You have finally found the house of your dreams. It is priced right and is receiving a lot of attention from other buyers. You don’t want to miss this opportunity so you are ready to put in an offer with the real estate agent immediately. What can you do to guarantee your offer is the one accepted? Financially, offers can be broken down into three categories:

1.) An All-Cash Offer

Obviously, a cash purchaser is always favored by any seller. In today’s real estate market, an all-cash offer is even more enticing. Last month, one in four real estate transactions were impacted by a low appraisal. An all-cash buyer eliminates the need for the bank appraisal.

2.) A Non-Contingency Offer

If you don’t have the cash reserves for an all-cash purchase, the next best thing would be to make a non-contingency offer. To do this you should be already pre-approved for a mortgage and have your current house already in contract. This gives the seller the confidence that you are already a qualified buyer who will be able to complete the purchase.

3.) A Contingency Offer

Some buyers start the process of looking for a new home before their current home is sold. This could be a big mistake. If you find the home you were hoping for (perfect for your family AND priced right), it will be very difficult to get your offer accepted because you are not actually qualified to buy.

Asking a seller to wait for your home to sell is somewhat unreasonable in today’s environment. One of the reasons you would want the home is because the seller priced the home at a value to sell it NOW. They want to know it is sold when they accept an offer. They normally will not even entertain a contingency offer. 

Bottom Line

Unless you have the ability to purchase with cash, the best thing to do is to be pre-approved for a mortgage and have your current house already in contract before looking for the home of your dreams. That guarantees you will get the home you love at a price that makes sense.

The question facing many families making a move today is whether it makes more sense to rent or buy. We have been very upfront in discussing our unwavering belief in homeownership. It is for that reason that today we want to quote from a study issued by an institution with no ties to the real estate business or mortgaging.

The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University just released a study, America’s Rental Housing: Meeting Challenges, Building on Opportunities. The study discusses the need for a greater supply of quality rental units in America. We agree. However, there were a few nuggets of information found in the study we want everyone to know.

American’s Belief in Homeownership Has NOT Fundamentally Changed

There seems to be some feeling that homeownership has lost it’s luster and perhaps is no longer a component of the American Dream. Harvard explains:

To date, attitudes about owning have become only slightly more negative while attitudes about whether now is a good time to buy are little different than before the housing boom. In the latest Fannie Mae housing survey from October–December 2010, the vast majority of respondents—including renters—continued to believe that homeownership makes more financial sense than renting. In addition, nearly two-thirds of all renters surveyed reported their intention to buy homes in the future.

Homeownership Creates Wealth

Because prices have fallen dramatically in many parts of the country in the last five years, some are too easily dismissing homeownership’s role in building family wealth over the last century. The study explains: 

In addition, renters have only a fraction of the net wealth of owners. Near the peak of the housing bubble in 2007, the median net wealth of homeowners was $234,600—about 46 times the $5,100 median for renters. Even if homeowner wealth fell back to 1995 levels, it would still be 27.5 times the median for renters.

The recent fall in prices can’t wipe out the 100 year history housing has as a good long-term investment.

Bottom Line

The study was promoting the need for the construction of more rental housing for the average American family. However, when it came to a discusion on building wealth, Harvard offered:

“And for individuals as well as businesses, owning rental properties is an avenue for wealth creation.”

And how do these individuals and businesses create that wealth. Owning the real estate and collecting rent from their tenants to offset the mortgage payments. Build your family’s wealth – not your landlord’s. We believe OWNERSHIP almost always makes the most sense.

Every week we try to help you put an accurate value on housing in today’s real estate market. We give you all the charts, report on all the surveys, and quote every housing expert willing to talk on the subject. And we are still not 100% sure what prices should be. At best, we can only tell you what we think.

This week was different. I was able to personally FEEL the true value of a home. My older son closed on his first home yesterday. I have the great fortune to work with him at our company. I get to see him a lot when I am not traveling. This week I was home and got to spend every day with him.

I saw how nervous he was as he got all the last minute paperwork together. I heard the relief in his voice when he found out that he had overestimated his costs and would need to bring a little less money to the closing. I could feel how proud he was when he hugged me as he left the office the night before the closing.

He should be proud. He just purchased his own home. He just took a major step toward accomplishing the American Dream. He now owns a piece of this country. He now has a community he can call his own. He has a place to go ‘home’ to every night, a place where he can work in the yard, a place he can invite friends and showoff his ‘castle’, a place where he will someday raise his family.

Owning a home makes things different. You can’t necessarily explain it logically. But you can feel it. That feeling is the real value of a home AND IT IS PRICELESS.

My son slept in his own home last night. I am happy for him.

"Most of the time buying a home is about much more than just the numbers. Remember, you have to live there everyday, and maybe even raise your children there, or retire there. Shouldn't we care a little less about only "the numbers" and more about what will make us happy? There are plenty of people around the globe that would do anything for the American Dream of owning a home, a dream that we sometimes take for granted." - Brian Muench

And even more amazing is that homes over $5 million have also increased substantially. Housing Wire reported that:

In 2010, 975 homes sold in this bracket, up nearly 14% from the year prior.

Why would the wealthy be starting to purchase especially when everyone is predicting that prices will soften? The people of wealth understand finances. They realize that the COST of real estate is a much more important than its PRICE. With the government attempting to make massive changes to the residential lending business, the wealthy know financing  a home may never be better. They realize it is time to buy. They can purchase a million dollar home for a rate lower than at almost any time in history.

Rates are at historic lows and the spread for jumbo loans has shrunk dramatically. As CNN Money explained:

Normally buyers have to take out a jumbo loan to finance any mortgage beyond the $417,000 threshold ($729,000 in high-cost cities such as New York). These loans have higher interest rates because they are considered non-conforming — or higher risk — and are not backed Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

In 2009 buyers of high-end homes paid 1.8 percentage points more in interest than the average buyer. But in 2010, that spread had shrunk to just 0.6 points more.

They can also fix that rate for 30 years. The 30-year-fixed-rate-mortgage may be a victim of the new lending reforms. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Economics addressing the administration’s recent report on reform:

“A private system would likely mean the end of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage as a mainstay of U.S. housing finance. A privatized U.S. market would come to resemble overseas markets, primarily offering adjustable-rate mortgages.”

Bottom Line

Let’s assume the rich aren’t just lucky. Let’s assume they built their wealth by making good financial decisions. What have they decided about real estate? It’s time to buy.

Sellers in any real estate market are looking to get the best possible price. If you are looking to sell in the next year, today’s price may well be the best price. Home values stabilized somewhat in 2010. Many hoped that was a sign that values had bottomed out and we would see price appreciation in 2011. Studies released this week have painted a different picture.

If we look at CoreLogic’s January Home Price Index (HPI), we see that prices are again beginning to decline:

National home prices, including distressed sales, declined by 5.7 percent in January 2011 compared to January 2010…

Mark Fleming, chief economist with CoreLogic, said, “A number of factors continue to dampen any recovery in the housing market. Negative equity, which limits the mobility of homeowners, weak demand and the overhang of shadow inventory all continue to exert downward pressure on housing prices. We are looking out for renewed demand in the coming months as the spring buying season gets underway to hopefully reduce the downward pressure.”

They are not talking about the spring market increasing or even stabilizing prices. They hope it will “reduce” the pressure to drive prices lower.

Radar Logic’s RPX Composite Price comes to virtually the same conclusion:

Radar Logic believes the RPX Composite price will continue to exhibit year-on-year declines throughout 2011 due to a growing supply of homes for sale and in the inventories of financial institutions, and weakening demand due to the reduction of government incentives for home buyers. Moreover, banks are facing uncertainty over whether they will be forced by regulators to expand mortgage modifications, and may reduce lending and tighten standards as a result.

“No matter what you call it, a ‘double dip’ or the continuation of a long process of deterioration, the current trend in home prices is evidence that housing markets are continuing to languish,” said Quinn Eddins, Director of Research at Radar Logic. “We expect the negative trend to continue under a severe supply overhang that includes a large and growing ‘shadow inventory’ of homes in default or foreclosure.”

Bottom Line

It seems that prices have again begun to fall nationally. With the overhang of existing and shadow inventory, prices will probably continue to decline throughout most of 2011. If you’re thinking of selling, now might be the best time. Check with a local real estate professional to see how this might impact your area.

There is a very famous saying which asserts “Sell High, Buy Low”. It is obviously great advice no matter what the investment. Below is a graph showing the cycle of investments. It shows the points of maximum risk and maximum opportunity when purchasing. We want to sell high (point of maximum risk) and buy low (point of maximum opportunity).

The challenge is how to determine when we have hit bottom if you are a purchaser. The only time you can guarantee a bottom is after you pass it.

However, there is more and more evidence that the COST of a home has in fact hit bottom. Notice we have used the word COST. Unless you are an all cash buyer, you must take into consideration the expense of financing a property to determine the true cost of purchasing the home. Interest rates have increased over the last quarter; and the rise in rates has counteracted any fall in prices.

Let’s look at an example:

Let’s say you were going to take out a $200,000 30-year-fixed-rate mortgage in November of 2010. At that time, interest rates were 4.17% (as per Freddie Mac). Your principle and interest payment would have come to $974.54. According to the most recent report from Case Shiller house prices fell 3.9% in the 4th quarter of 2010. The most recent report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency shows a 0.8% fall in prices. Let’s use the larger percentage decrease: 3.9%.

For the sake of keeping the math simple, we will now say you can get the same house with a $192,000 mortgage (4% discount from November price). Interest rates are now 4.95% (as per Freddie Mac).

Your principle and interest payment would now be $1,024.84.

By waiting to pay less for the PRICE of the house, the COST increased over $50 a month. That adds up to more than $600 a year and over $18,000 over the life of the loan.

We realize that there are other things to consider (ex. the mortgage tax deduction, etc.). This example is just a simple way to show that there is a difference between COST and PRICE.

Bottom Line

If you want to buy low, buy now. It appears COST has hit its lowest point.

Attention Real Estate Professionals:

The above graph can help you communicate today’s market reality with your buyer clients. Click here to find out how you can download other charts, graphs, and visuals like this to include in your Buyer & Listing Conversation Manuals today.

The real estate market has experienced difficulty over the last five years. From 2000-2006, house values climbed to unsustainable heights. Since then, we have seen much of this appreciation disappear. Now many  look at the housing market as dead and lying in the ashes of its previous glory. However, there is growing evidence that, just like the Phoenix, there is a new market currently rising from those ashes.

Buyer activity is increasing

The first sign of an improving market is buyers again beginning to shop for a home for themselves and their family. That is taking place right now.

 Pete Flint, CEO of Trulia said in a recent press release:

“We’re seeing a national resurgence of buyer and seller activity on Trulia.com. In January alone, we experienced an unprecedented level of site traffic including 11 million unique visitors – which is more than 70 percent year-over-year growth… (We) are now experiencing 100,000 property views per minute.”

The latest Credit Suisse Monthly Survey of Real Estate Agents reports:

Our Monthly Survey of Real Estate Agents pointed to another month of improved traffic – the third straight month, and the highest level for our traffic index since April 2010, the last month of the homebuyer tax credit. The improved economy and stronger consumer confidence has translated into an increase in homebuyer traffic.

But have they actually started purchasing?

The best news is that buyers are not just looking. The latest National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Pending Sales Report, which quantifies the number of homes going into contract, shows continued improvement:

Pending home sales improved further in December, marking the fifth gain in the past six months.

Bottom Line

Buyers are back out looking at homes and the number that are actually purchasing is steadily increasing. It appears the housing market is on the verge of a rebirth. The Phoenix is beginning to flap its wings.

Real Estate is on the rise and there is a new market approaching with buyers eager to purchase homes.

Many purchasers have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for home prices to hit bottom. They want to guarantee that they are purchasing at the best possible price. Like them, we also believe that prices still have some room to fall in most markets. However, we disagree that waiting is a good financial decision. The buyer should not be concerned about housing prices. They should be concerned about cost.

The cost of a house is made up of the price AND THE INTEREST RATE they will be paying. Two different pieces of news released yesterday highlight this point.

PRICES

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their 4^th quarter housing research report. In the release, they reported that home sales rose 15.4% in the 4th quarter over the 3rd quarter. They also showed that prices remained stable during the year:

The national median existing single-family price was $170,600 in the fourth quarter, up 0.2 percent from $170,300 in the fourth quarter of 2009.

A buyer who delayed a purchase might find solace in the fact that prices have not increased. However, the other news released yesterday paints a different picture.

INTEREST RATES

The Primary Mortgage Market Survey was released by Freddie Mac which showed that the 30 year fixed rate mortgage was at 5.05%. Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist of Freddie Mac said:

“Long-term bond yields jumped on positive economic data reports, which placed upward pressure on mortgage rates this week…As a result, interest rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to the highest level since the last week in April 2010.”

So prices have remained stable but interest rates have risen dramatically in the last 90 days. What does that mean to a buyer looking to purchase a home this year?

The price is the same. It just costs more.

Let’s show you what the news means:

By sitting on the sidelines for the last 90 days a purchaser lost:

• $89.44 a month
• $1,073.28 a year
• $32,198.40 over the thirty year life of the mortgage

If you buy a $340,000 home, double all these numbers.

Bottom Line

Even if prices fall another 10% this year, the cost of a home will increase if interest rates go up more than 1%. Buyers should not worry where prices are going. They should be concerned where costs will be later in the year.

If you are on the fence about buying, read this article. You shouldn't be looking for just the low housing price but you should be considering the interest rate as well! There can be a significant difference in mortgage payments if you wait around while interest rates rise. Read the Bottom Line!

We found this past weekend’s New York Times article, You Don’t Have To Pay It, very interesting reading. It was a piece on whether it makes sense to pay a 6% commission to your real estate agent in today’s market. In the article, there are sellers, buyers and even agents debating what is the right number that should be charged to assist a consumer in completing a real estate transaction. We would like to add our two cents to the debate.

Forget what the actual amount of the commission is. The bigger question is whether you should pay a ‘full fee’ when hiring a real estate expert to guide you through the complexities of today’s rapidly changing housing environment.

If a full fee was the rule in 2006 when completing a deal was so much simpler, why would you now consider cutting the fee of your agent in today’s tumultuous market? You are depending on this person to help you reach your goals in a sale or purchase. In 2006, buyers were willing to pay almost anything to a seller just to get into a home. Banking entities seemed to be willing to mortgage any property for any buyer. The process was rather simple.

Today, a person looking to buy or sell should be willing to pay a full fee for two reasons:

You need an expert guide if you are traveling a dangerous path

The field of real estate is loaded with land mines. You need a true expert to guide you through the dangerous pitfalls that currently exist. Finding a buyer willing to pay fair market value for your home at a time that there are mass inventories of foreclosures and short sales will take a true real estate professional. Finding reasonable financing can also be tricky in today’s lending environment.

Experts in any profession, do not discount their fees; especially when the job is becoming much more difficult.

You need a skilled negotiator

In today’s market, hiring a talented negotiator could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer, to the possible re-negotiation of that off after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes.

When an agent is negotiating their commission with you, they are negotiating their own  salary. The salary that keeps a roof over their family’s head. A salary that puts food on their family’s table. If they are quick to take less when negotiating for themselves and their families, what makes you think they will not act the same way when negotiating for you and your family? If they were Clark Kent when negotiating with you, they will not turn into Superman when negotiating with the buyer or seller in your deal.

Bottom Line

We believe that famous sayings become famous because they are true. You get what you pay for. Just like a good accountant or a good attorney, a good agent will save you money…not cost you money.

This article digs deeper into the real estate agent commission debate and explains the value of real estate agents during any real estate transaction.

Hoboken's rent control rules, which are more than two decades old, may be about to change. Currently, landlords are following rules that were established in 1985.

The rent control law that exists in Hoboken aims to protect tenants' rights. "And we stand by that purpose," said Councilman Ravi Bhalla, who sits on the rent control subcommittee. But, he added, the way the law has been administered over the years has caused unfairness to landlords. 

Under the new ordinance, tenants will have a two-year window to claim any over-charge or excess rent, and they can only collect two years. Currently there is no statute of limitations, which often causes small landlords to go into bankruptcy, Bhalla explained. 

On the tenants' side, the biggest proposed change is that landlords are required to provide a disclosure statement to a new tenant when a lease is signed. That way, Bhalla said, tenants are aware of the fact that there is a rent control law and what their rights are.  

Another goal, Bhalla said, is to save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in litigation cost between the rent control office and tenants, by clarifying the law. 

The Hoboken City Council Committee on Rent Control and Affordable Housing hosted a community meeting in City Hall Monday night to listen to public input about the forthcoming changes.

The rent control board's lawyer, Victor Afanador, will take the feedback into consideration and make changes. The final amendments will be presented to the city council during the Feb. 19 meeting.

"As a city, Hoboken has a very broken rent control ordinance," said Ron Simoncini of the Mile Square Tax Payers Association. "I think these amendments have the right objective, but do not go far enough.”

Another proposed change, Bhalla said, are the rules surrounding the "vacancy de-control certificate." When a tenant voluntarily leaves a rent-controlled apartment, the landlord can then increase the rent by 25 percent for the next tenant. All the landlord needs is a certificate showing this. But, Bhalla explained, landlords often forget to file the certificate, making it impossible for them to increase the rent. 

If the landlord has other proof that the tenant left voluntarily—such as a tenant's statement—the rent control office will allow the rent increase under the new rules.

According to Council President Beth Mason, the committee has been meeting and working on amending this ordinance for about a year.

“It has been so long since it’s been addressed [and] costing the city a fortune in legal actions that are taken,” Mason said.

Residents who signed up to speak were given five minutes to address the committee. Some in attendance labeled the proposed amendment to the ordinance as a "good start," but  many said a lot still needs to be done. 

Many members of the community called the two-year limit unfair, because many tenants who are currently paying too much rent would miss out. Residents at Monday's meeting requested that the committee reconsider and extend the period, but most agreed that some cap should be placed.

Residents Dan Tumpson and Cheryl Fallick expressed concern at the meeting about the fact that there was no language in the proposed amendments that would—in the event a tenant is overcharged—reduce the rent to the legal level. 

Bhalla said those concerns were "very legitimate" and that the committee would look into them. 

The ordinance calls for a more refined disclosure statement, which is supposed to protect both tenants and landlords and outline the rights of both parties. The statement has to be signed and filed with the Rent Regulation Officer every time a lease is signed or renewed.  

While most community members agreed with the use of the disclosure statement, many thought it was unnecessarily repetitive. It would also be too much work on the rent control office. 

Bhalla said that would likely be changed.  

Community members said during the public portion on Monday that providing this documentation once would suffice, calling this something that could swell the filing system in city hall.

“Multiple disclosures will only serve to confuse tenants, burden landlords with the expense of notice and overwhelm the rent leveling office," states a release from the Mile Square Tax Payers' Association. 

Another idea brought forth by the community included electronic filing, if the new system for disclosure statements proved effective. Others asked for the statistics used in order to create these amendments, and asked for other areas of rent control housing to be looked at and included. 

“I don’t think this goes far enough and I don’t think everyone will be satisfied,” said Joe Murray, a Hoboken resident since 1977. 

Murray asked the committee that the ordinance, once changed, should address the difference in the rights between those buildings that are occupied by the owners, and those which aren't. He also asked for consideration for senior citizens and the disabled, and groups living on fixed incomes.      

“I think the tenants should be protected and notified of their rights," Murray said, "but landlords have certain rights too and you have to balance the rights between both groups."

Going forward, that balancing may provide the biggest challenge.

“There were some good ideas here,” Mason said, adding that there might be some changes to the ordinance based on the public's feedback. “I think the meeting was amazingly civil."  

Mason said the committee—on which she serves alongside council members Bhalla and Michael Russo—will remain intact, even after an amended ordinance is passed, in order to continue to address the affordable housing issue in town.

“There are other ways to bring affordable housing into the city,” Mason said. “There are at least four to five different affordable housing [options] to bring to the community.”

New amendments for Rent Control in Hoboken will save costs for the city and extend protection for tenants.