2008 vs. Now: Are Owners Using Their Home Equity as ATMs Again?

Over the last six years, we have experienced strong price appreciation which has increased home equity levels dramatically. As the number of “cash-out” refinances begins to approach numbers last seen during the crash, some are afraid that we may be repeating last decade’s mistake.

However, a closer look at the numbers shows that homeowners are being much more responsible with their home equity this time around.

What happened then…

When real estate values began to surge last decade, people started using their homes as personal ATMs. Homeowners would refinance their houses and convert their equity into instant cash (known as “cash-out” refinances). Because homes were appreciating so rapidly, many homeowners tapped into their equity multiple times.

This left homeowners with little-or-no equity left in their homes, so when prices started to fall many homeowners found their houses in a negative equity situation (where the mortgage amount was greater than the value of the home). When some of these homeowners saw that there was no value left in their houses, they just stopped paying their mortgages altogether.

Banks eventually foreclosed on those homes and the foreclosures drove prices down even further and put more homes in the negative equity category. This cycle continued, leading to the worst housing crash in almost one hundred years.

What’s happening now…

Again, Americans are seeing their home equity grow. Today, over 48% of all single-family homes in the country have over 50% equity, and yes, some families are tapping into that equity. However, this time around, homeowners are not making irresponsible decisions. According to the latest information from Freddie Mac, the total equity being “cashed out” is a fraction of what it was leading up to the crash. Here are the numbers:

2008 vs. Now: Are Owners Using Their Homes as ATMs Again? | MyKCM

Bottom Line

The recklessness that accompanied the build-up in equity prior to the last crash does not exist today. That makes this housing market much more secure than the one we had heading into 2008.

108 Telemann Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 – CornerStone Realty Associates

You’ve found it! Your convenient cabin in the woods that is only minutes from everything you need. Tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac in Oak Ridge’s Burnham Woods subdivision you’ll find this slice of Tennessee heaven. Literally minutes to shopping, restaurants, and ORNL. This custom built log and stone home features over 3000SF, 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Entertain or spread out in 3 separate living areas. Two on the main level feature stone, wood burning fireplaces. The lower level’s extra large rec room is ready for a wood burning stove and and has a separate entrance. Kitchen comes complete with stainless steel appliances. Long covered front porch plus enjoy complete privacy on the covered back porch. 1 car garage. This home was completely remodeled less than 2 years ago.

108 Telemann Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37830

$229,000
Property Type: Single Family Bedrooms: 5 Square Footage: 3,164 Lot Size (sq. ft.): 30,492 Status: Closed
Current Price: $229,000 List Date: 12/05/2018 Last Modified: 12/21/2023

Description

You've found it! Your convenient cabin in the woods that is only minutes from everything you need. Tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac in Oak Ridge's Burnham Woods subdivision you'll find this slice of Tennessee heaven. Literally minutes to shopping, restaurants, and ORNL. This custom built log and stone home features over 3000SF, 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Entertain or spread out in 3 separate living areas. Two on the main level feature stone, wood burning fireplaces. The lower level's extra large rec room is ready for a wood burning stove and and has a separate entrance. Kitchen comes complete with stainless steel appliances. Long covered front porch plus enjoy complete privacy on the covered back porch. 1 car garage. This home was completely remodeled less than 2 years ago.

More Information MLS# 1063797

Location, Tax & Legal Info

House #: 108 Street Name: Telemann St Suffix: Lane State/Province: TN Zip Code: 37830 Property Sub-Type: Residential Area: Anderson County - 30 City/County Code: City Limits PIN #: 105f A 028.00 Subdivision: Burnham Woods Community: Oak Ridge Total Tax: 2481.81 Geo Lat: 35.999928 Geo Lon: -84.273607

Contract Info

Auction Y/N: No Listing Price: 230000 Current Price: $229,000 Status: Closed Listing Date: 2018-12-05 Cooperation Comp: 2.4 Compensation Type: %

General Property Description

Type: 2 Story Acres: 0.7 Site Built: Yes Restrictions: Yes SqFt - Total (Aprox): 3164 SqFt - Main Lvl: 1750 SqFt - Down Lvl: 1414 # Bedrooms: 5 Baths - Full: 3 # of Rooms: 10 Fireplace: Yes # Fireplace: 2 Property Status: N/A HOA: No Year Built: 1987 Bonus Room: Yes Extra Storage: Yes

Remarks & Misc

Directions: S. Illinois Ave to SOUTH on Tuskagee Drive to RIGHT on Tempura Drive to RIGHT on Telemann Lane. Home at the end in the cul-de-sac. Sign in yard. Public Remarks: You've found it! Your convenient cabin in the woods that is only minutes from everything you need. Tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac in Oak Ridge's Burnham Woods subdivision you'll find this slice of Tennessee heaven. Literally minutes to shopping, restaurants, and ORNL. This custom built log and stone home features over 3000SF, 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Entertain or spread out in 3 separate living areas. Two on the main level feature stone, wood burning fireplaces. The lower level's extra large rec room is ready for a wood burning stove and and has a separate entrance. Kitchen comes complete with stainless steel appliances. Long covered front porch plus enjoy complete privacy on the covered back porch. 1 car garage. This home was completely remodeled less than 2 years ago.

Status Change Info

Status Change Date: 2019-03-11 Under Contract Date: 2019-01-03 Sold Date: 2019-02-28 Sold Price: $229,000

Garage/Parking

Garage Spaces: 1

Sewer

Sewer Info: UTILITY

Water

Water Info: UTILITY

Property Features

Atchd/Dtchd Type: Detached Style: Log; Traditional Construction: Log Siding: Log; Stone Garage/Parking: Attached Basement: Finished; Plumbed; Walkout Lot Description: Cul-De-Sac; Irregular Lot; Wooded View: Wooded Fireplace: Masonry; Wood Burning Floors: Carpet; Tile Fuel: Electric Heat: Central; Heat Pump Cooling: Ceiling Fan(s); Central Cooling Appliances: Dishwasher; Microwave; Range; Self Cleaning Oven; Smoke Detector Other Rooms: Basement Rec Room; Bedroom Main Level; Extra Storage; Family Room; Great Room; Mstr Bdrm Main Level Misc Features: Internet Available; Walk-in Closets; Washer/Dryer Connect; Wired for Internet Exterior Features: Balcony; Deck; Porch - Covered; Windows - Insulated Dining Area: Eat-in Kitchen; Living Rm/Dining Rm Showing: See Agent Instructns New Financing: Cash; Conventional; FHA; New Loan; VA Loan
Listing Office: Doorbell Real Estate
Office Phone: 888-388-3667
Last Updated: December - 21 - 2023
108 Telemann Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37830- MLS# 1063797
The listing broker's offer of compensation is made only to participants of the MLS where the listing is filed.

The data relating to real estate for sale on this Web Site comes from the IDX Program of the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use, it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing, and that the data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS. This information is updated weekly, however, some of these properties may subsequently have sold and may no longer be available. The Real Estate Broker providing this data believes it to be correct, but advises interested parties to confirm the data before relying on it in a purchase decision.

Females Are Making It a Priority to Invest in Real Estate!

Everyone wants a place to call home; a place that gives them a sense of security. We are currently seeing major interest from females who want to achieve this dream, and the numbers are proving it!

In 2018, for the second year in a row, single female buyers accounted for 18% of all buyers. In 2017, 60% of millennial women listed as the primary borrowers on mortgages were single.

According to the 2018 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report by the National Association of Realtors, one in five homebuyers in the U.S. were single females (most of them part of the baby boomer generation) as you can see in the graph below:

Females Are Making It a Priority to Invest in Real Estate! | MyKCM

This does not come as a surprise since 50.8% of the U.S. population is female and 15.6% of them are 65 years and over, according to the Census Bureau.

What are the reasons for this demographic’s booming interest in homeownership?

Bankrate published an article with what they believe to be some of the reasons:

  • Divorce rate: Known as the “Gray Divorce,” the divorce rate has doubled for those ages 50 and over and tripled for those ages 65 and over.
  • Average life expectancy: For women it’s 81, four years longer than men.
  • To build home equity: Women want to build equity through their home. As mentioned by Bankrate, “some are hoping to escape rising rents, some might be downsizing or looking for a new start,” especially those going through a gray divorce.

Are they only downsizing and buying small homes?

Not really; The Institute of Luxury Home Marketing recently stated that:

The number of female billionaires grew faster globally in 2017 than the number of male billionaires. This redistribution of wealth has seen an impact on luxury real estate both in its purchase and design attributes – and obviously, this is important for realtors to recognize when relating to their clients.”

Bottom Line

Whether you are a millennial who wants to buy a starter home, a billionaire looking for that luxury home you’ve always wanted, or maybe even someone who just went through a gray divorce, let’s get together to help you create your real estate portfolio so that you can start investing your money in real estate today!