Opportunities in the housing market continue to grow for buyers and sellers. Home affordability, driven mostly by record low interest rates, is among the lowest it has ever been. According to the National Association of Realtors, and based on national averages, the payments on a home today represent 12.8% of the median household income. This is both a good sign for those looking to purchase a home, and for the economy overall as consumers are keeping more money in their pockets.
If you're a seller, the housing market shows signs of transitioning from a buyers' market to a more balanced one. This means that homeowners should start to see prices stabilize and begin to grow, presenting more favorable opportunities for those looking to sell their homes. In regard to the number of homes on the market, a key indicator of the health of the housing market, Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said, "The broad inventory condition can be described as moving into a rough balance, not favoring buyers or sellers."
With continuing job creation, the improving housing sector, and signs that the banks are beginning to lend more, 2012 looks to offer promising opportunities to both those looking to buy or sell a home.
Find out what's happening in Limerick-Royersford-Spring Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Source: National Association of Realtors
INTEREST RATES
Find out what's happening in Limerick-Royersford-Spring Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The most powerful indicator of home affordability, interest rates on mortgage loans, was down again in January. The national average for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.92%, down 0.04% from the month before, and down nearly an entire percentage point (0.84%) from a year ago. These historically low rates, coupled with today's home prices, represent an incredible opportunity for homebuyers.
HOME SALES
Home sales were up 4.3% in January from December 2011 to 4.57 million (seasonally adjusted), and this is up from 0.7% from the year before. The steady increase in home sales over the last few months is positive encouragement for a continued housing recovery. Lawrence Yun said, "The uptrend in home sales is in line with all of the underlying fundamentals– pent-up household formation [lack of new home construction], record-low mortgage interest rates, bargain home prices, sustained job creation, and rising rents."
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