will remain strong throughout the summer, supply is not keeping up. Here are the thoughts of a few industry experts on the subject: Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR: "Sellers are in the driver's seat this spring as the intense competition for the few homes for sale is forcing many buyers to be aggressive in their offers. Buyers are showing...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
The Supply & Demand Problem Plaguing New Construction Many real estate economists have called on new home builders to ramp up production to help relieve the shortage of inventory of homes for sale throughout the United States. The added inventory would no doubt aid buyers in their search to secure their dream home, while also helping to ease price increases throughout the country. Unfortunately for builders, there are many forces that are making it difficult for them to do just that! Last week at the National Association of Real Estate Editors 51st Annual Conference, CoreLogic’s Chief Economist Frank Nothaft broke down the 4 ‘L’s of New Home Construction: Lots, Labor, Lumber, and Lending. The concept of supply and demand is ripe in the new home construction industry. The four ‘L’s of ne...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
If Your Home Hasn’t Sold Yet… Definitely Check the Price! The residential housing market has been hot. Home sales have bounced back solidly and are now at their fourth highest pace over the past year. Demand has remained strong ­throughout spring as many real estate professionals are reporting bidding wars with many homes selling above listing price. What about your house? If your house hasn’t sold, it could be the price. If your home is on the market and you are not receiving any offers, look at your price. Pricing your home just 10% above market value dramatically cuts the number of prosp­­ective buyers that will even see your house. See chart below. Bottom Line The housing market is hot. If you are not seeing the results you want, sit down with your agent and revisit the pricing conv...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
5 Reasons You Should Sell This Summer Here are five reasons listing your home for sale this summer makes sense. 1. Demand Is Strong The latest Buyer Traffic Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains very strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase… and are in the market right now! More often than not, multiple buyers are competing with each other to buy a home. Take advantage of the buyer activity currently in the market. 2. There Is Less Competition Now Housing inventory is currently at a 4.2-month supply, well under the 6-months needed for a normal housing market. This means, in the majority of the country, there are not enough homes for sale to satisfy the number of buyers in tha...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Can Your Real Estate Agent Answer These Important Questions? Whether you are selling or buying a home, the real estate agent you hire is critical to guaranteeing your family makes the right decision. Most agents can walk you through the process and explain the industry 'lingo,' but you should expect so much more than that. The housing crisis made everyone aware that truly understanding the real estate market is more complicated than it seems. Today, there are many questions your real estate agent must be able to answer to ensure your family is making the right decision. Here are just a few: What impact does the movement in mortgage interest rates have on buyer demand?  With home prices increasing rapidly, are we headed toward another housing bubble? Do you need a 20% down payment to pur...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
What Would You Sacrifice to Save For Your Next Home? Some Highlights: 95% of first-time homebuyers are willing to sacrifice to make homeownership a reality. The top item that buyers sacrifice is new clothes, at 54%. Even repeat or experienced buyers say they sacrificed taking a vacation or buying a new car to buy their last home. Buyers , prices are headed upward ! Your first step is Mortgage Pre-Approval  ! Email mikeperrykw@gmail.com  to learn more .
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
#1 Reason to List Your House for Sale, NOW! If you are debating listing your house for sale this year, here is the #1 reason not to wait! Buyer Demand Continues to Outpace the Supply of Homes for Sale  The National Association of REALTORS’ (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun recently commented on the inventory: “Last month’s dip in closings was somewhat expected given that there was such a strong sales increase in March at 4.2 percent, and new and existing inventory is not keeping up with the fast pace homes are coming off the market. Demand is easily outstripping supply in most of the country and it’s stymieing many prospective buyers from finding a home to purchase”. The latest Existing Home Sales Report shows that there is currently a 4.2-month supply of homes for sale. This remains l...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Why Working with a Local Real Estate Professional Makes All the Difference If you’ve entered the real estate market, as a buyer or a seller, you’ve inevitably heard the real estate mantra, “location, location, location” in reference to how identical homes can increase or decrease in value due to where they’re located. Well, a new survey shows that when it comes to choosing a real estate agent, the millennial generation’s mantra is, “local, local, local.” CentSai, a financial wellness online community, recently surveyed over 2,000 millennials (ages 18-34) and found that 75% of respondents would use a local real estate agent over an online agent, and 71% would choose a local lender. Survey respondents cited many reasons for their choice to go local, “including personal touch & handholding...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Inventory Challenges Continue! Some Highlights: After a surge in March, existing home sales and new home sales slowed due to a drop in inventory available for sale in the start-up and trade-up categories. Median existing home prices surged for the 62nd straight month, up 6.0% over last year to $244,800. New home prices slowed as builders have started to turn their focus toward single family, smaller homes. To view the value of any property ,request a25+ pageRPR  Report !  Email  mikeperrykw@gmail.com
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Do You Know the Cost of Waiting? Some Highlights: The “Cost of Waiting to Buy” is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices and interest rates were to increase over a period of time. Freddie Mac predicts that interest rates will increase to 4.8% by this time next year, while home prices are predicted to appreciate by 4.9% according to CoreLogic. Waiting until next year to buy could cost you thousands of dollars a year for the life of your mortgage! Start your Home Search asap !!! 
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Financial Planning: 4 Reasons to Buy a House Today Homeownership will always be a part of the American Dream. There are advantages to owning your own home (educational, health, social) that far transcend any economic impact. However, we want to look at several of the financial advantages of homeownership in today’s post. 1. Buying is Cheaper Than Renting The results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. The report reveals that: “Interest rates have remained low, and even though home prices have appreciated around the country, they haven’t greatly outpaced rental appreciation…Nationally, rates would have to reach 9.1% for renting...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Buying a Home? Do You Know the Lingo? Buying a home can be intimidating if you are not familiar with the terms used during the process. To start you on your path with confidence, we have compiled a list of some of the most common terms used when buying a home. Freddie Mac has compiled a more exhaustive glossary of terms in their “My Home” section of their website. Annual Percentage Rate (APR) – This is a broader measure of your cost for borrowing money. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees and certain other credit charges a borrower is required to pay. Because these costs are rolled in, the APR is usually higher than your interest rate. Appraisal – A professional analysis used to estimate the value of the property. This includes examples of sales of similar properties...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Get All the Facts about PMI When it comes to buying a home, whether it is your first time or your fifth, it is always important to know all the facts. With the large number of mortgage programs available that allow buyers to purchase a home with a down payment below 20%, you can never have too much information about Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). What is PMI? Freddie Mac defines PMI as: “An insurance policy that protects the lender if you are unable to pay your mortgage. It's a monthly fee, rolled into your mortgage payment, that is required for all conforming, conventional loans that have down payments less than 20%. Once you've built equity of 20% in your home, you can cancel your PMI and remove that expense from your mortgage payment.” As the borrower, you pay the monthly premiums...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Is the Current Pace of Home Sales Maintainable? There are some experts questioning whether the current pace of residential home sales is maintainable. Are too many people buying homes like in 2004-2006? Are we headed for another housing crisis? Actually, if we look closely at the numbers, we can see that we are looking at a very healthy real estate market. Why the concern? Some are looking at the last four years of home sales and comparing them to the three years just prior to the housing bubble. Looking at the graph below, we can understand that thinking. However, if we go further back in history, we can see the real picture. After taking out the “boom & bust” years, the pace of sales is growing at quite a natural pace. And new home sales are way below historic numbers. Dave Liniger, R...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Homes are Selling Fast Across the Country ! Some Highlights: The National Association of REALTORS® surveyed their members for their monthly Confidence Index. The REALTORS® Confidence Index is a key indicator of housing market strength based on a monthly survey sent to over 50,000 real estate practitioners. Practitioners are asked about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions. Homes sold in 60 days or less in 36 out of 50 states, and Washington D.C. Homes typically went under contract in 34 days in March! Homes are moving quickly . You'll need a Mortgage Pre-Approval to win !  Email  mikeperrykw@gmail.com  
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Your Tax Return: Bring it Home This time of year, many people eagerly check their mailboxes looking for their tax return check from the IRS. But, what do most people plan to do with the money? GO Banking Rates recently surveyed Americans and asked the question - “What do you plan on doing with your tax refund?” The results of the survey were interesting. Here is what they plan to do with their money: 41% - Put it into savings 38% - Pay off debt 11% - Go on a vacation 5% - Make a major purchase (car, home, etc.) 5% - Splurge on a purchase Upon seeing the research, The National Association of Realtors (NAR) wondered if this could help with a constant challenge cited by many people who wish to purchase a home – saving for the down payment. In a recent post in NAR’s Economists’ Outlook Blog...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
Real Estate Mogul: Here’s Why You Should Buy Real Estate mogul, Sean Conlon, host of The Deed: Chicago on CNBC, was recently asked the question, should you buy? Or should you rent a house? Conlon responded: “I am a true believer that you save every penny and you buy your first house… and that is still the fastest path to wealth in this country.” Conlon went on to suggest that first-time buyers put down 10-20% “if they can make it work,” and to remain in their home at least 4-5 years to see a return on their investment. Who is Sean Conlon, and why should you listen to his advice? Within a few years of working in the real estate industry, Conlon had established himself as one of the leading agents in the United States and has founded 3 billion-dollar brokerages dealing in residential, com...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
3 Charts That Shout, ‘List Your Home Today!’ In school, we all learned the theory of supply and demand. When the demand for an item is greater than the supply of that item, the price will surely rise. SUPPLY The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reported that the inventory of homes for sale stands at a 3.8-month supply. This is considerably lower than the 6-month supply necessary for a normal market.   DEMAND Every month NAR reports on the number of buyers out in the market looking for homes, which is also known as buyer traffic. As seen on the map below, buyer demand in March was strong or very strong in 45 out of 50 states nationwide, and Washington, DC. Many buyers are being confronted with a very competitive market in which they must compete with other buyers for their...
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By Michael J. Perry, Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist
(KW Elite )
How Fast Can You Save for a Down Payment? Saving for a down payment is often the biggest hurdle for a first-time homebuyer. Depending on where you live, median income, median rents, and home prices all vary. So, we set out to find out how long would it take you to save for a down payment in each state? Using data from the United States Census Bureau and Zillow, we determined how long it would take, nationwide, for a first-time buyer to save enough money for a down payment on their dream home. There is a long-standing ‘rule’ that a household should not pay more than 28% of their income on their monthly housing expense. By determining the percentage of income spent renting a 2-bedroom apartment in each state, and the amount needed for a 10% down payment, we were able to establish how long...
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