Knoxville TN Archives - Page 24 of 26

July 2019 Knoxville Area Housing Market Snapshot

August 13, 2019 By Troy Stavros

Here’s how the current real estate market is doing through the end of July, all around Knoxville, compared to last year (including Knox County, Loudon County, Anderson County, Blount County, Monroe County, and Roane County, along with some select areas.)

Remember, real estate is hyper-local, meaning your county may show one thing but your specific subdivision or home may be doing something completely different. Contact me for an individual analysis!

Here is what is happening in the Farragut/West Knoxville/Hardin Valley real estate market compared to last year.

Home sales are down slightly in Farragut, compared to the same time last year. The median sales price is exactly the same at $385,000, and we’ve seen a very small increase in the amount of available inventory. There can be drastic differences depending on the price point you are in, so contact us for a more targeted assessment of your situation.

The 37922 zip code in West Knoxville saw a 4.54% jump in price, coming in with an average median sales price of $355,040, but home sales and available inventory are both down between 9-10%.

Hardin Valley saw a nice 6.02% jump in price, coming in with an average median sales price of $328,551, but home sales and available inventory are both down double digits.

South Knoxville saw a double-digit jump in the median sales price, coming in with an average of $156,900, but home sales and available inventory are both down BIG, well into the double digits!

Oak Ridge is knocking it out of the park with a 16.32% increase in the median sales price, coming in with an average of $176,465, with a whopping 19.4% annual increase in home sales and 7.3% more inventory compared to last year!

Lenoir City saw a nice increase in the median sales price, coming up 9.18% with an average price of $251,000, but home sales and available inventory dropped coming close to double digits.

Not seeing your particular zip code or area referenced above? View the stats for your specific zip code by clicking HERE.

Interested in what your personal home analysis would look like? Call or text me, Troy Stavros with CornerStone Realty Associates at 865-205-6899!

Home Value Appreciation Is Strong: It Might Be Time to Sell

August 9, 2019 By Troy Stavros

There’s no doubt that today’s housing market is changing, and everything we see right now indicates it is time to sell. Here’s a look at why selling your home in Knoxville now is likely to drive the greatest return on your largest investment.

Home values in Knoxville have been appreciating for several years now, growing at a strong, steady, and impressive pace. In fact, the average annual appreciation rate since 2012 has nearly doubled the average rate from the more normal market of the 1990s (think: pre-bubble).

Appreciation, however, is projected to shift back toward normal, meaning home prices in Knoxville will likely keep climbing over the next few years, but they are not projected to continue to increase at such a high rate.

Here’s What That Means for Homeowners:

As noted in the latest Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES) powered by Pulsenomics, experts forecast an average annual appreciation rate closer to 3.2% over the next five years, which is more in line with a historically normal market (3.6%). The good news is, there’s still time to take advantage of the current strength of home prices by selling your house now.

Looking at the projections as they stand today, 2019 is slated to drive the strongest appreciation as compared to the upcoming few years. With average home prices still on the rise, the pace at which they are predicted to continue increasing will likely soften by 2020.

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about selling your house, now is a great time to make your move. Don’t get stuck waiting until projected home price appreciation rates potentially re-accelerate again in 2023. You’ll likely earn the greatest return on your investment by selling now before the prices start to normalize next year.

Have questions or are you ready to get your home on the market to take advantage of the increased value? Call me, Troy Stavros today at 865-999-0925 and let’s set up a time to talk!

Home Prices Up 5.05% Across the Country [INFOGRAPHIC]

July 30, 2019 By Troy Stavros

Some Highlights:

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latest Quarterly Home Price Index report.
In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state.
Based on the latest numbers, if you plan on relocating to another state, waiting to move may end up costing you more!

Interested in finding out what prices have done in your area or even your specific home? Contact me, Troy Stavros with CornerStone Realty Associates today and let me send you personalized market analysis so you know where you stand.

House Hunting? Know What You Want vs. What You Need!

June 26, 2019 By Troy Stavros

In this day and age of being able to shop for anything anywhere, it is really important to know what you’re looking for when you start your home search.

If you’ve been thinking about buying a home of your own for some time now, you’ve probably come up with a list of things that you’d LOVE to have in your new home. Many new homebuyers fantasize about the amenities that they see on television or Pinterest, and start looking at the countless homes listed for sale in Knoxville through rose-colored glasses.

Do you really need that farmhouse sink in the kitchen to be happy with your home choice? Would a three-car garage be a convenience or a necessity? Could the “man cave” of your dreams be a future renovation project instead of a make-or-break right now?

The first step in your home buying process should be getting pre-approved for your mortgage. This allows you to know your budget before you fall in love with a home that is way outside of it.

The next step is to list all the features of a home that you would like, and to qualify them as follows:

“Must-Haves” – if this property does not have these items, then it shouldn’t even be considered (ex: distance from work or family, number of bedrooms/bathrooms).
“Should-Haves” – if the property hits all of the ‘must-haves’ and some of the ‘should-haves,’ it stays in contention but does not need to have all of these features.
“Absolute-Wish List” – if we find a property in our budget that has all of the ‘must-haves,’ most of the ‘should-haves,’ and ANY of these, it’s the winner!

Bottom Line

Having this list fleshed out before starting your search will save you time and frustration. It also lets your real estate agent know what features are most important to you before they start showing you houses in your desired area.

Ready to get the process started? Contact me, Troy Stavros with CornerStone Realty Associates at 865-999-0925 and let’s setup a time to get together and game plan!

Guessing At How Much Home You Can Afford is a Mistake. Get Pre-Approved!

June 24, 2019 By Troy Stavros

In many markets across the country, the number of buyers searching for their dream homes outnumbers the number of homes for sale. This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out. One way to show that you are serious about buying your dream home in Tennessee is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search.

Even if you are not in an incredibly competitive market, understanding your budget will give you the confidence of knowing whether or not your dream home is within your reach.

Freddie Mac lays out the advantages of pre-approval in the ‘My Home’ section of their website:

“It’s highly recommended that you work with your lender to get pre-approved before you begin house hunting. Pre-approval will tell you how much home you can afford and can help you move faster, and with greater confidence, in competitive markets.”

One of the many advantages of working with a local real estate professional is that many have relationships with lenders who will be able to help you through this process. Once you have selected a lender, you will need to fill out their loan application and provide them with important information regarding “your credit, debt, work history, down payment and residential history.”

Freddie Mac describes the ‘4 Cs’ that help determine the amount you will be qualified to borrow:

Capacity: Your current and future ability to make your payments
Capital or cash reserves: The money, savings, and investments you have that can be sold quickly for cash
Collateral: The home, or type of home, that you would like to purchase
Credit: Your history of paying bills and other debts on time

Getting pre-approved is one of many steps that will show home sellers that you are serious about buying, and it often helps speed up the process once your offer has been accepted.

Bottom Line

Many potential homebuyers in Knoxville overestimate the down payment and credit scores necessary to qualify for a mortgage. If you are ready and willing to buy, you may be pleasantly surprised at your ability to do so today. Contact me, Troy Stavros with CornerStone Realty Associates today and I can help you get this process started by recommending you to some amazing lenders.

The Truth about Housing Affordability in Knoxville

June 4, 2019 By Troy Stavros

There have been many headlines decrying an “affordability crisis” in the residential real estate market. While it is true that buying a home in Knoxville is less affordable than it had been over the last ten years, we need to understand why and what that means.

On a monthly basis, the National Association of Realtors (NAR), produces a Housing Affordability Index. According to NAR, the index…

“…measures whether or not a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a typical home at the national and regional levels based on the most recent price and income data.”

Their methodology states:

“To interpret the indices, a 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 above 100 signifies that family earning the median income has more than enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a median-priced home, assuming a 20 percent down payment.”

So, the higher the index, the more affordable it is to purchase a home. Here is a graph of the index going back to 1990:

It is true that the index is lower today than any year from 2009 to 2017. However, we must realize the main reason homes in Knoxville were more affordable. That period of time immediately followed a housing crash and there were large numbers of distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales). Those properties were sold at large discounts.

Today, the index is higher than any year from 1990 to 2008. Based on historic home affordability data, that means homes in Knoxville are more affordable right now than any other time besides the time following the housing crisis.

With mortgage rates remaining low and wages finally increasing, we can see that it is MORE AFFORDABLE to purchase a home in Knoxville today than it was last year!

Bottom Line

With wages increasing, price appreciation moderating, and mortgage rates remaining near all-time lows, purchasing a home in Knoxville is a great move based on historic affordability numbers.