Buying a Home is 36% Less Expensive Than Renting Nationwide!

In the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia, they explained that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. The updated numbers actually show that the range is an average of 5% less expensive in Orange County (CA) all the way up to 46% in Houston (TX), and 36% Nationwide!

Other interesting findings in the report include:
Interest rates have remained low and even though home prices have appreciated around the country, they haven't greatly outpaced rental appreciation.
Some markets may tip in favor of renting if home prices increase at a greater rate than rents and if - as most economists expect - mortgage rates rise, due to the strengthening economy.
Nationally, rates would have to rise to 10.6% for renting to be cheaper than buying - and rates haven't been that high since 1989. 

Bottom Line
Buying a home makes sense socially and financially. If you are one of the many renters out there who would like to evaluate your ability to buy this year, meet with a local real estate professional who can help you find your dream home.

Looking to Buy, Sell, or Invest? Contact:

David Demangos
858.232.8410
Locally Known, Globally Connected
Luxury Home Marketing Specialist
Global Property Specialist

David@AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
Our Team Goes to Extremes to Fulfill Your Real Estate Dreams!

The Cost of Renting vs. Buying

Highlights:

• Historically the Percentage of your income needed to afford a home vs. renting was a much closer margin. Making renting make sense.
• Now... Renting will cost you 30.1% of your income compared to buying a median home at 15.3% of your income.
• Either way you're paying a mortgage... why not have it be yours?

Looking to Buy, Sell, or Invest in San Diego, CA? Contact:

David Demangos
858.232.8410
Locally Known, Globally Connected
Luxury Home Marketing Specialist
Global Property Specialist

David@AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
Our Team Goes to Extremes to Fulfill Your Real Estate Dreams!

Don’t Get Caught in the ‘Renter’s Trap’

There are many benefits to homeownership, one of top ones, is being able to protect yourself from rising rents and lock in your housing cost for the life of your mortgage. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released their findings of a study in which they studied “income growth, housing costs and changes in the share of renter and owner-occupied households over the past five years in metropolitan statistical areas throughout the US.”

Don’t Become Trapped The study revealed that over the last five years, a typical rent rose 15%, while the income of renters grew by only 11%. If you are currently renting, this disparity in growth could get you caught up in a cycle where increasing rents continue to make it impossible for you to save for a necessary down payment. The top 5 markets where renters have seen the highest increase in rents since 2009 are: - New York, NY (50.7%) - Seattle, WA (32.4%) - San Jose, CA (25.6%) - Denver, CO (24.1%) - St. Louis, MO (22.3%) Homebuyers, who were able to purchase their home over the same five-year period and lock in their housing costs, were able to grow their net worth as home values have increased and their mortgage balances have gone down.

A Stunning $441 Billion Paid in Rent

A recently released study revealed that a whopping $441 Billion was spent on rents in the U.S. in 2014. This represents an increase of over $20 Billion from the year before. As shown on the chart below, rents have increased consistently over the last 20+ years.

However, the recent increases have been astounding.

Why such a jump?

Many Millennials have postponed the purchase of their first home while waiting for the economy to recover. This has increased demand and dramatically lowered vacancy rates. In a recent article on the MarketWatch, economics reporter Ruth Mantell explains:

“Landlords have ramped up rents by the fastest pace in six years, with national vacancy rates the lowest in two decades.”

Zillow Chief Economist Stan Humphries let us know that increases will continue:

“Another increase in total rent paid similar to that seen this year isn't out of the question. In fact, it's probable."

Looking to Buy, Sell, or Invest? Contact:

David Demangos

858.232.8410
Locally Known, Globally Connected
Luxury Home Marketing Specialist
Global Property Specialist

David@AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
Our Team Goes to Extremes to Fulfill Your Real Estate Dreams!

Rent Increases Expected to Continue through 2015

CNBC’s Diana Olick recently reported that rents in the residential housing sector continued to rise in 2014. She interviewed Jed Kolko, Chief Economist at Trulia, who revealed:

"Rents are rising because of strong demand that supply hasn't kept up with. Nearly all the new households are renters, and young people moving out of their parents' homes will keep fueling rental demand."

Where are rents headed in 2015?

The question now is where rents will be heading over the next twelve months. In a press release last week, Zillow chief economist Dr. Stan Humphries predicted residential rental prices will continue to climb in 2015:

"Home value appreciation will continue to cool down, from roughly 6 percent now to around 2.5 percent by the end of 2015. But rents will see no such slowdown, and will continue to grow around 3.5 percent annually throughout 2015. As renters' costs keep going up, I expect the allure of fixed mortgage payments and a more stable housing market will entice many more otherwise content renters into the housing market." However, those potential buyers must make a decision quickly because, as Kolko explains:

“Paying more on rent makes it harder for would-be homebuyers to save for a down payment."

Bottom Line

Ryan Severino, a senior economist at Reis, in Olick’s article stated the obvious:

"Landlords should still be able to push asking rent increases on to their tenants."

If you are thinking about buying a home in 2015 instead of continuing to rent, it probably makes sense. 

Looking to buy, sell or invest? Contact:

David Demangos

858.232.8410
Locally Known, Globally Connected
Luxury Home Marketing Specialist
Global Property Specialist

David@AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
Our Team Goes to Extremes to Fulfill Your Real Estate Dreams!

Don’t Get Caught in the ‘Renter’s Trap’

In a recent press release, Zillow stated that the affordability of the nation’s rental inventory is currently much worse than affordability of the country’s home sale inventory. The release revealed two things:

1.    Nationally, renters signing a lease at the end of the second quarter paid 29.5% of their income to rent

2.    U.S. home buyers at the end of the second quarter could expect to pay 15.3% of their incomes to a mortgage on the typical home

Furthermore, renters pay more than the average of 24.9% that was paid in the pre-bubble period while buyers actually pay far less than the 22.1% share homeowners devoted to mortgages in the pre-bubble days. One of my smart neighbors just sold his boat today, and is using the money for his downbpayment on a new home in Reno. (Smart move)

Don’t Become Trapped

If you are currently renting you could get caught up in a cycle where increasing rents continue to make it impossible for you to save for a necessary down payment. Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Stan Humphries explains:

"The affordability of for-sale homes remains strong, which is encouraging for those buyers that can save for a down payment and capitalize on low mortgage interest rates… As rents keep rising, along with interest rates and home values, saving for a down payment and attaining homeownership becomes that much more difficult for millions of current renters.”

 Know Your Options

Perhaps you already have saved enough to buy your first home. HousingWire recently reported that analysts at Nomura believe:

“It’s not that Millennials and other potential homebuyers aren’t qualified in terms of their credit scores or in how much they have saved for their down payment. 

It’s that they think they’re not qualified or they think that they don’t have a big enough down payment.” 

2013 Renter Survey by C.A.R. Rent or Buy?

• According to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2013 Renter Survey,” renters continue to hold homeownership in high esteem, and it remains a goal for the majority of them. Nearly three-quarters of renters rated homeownership as “important,” and more than half of renters (52 percent) said they plan to buy a home in the future.
  

• Most renters (44 percent) who expressed the desire to own instead of rent were only renting out of financial necessity and the majority plan to buy in the next three years or longer.

• More than four out of every 10 renters (41 percent) indicated they plan to purchase in the same county where they currently reside, and 14 percent plan to buy in the same neighborhood. Currently, about half (51 percent) of all renters live in an apartment, with the remainder residing in a single-family home, a townhouse, or a condominium.

Remember, whether you rent or whether you buy, you pay for the space you occupy. The payment may just be your landlord's and not yours! Who do you know looking to buy or sell? Contact:

David Demangos 
www.AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com
Our Team goes to Extremes to Fulfill your Real Estate Dreams!
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