What Does the Rest of the Year Hold for the Housing Market?

What Does the Rest of the Year Hold for the Housing Market? | Simplifying The Market

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a house, you’re at an exciting decision point. And anytime you make a big decision like that, one thing you should always consider is timing. So, what does the rest of the year hold for the housing market? Here’s what experts have to say.

The Number of Homes Available for Sale Is Likely To Grow

There are early signs housing inventory is starting to grow and experts say that should continue in the months ahead. According to Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com:

“The gap between this year’s homes for sale and last year’s is one-fifth the size that it was at the beginning of the year. The catch up is likely to continue, . . . This growth will mean more options for shoppers than they’ve had in a while, even though inventory continues to lag pre-pandemic normal.”

  • As a buyer, having more options is welcome news. Just remember, housing supply is still low, so be ready to act fast and put in your best offer up front.
  • As a seller, your house may soon face more competition when other sellers list their homes. But the good news is, if you’re also buying your next home, having more options to choose from should make that move-up process easier.

Mortgage Rates Will Likely Continue To Respond to Inflationary Pressures

Experts also agree inflation should continue to drive up mortgage rates, albeit more moderately. Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist at First Americansays:

“… ongoing inflationary pressure remains likely to push mortgage rates even higher in the months to come.”  

  • As a buyer, work with trusted real estate professionals, including your lender, so you can learn how rising mortgage rate environments impact your purchasing power. It may make sense to buy now before it costs more to do so, if you’re ready.
  • As a seller, rising mortgage rates are motivating some homeowners to make a move up sooner rather than later. If you’re planning to buy your next home, talk to a trusted real estate advisor to decide how to time your move.

Home Prices Are Projected To Continue To Climb

Home prices are forecast to keep appreciating because there are still fewer homes for sale than there are buyers in the market. That said, experts agree the pace of that appreciation should moderate – but home prices won’t fall. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains:

“Prices throughout the country have surged for the better part of two years, including in the first quarter of 2022. . . Given the extremely low inventory, we’re unlikely to see price declines, but appreciation should slow in the coming months.” 

  • As a buyer, continued home price appreciation means it’ll cost you more to buy the longer you wait. But it also gives you peace of mind that, once you do buy a home, it will likely grow in value. That makes it historically a good investment and a strong hedge against inflation.
  • As a seller, price appreciation is great news for the value of your home. Again, lean on a professional to strike the right balance of the best conditions possible for both selling your house and buying your next one.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re a homebuyer or seller, you need to know what’s happening in the housing market, so you can make the most informed decision possible. Let’s connect to discuss your goals and what lies ahead, so you can pick your best time to make a move.

Remember and Honor Those Who Gave All

Remember and Honor Those Who Gave All | Simplifying The Market

Remember and Honor Those Who Gave All | Simplifying The MarketWe remember and honor those who gave all.

Bright Days Are Ahead When You Move Up This Summer [INFOGRAPHIC]

Bright Days Are Ahead When You Move Up This Summer [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market

Bright Days Are Ahead When You Move Up This Summer [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market

Some Highlights

  • Warmer weather and longer days mean summer is almost here. Celebrate by upgrading to the home of your dreams so you can enjoy all the season has to offer.
  • When you list your house, you can capitalize on today’s sellers’ market to fuel your upgrade. Then, you can move to a home with the features you want, like space to entertain or rooms for work and play.
  • If you’re ready to upgrade to a home that matches your changing needs, let’s connect.

Why Summer Is a Great Time To Buy a Vacation Home

Why Summer Is a Great Time To Buy a Vacation Home | Simplifying The Market

You may be someone who looks forward to summer each year because it gives you an opportunity to rest, unwind, and enjoy more quality time with your loved ones. Now that summer is just around the corner, it’s worthwhile to start thinking about your plans and where you want to spend your vacations this year. Here are a few reasons a vacation home could be right for you.

Why You May Want To Consider a Vacation Home Today

Over the past two years, a lot has changed. You may be one of many people who now work from home and have added flexibility in where you live. You may also be someone who delayed trips for personal or health reasons. If either is true for you, there could be a unique opportunity to use the flexibility that comes with remote work or the money saved while not traveling to invest in your future by buying a vacation home.

Bankrate explains why a second home, or a vacation home, may be something worth considering:

“For those who are able, buying a second home is suddenly more appealing, as remote working became the norm for many professionals during the pandemic. Why not work from the place where you like to vacation — the place where you want to live?

If you don’t work remotely, a vacation home could still be at the top of your wish list if you have a favorite getaway spot that you visit often. It beats staying in a tiny hotel room or worrying about rental rates each time you want to take a trip.”

How a Professional Can Help You Find the Right One

So, if you’re looking for an oasis, you may be able to make it a second home rather than just the destination for a trip. If you could see yourself soaking up the sun in a vacation home, you may want to start your search. Summer is a popular time to buy vacation homes. By beginning the process now, you could get ahead of the competition.

The first step is working with a local real estate advisor who can help you find a home in your desired location. A professional has the knowledge and resources to help you understand the market, what homes are available and at what price points, and more. They can also walk you through all the perks of owning a second home and how it can benefit you.

A recent article from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), mentions some of the top reasons buyers today are looking into purchasing a second, or a vacation, home:

“According to Google’s data, the top reasons that homeowners cited for purchasing a second home were to diversify their investments, earn money renting, and use as a vacation home.”

If any of the reasons covered here resonate with you, connect with a real estate professional to learn more. They can give you expert advice based on what you need, your goals, and what you’re hoping to get out of your second home.

Bottom Line

Owning a vacation home is an investment in your future and your lifestyle. If this is one of your goals this year, you still have time to buy and enjoy spending the summer in your vacation home. When you’re ready to get started, let’s connect.

How Buying or Selling a Home Benefits the Economy and Your Community

How Buying or Selling a Home Benefits the Economy and Your Community | Simplifying The Market

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, chances are you’re focusing on the many extraordinary ways it’ll change your life. But do you know it has a large impact on your community too?

To measure that impact, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report each year to highlight just how much economic activity a home sale generates. The chart below shows how the sale of both a newly built home and an existing home impact the economy:

How Buying or Selling a Home Benefits the Economy and Your Community | Simplifying The MarketAs the visual shows, a single home sale can have a significant effect on the overall economy. To dive a level deeper, NAR also provides a detailed look at how that varies state-by-state for newly built homes (see map below):

How Buying or Selling a Home Benefits the Economy and Your Community | Simplifying The MarketYou may be wondering: how can a single home sale have such a major effect on the economy?

For starters, there are multiple industries that play a role in the process. Numerous contractors, specialists, lawyers, town and city officials, and so many other professionals are all necessary at various stages during the transaction. Every individual you work with, like your trusted real estate advisor, has a team of professionals involved behind the scenes.

That means when you buy or sell a home, you’re leaving a lasting impression on the community at large. Let the knowledge that you’re contributing to those around you while also meeting your own needs help you feel even more empowered when you decide to make your move this year.

Bottom Line

Homebuyers and sellers are economic drivers in their community and beyond. Let’s connect so you have a trusted real estate advisor on your side if you’re ready to get started. It won’t just change your life; it’ll make a powerful impact on your entire community.

Sellers Have an Opportunity with Today’s Home Prices

Sellers Have an Opportunity with Today's Home Prices | Simplifying The Market

As mortgage rates started to rise this year, many homeowners began to wonder if the value of their homes would fall. Here’s the good news. Historically, when mortgage rates rise by a percentage point or more, home values continue to appreciate. The latest data on home prices seems to confirm that trend.

According to data from CoreLogic, home price appreciation has been re-accelerating since November. The graph below shows this increase in home price appreciation in green:

Sellers Have an Opportunity as Home Prices Re-Accelerate | Simplifying The MarketThis is largely due to an ongoing imbalance in supply and demand. Specifically, housing supply is still low, and demand is high. As mortgage rates started to rise this year, many homebuyers rushed to make their purchases before those rates could climb higher. The increased competition drove home prices up even more. Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains:

“Home price growth continued to gain speed in early spring, as eager buyers tried to get in front of the mortgage rate surge.”

And experts say prices are forecast to continue appreciating, just at a more moderate pace moving forward. A recent article from Fortune says:

“. . . the swift move up in mortgage rates . . . doesn’t mean home prices are about to crash. In fact, every major real estate firm with a publicly released forecast model . . . still predicts home prices will climb further this year.”

What This Means for You

If you’re thinking about selling your house, you should know you have a great opportunity to list your home and capitalize on today’s home price appreciation. As prices rise, so does the value of your home, which gives your equity a big boost.

When you sell, you can use that equity toward the purchase of your next home. And at today’s record-level of appreciation, that equity may be enough to cover some (if not all) of your down payment.

Bottom Line

History shows rising mortgage rates have not had a negative impact on home prices. Now is still a great time to sell your house thanks to ongoing price appreciation. When you’re ready to find out how much equity you have in your current home and what’s happening with home prices in your local area, let’s connect.

Work With a Real Estate Professional if You Want the Best Advice

Work With a Real Estate Professional if You Want the Best Advice | Simplifying The Market

Because buying or selling a home is such a big decision in our lives, the need for clear, trustworthy information and guidance is crucial. And while no one can give you perfect advice, when you align yourself with an expert, you’ll get the best advice for your situation.

An Expert Will Give You the Best Advice Possible

Let’s say you need an attorney, so you seek out an expert in the type of law required for your case. When you go to their office, they won’t immediately tell you how the case is going to end or how the judge or jury will rule. What a good attorney can do, though, is discuss the most effective strategies you can take. They may recommend one or two approaches they believe will work well for your case.

Then, they’ll leave you to make the decision on which option you want to pursue. Once you decide, they can help you put a plan together based on the facts at hand. They’ll use their expert knowledge to work toward the resolution you want and make whatever modifications in the strategy necessary to try and achieve that outcome.

Similarly, the job of a trusted real estate professional is to give you the best advice for your situation. Just like you can’t find a lawyer to give you perfect advice, you won’t find a real estate professional who can either. They can’t because it’s impossible to know exactly what’s going to happen throughout your transaction. They also can’t predict exactly what will happen with conditions in today’s housing market.

But an expert real estate advisor is knowledgeable about market trends and the ins and outs of the homebuying and selling process. With that knowledge, they can anticipate what could happen based on your situation and help you put together a solid plan. And they’ll guide you through the process, helping you make decisions along the way.

That’s the very definition of getting the best – not perfect – advice. And that’s the power of working with an expert real estate advisor.

Bottom Line

If you want trustworthy advice when buying or selling a home, let’s connect so you have an expert real estate advisor on your side.

Don’t Let Rising Inflation Delay Your Homeownership Plans [INFOGRAPHIC]

Don’t Let Rising Inflation Delay Your Homeownership Plans [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market

Don’t Let Rising Inflation Delay Your Homeownership Plans [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market

Some Highlights

  • If recent headlines about rising inflation are making you wonder if it’s still a good time to buy, here’s what experts have to say.
  • Housing is an asset that typically grows in value. Plus, your mortgage helps stabilize your monthly housing costs, and buying protects you from rising rents.
  • Experts say owning a home is historically a good hedge against inflation. Let’s connect if you’re ready to start the homebuying process today.

Best Summer Events in Denver Colorado

Summertime in Colorado! Does it get any better than this? Denver is notoriously sunny – take note in some of our other videos where we report on this – and Summer is quite literally where our weather is sublime! Our warm, dry climate makes for the perfect combination to explore the Denver area and beyond. We’re going to share with you a list of the BEST Summer Events in and around Denver:

1) Live Music: It is no secret Denver is home to many unique indoor music venues, but where we really shine is when the weather turns nice and the outdoor music scene comes alive.  Red Rocks – need we say more?? Of course, because we also have The Denver Botanic Gardens, Fiddlers Green, Sculpture Park, Levitt Pavilion (did you know this one has a FREE concert series? See a link below to check it out!), PLUS many neighborhoods now doing their own outdoor summer concert series.

 

2) Camping:  Did you know you don’t have to drive all the way to the mountains to get in a weekend of camping?  We have many campgrounds located conveniently within 45 minutes of the city – some of our local State Parks such as Golden Gate Canyon, Cherry Creek or Chatfield also offer camping options. Plus, these close-in options also offer amenities like mountain or road biking, hiking/walking

 

3) See Art:  First Friday Art Walks along Santa Fe in the Santa Fe Arts District (First Friday Art Walks — Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe (denversartdistrict.org), Chalk Art Festival in its NEW home in Golden Triangle (used to be on Larimer Square) Denver Chalk Art Festival – Chalk, Art, Festival;  New for 2022 is Art RiNo, being held September 5th to 11th to coincide with Westward Music Showcase (Art Rino), and last but not least is the Cherry Creek Arts Festival over the 4th of July Weekend. The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is a long-standing popular event, taking place since 1991!

 

4) Go on a Culinary Adventure:  Summer is the perfect time to branch out of your usual hangouts and try some new restaurants, breweries, dessert spots – especially when they have some killer patios! Here are 3 of our favorites right now:

Farm House at Breckenridge Brewery: Breckenridge Brewery | Colorado Craft Beers & Restaurants (breckbrew.com)

Craft beer — dozens of them — is the backbone of this sprawling 12-acre Littleton -based campus trumpeting a behemoth restaurant and bar, a lovely wraparound porch that peers over thicketed open space and a delightful beer garden scattered with shaded picnic tables and lawn games — essentially everything you could possibly envision in your beervana dreams. Warm-weather outdoor concerts, firepits and a solid menu of beer-friendly food temptations (think charcuterie and cheese, fish-and-chips, elk burgers and chili) furthers the argument to plop your butt in a seat here as often as possible.

El Five: El Five – An Edible Beats Joint (elfivedenver.com)

Leave it to restaurateur and design genius Justin Cucci (from Linger, Ophelia’s, Vital Root, and Root Down) to erect an epic rooftop patio with equally glorious skyline views from its elevated perch in Lower Highland (LoHi) An elevator whisks you up to the fifth floor of El Five, where Mediterranean tapas and creative cocktails timed for the seasons intersect, and while both the food and libations are noteworthy, we wouldn’t fault Cucci if he charged an entrance fee just for the opportunity to behold the bright lights of the big city from that sky-high deck.

Federales: Federales Denver – Bar in RiNo Denver, CO

this place might have settled into its digs by now (and we know you know about the famed ice shots and basically that this is the after-dark spot in RiNo), but we’re focusing our love on its spacious patio for all your margarita-drinkin’, taco-lovin’ needs. And when the weather’s good (it’s Denver, so almost always), even the indoor roof opens up to let in sunshine and fresh air.

 

5) Water Parks:  Denver is known for being notoriously dry and arid which is why when the sun comes out and the weather heats up you gotta get creative on how to beat the heat.   Top places include Water World, Elitch’s, Pirates Cove, Splash Pads at Union Station, Centennial Center, City Park, and the Denver Parks and Rec public pools. Want a longer daytime outing? Get your “beach fix” in by visiting Cherry Creek Reservoir or Chatfield Reservoir – set up on the beach, go paddleboarding or find someone with a boat for some motorized water sports!

 

6) Get Your Festival On!  So many to choose from! For the taco aficionados check out ‘Top Taco’. This event takes place in Westminster in June and features more than 50 restaurants! For Barbecue fans, you must attend the Denver Barbecue Festival – a 3 Day event taking place at Empower Field at Mile High! Looking for some theater? Check out the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Boulder! For over 60 seasons – this festival has delighted audiences with classic theatre under the stars. Two other popular summer activities include Denver Pride Festival and Parade AND the Five Points Jazz Festival – both taking place in June!

Top Taco – A Culinary Experience Like No Other (toptacofest.com)

Denver BBQ Festival

Colorado Shakespeare Festival | CU Presents

Denver Pride: June 25-26, 2022, LIVE & IN-PERSON!

Five Points Jazz Festival | Denver Arts & Venues (artsandvenuesdenver.com)

The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession

The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession | Simplifying The Market

A recession does not equal a housing crisis. That’s the one thing that every homeowner today needs to know. Everywhere you look, experts are warning we could be heading toward a recession, and if true, an economic slowdown doesn’t mean homes will lose value.

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) defines a recession this way:

“A recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, normally visible in production, employment, and other indicators. A recession begins when the economy reaches a peak of economic activity and ends when the economy reaches its trough. Between trough and peak, the economy is in an expansion.”

To help show that home prices don’t fall every time there’s a recession, take a look at the historical data. There have been six recessions in this country over the past four decades. As the graph below shows, looking at the recessions going all the way back to the 1980s, home prices appreciated four times and depreciated only two times. So, historically, there’s proof that when the economy slows down, it doesn’t mean home values will fall or depreciate.

The One Thing Every Homeowner Needs To Know About a Recession | Simplifying The Market

The first occasion on the graph when home values depreciated was in the early 1990s when home prices dropped by less than 2%. It happened again during the housing crisis in 2008 when home values declined by almost 20%. Most people vividly remember the housing crisis in 2008 and think if we were to fall into a recession that we’d repeat what happened then. But this housing market isn’t a bubble that’s about to burst. The fundamentals are very different today than they were in 2008. So, we shouldn’t assume we’re heading down the same path.

Bottom Line

We’re not in a recession in this country, but if one is coming, it doesn’t mean homes will lose value. History proves a recession doesn’t equal a housing crisis.