Shouldn’t I just wait… (re-posted)

I posted this question about a year ago and thought that it was worth re-posting as it still rings true for Buyer’s sitting on the fence today. 

One additional factor to add; The government is now offering First-Time Home Buyer’s an $8,000 tax credit for purchasing a home that closes before 12/1/09!  To learn more about this credit, please read Have You Heard?

Q: With all the headlines about the housing market, shouldn’t I just wait “it out”? I’m sure to get a deal, when everything settles!

A: There are more factors to consider then just the list price.

I colleague of mine sent me this article (linked below) which I found quite interesting. The artical explains (second to last paragraph) how waiting for a lower price won’t equate to paying less.

Time Magazine
After reading the article, I did some additional research…

Property interested in purchasing, with 20% down payment…

Purchased Now…

• Price = $218,900
• Interest = 5.5%, @ 30 year fixed rate.
• Monthly Payment = $994.31
• Total Interest = $182,834.15, paid on the duration of the loan.

Purchased in 12 months…

• Price = $197,010, if the price was reduced 10%.
• Interest = 6.5%, @ 30 year fixed rate.
• Monthly Payment = $996.19
• Total Interest = $201,022.11, paid on the duration of the loan.

In either case, you are not saving anywhere near the $21,890 (or 10%) as one might think. If you take into consideration the additional payments for 30 years and the total interest paid on the loan, you really are only saving $3,025.24

Math to back me up…
ADDITIONAL MONEY YOU WOULD PAY BY WAITING A YEAR.

Difference in payment, paid over loan term…
$994.31 – $996.19 = $1.88 x 360 = $676.80

Difference in interest, paid over loan term…
$182,834.15 – $201,022.11 = $18,187.96

Now take both of the above totals and add them together ($676.80 + $18,187.96 = $18,864.76) then subtract this new total form the 10% you thought you saved ($21,890 – $18,864.76 = $3,025.24)

Oh, and don’t forget to subtract the money you shelled out for rent while you waited, plus the loss of the GREAT tax benefits!

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Real Estate Owned (REO) Properties

Q: We hear that Real Estate Owned (REO) properties may be a better buy.  Are there any pitfalls to purchasing this type of property?

A: Potentially.  REO properties are properties owned by a Bank or Financial Institutions.  In simplest form, this type of property is a foreclosed property.  Here are the three most common pitfalls to the REO purchase process;

1. REO’s require a bit more patients from a Buyer.  Typical REO transaction can take months to hear if your offer is accepted.  I’ve had a transaction that took four months to hear if the Buyer’s offer was accepted.

   Why?  Well, the bank is looking to make the most money on their investment.  They will seek out any professional to advise them in making sure they are getting the most money.  This is typically done by the Bank to see if other offers are made on the subject property.  In turn, pitting you againt another Buyer.  The Bank has already taken a loss on the property by foreclosing on it, and remember Banks are in the business of making money not losing it.

2. REO’s take longer to close; REO’s can take upward to 90 days to close.  If you are looking to move in to your new REO home in 30 days, this may not be your best option.

   Why?  Usually, there is a chain of command for the sale process, the representative in which a Realtor will deal with does not have that authority to approve your transaction, their boss or a committee has to approve your transaction.  In addition, chances are your interested purchase may not be their only REO property.

3. REO’s are sold ‘AS-IS’.  This is where you as the Buyer will have to do your due diligence.  If there is anything that needs repair, you will have to repair it on your dime.  One would have to keep in mind that the Bank has not even seen this property, it’s just a file on someones desk.

   In addition, I’ve heard horror stories from other Realtors where their Buyer’s ended up buying the last owner’s problems within a home; ie, bad plumbing, structural issues and so on, costing them ten’s of thousands to repair.

While, I don’t discourage a Buyer from a REO property.  A Buyer would need to weigh the pros and cons of this type of transaction and see if this additional effort and time is worth it for them.

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February ‘09 – Residential Market Highlights

The Portland metro area market improved in February compared to a record low January, but remains slow compared with February 2008.

Comparing February 2009 with the same month in 2008, closed sales dropped 38.1%. Pending sales also fell 30.5%. New listings decreased 19.7%.

On the other hand, when comparing February 2009 with January 2009, closed sales grew 17.1% (857 v. 732) and pending sales were up 3.3% (1,276 v. 1,235). New listings, on the other hand, dropped17.3% (3,471 v. 4,196).

At the month’s rate of sales, the 14,188 active residential listings would last approximately 16.6 months, down from a record 19.2 months in January.

Sale Prices

The average sale price for February 2009 was down 12.9% compared to February 2008, while the median sale price dropped 7.5%.

Month-to-month, the average sale price and median sale price are both up when compared with January levels; the average sale price increased a slight 0.4% ($298,500 v. $297,200) and the median sale price was up 3.6% ($259,000 v. $250,000).

Year-to-Date

Comparing January-February – 2009 with the same period in 2008, closed sales dropped 35.8%. Pending sales also fell 29.1%. New listings decreased 17.2%.

Data courtesy of RMLS.

Additional ‘Regional Comparison” data is available for other Portland Metro areas, please feel free to give me a call at 503.467.9997 or send an email.

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Portland’s Real Estate – Aborbstion Rate

The lastest numbers are in for our local real estate market.   While properties are selling, the market duration is still pretty high.  As of February, it will take approximatly 16.6 months for all current listing to be absorbed into the market.  As you will see below, March of 2007 was the best time for selling your home.

The table below shows our current absorption rate in addition to reflecting back to 2007.  The absorption rate is calculated by dividing the Active Listings at the end of the month in question by the number of closed sales for that month.

Data courtesy of RMLS.

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What do I own? (Part I)

Q: What would I own, if I buy a condo?

A: The answer depends on the properties legal description;

If the word “Condominium” appears in the legal description without any mention of a lot or plat map, most likely you are buying the rights to the air inside the unit, and that would be it. Everything else; the structure and the land underneath it, would be considered property of the Home Owner’s Association (HOA).

If the word “Condominium” does not appear in the legal description, but a mentioning of a lot or plat map does, you are buying rights to the land and the air inside the unit. However, the structure would be considered property of the Home Owner’s Association.

Monthly HOA dues are collected by the Home Owner’s Association for the maintenance and upkeep of the property.

In either case, you are buying into the HOA. This is where you would have your Realtor do some research. You would want to know several key areas of it’s history. Some items to consider;

• HOA financial status.
• HOA Management company (there are a few bad ones out there).
• Any potential raise in HOA dues in the near future.
• Is there a FUTURE or PENDING or PAST litigation case involving the HOA / owners.
• Any Special Assessment pending.
• In a future blog I’ll explain what a ‘Special Assessment’ means to a Condominium owner.

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How much $ will a Realtor charge me?

Q: If I wanted a Realtor to represent me as a Buyer in a transaction, how much would it cost me?

A: ZIP, NADA, ZERO, NOTHING! (for RMLS listings)
Realtors get paid by the Seller of a property through the listing contract of the RMLS.

Now, one would have to keep in mind that services provided to a Buyer are free only for properties that are listed on the RMLS. Realtors’ may impose a “Buyer’s Agency Agreement” for Buyer’s representation on a ‘For Sale By Owner’ transaction.

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