Call Us at 248-935-2754

Marketing Fine Homes in the Suburbs of Detroit

Little boy is playing fetch in the garden with his pet dog and a ball. His mother and grandmother are watching with a cup of tea.

The 2 Surprising Things Homebuyers Really Want

Paul Mychalowych
Blog / General

In a market where current inventory is low, it’s normal to think buyers might be willing to give up a few desirable features in their home search in order to make finding a house a little easier. Don’t be fooled, though – there’s still an interest in the market for some key upgrades. Here’s a look at the two surprising things buyers seem to be searching for in today’s market, and how they’re impacting new home builds.

Homebuyers Are Not Giving Up Their Garages

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently released an article showing the percentage of new single-family homes completed in 2018. The data reveals,

  • 64% of new homes offer a 2-car garage
  • 21% have a garage large enough to hold 3 or more cars
  • 7% have a 1-car garage
  • 7% do not include a garage or carport
  • 1% have a carport

    • Continue reading →

Model of house with padlock and money on wooden table. Top view. Space for text.

Homes Are More Affordable Today, Not Less Affordable

Paul Mychalowych
Blog / General

There’s a current narrative that owning a home today is less affordable than it has been in the past. The reason some are making this claim is because house prices have substantially increased over the last several years.

It’s not, however, just the price of a home that matters.

Homes, in most cases, are purchased with a mortgage. The current mortgage rate is a major component of the affordability equation. Mortgage rates have fallen by over a full percentage point since December 2018. Another major piece of the affordability equation is a buyer’s income. The median family income has risen by approximately 3% over the last year.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a monthly Housing Affordability Index. The latest index shows that home affordability is better today than at almost any point over the last 30 years. The index determines how affordable homes are based on the following:

“A Home Affordability Index value of 100 means that a family with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home. An index of 120 signifies that a family earning the median income has 20 percent more than the level of income needed pay the mortgage on a median-priced home, assuming a 20 percent down payment so that the monthly payment and interest will not exceed 25 percent of this level of income (qualifying income).”

The higher the index, therefore, the more affordable homes are. Here is a graph showing the index since 1990:Homes Are More Affordable Today, Not Less Affordable | MyKCM Continue reading →

model of house as symbol on sunny background

Expert Insights on the 2020 Housing Market

Paul Mychalowych
Blog / General

When closing out another year, it’s normal to wonder what’s ahead for the housing market. Though there will be future inventory issues, we expect interest rates to stay low and appreciation to continue.

Here’s what three experts are saying we’ll likely see in 2020:

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com

“I think the biggest surprise from the forecast is how long the market is staying in this low inventory environment, especially as Millennials are in a major home-buying phase…sellers will contend with flattening price growth and slowing activity with existing home sales down 1.8%. Nationwide you can look to flat home prices with an increase of less than 1%.”

Mike Fratantoni, Chief Economist at Mortgage Banker Association (MBA)

“Interest rates will, on average, remain lower…These lower rates will in turn support both purchase and refinance origination volume in 2020.”

Skylar Olsen, Director of Economic Research at Zillow

“If current trends hold, then slower means healthier and smaller means more affordable. Yes, we expect a slower market than we’ve become accustomed to the last few years…consumers will continue to absorb available inventory and the market will remain competitive in much of the country.”

As we can see, we’re still going to have a healthy market. It is forecasted to be a more moderate (or normal) market than the last few years, but strong enough for Americans to continue to believe in homeownership and to capitalize on the opportunities that come with low interest rates.

Bottom Line

If you’re wondering what’s happening in our local market, let’s get together today.

Inspired by Star Wars: 7 Otherworldly Homes

Paul Mychalowych
Blog / General
Inspired by Star Wars: 7 Otherworldly Homes
Inspired by Star Wars: 7 Otherworldly Homes
In honor of the movie premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker this month, here are the seven otherworldly estates. (Courtesy of Luxury Defined)

 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Episode IX of the epic space-opera, debuts December 20.

The galaxy-spanning adventures of Luke Skywalker’s clan are its heart, but it is the films’ settings that are its soul: From the deserts of Tatooine and the verdurous forests of Endor to the skyscraping penthouses of the urban planet Coruscant, each world, with its distinct architecture and landscape, is as unique and diverse as the creatures that inhabit it. Inspired by these phantasmal planetary realms, Luxury Defined spotlights a collection of otherworldly homes, futuristic and fantastic. Consider the Bubble Palace, an orb-like kingdom on the French Riviera. Or look to St Ann’s Court in the English countryside, with its modernist Round House, a place of curves and light built in the style of a geomantic compass; or the Rock, a contemporary eco villa in a lunar-like landscape in the Greek Islands. Step across the threshold and let the Force be with you, always.

The Bubble Palace in Théoule-sur-Mer, France

SW2

The iconic Bubble Palace (Le Palais Bulles) is the French Riviera estate of couturier Pierre Cardin. The otherworldly orb-like structure, surrounded by an earthly paradise of flower gardens and water features, was designed by world-renowned Hungarian architect Antti Lovag.

Continue reading →

Buyers Are Looking For Your Home

Paul Mychalowych
Blog / General

Buyers Are Looking For Your Home [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM

Some Highlights:

  • Existing Home Sales are currently at an annual pace of 5.46 million.
  • The inventory of existing homes for sale remains below the 6 months needed for a normal market and is now at a 3.9-month supply.
  • Inventory remains low due to high demand from buyers who are still looking for a house to buy!
November-2019-MVP-LinkedIn-Image

5 Steps To Finding Your Next Home

Paul Mychalowych
Blog / General

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned homeowner, shopping for a new home can feel daunting. In fact, 56% of buyers said that “finding the right property” was the most difficult step in the home buying process.1

Buying a home is a significant commitment of both time and money. And a home purchase has the power to improve both your current quality of life and your future financial security, so the stakes are high. Follow these five steps to assess your priorities, streamline your search, and choose your next home with confidence.

STEP 1: SET YOUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES
The first step to finding your ideal home is determining WHY you want to move. Do you need more space? Access to better schools? Less maintenance? Or are you tired of throwing money away on rent when you could be building equity? Pinpointing the reasons why you want to move can help you assess your priorities for your home search. Don’t forget to think about how your circumstances might change over the next few years. Do you expect to switch jobs? Have more children? Get a pet? A good rule of thumb is to choose a house that will meet your family’s needs for at least the next five to seven years.2 Be sure to set your goals accordingly.

STEP 2: DETERMINE YOUR BUDGET
Many financial professionals recommend following the “28/36 Rule” to determine how much you can afford to spend on a home. The rule states that you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing expenses (e.g., mortgage, taxes, insurance) and a maximum of 36% of your income on your total debt (i.e., housing expenses PLUS other debt, like credit cards and student loans).3 Of course, the 28/36 rule only provides a rough guideline. Getting pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage is the most accurate way to determine your maximum potential budget.

Continue reading →

20191014-Share-KCM

Existing-Home Sales Report Indicates Now Is a Great Time to Sell

Paul Mychalowych
Blog / General

 

The best time to sell anything is when demand for that item is high and the supply of that item is limited. The latest Existing-Home Sales Report released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), reveals that demand for housing continues to be strong, but the supply is struggling to keep pace. With this trend likely continuing throughout 2020, now is a great time to sell your house.

THE EXISTING-HOME SALES REPORT

The most important data revealed in this report was not actually sales. In reality, it was the inventory of homes for sale (supply). The report explained:

  • Total housing inventory at the end of August decreased 2.6% to 1.86 million homes available for sale.
  • Unsold inventory is lower than the 4.3-month figure recorded in August 2018.
  • This represents a 4.1-month supply at the current sales pace.

According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR,

“Sales are up, but inventory numbers remain low and are thereby pushing up
home prices.”

In real estate, there is a simple guideline that often applies here. Essentially, when there is less than a 6-month supply of inventory available, we are in a seller’s market and we will see greater appreciation. Between a 6 to 7-month supply is a neutral market, where prices will increase at the rate of inflation. More than a 7-month supply means we are in a buyer’s market and can expect depreciation in home values (see below):Existing-Home Sales Report Indicates Now Is a Great Time to Sell | MyKCMAs we mentioned before, there is currently a 4.1-month supply of homes on the market, and houses are going under contract fast. The Existing Home Sales Report also shows that 49% of properties were on the market for less than a month when they were sold. In August, properties sold nationally were typically on the market for 31 days. As Yun notes, this should continue,

“As expected, buyers are finding it hard to resist the current rates…The desire to take advantage of these promising conditions is leading more buyers to the market.” 

Takeaway: Inventory of homes for sale is still well below the 6-month supply needed for a normal market, and supply will fail to catch up with demand if a sizable supply does not enter the market.

Bottom Line

If you are going to sell, now may be the time to take advantage of the ready, willing, and able buyers who are out there searching for your house to become their dream home.