Housing Market Archives - Page 8 of 26 - Real Estate News and Commentary

April 6, 2018November 23, 2021

Fair housing for all

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, better known as the Fair Housing Act turns 50 this year. Title VIII was the culmination of a number of laws that focused on personal rights. Personal property rights are protected in Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was enacted to specify that all citizens, regardless of race or color, were equally protected under the law, which includes property rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The Fair Housing Act expanded the protected classes by prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and familial status (the presence of children).

Some states and localities further expand the protected classes specified in the Fair Housing Act. For example, Maryland protects fair housing regardless of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Montgomery County protects fair housing regardless of race, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, presence of children, source of income, sexual orientation, age and family responsibilities.

Some say we have come a long way in protecting fair housing rights. But have we? Even though we have come a long way to protect the rights for a number of groups, some still find it acceptable to discriminate against those who are not listed as a protected class.

It was reported last week that a home seller in Sacramento CA put her home for sale with the caveat to not sell to a Donald Trump supporter. Some legal experts say the home seller may run into a legal challenge based on the First Amendment. There are only a few states that include political affiliation, activity, or opinion as a protected class against discrimination. California’s Bane Civil Rights Act includes political affiliation as a protected class against violence or the threat of violence.

Drew Bollea of CBS 13 of Sacramento (sacramento.cbslocal.com) reported that the home seller stated that she did not want to sell to a Trump supporter. And when it was pointed out that it could possibly narrow the buyer pool by 39 percent (39 percent of Sacramento voted for the President), she said that she did not care because her point was more important than money. She stated, “When you’re talking about principles, ethics and morals, it runs very, very deep.”

Principles, ethics and morals Indeed. Going back to the intentions of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the spirit of the Fair Housing Act is inclusion. In today’s politically divisive atmosphere, there are many who would agree with the Sacramento home seller’s rationale of her discriminatory demand. However, her excuse proclaiming “principle, ethics and morality” harken back to the rationale of discriminatory practices of the past.

April is National Fair Housing Month. It’s ironic that while President Trump proclaimed this year’s Fair Housing Month recognizing the 50^th anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Housing Act, those who voted for him are singled out. It appears there is still much work ahead for fair housing advocates. In his proclamation, President Trump urged “all Americans to learn more about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act and reaffirm their commitment to making homeownership within reach, no matter one’s background.”

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2018

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

February 15, 2018July 15, 2019

Stock market and home buying

It’s easy to understand why the recent stock market volatility triggered some into proclaiming that the sky is falling. The potential for losing money can evoke some strong emotional responses. Interestingly, some experts have speculated how the recent stock market activity would spill over to consumer spending, including the housing market. Reporting such as Jacob Passy’s recent article titled “Could Stock Market Volatility Cause House Prices to Fall?” (Marketwatch.com; February 8, 2018) makes for good click-bait. However, the details of the article would suggest otherwise. The consensus is that the recent Wall Street activity is not likely to impact the housing market.

Passy is trying to make an argument that the housing market will suffer from the recent stock correction, and subsequent interest rate increases. But Daren Blomquist, senior vice president of communications at Attom Data Solutions [formerly RealtyTrac], was quoted in Passy’s article saying “The strength of the housing market and economy in general is what’s spooking the stock market.” However, the volatility may make some home buyers wary of making an investment in housing.

The stock correction and increased Wall Street volatility is not a new phenomenon. The last market correction with lasting volatility occurred in June and August of 2015,through the fall. The current stock market volatility is part of the cycle of a healthy economy. Unlike the crash of 2008, current economic fundamentals are positive.

This stock market correction is not unusual, however it is extraordinary.

Seeking Alpha noted that the percentage drop for the two largest Dow losses this year are not even in the top 100 (10 Figures On Historic Dow Correction; seekingalpha.com; February 6, 2018). And this correction is distinct, according to ZeroHedge, because most individual stocks were left intact (If This Correction Is Over, It Will Be Unique in Leaving Most Individual Stocks Unscathed; zerohedge.com; February 13, 2018). Many individual stocks actually made gains while the Dow and the S&P stocks “took it on the chin.” This phenomenon is unique and is said to demonstrate that the economic fundamentals are working.

As for rising interest rates, they are needed to moderate home prices. If home prices aren’t controlled by market forces, such as interest rates, then homes will become unaffordable for many home buyers. Mortgage interest are still historically low, even with recent increases.

Homeownership is out of reach for many home buyers because of increasing home prices. David M. Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, declared in the January 30^th S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index release:

“Home prices continue to rise three times faster than the rate of inflation. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Index year-over-year increases have been 5% or more for 16 months; the 20-City index has climbed at this pace for 28 months.”

Blitzer pointed out that these increases are not based on home buyer demand, stating, “Given slow population and income growth since the financial crisis, demand is not the primary factor in rising home prices.” Instead, sharp home price increases are due to the lack of homes for sale and new construction. And until housing inventory increases, “home prices may continue to substantially outpace inflation.”

Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, remarked that the recent stock market volatility should not impact the housing market. He stated, “Underlying economic fundamentals remain strong.” However, he cautioned that if the stock market retreats further, it could affect home buyers who plan to use funds from their 401k’s and other investment vehicles as down payment sources.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2018.

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January 26, 2018March 4, 2020

Prime housing move by Amazon

Amazon is about to make a decision on their “HQ2.” The highly anticipate decision can be a prime housing move not just for the chosen city, but the region. As you now know, Montgomery County is on the short list. Some even have it pegged to be in the top five. Although many local residents are excited at the prospect of increasing home values, many others are anxious how a Montgomery County Amazon HQ2 will affect their quality of life.

If Amazon chooses Montgomery County, the county will likely see a similar impact that Seattle experienced. However, rather than be purely speculative, let’s look how Amazon has shaped Seattle. Stephen Cohen offers interesting statistics looking at how Seattle has changed after Amazon (How Seattle Changed After Amazon Came to Town; seattlepi.com; September 22, 2017). Cohen points out that Amazon has been based in Seattle since the mid 1990’s, and that the major impact on the town happened when the company moved to the South Lake Union campus (SLU) in 2010. Since the move, Amazon’s stock price skyrocketed and its market cap exceeded (and has since doubled) that of Walmart.

Cohen’s data goes beyond the pros and cons of having the business giant in the community and compares statistics that span from 2010 to 2017. During that time, Seattle’s population grew 17.3 percent. However, it remained as the 18^th most populous US city. Although Seattle followed the national trend of becoming more diverse, its African American population slightly decreased (which was counter the national trend). Cohen describes Seattle’s population as “skews male,” probably because Amazon’s “workforce is 63 percent male.”

But the home values…Seattle has had one of the hottest and prime housing markets in the country. Seattle’s average home price increases are almost double the national average. Finding housing in Seattle is very difficult, as the town’s vacancy rate significantly decreased to about half that of the national average. The city’s median gross rent is 47.6 percent higher than the national average.

Other interesting facts from Cohen’s data…one-person households decreased from about 15 percent to slightly more than 10 percent. There was a 25.2 percent increase in commuters. And, the city’s mean household income increased 41.3 percent, which is more than double the national average.

Prime housing is not for everyone. Cohen cites the sharply increased cost of housing and high cost of living for negatively affected the poor, as well as the middle class. And although Seattle is the 18^th largest US city, it has the third largest homeless population (according to a December 7, 2017 Seattle Times expose “King County homeless population third-largest in U.S.”).

But, Lisa Stiffler reported that Amazon’s philanthropic corporate culture has noticeably changed (What gives? Tech giant Amazon finally boosts its philanthropic rep in its hometown; geekwire.com; December 14, 2016). She notes that it is evident that employees are volunteering and getting involved with such activities as the Amazon “Non-Profit Expo.”

Seattle’s SLU is described by Stephen Cohen as an “Innovation District,” which is a Brookings Institute term for a “geographic areas where leading-edge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators, and accelerators.” SLU is similar to Montgomery County’s Technology Corridor. An Amazon move to MoCo’s Tech Corridor would likely dovetail with a $100 million plan to improve I-270 (the infrastructure plan was reported by the Washington Post last April). Such infrastructure improvements would open up Maryland’s western real estate market, which would ease some of the upward pressure to MoCo’s already tight prime housing market and already increasing home prices.

By Dan Krell
Copyright© 2018

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November 17, 2017September 19, 2018

Marijuana’s high home values

Did you know that the licensing of medical marijuana dispensaries in Maryland has begun? There are only a handful of licensed dispensaries at this time, including one in Montgomery County. Besides dispensaries, Maryland’s budding medical marijuana industry includes growers and processors. Even though the industry is just taking off, there is growing support for legalizing marijuana for recreational use. This is evidenced by recent bills introduced in the Maryland General Assembly that focused on establishing a tax for cannabis sales. Besides increasing tax revenue for states where marijuana is decriminalized, there also seems to be a phenomenon of high home values.

If Maryland does decriminalize marijuana, it could be a potential source of tax. The San Francisco Chronicle (6 lessons from legal pot in Washington and Colorado; sfchronicle.com; September 30, 2016) pointed out that the state of Washington has had a windfall since legalizing pot. It was reported that Washington collected $135 million for the fiscal year 2015 and $186 million for the fiscal year 2016. They were expected a fifty percent for the fiscal year 2017. And that is just on the excise tax on pot products, and doesn’t include the collected sales tax.

About those high home values…

Colorado and Washington state have realized a significant housing boom since decriminalizing marijuana. Washington DC’s housing market has been buzzing along quite nicely as well. While the surrounding suburbs’ housing market has slowed, GCAAR’s October stats (gcarr.com) reveal that Washington DC’s home sales have surged about ten percent year-to-date and average home sale prices grew about four percent! Recent empirical studies have validated the housing-marijuana relationship.

One recent paper that provides such evidence was presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Allied Social Sciences Associations held by the American Economic Association. Cheng, Mayer and Mayer (The Effect of Legalizing Retail Marijuana on Housing Values: Evidence from Colorado; working paper, 2016) measured the “benefits and costs” of legalizing marijuana expressed in home prices. They concede that although marijuana legalization is controversial, there are some benefits. They determined that there is a causal effect such that Colorado’s retail marijuana law implementation was instrumental in its recent housing boom. They concluded that implementing a retail marijuana law will give home prices a bump of about six percent. They also found that high home values and inventory are mutually exclusive, such that the increase in housing demand did not affect housing supply.

Are high home values worth the affects of decriminalizing pot? High home values is not everything.

Regardless of high home values, decriminalizing marijuana is not all peaches and cream. Not to be a buzzkill, marijuana can also negatively impact real estate too. Amy Hoak’s reporting lists a number of issues where legalizing marijuana has adverse effects to housing (5 ways marijuana legalization affects real estate; MarketWatch.com; November 25, 2014).

A major issue Hoak points out concerns federal law. Regardless of any state or local retail marijuana law, the Feds still consider marijuana verboten. Properties (commercial or residential) that are associated with marijuana related activities and can be subjected to civil asset forfeiture. Another issue is financing properties related to the marijuana industry. Federally chartered banks conform to federal law and won’t lend on these properties.

Hoak also points out issues with properties where marijuana is processed, sold or used (commercial or residential). There has been a significant increase in property explosions in states where marijuana has been decriminalized. The explosions are likely due to processing marijuana into hash oil, a process that involves butane. Mold is an issue where marijuana is grown, because of the large amounts of water used in the process. Much like cigarette smoke, marijuana odors can permeate walls and be very difficult to remove. Even if a lease forbids it, residential landlords can have problems when tenants grow, process, and smoke marijuana in the home.

Regardless of the increased home value phenomenon associated with retail marijuana laws, some homes can be difficult to sell. High home values aside, homes that have been “tainted” with odors or mold can languish on the market, even if they are in prime locations. Finally, Hoak pointed out that people are not keen living next to properties involved in the marijuana industry.

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2017/11/17/marijuanas-high-home-values/

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October 8, 2017July 15, 2019

Buyer’s market home selling

Home Buyer’s market (infographic from nar.Realtor)

As winter approaches, many home sellers will be contemplating their next move after their homes have not sold. It is likely that a volatile housing market awaits home sellers during the first half of 2018. If you’re planning to list your home, you should have a selling plan that is able to adjust to market conditions quickly. In other words, know about home selling in a buyer’s market.

The good news for home sellers is that this year’s home sale prices continue to climb, as the September 26th 20-city composite of the S&P Corelogic Case Shiller National Home Price Index (spindices.com) revealed. The national index during July increased 5.8 percent compared to the same period last year, while the Washington DC area realized a 3.3 percent year over year gain. However, there is expectation home sale prices may moderate or even slightly decrease in the first quarter of 2018 because of Fed policy and other market forces.

David M. Blitzer, Managing Director and Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices stated in the release:

“While home prices continue to rise, other housing indicators may be leveling off. Sales of both new and existing homes have slipped since last March. The Builders Sentiment Index published by the National Association of Home Builders also leveled off after March. Automobiles are the second largest consumer purchase most people make after houses. Auto sales peaked last November and have been flat to slightly lower since. The housing market will face two contradicting challenges during the rest of 2017 and into 2018. First, rebuilding following hurricanes across Texas, Florida and other parts of the south will lead to further supply pressures. Second, the Fed’s recent move to shrink its balance sheet could push mortgage rates upward.”

Of course, home sale price indices only show sale prices for homes that sell. And while home sale prices are increasing back to record levels in many areas, the volume of homes sold during 2017 so far is disappointing. According to a September 20^th NAR news release (realtor.nar), August’s existing home sales dropped 1.7 percent. The Pending Home Sale Index for August dropped 2.6 percent, which made the NAR revise their 2017 home sale forecast to be “slightly below the pace set in 2016.” Home sale volume in the first quarter of 2018 may also lag due to continued lack of inventory and anticipated increasing mortgage interest rates. Lawrence Yun, cheif NAR economist, quipped

“The supply and affordability headwinds would have likely held sales growth just a tad above last year, but coupled with the temporary effects from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, sales in 2017 now appear will fall slightly below last year…The good news is that nearly all of the missed closings for the remainder of the year will likely show up in 2018, with existing sales forecast to rise 6.9 percent.”

Since these are August sales figures from the NAR, it is an unfortunate truth that August sales were not really affected by hurricanes. Mostly because hurricane Harvey hit Texas the very last days of August and Irma hit Florida in September. The main affects of the hurricanes disruption to existing home sales will be seen in September’s statistics. And “missed closings” is a euphemism for phantom closings, because they don’t really exist. So, with regard to sliding home sales, you should take Yun’s “headwinds” of supply and affordability very seriously.

Home selling in 2018, a buyer’s market?

Home sellers positioning themselves solely on this year’s home sale prices may be in for a rude awakening next year. Sellers may feel as if the market is getting soft, however that may change the latter half of 2018 as home prices moderate. Sellers will need to be reasonable. They will need to have awareness of many factors besides home sale prices, including existing home sales volume and neighborhood sale trends. Including home selling in a buyer’s market.

If you’re planning to sell your home, you will need to play to your audience (home buyers), and listen to their feedback. Know how to sell in 2018. Prepare your home before listing it in the MLS by repairing deferred maintenance and possibly making updates. Home buyers have a track record of paying more for a home that has been totally renovated. However, if you don’t completely repair and/or update your home, be prepared to lower your sale price.

Be flexible to quickly adjust to a seemingly buyer’s market. Feedback is highly important to get other’s perspectives about your home. However, take Realtor feedback with a grain of salt. Instead, have your agent collect buyer feedback at open houses. Home buyers tend to be more honest when giving feedback, and it can be especially helpful in a buyer’s market. If the consensus is that the price is too high, the price may actually be too high. If buyers are turned off by the condition and/or curb appeal of the home, consider making repairs or lowering price to reflect the condition. If they are focused on your décor, consider hiring a professional stager to make the home more appealing.

Rather than a soft market, we are experiencing the struggle for a balanced market due to an inventory shortage and sharply decreasing affordability. The last year and a half has been all about the home seller. However, 2018 will be about the home buyer. Home selling in a volatile or buyer’s market can be challenging. If you’re planning a sale, be realistic about your home’s condition and value. Over pricing your home from the start can make your home languish on the market, which could get you a much lower price if it sells.

By Dan Krell
Copyright© 2017

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2017/10/08/buyers-market-home-selling/

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