A Year in Review: Insights into Farragut's Real Estate Dynamics As 2023 draws to a close, the Farragut, Tennessee, real estate market presents a unique landscape for buyers, sellers, and homeowners. This video provides a synthesized overview of market trends, offering valuable insights as we head into 2024. Current Market Trends in Farragut Farragut's housing market in December 2023 shows some distinct trends: Price Adjustments: There's been a notable trend in home prices throughout the year, either trending upwards or showing signs of stabilization. Inventory Fluctuations: The availability of homes in Farragut has either increased, suggesting a buyer's market, or decreased, indicating a seller's market. Sales Velocity: The time homes spend on the market in Farragut might have changed, affecting how quickly sellers can expect to close a deal. Implications for Market Participants For Prospective Buyers: This information is crucial for those looking to purchase a home in Farragut. It can guide you in making timely decisions and negotiating the best deals. For Sellers: Sellers can use these insights to strategize their sales approach, from pricing to marketing their property. For Current Homeowners: Stay informed about your property’s value and the overall health of the Farragut real estate market. Forecast for 2024 Looking ahead, the Farragut housing market is expected to continue evolving. Potential buyers and sellers should stay informed about market conditions to make the most of their real estate investments. Conclusion Farragut's real estate market remains dynamic and attractive for various real estate activities. Whether you're buying, selling, or just keeping an eye on the market, staying up-to-date with the latest trends is crucial. For more personalized advice or detailed market insights in Farragut, contact Troy Stavros with CornerStone Realty Associates at 865-999-0925 today.
Baby Boomers Are Taking The Lead In The Current Knoxville Housing Market
The Knoxville real estate market has been on a wild ride over the past year, with prices skyrocketing and inventory at record lows. However, one generation has remained relatively insulated from the volatility, and they are now proving to be the biggest movers in the market: baby boomers.
According to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2023 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, baby boomers, defined as people between the ages of 58 and 76, made up 53% of sellers and 39% of buyers between July 2021 and June 2022. This makes them the largest group of buyers and sellers in the market.
Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist and vice president of research, notes that baby boomers have the upper hand in the homebuying market. “The majority of them are repeat buyers who have housing equity to propel them into their dream home, be it a place to enjoy retirement or a home near friends and family. They are living healthier and longer lives and making housing trades later in life.”
One reason for the boom in baby boomer real estate activity is their desire to downsize and move closer to family. Many are selling their larger homes in East Tennessee and using the equity to buy smaller homes in areas where they can be closer to loved ones. Additionally, they are drawn to newer Knoxville homes that require less maintenance and fewer potential problems with household systems, like plumbing or electricity.
On the other hand, millennials, who were once the leading drivers of the East Tennessee housing market, are now playing second fiddle, comprising about 28% of buyers. They were the largest homebuying force from 2014 to 2022 but have now been overtaken by baby boomers.
First-time home buyers in Knoxville have also faced headwinds in the latest housing cycle, with higher mortgage rates making it harder for them to enter the market. 70% of younger millennials, ages 24 to 32, and 46% of older millennials, ages 33 to 42, were first-time home buyers, according to the report.
In conclusion, baby boomers are proving to be the driving force behind the East Tennessee real estate market, with their equity and motivation making them the most active buyers and sellers in the market. While other generations are still active, baby boomers are leading the charge and are likely to continue doing so in the years to come.
Have questions? Ready to get the process of buying or selling a home started? Contact Troy Stavros with CornerStone Realty Associates today at 865-999-0925. We look forward to serving you!
Homes for sale in East Tennessee : MAY Knoxville TN Housing Market Update
All of the data is in through the end of May. Let’s take a look at what’s happening in the East Tennessee housing market.
In today’s video we dive into the East Tennessee real estate data for the month of May 2022 to see how the East Tennessee housing market is doing compared to one year ago. We will look at the inventory of active homes for sale in East Tennessee. Homes for sale in Knoxville TN, homes for sale in Farragut TN, homes for sale in Knox County TN, homes for sale in Loudon County TN, homes for sale in Anderson County TN, homes for sale in Roane County TN, homes for sale in Blount County TN, and homes for sale in Sevier County TN. We will also at what has happened to the median sales price of homes over the last year in those areas of East Tennessee. We will discuss the real estate data and how it affects buyers and sellers in today’s East Tennessee housing market.
Here is some basic real estate data and news in regards to the East Tennessee housing market not covered in the video:
- Mortgage rates continue to rise as financial markets anticipate U.S. monetary policy changes amid higher-than-expect inflation. The 30Y FRM finished 2021 at 3.11% but remained well above 5% throughout the month of May.
- Knoxville’s rental market occupancy rate hovered around 98.8% in Q1 2022, more than a full percentage point above the 97.5% occupancy rate nationally. Effective rents in the Knoxville metro area (MSA) were up 19.21% year-over-year as of April 2022, significantly higher than the 15.23% rate nationally.
- Have questions or need help in today’s crazy East Tennessee housing market? Contact the Troy Stavros team at CornerStone Realty Associates at 865-999-0925 today. We are here to serve you!
East Tennessee Homebuyers: Be Ready To Act This Winter
To succeed as a buyer in today’s East Tennessee market, it’s important to understand which market trends will have the greatest impact on your home search. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com, says there are two factors every buyer should keep their eyes on:
“Going forward, the conditions buyers face are primarily dependent on two things: mortgage rates and housing supply.”
Here’s a look at each one.
Mortgage Rates Projected To Rise in 2022
As a buyer, your interest rate directly impacts how much you’ll pay on your monthly mortgage when you purchase a home in East Tennessee. Rates are beginning to rise, and experts forecast they’ll continue going up in 2022 (see graph below): As the graph shows, mortgage rates are expected to climb next year. But they’re still low when you compare to where they were just a few years ago. That presents today’s buyers with some motivation to lock in a low mortgage rate before they climb higher.
More Homes Are Expected To Be Available This Season in East Tennessee
The other market condition buyers need to monitor is the number of homes available for sale today in East Tennessee. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows the current supply of inventory sits at just 2.4 months. To put that into perspective, a 6-month supply is ideal for a balanced market where there are enough homes to meet buyer demand.
However, there may be good news for buyers in East Tennessee who are waiting for more options. A recent realtor.com survey shows more sellers are planning to list their homes this winter, meaning more choices will likely be available soon.
What Does That Mean for You?
Even if your options improve some this season, it won’t significantly shift market conditions overnight. According to NAR, MANY more listings need to be available to move closer to a more neutral market:
“Given the average monthly demand . . . , 3.55 million homes should be on the market to meet a level of inventory equal to six months of demand, implying a shortage of homes for sale of 2.24 million.”
So remember, even with more homes expected to come to market this season, competition among buyers in East Tennessee will remain fierce as there still won’t be enough homes for sale to meet the current demand. That means you’ll need to act quickly when you’re ready to make an offer.
Bottom Line
If you’re planning on buying a home in East Tennessee this winter, more options are welcome news, but it doesn’t mean you should slow down. Let’s connect today so you have an expert on your side to help act as quickly as possible when the right home for you hits the market.
Contact us, the Troy Stavros TEAM at CornerStone Realty Associates at 865-999-0925 to get the process started today.
Diving Deep into the Biggest Concerns of Today’s Knoxville Home Buyers
Last week, Fannie Mae released their Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI). Though the survey showed 77% of respondents believe it’s a “good time to sell,” it also confirms what many are sensing: an increasing number of Americans believe it’s a “bad time to buy” a home. The percentage of those surveyed saying it’s a “bad time to buy” hit 64%, up from 56% last month and 38% last July.
The latest HPSI explains:
“Consumers also continued to cite high home prices as the predominant reason for their ongoing and significant divergence in sentiment toward homebuying and home-selling conditions. While all surveyed segments have expressed greater negativity toward homebuying over the last few months, renters who say they are planning to buy a home in the next few years have demonstrated an even steeper decline in homebuying sentiment than homeowners. It’s likely that affordability concerns are more greatly affecting those who aspire to be first-time homeowners than other consumer segments.”
Let’s look closely at the market conditions that impact home affordability.
A mortgage payment is determined by the price of the home and the mortgage rate on the loan used to purchase it. Lately, monthly mortgage payments have gone up for buyers for two key reasons:
- Mortgage rates have increased from 2.65% this past January to 2.9%.
- Home prices have increased by 15.4% over the last 12 months.
Based on these rising factors, a home may be less affordable today, but it doesn’t mean it’s not affordable.
Three weeks ago, ATTOM Data released their second-quarter 2021 U.S. Home Affordability Report which explained that the major ownership costs on the typical home as a percent of the average national wage had increased from 22.2% in the second quarter of 2020 to 25.2% in the second quarter of this year. They also went on to explain:
“Still, the latest level is within the 28 percent standard lenders prefer for how much homeowners should spend on mortgage payments, home insurance and property taxes.”
In the same report, Todd Teta, Chief Product Officer with ATTOM, confirms:
“Average workers across the country can still manage the major expenses of owning a home, based on lender standards.”
It’s true that monthly mortgage payments are greater than they were last year (as the ATTOM data shows), but they’re not unaffordable when compared to the last 30 years. While payments have increased dramatically during that several-decade span, if we adjust for inflation, today’s mortgage payments are 10.7% lower than they were in 1990.
What’s that mean for you? While you may not get the homebuying deal in Knoxville someone you know got last year, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still buy a home. Here are your alternatives to buying and the trade-offs you’ll have with each.
Alternative 1: I’ll rent instead.
Some may consider renting as the better option. However, the monthly cost of renting a home is skyrocketing. According to the July National Rent Report from Apartment List:
“…So far in 2021, rental prices have grown a staggering 9.2%. To put that in context, in previous years growth from January to June is usually just 2 to 3%. After this month’s spike, rents have been pushed well above our expectations of where they would have been had the pandemic not disrupted the market.”
If you continue to rent in Knoxville, chances are your rent will keep increasing at a fast pace. That means you could end up spending significantly more of your income on your rental as time goes on, which could make it even harder to save for a home.
Alternative 2: I’ll wait it out.
Others may consider waiting for another year and hoping that purchasing a home in Knoxville will be less expensive then. Let’s look at that possibility.
We’ve already established that a monthly mortgage payment is determined by the price of the home and the mortgage rate. A lower monthly payment would require one of those two elements to decrease over the next year. However, experts are forecasting the exact opposite:
- The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) projects mortgage rates will be at 4.2% by the end of next year.
- The Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES), a survey of over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts, calls for home prices to increase by 5.12% in 2022.
Based on these projections, let’s see the possible impact on a monthly mortgage payment: By waiting until next year, you’d potentially pay more for the home, need a larger down payment, pay a higher mortgage rate, and pay an additional $3,696 each year over the life of the mortgage.
Bottom Line
While you may have missed the absolute best time to buy a home in Knoxville, waiting any longer may not make sense. Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, says it best:
“Affordability is likely to worsen before it improves, so try to buy it now, if you can find it.”
Ready to talk more about it? Have questions? Want to get going and get into a home before it gets even more expensive? Contact me, Troy Stavros with CornerStone Realty Associates at 865-999-0925 today. My team and I are ready to educate, guide, and help you step by step until you are in your new home.