Millennials Get House, Then Hitched

Mortgage: Step toward marriage.

There's love and marriage and then there's love and a mortgage.
Millennial couples are more likely to buy a house together before they take their wedding vows than their parents and grandparents were, according to a new Real Estate survey.

Almost a quarter of married homeowners aged 18 to 34 bought a home together before they were married, compared with 14% of those aged 45 and older.

It's good news for the housing industry that has fretted about a steadily growing trend: Every year, men and women are waiting longer to get married. In 2012, the median age of men who married for the first time was 28.6, up from 26.1 in 1990. Women: 26.6, up from 23.9.

Since buying a home often follows nuptials, delaying marriage could delay homeownership.

"We didn't expect to find that couples committed to each other to buy homes before they were married," says Robi Ludwig, a psychotherapist who works for Coldwell on lifestyle surveys and buyer habits. "It's almost like buying a home is the new engagement ring."

Married homeowners said buying a house did more to strengthen their relationship than any other purchase they made together.

"Increasingly, Americans and especially Millennials see marriage as something that should be entered into only after you've taken several steps toward showing your maturity," says Stephanie Coontz, co-chair of the Council on Contemporary Families. "It's not something you jump into."

Two-thirds of couples getting married these days lived together before they walked the aisle. Buying a home together is a big proof of commitment.

"The purchase of a home is a monumental step in their relationship," Ludwig says.

The online survey of 2,116 adults March 8-12 found that couples who bought homes before marriage were all planning to tie the knot.

Their decision to buy a home first "was based on being financially savvy," Ludwig says. "Opportunities were coming up in the real estate market and with low mortgage rates, and they take advantage of these ideal conditions and didn't feel they had to wait till they got married."

That's why Lauren Farris, 28, and her boyfriend Mark Sieckman, 30, of Chicago are house hunting. They're not living together and not yet engaged. But they're committed to spending their lives together and determined to buy a condo they can move into when her lease runs out June 1.

"The timing is right," says Farris, a senior media buyer at A. Eicoff & Co. ad agency. "Things are moving so quickly that listings that come on today could be gone tomorrow."

Her parents are helping them make an all-cash offer and are no longer concerned that the two haven't set a date.

"We get along really well and want the same things out of life," Farris says. "We know we're going to be married one day. ... We really don't have any concerns. We need to take advantage of the situation and get a head start in life."

By delaying marriage, some couples can afford to buy big - as long as they have good jobs and clean credit, and interest rates are low.

Detroit-area engaged couple Bryan Carter, 28, and Lisa Valesano, 30, are building their starter home: a $300,000, four-bedroom house with granite countertops. Carter's parents "were definitely surprised that we were building a house at such a young age," he says.

Other findings in the survey:

Southerners are more likely to take the traditional route. Almost three-fourths of married Southerners got a marriage license first, a mortgage second, compared with 60% in the Northeast.

Only 16% of married Americans have not bought a house with their current spouse.

Written by Haya El Nasser, USA Today

Orange County Active Inventory

Since the start of the year, the record low inventory has only increased by 47 homes.

The active inventory will not budge. In the past two weeks, it has increased by 25 homes and now totals 3,208. It has been bouncing around the 3,200 market for the first few months of 2013. Since tracking the market nine years ago, these levels are drastically less than the prior record levels established in March of 2005 at 4,912. To say that the current active inventory is low or anemic is an understatement. It is almost impossible to convey just how ridiculously low the levels are for comparison purposes. The inventory is simply unprecedented and does not show any signs of letting up.

Last year at this time, there were 3,407 additional homes on the market and they were flying off the market. With buyers on the sidelines waiting for new inventory to hit the market, pent up demand is astronomical. If there were an additional 3,400 homes on the market today, they would sell almost overnight.

The real issue is that the housing market is in transition across Southern California and across the United States. Distressed homes have faded as the market recovers and more equity sellers place their homes on the market. Thus far in 2013, there have been 1,094 short sales listed for sale thus far in 2013, down from 2,838 during the same timeframe last year; that is off by 1,744. Similarly, there have been 334 foreclosures listed for sale so far this year, down from 1,095 last year, a 761 home difference. The only increase has been in equity sellers. There have been 7,800 homeowners with equity in their homes opt to enter the fray thus far this year compared to 6,604 in 2012. There just have not been enough equity sellers to overcome the loss in distressed listings this year. Overall, there have been 12% fewer homes placed on the market in 2013 compared to 2012.

Demand: With not enough new inventory, demand, as measured by pending sales, dropped by 2%
In the past two weeks, demand, the number of new pending sales over the past month, decreased by a negligible 69 homes, and now totals 2,811. Compared to last year at this time, there are 1,029 fewer pending sales today. Until more homeowners realize how much homes have appreciated and are more apt to sell, demand will remain muted compared to last year. Distressed homes have faded and equity sellers have been slow to replace them.

Distressed Breakdown: the distressed inventory remained unchanged over the past couple of weeks.
Within the past two weeks, the distressed inventory, short sales and foreclosures combined, dropped by 2 homes, virtually unchanged, and now totals 224. Only 7% of the active listing inventory is distressed and 18% of demand. Compare that to last year when it represented 28% of the inventory and 49% of demand, more proof that the market is in transitioning away from distressed sales having such a tremendous impact on housing.

Written by,
Steven Thomas

HOMES FOR SALE IN LOW SUPPLY

As spring buying season starts, prices likely to keep rising

The supply of homes for sale is still unusually tight as the spring buying season opens, turning up the heat on already- rising prices.

The number of homes listed for sale on real estate website Zillow was down almost 17% in late February vs. a year earlier. In some California markets, it was down more than 40%.

The supply crunch is likely to last all year, says IHS Global Insight economist Patrick Newport. “We’re still not building enough homes.”

The U. S. is creating about 1.1 million new households a year, but housing starts in January came in at an 890,000 annual rate, the government says.

As prices rise, though, more owners will be motivated to sell, easing supply shortages, economists say. The tight inventory is a big driver of rising prices.

Home prices were up 7.3% in the fourth quarter from a year before, Standard & Poor’s Case- Shiller data show. That was much faster than most economists expected for 2012.

Nationwide, the supply of homes for sale — based on the pace of sales — fell in January to 4.2 months, the National Association of Realtors says. That’s an almost eight- year low. A six- month to seven- month supply is considered balanced between buyers and sellers.

The availability of the most expensive homes in the markets Zillow tracks has tightened more than those at lower price levels.

Homes for sale in what Zillow defines as the top price tier in each market fell by almost 21% in February vs. a year earlier. The inventory of homes in the middle tier dropped 17%; those in the bottom tier fell 9%.

Five California cities in Zillow’s survey are among those seeing the biggest inventory drops, from a 48% decline in Sacramento to a 36% falloff in Riverside. Other cities are also seeing significantly fewer listings. New York is down almost 19%; Dallas/ Fort Worth, nearly 21%; and Orlando is off 27%.

Only five of 99 metros showed an increase in listings, led by El Paso, up 19%, and Albuquerque, up 8%. Little Rock, Fort Myers, Fla., and Youngstown, Ohio, also saw increases.

Written by Julie Schmit USA TODAY

Ways to save for a new home

A home is often the biggest investment most people will make in a lifetime. Saving for a down payment can be a lengthy and disciplined process. Taking advantage of federal tax incentives and low interest rates are great ways to reach your goal of owning a home. Here are some small ways that can really add up to big savings.

1. Make coffee at home instead of buying a daily brew. Prices on lattes, coffee and espresso have gone through the roof.
2. Eat at home instead of going out. When you dine out, consider lunch instead of dinner and avoid purchasing alcohol at meals.
3. Consider taking on a roommate or smaller apartment to cut down on rent.
4. Eliminate extras like premium cable, expensive DVD rental plans, and excessive cell phone plans.
5. Use coupons at the grocery store and look for sale items. Shop for groceries and household cleaners at retailers that offer major discounts on items sold in bulk.
6. Cancel your overpriced gym membership fee and work out on your own.
7. Program your thermostat so heat is lowered at night or during the day when occupants are not home. Turn off the lights when you leave a room and use fans instead of air conditioning to keep your electricity bill low.
8. Carpool to work, buy low octane fuel and avoid taking costly taxis.
9. Purchase generic medications and toiletries instead of brand names, often, the same active ingredients are used and the items are a lot less expensive.
10. Pack a sandwich and bring it to work. Work lunches and office take out can be a drain on your budget.

Keep your home safe while you're away on vacation

Ways to protect your home and its contents while you're away range from simple to high tech. Here are some ideas to secure your home when you're on vacation.

1. Consider a house sitter. It may be an added expense, but having a trusted person stay at your home is a great defense against burglars.
2. Don't advertise you're away. Don't leave an outgoing voicemail stating you're out of town. Also, refrain from listing vacation dates on social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.
3. Invest in an alarm system.
4. Put all lights on timers, so it appears someone is home. A lighted home is a deterrent for break-ins.
5. Have the post office hold your mail and put your newspaper delivery on hold. An overstuffed mailbox and unopened newspapers on the lawn are a signal you are not at home.
6. Leave all doors and windows locked. When possible, utilize dead bolts and secure sliding glass doors by placing a rod in the door groove.
7. Alert police and a trusted neighbor to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.
8. Remove any spare keys that are hidden outside the house. Instead, give a key to a trusted neighbor or family member to regularly check the house.

Cosmetic changes that can transform a home

There are cost-effective ways to transform your new home. Perhaps you want to change the look of your home but a major remodel or professional construction project is out of the question. Here are some DIY ideas that won't break the bank and will revamp your new property.

1. Repaint and revitalize. Never underestimate the difference a coat of paint can make in a room or even one wall.
2. Update your hardware. Replacing the fixtures on dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities is simple. Accessories like doorknobs, and even hinges can look dated. Spice up a space by swapping out the existing hardware and make it your own.
3. Sand and stain. Don't like your kitchen cabinets but aren't ready to completely renovate? No problem, as long as they are in good condition, you can paint or stain your existing cabinets. Be sure to do a test on the inside of a cabinet that won't be seen to make sure you get desired results.
4. Counterculture. New countertops drastically change a space and are available at most home improvement stores in standard sizes at a reasonable price. They are precut and ready to install.
5. New stream. Faucets in the kitchen, tub, and sinks can be changed. They should correlate with the rest of the style in the specific room.
6. Get floored. Tiles can be inexpensive and transform a kitchen, bath or mudroom.
7. Kitchen views. You can switch out a kitchen backsplash without moving cabinetry or appliances, and the sky's the limit in terms of color and style.

If you're in a tight market, consider these strategies to smooth the process:

1. Stay calm

Don't spend more than you can really afford.

"There's a renewed frenzy" in the market these days, says Christy Dean, a real-estate agent with Walt Danley Realty, focused on the luxury market in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Buyers can get caught up in the hype, and that can mean spending too much, she says.

"I've seen it happen so many times. The wife is about to have their first or second baby. They have to have a house on this street," she says. "Don't get house poor. Be conservative."

2. Make your best offer

Remain calm, yes, but be realistic. When bidding on a home with multiple offers, you need your offer to stand out.

"Be bold," says Hal Lehrman, owner of Brooklyn Properties in New York. "Usually, the best buyer we have on a bidding war is the guy who lost the last bidding war. He's ready. He doesn't want that to happen again."

The danger is overpaying, but if it's the right house for you, that risk is tempered by other considerations. "In a rising market, you look back five years from now, you're not going to care about that extra $5,000," Mr. Lehrman says.

3. Check credit

Before setting foot in an open house or lender's office, check your credit reports atAnnualCreditReport.com (you can get one free report annually from each of three credit-reporting companies at this website). "If you see anything that doesn't appear correct or needs updating, a good time to make those changes is before you're in the process," says Mr. Gumbinger.

Consider buying your credit score as well. (One option is MyFico.com.) With your score in hand, you're in a position to negotiate, he says. You can say to the lender: "I'm looking for a 30-year-fixed [mortgage], I have a Fico [score] of 760, I can put 20% down. What sort of interest rates and closing costs can you offer me?"

4. Account for assets

In competitive markets, buyers need a lender's preapproval in hand before looking at homes.

"Preapproval is absolutely a must," says Vince Malta, a Realtor in San Francisco and a regional vice president for the National Association of Realtors.

Be prepared for a stringent underwriting process. Lenders want to see a consistent income stream. And a gift or funds transfer must be well documented, Mr. Malta says, in part to ensure you're receiving a true gift, rather than a phantom loan. "If it's not properly documented, it won't be counted toward your down payment," he says.

One benefit to a preapproval is that it sets a price limit on your home shopping, Mr. McBride says. "There's no sense falling in love with a place you can't afford to buy because you can't get approved for the loan."

5. Bring a big down payment

If possible, bringing more than 20% to the table will help your offer remain competitive.

"Anything that helps the down-payment side of it is a persuasive thing for a seller," Mr. Lehrman says. "It reduces the possibility that there will be a bank problem."

6. Be nice

If you're competing for a house with other buyers, stand out by making life a little easier for the seller. For example, be flexible about the closing date.

"If all things are equal - the seller is getting the same dollar amount from me or the next person - but I give the seller the flexibility of the settlement date that he prefers, maybe the seller is going to say, 'Money's not everything,' " says Dominic Cardone, a partner at Keller Williams Real Estate in Media, Pa., and a regional vice president with the National Association of Realtors.

7. Find a good agent

An experienced real-estate agent may alert you to homes before they come on the market. Plus, if your agent is respected, that can help you stand out with the seller's agent.

Written by,
Andrea Coombes