Home Equity Increases $1 Trillion in Five Years - Is the Market Peaking?A new survey reveals that in the last five years, the equity in the California real estate market has increased by more than one trillion dollars. A trillion dollars is a large number to ponder, but put in concrete terms, it can be represented by a stack of one hundred dollar bills that is six hundred thirty one miles high! This astronomical increase in California home values isn't all that unique, however. Prices on the East Coast, particularly in the Washington, D.C. area, are increasing just as rapidly. There are areas on both coasts where home prices have tripled during the last five years. This, along with the dramatic increase in interest-only mortgages among homebuyers, suggests that home prices may be peaking. In California, 35% of all mortgages written are interest-only mortgages. In Washington, the figure is a whopping 48%. With an interest-only mortgage, the homeowner pays only the interest on the home loan for the first few years of mortgage payments. After the agreed-upon period of time ends, the amount of the payment is adjusted to include a portion of the principal. This typically increases the amount of the payment by about one-third. Interest-only mortgages have gained in popularity as home prices have increased, mostly because buyers otherwise would not be able to afford to buy homes. The problem with these mortgages is that for the first few years of payments, the buyers aren't actually paying anything for the home itself! What these statistics tell us is that in California, more than one third of buyers cannot afford a mortgage that allows them to actually contribute to paying for the home when they move in, and in Washington, the figure is nearly one half. Experts disagree on exactly when the hot real estate market will collapse, but it would seem to the casual observer that when half of all buyers can't actually afford to make payments on the home they've just purchased, the collapse may be near. What does this mean for potential buyers? Anyone considering purchasing a home in the red-hot markets in California or on the East Coast should carefully consider whether or not they can actually afford to purchase a home. Qualifying for a loan isn't good enough if you can't actually make payments that will reduce your principal. If may be wiser to buy in a cheaper outlying area and commute. Others may wish to rent in the short term in hopes that the prices will soon decline. It is always difficult to predict which way the real estate market will go, but a market where one-third to one-half of buyers can't actually reduce their principal should set off an alarm for anyone considering a real estate purchase. ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation information and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on home equity loans.
MORE RESOURCES updated Wed. April / 17 / 2024 30-Year Mortgage Refinance Rates Business Insider MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Weekly Survey Calculated Risk How to Refinance Your Mortgage NerdWallet Loan Modification Vs. Refinance Bankrate.com Types of Mortgage Refinance Options Bankrate.com Mortgage Interest Rates Today, April 16, 2024 | Rates Remain Elevated After Last Week's Spike Business Insider Will Interest Rates Go Down in May 2024? | Mortgage Rates Forecast The Mortgage Reports How To Get The Best Refinance Rate Bankrate.com How To Refinance A Rental House Bankrate.com Mortgage Rates Chart | Historical and Current Rate Trends The Mortgage Reports Mortgage Interest Rates Today, April 15, 2024 | Rates Are High, But They Still Could Drop This Year Business Insider The best mortgage lenders for refinancing in April 2024 CNN Underscored Bain Proposes Japan's Kioxia IPO to Clear $5.8 Billion Loan Refinance U.S. News & World Report Mortgage Rates This Week NerdWallet Best Mortgage Refinance Lenders of April 2024 Business Insider Mortgage Points: What Are They And How Do They Work? Bankrate.com Current mortgage refinance rates CNN Underscored Best Mortgage Refinance Lenders In 2024 Bankrate.com Mortgage Interest Rates Today, April 14, 2024 | Will Rates Still Go Down This Year? Business Insider Mortgage Refinance Rates: Compare Current Rates Business Insider Mortgage Refinance Demand Pops UrbanTurf When to Consider Refinancing Your Mortgage Business Insider Mortgage Rate Forecast April 2024 Bankrate.com Veterans Are Refinancing Their Homes Newsweek 30-year refinance rates: What to know CNN Underscored Refinance Requirements: What You Need to Refinance Your Home in 2024 The Mortgage Reports Mortgage Rate History: 1970s to 2024 Bankrate.com Cash-Out Refinancing: How It Works, When To Do It Bankrate.com Current 15-year refinance rates — and lenders that offer them CNN Underscored Should You Refinance Your Mortgage In 2024? Bankrate.com How To Refinance An Underwater Mortgage Bankrate.com How Soon Can You Refinance a Mortgage? NerdWallet Refinancing a Home Equity Loan (2024 Guide) MarketWatch When to Refinance Mortgage: Is it Time? - Buy Side from WSJ The Wall Street Journal Conventional Refinance Rates and Guidelines for 2024 The Mortgage Reports Will Mortgage Rates Go Down in 2024? What Homebuyers Should Expect Business Insider 15-Year Mortgage Refinance Rates: Compare Current Rates Business Insider Should I Refinance My Mortgage Now? When to Refinance As Rates Drop Business Insider What Credit Score Do I Need To Refinance? Bankrate.com Office of Research blog: A look at cash-out refinance mortgages and their borrowers between 2013 to 2023 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
|