The spring home buying season started early this year. Open houses had increased attendance and bidding wars returned in March. Home prices in most of the region are about even with March of 2018. The Eastside median closed sales price decreased 1% from March 2018 ($831,000) to March 2019 ($825,000). Months supply of inventory decreased from 1.8 in February 2019 to 1.2 in March 2019, its lowest in nine months. The number of Eastside sales increased 2% for the first quarter 2019 compared to 2018. The speed of the market (percentage of homes sold in two weeks or less, number of multiple offers) is slower than a year ago (arguably a good thing), although it is speeding up.
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One of the many benefits of owning your own home is the freedom to find your ‘furever’ friend. By pointing out the aspects of your home that make it ‘pet-friendly’ in your listing, you’ll attract these buyers, rather than alienating the 68% of American households that have a pet!
If you are one of the many homeowners looking to list your home for sale, how do you stand out to the millions of pet parents searching for their dream home?
Whether a dog person, a cat person, or someone who prefers the company of another pet species, 99% of pet owners say that they consider their animal to be family. When finding a home, 95% of animal owners believe it is important that a housing community allows animals.
A study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed that there are many aspects of the home buying, selling and owning experience that have been greatly impacted by our love for our pets.
This should come as no surprise, as $72 billion was spent on pets in the U.S in 2018. NAR’s President William E. Brown shed some light on the impact of pet owners and their home search.
“It is important to understand the unique needs and wants of animal owners when it comes to homeownership. REALTORS® understand that when someone buys a home, they are buying it with the needs of their whole family in mind; ask pet owners, and they will enthusiastically agree that their animals are part of their family.”
The Power of Pets When Choosing the Right Home
89% of pet owners say they would not give up their pet due to a housing restriction
81% of Americans say their pets play a role in their housing situation
31% of animal owners have refused to put in an offer on a home because it wasn’t a good fit for their animals
19% of Americans say they would consider moving for their pet
12% percent have moved for their pet
New home builders have actually begun installing retractable pet gates that tuck away neatly inside door jams as a highly requested feature in new homes to attract pet-parents.
So, if you are a homeowner looking to sell in today’s pet-friendly environment, point out the features of your home that will attract pet owners:
Fully fenced in backyard – (91% of pet owners ranked this as the most important feature of a home to accommodate their pet)
Locations of dog parks/walking paths/pet-friendly beaches in the area (71% ranked this as the top feature of any neighborhood they would consider)
Proximity to veterinarians/groomers/pet supply stores (31%)
Bottom Line
Americans love their pets and will look for pet-friendly features in the home they wish to buy, so take advantage of this knowledge by pointing out your home’s ability to meet their needs.
After months of softening, home prices began to rise in February. That trend continued in March. While prices in most areas were down from the same time last year, they increased over the prior month. New listings rose as well, offering buyers more options and more time to make the right choice. Despite the uptick in listings, inventory is still under two months of supply, far short of the three to six months that is considered balanced.
Eastside
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Unlike most of King County, home prices on the Eastside grew over the prior year. The median price of a single-family home on the Eastside rose 3% to $950,000. That represents an increase of $50,000 over February. Amazon’s plans to relocate its worldwide operations team to Bellevue is expected to add thousands of employees to their Eastside campus and put even more demand on what is already tight inventory.
King County
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The median price of single-family home in King County in March was $667,725. That figure was down 3% from the same time last year, but up from the $655,000 median price in February. The two areas that showed price increases year-over-year were the most expensive area in the county – the Eastside – and the least expensive – Southeast King County. The number of homes for sale was more than double that of a year ago, but still far short of enough to meet demand.
Seattle
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The median price of a single-family home in Seattle hit $752,500 in March, down 8% from a year ago, but up $22,500 from February. Inventory rose 136% over last year. Despite the increase, new listings that were competitively priced saw many multiple and contingency-stripped offers.
Snohomish County
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In Snohomish County, the median price of a single-family home grew 5.3% over last year to $500,000. That was an increase of $25,000 over February. A new passenger terminal at Paine Field is expected to provide a boost to the local economy and also lift demand for housing.
There are many misconceptions about the credit score needed to buy a house. Recently, it was reported that 24% of renters believe they need a 780-800 credit score to be considered for a mortgage. The reality is they are misinformed!
Only 25% of the Americans have a FICO® Score between 740 and 800. Here is the breakdown according to Experian:
16% Very Poor (300-579)
18% Fair (580-669)
21% Good (670-739)
25% Very Good (740-799)
20% Exceptional (800-850)
Randy Hopper, Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending for Navy Federal Credit Unionsaid,
“Just because you have a low credit score doesn’t mean you can’t purchase a home. There are a lot of options out there for consumers with low FICO® scores,”
There are many programs available with low or no credit score requirement. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) now requires a minimum FICO® score of 580 if you want to qualify for the low down payment advantage. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not set a minimum credit score requirement, but most lenders require a score of at least 640. Veterans Affairs (VA) loans have no credit scorerequirement.
As you can see, none of them are above 700!
It is true that the average FICO® score for all closed loans in January was 726, but there are plenty of people taking advantage of the low credit score requirements. Here is the average FICO® Score of closed FHA Loans since April 2012 according to Ellie Mae:As you can see, that number has been dropping for the last seven years. As a matter of fact, the average FHA Purchase FICO® Score reported in January 2019 was 675!
One of the challenges is that Americans are unsure about their credit score. They just assume that it is too low to qualify and do not double check. Credit.com confirmed that only 57% of individuals sought out their credit score at least once last year.
“Since October 2009, the average year-over-year FICO® Score has steadily and consistently increased, from a low of 686 in 2009 to the latest high of 704 as of 2018.”
Here is the increase in the average US FICO® Score over the same period of time as the graph earlier.
Bottom Line
At least 84% of Americans have a score that will allow them to buy a house. If you are unsure what your score is or would like to improve your score in order to become a homeowner, let’s get together to help you set a path to reach your dream!
A recent Seattle Times article reported that the median net worth for Seattle homeowners is about 25 times higher than those who rent.
How Homeownership Creates Wealth
A home appreciates.
Since 2000, homes in the Seattle area have appreciated at an average annual rate of 5.6 percent. The real estate market, like the stock market, ebbs and flows as values go up and down over time. While real estate prices here dropped during the housing crisis, they have far exceeded average appreciation for the past few years. The same cannot be said for the stock of many companies that imploded when the dot-com bubble burst.
As an investment, a home benefits from leveraging.
Equity in a home appreciates based on the entire value of the home. This includes the money you’ve paid as well as the money you’ve borrowed. For instance, rather than earning appreciation on the $70,000 down payment you made, you build equity on the full $700,000 value of the house even though the bank financed most of it.
Ready to buy a home?
We can help you negotiate the best possible terms on the what will probably be your greatest single asset.
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We can provide you with a market analysis of homes that have recently sold in your neighborhood and help you plan for a future sale.
