Category: Real Estate

Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff sold home for much LESS than his own Zestimate!!!!!

You know we Realtors out there are thrilled with this news story. After so many difficult conversations explaining why a zestimate is not accurate – for the CEO to sell his home below his own zestimate – well it does leave us smiling ear to ear. There is a reason why online, automated home values do not work. In theory – they are a great tool and should work. But in actuality – they are often very inaccurate and set the bar for disappointment. If you are curious about the worth of your home, contact your Realtor – or The Caton Team. We’d be happy to prepare a custom, accurate and local snapshot of what your home is worth in today’s dynamic Real Estate market. Thank you for reading – Sabrina 650.586.5522 info@TheCatonTeam.com

 

Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff sold home for much less than Zestimate

Clients putting Zestimates on a pedestal? Point them toward this sale

Key Takeaways

  • Agents can demonstrate the Zestimate’s shortcomings by showing the discrepancy between the sales price of a home formerly owned by Zilow CEO Spencer Rascoff and its Zestimates.
  • Luxury home Zestimates are more likely to be off than others due to ‘non-quantifiable facts.’
  • Irregular lot sizes or proximity to ‘arterial’ roads can sometimes throw off Zestimates.

 

Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff may have recently given real estate agents a gift they won’t soon forget: a sure-fire way to show that Zestimates can miss by a mile.

How? By selling a property for much less than its Zestimate.

On February 29, Rascoff sold a Seattle home for $1.05 million, 40 percent less than the Zestimate of $1.75 million shown on its property page a day later.

The gap between the Zestimate of Rascoff’s former property and its sales price has decreased only modestly since then.

Zillow readily acknowledges that Zestimates can be inaccurate, but some consumers can still take them at face value, causing headaches for agents.

Citing the chasm between the sales price of Rascoff’s former home and the property’s Zestimate may be one way for real estate professionals to show clients that Zestimates are, as Zillow says, only a conversation starter for pricing a home, not the final word on its value.

 

Zillow CEO sold his home for way less than Zestimate.

 

Philip Gray, a San Leandro, California-based appraiser, is taking this approach. Bringing up the Zestimate of the property Rascoff recently offloaded will help him deal with the frequent pushback he receives from homeowners “who think Zillow is the magic 8-ball,” he said.

‘We missed’ 

Zestimates on Rascoff’s former home have certainly been overstating the property’s value, said Zillow Chief Analytics Officer Stan Humphries.

“The fact that we missed and there are empirical reasons we missed — that’s a great conversation that real estate agents should have” with consumers, he said, citing the property’s irregular lot and location on a busy road as partly responsible for its Zestimate’s inaccuracy.

But he expressed hope that, in the same discussion, agents also won’t instill “data nihilism” in consumers, and that they acknowledge that humans also can miss the mark.

Smaller gap at start

In July, the Zestimate of Rascoff’s former property wouldn’t have raised the eyebrows of anyone who’s familiar with automated valuation models (AVMs). At $1.388 million, the property’s Zestimate was 7.3 percent higher than its listing price of $1.295 million at the time.

Since Zillow only shows revised historical Zestimate data on property pages, the home’s property page currently indicates that the property’s Zestimate was around $1.6 million in July 2015, somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 more than the Zestimate that actually appeared on its property page on July 17, 2015. For all anyone knew in July 2015, the property might have eventually sold at a price closer to its Zestimate than its listing price.

But that didn’t happen. The home later sold for $1.05 million, 19 percent below its July listing price. Undergoing a number of price cuts, the property was listed and de-listed several times between when it was originally listed on July 7, 2015 and when it sold on February 29, 2016.

If Rascoff thought his home was worth its July listing price, the outcome of the sale might have come as a disappointment. But if the success of the transaction were judged by the property’s Zestimate, it was a failure.

The home’s Zestimate was $1,750,405 on March 1, the day after the property sold for $1,050,000.

If that Zestimate were accurate, it would mean the chief of the biggest name in real estate and the recent co-author of a book about “the new rules of real estate” would have sold his home for 40 percent less than it was worth.

Automated valuations vary

In addition to highlighting the shortcomings of Zestimates, the Zestimate of Rascoff’s home also brings into focus the potential for some automated valuations to be more accurate than others.

Unlike Zillow’s property page on the home the day after it sold, Redfin’s page on the home showed that the sale had occurred. At the time, it displayed a valuation of $1.1 million — much closer to the property’s sales price of $1.05 million.

 

On Thursday, May 5, Redfin’s estimate of the home’s value was $1.3 million.

So while Zillow’s estimate had come down by around $140,000 since the home sold, Redfin’s had increased by about $200,000. Both differed from the price the home sold for a little over two months ago by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Zillow has since added the sales price of Rascoff’s former home to its property page.

The property’s Zestimate had slipped from $1,750,405 the day after it sold to $1,608,670 on May 5, but its Zestimate on May 5 still only represented 65 percent of what the home sold for a little over two months before.

To judge the Zestimate’s accuracy based solely on the gap between the sales price of Rascoff’s former home and its Zestimate would probably be unfair. The discrepancy is unusually wide, according to what Zillow says is the Zestimate’s median error rate.

Zillow puts the Zestimate’s national median error rate at 7.9 percent, meaning half of Zestimates nationwide are within 7.9 percent of a home’s sales price and half are off by more than 7.9 percent. The listing portal claims an even higher level of accuracy in Seattle, where Rascoff’s former home is located.

There, Zestimates for half of homes are supposed to be within 6.1 percent of their sales price, while half are supposed to be off by more than 6.1 percent. This suggests that the Zestimate of Rascoff’s home missed by much more than normal in Seattle.

Why was that?

One reason is that the home’s Zestimate was comparing Rascoff’s former home, which is located on a triangular lot, to recently sold homes located on rectangular lots, according to Humphries.

Since rectangular lots provide more utility than triangular lots, he said, that meant the Zestimate was overvaluing the plot of Rascoff’s home.

Another reason was that Rascoff’s home was located on an “arterial” road while nearby recently sold homes sat on quieter streets.

Zillow continues to research how to program Zestimates to account for such factors, but “we haven’t fully cracked the nut on that one” yet, Humphries said.

‘The classic luxury homes problem’

Zillow Senior Economist Skylar Olsen added that the Zestimate of Rascoff’s home represents “the classic luxury homes problem.”

Zestimates can’t take into account “non-quantifiable facts,” such as layout design or lighting, and these facts can have much more of an effect on the values of luxury homes than less expensive properties, she said.

Real estate agents can see how special features impact a property’s value, but the “Zestimate algorithm can’t know” and “at this point in time, it’s not designed to know,” she said.

The reason why the Zestimate of Rascoff’s former property hasn’t dropped dramatically since selling at a much lower price than Zestimates leading up to the sale is that the Zestimates have a “smoothing function” designed to keep them from overreacting to recent property sales.

The Zestimate on the Rascoff’s former property will gradually come down to more closely resemble its sales price. And upcoming updates to the Zestimate’s algorithms will adjust the smoothing function so that the Zestimate of a home that sells will come to more closely mirror its sales price much faster.

Also worth noting is that Zillow does not have access to sold listing data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, the MLS that covers Seattle. Automated valuation models (AVMs) that crunch sold MLS data can have an advantage over AVMs that only use public sales records — which are the only sales records used by Zestimates covering Seattle.

While Zillow says on its website that most consumers understand that Zestimates truly are only estimates, the listing portal concedes that, sometimes, “someone will come along that insists on setting the price they are willing to buy or sell for based solely on the Zestimate.”

Zillow goes on to say that “education is the key” and that, armed with knowledge of how Zestimates are calculated along with their local median error rate, agents can explain “why the Zestimate is a good starting point as well as a historical reference, but it should not be used for pricing a home.”

While Zestimates can create hassles for agents, some agents would certainly agree with Zillow’s assertion that understanding how a Zestimate is calculated, along with its strengths and weaknesses, “can provide the real estate pro with an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise.”

The gap between the Zestimate of Rascoff’s former property and its sales price may have made it easier for agents to seize that opportunity.

Zillow’s Humphries’ hopes that, when putting Zestimates in perspective for consumers, agents will also acknowledge that Zestimates do have a scientific basis, and that nobody’s perfect — even trained professionals.

He noted that a study released by Zillow in 2012 showed that the typical gap between a home’s Zestimate and its sales price wasn’t that much larger than the typical gap between a home’s initial list price — which is often set based on a real estate agent’s recommendation — and its sales price.

“We acknowledge humans are great at this, and we’re great too — but they’re greater,” Humphries said.

 

I read this article at: https://www.inman.com/2016/05/18/zillow-ceo-spencer-rascoff-sold-home-for-much-less-than-zestimate/?utm_source=20160521&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklyheadlines

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

Visit our Website at:   http://thecatonteam.com/

VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: http://instagram.com/thecatonteam

Visit us on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabrina-Susan-The-Caton-Team-Realtors/294970377834

Yelp us at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-caton-team-realtors-sabrina-caton-and-susan-caton-redwood-city

Or Yelp me: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_thanx?userid=gpbsls-_RLpPiE9bv3Zygw

Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

Down Payment Assistance Programs…

The California Association of Realtors has a wealth of information for buyers and sellers – not just us Realtors.  I thought I would pass along the Consumer Page – for the most important link in any buyers life – DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS!  Yes, you read the correctly – down payment assistance.  Not every area has programs, and of course you must qualify.  However, I posted the online search to my Facebook page – so please feel free to click on:

https://www.facebook.com/TheCatonTeam

And of course, when you need a Realtor – please call the Caton Team!

Buying or selling a home is one of the most important transactions a person will ever make in his or her lifetime.  Nothing less than a qualified, trained professional should be entrusted to assist in that process.  This site is dedicated to educating consumers about the intricacies of buying and selling a home, and how a REALTOR® can help:

First-Time Home Buyer? Here’s What You Should Know About Your Appraisal


Home ownership is the ultimate dream for many in the United States, but going through it for the first time can be a daunting process. First-time home buyers often misunderstand one of the key components of the home buying process: the appraisal. It is one of the most important tools to ensure buyers pay a fair and equitable price for the property they purchase.

To learn more, read this financial education article in the Huffinton Post, by David S. Bunton, President of the Appraisal Foundation.

 

The California Down Payment Resource Directory

The California Down Payment Resource Directory is a powerful search tool that identifies current down payment assistance programs in communities throughout California. Buyers can search by city or address for public- and private-funded assistance programs including FHA/VA, HUD, affordable fixed-rate mortgages, rehab loans, and more. Start your search for down payment assistance now!

http://www.car.org/aboutus/forconsumers/downpaymentresource/

 

Homeowner Legislative Facts
REALTORS® don’t just help you navigate the home buying and selling process.  They also are tireless advocates for homeowners, buyers and sellers in the legislative process.  Please see our newly presented website, Homeowner Legislative Facts, to learn about some of the many policy issues now being considered in Washington D.C. and Sacramento, which we monitor on your behalf.

 

Residential Energy Audit Program

The California REALTOR®’S Energy Audit Program (R.E.A.P.) provides up to a $250 rebate on a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) home energy audit conducted by a certified HERS rater. To qualify for the R.E.A.P., applicants must purchase a home between Oct. 1, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2014, conduct a HERS home energy audit of the home before the close of escrow (as part of the Energy Efficient Mortgage) or no later than 60 days after the close of escrow, and they must use a California REALTOR® in the transaction (referrals do not qualify). The program applies only to primary single family residences purchased in California. Learn more about R.E.A.P..

 

I read this article at: http://www.car.org/aboutus/forconsumers/#

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

Visit our Website at:   http://thecatonteam.com/

VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: http://instagram.com/thecatonteam

Visit us on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabrina-Susan-The-Caton-Team-Realtors/294970377834

Yelp us at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-caton-team-realtors-sabrina-caton-and-susan-caton-redwood-city

Or Yelp me: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_thanx?userid=gpbsls-_RLpPiE9bv3Zygw

Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

New Homes Make Room for Mom, Dad, Roommates and Airbnb-ers

Multigenerational homes are not unheard of – I like this new trend since it embraces so many cultures that care for their elders and gives a chance to younger home owners who need a roommate and personal space.  What are your thoughts?  

New Homes Make Room for Mom, Dad, Roommates and Airbnb-ers

We hear it over and over in real estate: affordability is increasingly becoming an issue for prospective homebuyers across the country. U.S. home prices have increased by 25% since the beginning of the recovery in 2011, according to S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, while median household incomes have barely budged. Apartment rents, meanwhile, have jumped by 20% since 2010, according to data tracker Reis Inc., making it more difficult for prospective home buyers to save for down payments.

Now, home builders are trying to appeal to the group of homebuyers who are being priced out from making a purchase. We have already looked at companies that are producing low-cost starter homes for millennials in our story Will Low-Cost Starter Homes Bring More Millennials to the Market?, but there are other building companies that are taking a different approach to home affordability.

As a nod to rising housing costs across the U.S., a Las Vegas developer presented its vision of the New American Home that included nontraditional living arrangements to help ease families’ financial burdens and was designed around the concept of roommates.

The 5,200-square foot home, on a hill overlooking the Vegas skyline, includes a second-floor unit that can house aging parents or recent college grads with unstable employment prospects. If necessary, the home, constructed by local developer Element Design Build, could even accommodate two families pooling their resources.

The home was unveiled at the International Builders’ Show, the industry’s largest trade show where the latest concepts and technologies are showcased. This year affordability concerns were on display as home builders say they are seeing growing demand for properties designed to be shared with family members or roommates or even rented out to tourists.

Another home at the trade show, built by Pardee Homes, a member of the California-based TRI Pointe Group, was designed to cater to the tastes of younger home buyers in the mid-$300,000 range. It includes two guest suites that can be rented on home-sharing sites like Airbnb. Both include separate entrances and a small kitchenette and can accommodate a single person or couple in need of a roommate. TRI Pointe found that 35% of young adults want to be able to rent out space in their homes at least part-time.

“A lot of their motivation for doing that is to make the financial step of buying their home more doable,” said Linda Mamet, vice president of corporate marketing at TRI Pointe.

Brad Hunter, chief economist at Metrostudy, a construction-research firm, said builders are stepping up efforts to build such homes to “capture the zeitgeist of affordability.”

Do you think this is a smart building approach to home affordability? Would you be willing to rent out space in your home as a first-time buyer?

 

I read this article at: http://re-insider.com/2016/02/16/new-homes-make-room-for-mom-dad-roommates-and-airbnb-ers/

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

Visit our Website at:   http://thecatonteam.com/

VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: http://instagram.com/thecatonteam

Visit us on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabrina-Susan-The-Caton-Team-Realtors/294970377834

Yelp us at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-caton-team-realtors-sabrina-caton-and-susan-caton-redwood-city

Or Yelp me: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_thanx?userid=gpbsls-_RLpPiE9bv3Zygw

Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

 

Rent Vs. Buy – California Edition

This is the hottest topic I’ve been chatting about. So I thought I would share this article from the California Association of Realtors regarding the Rent vs. Buy dilemma faced by us – Californians.  Of course, I am happy to sit down with anyone thinking of buying so we can determine the right course of action for your own personal goals.  Please feel free to call or email with questions, comments or concerns.  Sabrina – 650-568-5522 / Info@TheCatonTeam.com

 Rent Vs. Buy – California Edition

 The housing market across California has had large price gains over the past years, with statewide median prices attaining November 2007 highs. Consumers often contemplating whether it is more beneficial to buy a property now or continue renting. To assist with this decision, C.A.R. has looked at the costs and benefits of renting versus owning property in California and eight of its local regions over a seven year time horizon.

The costs of buying include the monthly mortgage payment, insurance and taxes, and improvements and repairs. These costs were offset by the benefits of buying: mortgage interest and property tax deductions, and investment appreciation. The costs of renting include the monthly rent payment and renter insurance, which were offset by the benefits of renting: the appreciation on investing the down payment in the stock market.

For the State of California, consumers can save 96.5 percent per month by buying a property. At the local level, buying in Los Angeles County will save you 96.4 percent per month.

In several counties, given price and rent appreciation, buying will net the individual income over the seven year time frame. For example, buying in San Francisco and Alameda will net the owner 119 and 106 percent respectively per month over the purchase time horizon.

These results are given with the caveat that the buyer must have on hand the standard 20 percent downpayment, and are driven by the large increases in both rental prices and home prices across the state. Again, over the 7-year horizon buying make sense financially in these counties.

Along with incorporating price levels, the analysis includes tax deduction benefits as many of the costs associated with homeownership general upkeep, inflation, insurance, mortgage rates; as well as the opportunity cost of not investing in the market, and general price levels. On the rental side, it annualizes average rent and rent increases for the county (eg. it would understate the benefit of renting a rent stabilized unit) and includes rental insurance, and security deposits.

Several webpages can provide more personalized recommendations given your own income, and local sitution with regards to purchase and rental prices. Feel free to use our assumptions on markets and prices to guide you: try the Realtor.com Rent Vs. Buy Calculator (click “advanced options” to tailor the analysis for your location.)

California Monthly Expenses Buy Rent
Mortgage/Rent $1,684 $1,803
Insurance & Taxes $509 $20
Improvements & Repairs $198 $0
MID & Tax Deduction Savings -$509 $0
Subtotal $1,881 $1,823
     
Investment appreciation -$1,842 -$711
Total $39 $1,112
Monthly Savings 98% –

 

For more information, please check the methodology.

To help turn renters into buyers, please check out the Down Payment Resource, which is a search tool that can identify available down payment assistance programs.

I read this article at: http://www.car.org/marketdata/data/rvb/

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

Visit our Website at:   http://thecatonteam.com/

VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: http://instagram.com/thecatonteam

Visit us on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabrina-Susan-The-Caton-Team-Realtors/294970377834

Yelp us at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-caton-team-realtors-sabrina-caton-and-susan-caton-redwood-city

Or Yelp me: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_thanx?userid=gpbsls-_RLpPiE9bv3Zygw

Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

 

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C.A.R. releases its 2016 California Housing Market Forecast

As a full time, professional Realtor – I get asked this question very often.  How is the market?  What do you think will happen?  It is one of my favorite topics.  I thought I would share the California Association of Realtors Market Forecast.  I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions – don’t be shy.

C.A.R. releases its 2016 California Housing Market Forecast

California home sales to increase slightly, while prices post slowest gain in five years

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 8) – California’s housing market will continue to improve into 2016, but a shortage of homes on the market and a crimp in housing affordability also will persist, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2016 California Housing Market Forecast,” released today.

The C.A.R. forecast sees an increase in existing home sales of 6.3 percent next year to reach 433,000 units, up from the projected 2015 sales figure of 407,500 homes sold.  Sales in 2015 also will be up 6.3 percent from the 383,300 existing, single-family homes sold in 2014.

“Solid job growth and favorable interest rates will drive a strong demand for housing next year,” said C.A.R. President Chris Kutzkey.  “However, in regions where inventory is tight, such as the San Francisco Bay Area, sales growth could be limited by stiff market competition and diminishing housing affordability. On the other hand, demand in less expensive areas such as Solano County, the Central Valley, and Riverside/San Bernardino areas will remain strong thanks to solid job growth in warehousing, transportation, logistics, and manufacturing in these areas.”

C.A.R.’s forecast projects growth in the U.S. Gross Domestic Product of 2.7 percent in 2016, after a projected gain of 2.4 percent in 2015.  With nonfarm job growth of 2.3 percent in California, the state’s unemployment rate should decrease to 5.5 percent in 2016 from 6.3 percent in 2015 and 7.5 percent in 2014.

The average for 30-year, fixed mortgage interest rates will rise only slightly to 4.5 percent but will still remain at historically low levels.

The California median home price is forecast to increase 3.2 percent to $491,300 in 2016, following a projected 6.5 percent increase in 2015 to $476,300.  This is the slowest rate of price appreciation in five years.

“The foundation for California’s housing market remains strong, with moderating home prices, signs of credit easing, and the state continuing to lead the nation in economic and job growth,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “However, the global economic slowdown, financial market volatility, and the anticipation of higher interest rates are some of the challenges that may have an adverse impact on the market’s momentum next year. Additionally, as we see more sales shift to inland regions of the state, the change in mix of sales will keep increases in the statewide median price tempered.”

I read this article at: http://www.car.org//newsstand/newsreleases/2015releases/2016housingforecast

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

Visit our Website at:   http://thecatonteam.com/

VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: http://instagram.com/thecatonteam

Visit us on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabrina-Susan-The-Caton-Team-Realtors/294970377834

Yelp us at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-caton-team-realtors-sabrina-caton-and-susan-caton-redwood-city

Or Yelp me: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_thanx?userid=gpbsls-_RLpPiE9bv3Zygw

Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

 

Renters Are Not Saving To Buy a House

When I read the above title – my jaw dropped.  How can renters not be saving for a home?  The statement alone broke my heart.  Owning a home – to me – means long term security.  More than a place to live!  A long term investment!  Read on and share your thoughts!

-Sabrina

Renters aren’t saving to buy a house

Looking across the vast spectrum of housing surveys today, most will claim that the majority of renters want to buy a home eventually. That may be, but they’re not saving to do that.

In fact, saving for a down payment to buy a house ranks fourth on their list of priorities, according to a survey conducted in October by Harris Poll for Freddie Mac, which helps fund loans to homeowners and apartment developers.

When asked about their savings priorities, more renters said they consider saving for emergencies (59 percent), retirement (51 percent) and children’s education (50 percent) an “essential/high priority.” Only 39 percent said saving for a down payment. This is particularly surprising given fast-rising rents.

Rising rents, up over 5 percent annually nationwide, are affecting how renters spend their money more today compared with just a few months ago. More renters say they are making changes to spending or plans due to those higher rents. Just over half of those surveyed who have seen a rent increase in the past year say they are living payday to payday.

“We know rents are rising faster than incomes, and now we have data to show that many renters don’t have enough to pay all their debts each month, which is forcing them to make tradeoffs, such as cutting spending on other items,” said David Brickman, executive vice president of Freddie Mac Multifamily.

The share of renters who say they now have to put off plans to purchase a home rose to 55 percent in October from 44 percent in the last Freddie Mac renter survey in June. This occurred even as more said they would like to buy a home and have started looking.

Add it up and the lack of affordability is the answer. Renters may be looking, but they’re not buying because they are faced with rising home prices and rising mortgage interest rates.

When asked the main reason they expect to still be renting three years from now, the top three answers had to do with affordability. The fourth was not good enough credit.

There is a growing divide, however, between those who rent a single-family home and those who rent in a multifamily apartment building. Seven in 10 multifamily renters said they expect to continue renting, up from 64 percent in the previous quarter. Renters of single-family homes say they are more likely to buy a home.

“Growth in the renter segment will most likely occur through multifamily properties as more than half of those currently renting single-family properties are planning to become homeowners in the near future,” said Brickman. “The data shows single-family renters are increasingly more dissatisfied than multifamily renters.”

That does not bode well for the growing number of investors in single-family rental homes. Even as large-scale institutional investors slow their purchases of homes to rent, smaller-scale and individual investors are picking up the slack. The number of single-family rental homes rose 35 percent since 2006, to 15.1 million from 11.2 million, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Roughly 3.9 million owner-occupied homes became rentals in that time.

Either apartment managers are doing a better job of serving their tenants than single-family rental managers, or more renters simply prefer the apartment model, which usually offers additional amenities and better locations.

“Right now we’re in the golden age of the fundamentals of the multifamily business,” apartment developer Richard LeFrak said on CNBC’s Squawk Box. “You have a drive toward urbanization where more and more people want to live in cities.”

The survey of 2,020 adults was conducted online within the United States between Oct. 8-12. Of those surveyed, 703 were renters.

I read this article at: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/18/renters-arent-saving-to-buy-a-house.html

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Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

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Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

 

10 Housing Markets Fueled by Job Growth

10 Housing Markets Fueled by Job Growth

Job growth is propelling home appreciation in several housing markets across the country. Nearly 3 million jobs have been created in the past 12 months, notably among the 25 to 34 age group too.

“With more jobs, more people in the labor force, and higher wages materializing, this spring’s strong pace for home sales will continue,” writes Jonathan Smoke, chief economist of realtor.com, in recent commentary.

Realtor.com® singles out the following 10 markets as seeing some of the highest job creation in the past three years as well as above-average price appreciation.

  • Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, Ga.

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 1.7%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 20.3%

  • Austin–Round Rock, Texas

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 3.7%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 8.5%

  • Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, N.C.–S.C.

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 2.7%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 8.4%

  • Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, Texas

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 2.9%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 8.2%

  • Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, Colo.

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 2.9%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 10.8%

  • Grand Rapids–Wyoming, Mich.

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 4%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 9.8%

  • Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Fla.

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 3.6%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 12.5%

  • Salt Lake City, Utah

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 2.8%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 10.3%

  • San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, Calif.

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 3.2%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 16.8%

  • San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, Calif.

Employment growth, 2011–2014: 4.1%

Median home price growth, 2011–2014: 15.6%

Source: “The Top 10 Markets Powered by Serious Job-Creation Mojo,” realtor.com® (June 5, 2015)

 I read this article at: http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2015/06/08/10-housing-markets-fueled-job-growth?om_rid=AACmlZ&om_mid=_BVdcaTB9CahVMK&om_ntype=RMODaily

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

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Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

 

The Most Common Delays Toward Closing

The Most Common Delays Toward Closing

The majority of contracts – 64 percent — are settled on time with no delays to closing, but some REALTORS® acknowledge facing delays or even having contracts terminated for numerous reasons, according to the latest REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey, a survey of more than 1,500 REALTORS®. Twenty-six percent of REALTORS® surveyed identified a delay to settlement, while 10 percent said they have even had a contract terminated prior to closing.

About 60 percent of REALTORS® reported some type of issue on their contract in April. For example, 12 percent of REALTORS® identified a financing issue; 8 percent had home inspection problems surface; and 7 percent had an appraisal issue. Three percent of REALTORS® also identified issues buying/selling distressed property; titling and deed issues; or with contingencies stated in the contract.

“It is surprising that in a ‘tight’ and ‘difficult’ credit environment, only 12 percent of contracts that were reported to have settled or terminated had financing issues,” economists at the National Association of REALTORS® report. “One explanation may be that potential home buyers are deciding to sit on the sidelines for now, so these buyers were not captured in the data.”

Source:”64 Percent of Contracts Are Settled on Time,” National Association of REALTORS® Economists’ Outlook Blog (June 8, 2015)

 

I read this article at: http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2015/06/09/most-common-delays-toward-closing?om_rid=AACmlZ&om_mid=_BVdzQwB9ChnCwi&om_ntype=RMODaily

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

Visit our Website at:   http://thecatonteam.com/

VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: http://instagram.com/thecatonteam

Visit us on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabrina-Susan-The-Caton-Team-Realtors/294970377834

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Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008

Will Lenders Need a Week to Get Closing Docs In?

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

 

Changes are coming in lending for Real Estate – thought I would share this article from Daily Real Estate News

Will Lenders Need a Week to Get Closing Docs In?

 

Big changes to the process and forms used in real estate closings are coming August 1 and many real estate professionals are wondering what it will take to ensure closings go smoothly in the new environment.

It falls to lenders to get a new closing disclosure form to buyers within a three-day time frame required by the Consumer Financial protection Bureau, which developed the new procedures and forms. But practitioners will play a key role in ensuring everyone is in communication to  make the process go smoothly. Phil Schulman of K&L Gates in Washington, an expert on federal closing rules, says lenders will likely have to put the closing disclosure form into the mail at least a week before settlement to help ensure the three-day deadline is met. If that’s the case, all the information that goes into the closing disclosure, which replaces the HUD-1 settlement form, will have to be finalized more than a week before settlement, he says. Because lenders will have to use the U.S. Postal Service date stamp as verification of when they sent the form to the buyer.

You can learn more about the issue in NAR’s latest news video, The Voice for Real Estate, which released yesterday.

The video covers other key news events, including NAR’s latest pending home sales release, which says closings are at their highest level in nine years. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says the trend in pending sales indicates a strong year for sales even though interest rates are likely to tick up this fall. He says the increase in rates should be modest, so sales shouldn’t be impacted much.

Also, NAR just released its 2015 Member Profile, which looks at how real estate professionals are doing, where they get their business, and other trends of interest to the real estate industry. Among other things, the report found the typical real estate professional doing 11 transactions last year, down from 12 the previous year. It also found practitioners jumping into social media in a big way, with almost two-thirds using social media, twice as many from just a few years ago. And among younger real estate pros, social media use is up to 80 percent.

 

 

I read this article at: http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2015/06/12/will-lenders-need-week-get-closing-docs-in?om_rid=AACmlZ&om_mid=_BVex4kB9Cpzh$V&om_ntype=RMODaily

Remember to follow our Blog at: https://therealestatebeat.wordpress.com/

Got Questions? – The Caton Team is here to help.  

Email Sabrina & Susan at: Info@TheCatonTeam.com

Call us at: 650-568-5522

Want Real Estate Info on the Go? Download our FREE Real Estate App:  http://thecatonteam.com/mobileapp

Visit our Website at:   http://thecatonteam.com/

VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM PAGE: http://instagram.com/thecatonteam

Visit us on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sabrina-Susan-The-Caton-Team-Realtors/294970377834

Yelp us at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-caton-team-realtors-sabrina-caton-and-susan-caton-redwood-city

Or Yelp me: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_thanx?userid=gpbsls-_RLpPiE9bv3Zygw

Connect with us professionally at LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6588013&trk=tab_pro

Please enjoy my personal journey through homeownership at:

http://ajourneythroughhomeownership.wordpress.com

Thanks for reading – Sabrina

The Caton Team – Susan & Sabrina – A Family of Realtors

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices – Drysdale Properties

Sabrina BRE# 01413526 / Susan BRE #01238225 / Team BRE# 70000218/ Office BRE #01499008