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Real Estate and Covid–19 Part 2
Understanding Why Interest Rates Impact Buyer Activity in the Market
By Erin Wright and Christina Waterhouse
Last week we reviewed the overall Real Estate Market in Clark County since the start of the pandemic. This week we are looking deeper into why interest rates are impacting buyer activity.
Interest Rates, Buying Power, & Inventory
Home buyers have seen historically low interest rates since the end of the Great Recession, between 3% and 5% roughly, compared to the average mortgage interest rate over the last 50 years of 7.91%.[1]
Since the start of the current pandemic, interest rates have continued to lower. The rate as of today (Thursday, May 14, 2020) is 3.13%.[2] In the chart below, you see that even the small changes in interest rates from about 18 months ago until today make a big impact on buying power. This is crucial because in a market like Clark County where there is a housing crisis due to the rapidly rising cost of real estate, more buying power opens up more inventory. Just since the start of 2020, Buyers looking for a $1,500 payment a month for principal and interest (not including taxes and insurance) saw their borrowing power increase from $329,000 to $350,000. To showcase how this impacts their choices, we ran a search on Redfin for a detached, single family home in Clark County. There are currently 28 houses listed for sale up to the price of $325,000. When we move that budget up to $350,000, there are 80 houses listed for sale. Just that $25,000 increase in budget, returned 3x the inventory on the market.
Interest Rates and Monthly Payments
Let’s also look at how the interest rate impacts a monthly payment and therefore a buyer’s monthly budget. In the chart below, you can see how the interest rate would impact a monthly payment for principal and interest (not including taxes and insurance) if a buyer purchased a house at an interest rate from 18 months ago, the beginning of this year, and today. There is a 23% difference in the monthly payment from the most recent high interest rate in November 2018 vs the interest rates today. For a $400,000 house, that equates to an extra $400 a month. This is important because even though some buyers are qualified to purchase a house, they do not feel comfortable spending more than a certain amount per month on their housing. With the interest rate saving $100’s of dollars a month, new buyers will be able to feel comfortable entering the market.
With Buyers able to enter the marketplace and have more buying power since the start of the pandemic, there is still a demand to purchase real estate. As we discussed last week, this demand mixed with fewer new listings coming on the market that would typically be seen this time of year has led to a strong Sellers’ market. The current demand mixed with the lower supply has kept prices stable even during a pandemic with high unemployment.
Mortgage insight and references provided by: Mathew Mattila, Cascade Northern Mortgage: https://www.mathewmattila.com/
As always, we welcome any questions you may have and are happy to offer advice.
[1] History of Monthly Interest Rates According to Freddie Mac: http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/pmms30.html
[2] Daily Interest Rates According to Mortgage News Daily: http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/data/30-year-mortgage-rates.aspx
Real Estate and Covid-19 Part 1
Understanding the Current Real Estate Market in Clark County
Our team has received a lot of inquiries regarding the real estate market during Covid-19. There are valid concerns and questions surrounding how this has impacted the market so far and what will happen in the future. We decided to share with you all the various statistics that we review to gauge the health of the real estate market and help you understand what they mean. This is part 1 of a series of real estate economic blog posts we will be publishing weekly.
What our local Market is currently doing and why
Clark County Washington is experiencing a Seller’s Market. We are seeing new listings that are priced appropriately selling quickly with multiple offers. This may seem counter intuitive, given that unemployment is up and so many businesses are closed. These things are true. Real estate is a perfect example of supply and demand. The pandemic has decreased demand, and we are seeing fewer buyers in the market than we would typically see this time of year. Some buyers are waiting to see what happens with their jobs, the economy, or just do not feel safe viewing properties. However, the pandemic has decreased the supply further. According to RMLS the week prior to the state-wide lock down, there were 272 new listings on the market. This past week there were only 173 new listings on the market, a decrease of 36%. To further tighten the inventory, during the past week, 183 listings went pending, which is 10 more listings than came on the market.
This data provides a good picture of what is going on in terms of numbers, but what does it mean to the buyers and sellers in the market today? We received multiple offers on our last 3 new listings during this pandemic. We have also had multiple buyers in bidding wars over the last couple weeks. For Sellers, this is showing that there is strong interest in the market right now due to the incredibly low inventory. We strongly advise Sellers to fully prep, clean, landscape and stage houses. This, along with pricing at market value will enable sellers to capitalize on the high demand and hope for multiple offers. For Buyers, this means that if you like a house, you need to make a quick decision to write an offer and really put your best foot forward. This can be difficult if you are looking for a good deal. Our best recommendation to such buyers is to look for properties that have been on the market for 30, 60, 90+ days and try to negotiate those sellers down on price. For all buyers right now, be prepared to lose out on a few houses because you have a lot of competition. Be patient, the right house will come around.
As always, we welcome any questions you may have and are happy to offer advice.
Erin & Christina 
Come Play Bingo for a Cause!
Looking for a fun event to do in March with the whole family? This month to give back, Erin Wright Homes is partnering with Habitat for Humanity for a fun night playing Bingo for a cause. Join us Friday, March 18, 2016 for a fun night of Bingo while helping support the Evergreen Habitat for Humanity. Games are $2 a piece and all prizes are valued at $25 or more! Complimentary snacks provided and beer and wine available for purchase. This event is family friendly, so bring your kids! Want to get even more involved? Join Erin Wright Homes for our Habitat Build April 2, 2016! We would love to see everyone there!
What: Bingo for Habitat for Humanity
When: Friday, March 18, 2016 from 6pm-8pm
Where: Clark County Habitat Store
10811 SE 2nd Ave.
Vancouver, WA
Please RSVP to Erin Wright by Wednesday, March 16, 2016 by e-mail at ErinWright@Windermere.com
or by phone by calling 360-356-1445
Hope to see you all there!
For more information on the Evergreen Habitat for Humanity, please visit their website at:
***Want to plan ahead for April’s Community Event? We will be doing a Habitat for Humanity Build with the Evergreen Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, April 2, 2016. We would love to see everyone there. This event is for people 18 years and older.***
Successful Pet Food Drive February 2016
Donations from February 2016 Pet Food Drive
Thank you to everyone who donated pet food during our Pet Food Drive for the Humane Society of Southwest Washington for the February Community Event with Erin Wright Homes. Clients, friends, family, and myself were able to almost fill the back of my SUV with donations for the Humane Society. Donations consisted of both wet and dry cat and dog food. All donations were delivered directly to the Humane Society in the middle of February. The pet food that was donated will help the Humane Society care for the over 8,000 animals they care for each year.
For more information on the Humane Society of Southwest Washington, please visit their website at:
https://southwesthumane.org/about/
Thank you again everyone!
* * * * * * Ending 2015 with a Celebration & Looking Forward to 2016!* * * * * *
Thank you for a Successful Share the Warmth Drive
and a Great Night at the Miracle of a Million Lights!
With 2016 already starting off with excitement and positive change, I want to take a moment to thank everyone for making 2015 a great year for me both personally and professionally. I celebrated many milestones in 2015; Winslow and I got married and started our life together, I was able to hire an amazing assitant, Jenny Vrtiska, and Erin Wright Homes was branded by the talented Megan Armand. December 11, 2015 marked a great celebration for a great year! I am so grateful for everyone who was able to come out and support Erin Wright Homes that evening and celebrate a wonderful year. I want to thank everyone for joining and for all the generous donations for the Share the Warmth Drive. I also want to thank all of my clients for trusting me with your real estate needs and for all your referrals. A special thanks to Jenny Vrtiska, Megan Armand, Simply Sweets, the Victorian Belle, and Leah Smith Photography for making the event increadibly special for everyone. Please see below for a collection of photos from the event that night. If you would like a copy of any one photo, please contact me and I can get you the full resolution version.
With referrals already coming in for 2016, I am excited to start this year off running. If you know anyone looking to buy or sell real estate in the future, please feel free to share my information with them. Your referrals will receive the same expertise, time, and care that I have given all past clients. I am fortunate to have the best clients in the world and look forward to serving all of you in 2016.
From my family to yours, wishing you all a great 2016!
Erin Wright
Local Real Estate Markets are on the Rise
By: Erin Wright, Clark County, WA Realtor
Buyer's are out in full swing in Clark County and Multnomah County. As a result of all the Buyers entering the market place, the inventory is still low and real estate prices are on the rise.
The local real estate markets have seen low inventory over the last 2 years and they continue to remain low. When looking at all homes currently on the market in Clark County, there is 2.5 months of inventory. This indicates a Seller's Market. However, many of those homes are proposed construction and new construction. If those two categories are taken out, then there is only 2 months of inventory. For Multnomah County, there is currently 1.4 months of inventory. If you take out the new and proposed construction again, then there is 1.3 months of inventory. This low inventory with an increased number of Buyers has resulted in the listing prices of homes to continue to rise.
Last year, the average list price of properties in Clark County in May 2014 was $384,000. This year, the average list price of properties in Clark County at the end of April 2015 was $452,000. That is an increase of 18%. In Multnomah County the average list price from May 2014 was $440,000. This year the average list price of properties in Multnomah County at the end of April 2015 was $489,000. That is an increase of 11%.
All data for this article was gathered from Trendgraphix.
Clark County Data Provided by Trendgraphix Below
All Clark County Inventory Over the Last Year
Clark County Resale Inventory Over the Last Year
Clark County Listing Prices Over the Last Year
Multnomah County Data Provided by Trendgraphix Below
All Multnomah County Inventory Over the Last Year
Multnomah County Resale Inventory Over the Last Year
Multnomah County Listing Prices Over the Last Year
Tacos and Taps 2015: A Huge Success
Photo courtesy of Little Fern Photography
Thank you to my clients and friends who helped make Tacos & Taps a Success in 2015!
May 4, 2015 marked the 2nd Annual Tacos & Taps Event for the Clark County Food Bank. This year Tacos & Taps sold out weeks before the event and the night really delivered a great time with a meaningful message. Guests were able to enjoy creative tacos, great beer, and spectacular treats from local Vancouver venders all while touring the food bank and enjoying live music. It is a great event to help promote local businesses, support the food bank, and allow our Clark County neighbors a chance to really see how the food bank runs and helps support the community.
The event this year raised $31,100 for the Food Bank, an increase of 39% from the previous year. Additionally, the event featured 5 local brewers, 8 local chefs, and 1 local baker.
I would like to give a special thanks to the people who made this event a huge success.
Breweries:
Alameda Brewing, Mt. Tabor Brewing, Loowit Brewing, Doomsday Brewing, and Beerded Brothers Brewing
Chefs:
Herb N’ Roots, South Pacific Bar & Grill, Farrar’s Bistro, Wholes Foods, Beaches Restaurant & Bar, Main Event, New Seasons, and The Grant House
Bakery:
Simply Sweets
Photography:
Little Fern Photography
Decorations:
Michael Lampson of Lasting Impressions
Entertainment:
Blues Ranch
Scott Horenstein Law, Riverview Community Bank, Landerholm Law
Large Donors:
Windermere Stellar
Event Committee:
Allison Kirkland, Courtney Catt, Donna Horenstein, Erin Wright, Megan Dixon, Rebecca Bristol, Sam Clarno, and Sherri Falkner
To see all photos from this year’s Tacos and Taps event provided by Little Fern Photography, please click the link below.
http://proofs.littlefernphoto.com/tacosandtaps
Click the link below to see a video talking with the Director of the Food Bank and some of the vendors from this past year.
The Importance of Staging
By Erin Wright, Real Estate Agent with Windermere Real Estate
Image courtesy of WorldWideStock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Sellers often ask me about staging, the benefits of staging, how in depth their staging needs to be, and if there are any small tips or tricks to the staging process. These are all valid questions, and ones Sellers should ask. When I go through my listing presentation, I spend a good deal of time on this very subject, to fully showcase the benefits of staging. I also bring a staging consultant to every one of my listings, so we can all go room by room and talk about the best way to showcase the homes features. Staging helps create the first impression, so it is a vital role in listing a home. When staging, there are a few key rules to follow: keep the style neutral, less is more and focus on light.
Neutral Style: Although some Buyers are able to look past a Seller's style, to create a positive first impression, it is best to make the home a blank canvas. This will allow Buyers to walk through the home and picture their own style and stuff throughout the home. A key piece of advice I give my clients is to go through their home and see what elements are more personal in nature or style. For example, the huge family portrait over your fireplace, not the best way to allow a Buyer to picture themselves in the home. The bright red accent wall in the family room will likely also keep a potential Buyer from picturing themselves in your home. When staging, it is best to depersonalize your home, remove most family pictures, and create a neutral tone and feel in all the rooms throughout the house. It is nice to have a pop of color around the house, so to achieve this consider a fruit bowl filled with colorful fruit in the kitchen, colorful pillows in the family room, and colorful towels in the bathroom.
Less is More: In our day-to-day lives, I think we tend to like to surround ourselves with our belongings. A beautiful chair, decorative plates, and walls full of artwork. However, when staging a home, less really is more. The goal of staging is to make a space feel welcoming and attractive to as many potential Buyers as possible. Space and the size of rooms are two of the most important things Buyers look for in a house. Therefore, placing furniture and decor in a way that maximizes the space in a room is an essential part of staging. One of the key tricks to doing this is to keep the amount of furniture and decor minimal. Let the space showcase itself. So in a normal sized family room, a Seller may have a sectional, coffee table, two chairs and two side tables. Likely, if the Seller removed the two chairs and two side tables, the space would feel larger and more open. Consider what furniture and decor is essential in each room and place it intentionally. Then I recommend my clients rent a storage unit, use a shed, or use a garage and store the remainder of the furniture. This will allow the home to breath and feel more spacious. Also, this allows Buyers to more comfortably move throughout the home. A great rule of thumb is to keep all pathways and open spaces wide enough for 2-3 people to comfortably walk through them at the same time. Often times my Sellers end up liking the open feel better, and decorate their new home in the same manner as they staged their previous home.
Light is Key: Buyers often request homes with great light. This is because the natural lighting of a home can often create positive energy within a home. This is especially true in the Northwest where it rains for a large portion of the year. Therefore, it is important for Sellers to showcase the areas in the home with natural light. The best way to do this is to keep anything from blocking the light. If there are blinds, raise them. If there are curtains, open them. Allow the light to shine in through the house wherever possible. Another great way to create the feeling of a light and bright home is to keep the walls painted a lighter color and have the ceiling painted white. This will reflect the natural light throughout the home, making it feel lighter and brighter. Also, white ceilings give the illusion of taller ceilings, which is a great-added benefit. Another great idea is to allow there to be ample room in front of windows and exterior doors. Buyers love to go up to windows and look out of them to see the light and the view.
For information on these and other staging tips, feel free to contact me at ErinWright@Windermere.com or (360) 356-1445.
Things to Consider When Buying New Construction
Looking At New Construction? Here are a Few Things to Consider
By: Erin E. Wright, Real Estate Agent with Windermere Real Estate
Image courtesy of Stormtrooper at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
More and more buyers are turning to New Construction for their home buying needs. This is a result of the changing aesthetic styles, low inventory, and increase in New Construction communities around Clark and Multnomah Counties. For a buyer who is frustrated at what they are seeing in the resale market, New Construction can be a great solution. There are a few things buyers should consider when looking at buying new construction.
1. Choosing a Builder – There are so many builders to choose from in the Clark County and Multnomah County Real Estate Markets, not to mention other markets around the country. First, it is important for buyers to know their budget. Once a price range is nailed down, there will be a group of builders in that price range for the buyer to choose from. Obviously, the aesthetic appeal of the builder is important. However, there are other important factors to consider when choosing a builder. How well does the builder work with the buyer? If the buyer wants to make small to large changes, how does the builder react? What type of warranty does the builder offer? Who will make the repairs under the warranty if issues do come up? How easy is the builder to work with? Can a meeting be arranged with a builder? Some of these questions are easily answered when a buyer goes to visit the builder or builder's representative; this is often done at a model home. However, all builders would have you believe that they are the best, so it is important for buyers to do their research. I often send my clients information on builders from the BBB, Consumer Reports reviews, and other research that can be found online.
2. Working with a Realtor – One thing many clients do not realize, is that most builders have in house agents, or listing agents they hire to do their sales for them. This is the agent buyers normally meet at the model home. This agent is an agent of the builder. Their job is to sell homes for the builder. It is a good idea for a buyer to have their own Real Estate Agent to represent them in the transaction. Most builders will offer the Buyer's Agent a commission, so the buyer will not have to pay their commission. If a buyer has already decided to work with and chosen their Buyer's Agent, it is important for the buyer to mention that right away if they go in to visit a builder or model home without their agent. If a buyer does not mention it and ends up deciding to buy a new construction home, some builders will work with and still pay the Buyer's Agent. However, some builders will make it difficult for the Buyer's Agent to represent their client. This process is usually easier if there is a Buyer's Agency Agreement in place.
3. Negotiating a Deal – Builders do negotiate, however, it is not always apparent or easy to know how to negotiate with a builder. Most builders will get the price they are asking for a home, especially one that is not yet built. This is because the price a person pays for a home becomes public record. Therefore, if the builder sells one buyer a home for $5,000 less than the asking price, all other buyers will be able to find that information and use it as a negotiating strategy when buying their homes. Instead, builders tend to be much more willing to negotiate on finishes, upgrades, changes, and even closing costs for the buyers of their homes. Since these items do not become public record, a builder is much more willing to negotiate on them. To be able to effectively negotiate for upgraded finishes, changes, and closing costs, it is important to have a list of what is standard for the builder in the neighborhood a buyer is looking at. Once the buyer knows what is standard, then the buyer needs to decide what is on their dream list above and beyond what the builder already offers. It is usually a good idea to come up with several items with a total value of 1-3% of the purchase price. Buyers should include those items on their offer and expect to negotiate from there. More likely than not, the builder will not give the buyer everything they have asked for, but will agree to some of the items as part of the deal, thereby increasing the value of the buyer's home.
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
4. Picking & Paying for Finishes – Builders love to create beautiful model homes that showcase their ability to build a beautiful home. However, these model homes are usually filled with options and upgraded finishes that do not come standard with the home. When a buyer is out looking at a model home, it is always a good idea to ask the builder or builder's representative, what in the home is standard, what is an upgrade, and if the builder were to build this home on one of their available lots, what would they sell it for? It is also a good idea to ask if there is a price sheet available for all upgrades and options, so the buyer can see up front what each one will cost them. Now these are the items that can be negotiated on. However, it is important for a buyer to know what the finishes and options they like will cost them.
5. Inspection – Many buyers do not think it is necessary to have an inspection on New Construction. It is a new home, so everything must be in perfect condition and working order, right? It is rare for a home to undergo a professional inspection and not raise issues, this includes new construction. It is important to have an inspection once the home is completed to bring those issues to light. If the inspector does discover issues with the home, ask the builder to fix those items prior to closing (ideal) or within 30 days of closing (sometimes necessary based on timelines). It is important to put these expectations up front in the offer to buy the house, so the builder is contractually obligated to allow a buyer to have a professional inspection and fix the issues that arise at the inspection within a specific timeframe.
For additional information on buying new construction, or other real estate questions, feel free to contact me.
ErinWright@Windermere.com or (360) 356-1445
Your Local Realtor,
Erin E. Wright
Proudly Serving My Clients and My Community!
Happy Halloween
Wishing Everyone a Happy and Safe Halloween!
Dear Friends and Family,
Happy Halloween! For those of you who don't know, Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year! Please enjoy a night of fun. For those going Trick-or-Treating, remember to bring that umbrella or raincoat, as rain is always bound to happen on Halloween in the Northwest. For those still working on last minute costumes, click the link below for ideas from Pinterest.
http://www.pinterest.com/coolestparties/last-minute-costume-ideas/
Happy Haunting!
Erin E. Wright
Your Local Realtor
Proudly Serving My Clients and My Community!
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