Home Prices Predicted To Explode! BUY NOW!

Self-made real estate millionaire Barbara Corcoran says it’s a ‘good time to buy’ because home prices are going to ‘explode’ when mortgage rates drop!

Alena Botros
Fri, June 2, 2023 at 2:00 AM PDT·4 min read

Appearing as a guest on Good Morning America this week, Barbara Corcoran answered several questions from viewers, ranging from when the right time to buy a home is to how to win a bidding war. As for the former, Corcoran said now is the time to buy.

“It’s a good time to buy because the minute interest rates go down, everybody’s waiting for them to go down even by a point, and when they do, they’re going to come rushing back in the market,” Corcoran said. “Prices are going to explode, and you’re going to be paying more for the same house. And you can always refinance, remember, when and if interest rates come down.”

It’s not Corcoran’s first time advising against even attempting to time the market. Previously, on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Corcoran said to forget about the timing, again stressing that now is always the time to buy.

The self-proclaimed “NYC Real Estate Queen,” founded the Corcoran Group with a $1,000 loan in 1973, which she famously turned into $66 million, after selling her business in 2001. She’ll always be a powerhouse within the real estate industry, but now most people know her as the spunky, blunt, and well-dressed shark on ABC’s Shark Tank.

Another viewer asked Corcoran how to win bidding wars, saying that he and his fiancee have been looking for a house but have been out bid every time they’ve found one they like. Corcoran said the key is to look like the “best deal in town,” while playing on the seller’s emotions.

“You have to be prequalified for your mortgage so you can go in there as an all cash deal. I’m an all cash deal, it’s not contingent, I already got my mortgage—you want that power behind you,” Corcoran said. “You also want to go in and realize it’s never just a financial deal. Get a nice piece of stationery and handwrite a note to that owner, and tell them how much you love the house. It makes a difference because people like to sell homes to people who love their house.”

As for the different types of mortgage loans that buyers can choose from, Corcoran said it depends on how long you’re going to live in that home. If you’re going to live there a long time, or at least except you are, Corcoran said a conventional rate mortgage at the shortest term you can afford, is the best option. On the other hand, if you’re only going to be living there for a short period of time, likely under five years, she said you’ll want to get an adjustable rate mortgage because it’s cheaper.

When Corcoran was then asked if there’s any way to get relief as someone who’s “house poor,” a term used to describe someone that’s spending more than 30% of their income on housing, she answered: “you don’t get relief from that.” In coastal cities, Corcoran said, people are spending more than 40% of their income on housing. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, in her view—people are forced to save by paying off their mortgage.

“When it comes time to retire, for most of us, it’s the only money we have to retire on,” Corcoran said.

Now if you want to make the most out of your home purchase, she said you’ll always get the best return in a high-traffic area. And if you want to make a killing, buy a home in an up and coming area. Corcoran’s formula for doing so? Follow the creative community and see where they’re living, and check out the nightlife.

And of course, a Corcoran Q&A couldn’t be complete without touching on rentals and renting. As for rent prices, Corcoran said they’re going to continue to go up, and there won’t be any relief. When interest rates go up and chase people into the rental market, rents generally go up. But when interest rates go down, that doesn’t mean rent follows. Corcoran said she’s never met a landlord that brings down their rent, ever. And, most of us know how she feels about renting—that it’s a “no-win game.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Remember~ date the rate, marry the home. As the famous Will Rogers said ” Don’t wait to buy real estate, by real estate and wait. Good advice everyone and I am just the gal to help you so reach out with all your real esate questions and needs in the Puget Sound region.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’d give yourself?

What is the most valuable piece of advice you could give your younger self today regarding building financial wealth? 💸

For me it’s a no brainer “BUY DIRT”! Not only do I love that song by Jordan Davis and Luke Bryant the video just speaks to my heart and soul of what life is all about AND I have seen it repeatedly with many of my clients.

📖 STORY TIME: in June of 2020 I sold the pictured home for $639,950. The buyers have since had a change of life plan and are moving out of state. Thankfully they have been in the home for 2 years as their primary residence so it will save them on the capital gains tax. WHEW! This month, April 2023, the home is now pending under contract and will be closing soon for around $900,000. That is a profit of around 💰$260,000💰 in 2.5 years!!!! Do the math if you must and see the 📈appreciation they received in this short time. I may be a Realtor and yes, this is my job but it’s a career I love and I believe very strongly the most solid way to build wealth and secure your future is to buy a home. Your own piece of dirt.

Inventory is still low, prices continue to go up, by the time the rate is where you want it, that price home won’t be what you want anymore, so you will have to spend more to get the same house. I always tell my buyers that it’s important to “marry the house, date the rate” Find the home you want in today’s prices and then when rates go down, refinance to save. If you wait for the rate to go down for 12 months or, more, and prices increase 5-10% during that time, what are you really saving? And, the main reason you are moving cannot be achieved if you stay put (need more space, closer to family, etc. )

You are investing in yourself when you purchase a home. We purchased our first home at 7.5% and that was normal!! Over time home values will always continue to rise, homes are a long term investment and let’s face it it’s better than paying the 100% interest you are currently paying on the rental you have.😟

Let me know if you want me to help you build your financial wealth!

What, Where and When to Shred.

This is an oldie but a goodie handout. I like to give to my clients as they are going through paperwork when they are decluttering for us to sell their current home or home buyers when packing up for their move. We all have it lots and lots of paperwork! This time of year you may be done with taxes and have all the documents still sitting around or, you may be feeling like spring cleaning and wondering what documents you really need to keep and for how long. I hope this helps.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to add value to your home.

It’s Springtime! 🌷If you are considering selling your home 🏠 or, just want to spruce it up here are my top tips to add value.

Simple upgrades to increase your home’s value You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to add value to your home. Here are some easy and “financially” easy on the pocketbook tips.

Change fixtures and hardware. This adds appeal and newness quite easily. If you’re selling your home a new mirror in the bathroom and new fixtures can make a huge difference. Upgrade sinks, showerheads and faucets to newer water conserving models in sleek finishes. Sorry folks but brass is dated and out! If wanting a remodel on a larger scale replace cabinets, windows and doors. New molding that’s been painting also really pops out.

Declutter. Clean and organize storage areas including the attic and garage. Believe it or not organization adds tremendous value. Keep kitchen and bathroom counters clear.

Spiff up landscaping. Ever hear of curb appeal? An ugly front yard can torpedo your homes value. Add flowers to add color. A study was done on homes for sale in which red flowers were used on the front door step. These homes sold faster and were more appealing to the client. You can also add path lighting for style and safety. Dust off the exterior. Gutters, siding and windows are often forgotten. Clean them! Crud cutter is wonderful for cleaning off gutters and getting the grime off. Also make sure everything is properly sealed and is good shape. It looks better and helps conserve energy.

Replace appliances. From the refrigerator to the washer and dryer upgrade appliance to new energy efficient models to add instant value and convenience not to mention Earth friendly.

What’s Up with Real Estate?

Unless you live under a rock (I can say that as I’ve been known to camp out under a pebble now and then) There’s no doubt you’ve been hearing about the housing market, right? In many experts’ opinions the feeling is we are settling back into the same speed of travel as in 2019. I agree and am hearing from several agents that they are getting increased traffic at open houses; some are still getting multiple offers and we are still low on inventory! Predictions are that in the mid second quarter rates will settle in the 5% range which, is historically a good rate. Buyer’s may have a higher rate; however, inspections are back to protect yourself, negotiations are back to have items on an inspection addressed and some sellers are giving incentives with closing cost credits. I even have some great lenders that have 2 -1 buy down programs to offset some of that payment in the first year or two. A more stabilized market for all really is a good thing! Thoughts? Feedback? I am here to help!

Are You and Your Home Prepared for Winter?

I have posted before but I think a great reminder that we are still in winter and storms happen. Take care of yourself and your home. 🌩⛈🌬💨

2022 Five Star Real Estate Agent

Congratulations to Jen Murrweiss on winning the Five Star Real Estate Agent award in 2022! Visit www.jmurrweiss.remax.com to learn more about Jen Murrweiss!

As the year wraps up I am finally able to get caught up on some things that I was to busy taking care of clients to notice. Yeah! I am proud to be a Five Star Agent and will continue to strive to always be there for my clients. 🌟🌟

Remodeling What Is The Biggest Bang For The Buck?

There are so many good reasons for home improvement — even in a tough economy. You may want to boost your home’s future sales value, add livable space, refresh an aging room or feature. Or you may just want to enjoy your home more, especially if you wanted to move but the market didn’t cooperate. Find out which projects could bring you joy — and some cash back!

Is the kitchen the biggest project that will pay you back or the bathroom?

A Room By Room Tour

What is happening this fall in the Real Estate Market?

Rate Update For the Week of 10/3/22
  Last WeekThis WeekChange
Fxd 30 *6.76.79Worse by .09
Jumbo Fxd 30*5.955.85Better by .1
5/1 ARM*6.126.05Better by .07
VA/FHA Fxd 30 *6.256.55Worse by .3
10 Yr US Treasury3.7413.801Worse by ..06 (rates tend to go up when yield goes up)
 5% 30 YR UMBS97.597.781Better by .281 (rates go down when the bond price goes up)
     *From MND’s Rate Index  

Deals will hinge on negotiations this fall. Here’s how buyers’ agents win

‘There was no negotiation over the last couple of years,’ Max Stokes of Compass says. But that’s beginning to change — gradually. With a few tips, buyers can prevail at the negotiating table

BY LILLIAN DICKERSON

It’s been a long couple of years for homebuyers and their agents.

The pandemic-fueled tornado of low inventory, tons of buyers flocking to the market amidst record-low interest rates and would-be sellers holding onto their homes for fear of being left out in the cold with no place to go, made for a brutal homebuying experience in many places.

“Last year, it was pretty much come in every house guns blazing, do whatever you could do to acquire that house,” Max Stokes of Compass in Northern New Jersey told Inman. “There was no negotiation over the last couple of years.”

But the tides are turning.

Volatile — and comparatively high — interest rates coupled with an uncertain economy are starting to shift the market’s balance. Sellers don’t have the hold on the market that they once did. And it’s time for buyers to start taking advantage of the shift.

As a balanced market comes into view on the horizon, here’s how buyers’ agents are changing their negotiation tactics to help their clients achieve some wins that were once impossible in the frenzied market of the last two or so years.

Ask the developer to cover closing costs on new properties

On new development properties in Manhattan, where Leslie Singer of Brown Harris Stevens works, the taxes folded into closing costs can be a lot to swallow. In the past few years, sponsors (another term for developers) have typically put the onus of mansion and transfer taxes on the buyer of the property.

On New York City properties priced below $500,000, transfer taxes are 1 percent and on pricier properties, that tax increases to 1.425 percent. Mansion taxes kick in on properties priced at $1 million or higher and range from 1 percent to 3.9 percent, depending on the exact price.

But in this market, Singer said developers are a lot more willing to negotiate.

“In these types of markets, sponsors may be more flexible on the backend, such as assisting with closing costs,” she told Inman.

Leverage different listings against each other

With inventory staying on the market a bit longer these days, buyers have the time to comfortably compare different active listings — and potentially leverage them against each other if a seller is really being a stickler when it comes to negotiating, Stokes said.

With properties that he has represented recently, Stokes said homebuyers have pointed out to him other similar properties in the same market, and why they might be a better offer than his own listing, lighting a bit of a fire under the seller.

“[They’re] pointing out the differences in the comparables that are on the market and trying to leverage three [listings] against each other,” Stokes said.

Marry the house, date the rate

With elevated mortgage rates, a lot of buyers are hesitant to get out into the market now. But Gretchen Rosenberg of Kentwood Real Estate in Denver said that she and her agents are encouraging homebuyers to get off the fence and commit to a home if they love it. Mortgage rates will be in flux for a while, so buyers should get the house they want now and keep refinancing for a better rate in mind for the future. In other words, “marry the house and date the rate,” Rosenberg said.

“We are out there talking rates and just reminding buyers again, hopefully this is a longtime purchase. It’s not a year, it’s not like you’re a renter, you’re going to be in it for a while, and so someday down the road — we don’t know when, we can’t promise when rates will come back down — you’re likely going to be able to refinance. You also might be able to buy down the rate now, depending on your position.”

Get more recent data to back up the best offer

In the past, Rosenberg said she might gather comps from the last six months of sales to inform her buyer’s offer on a property. But with the market changing rapidly over the last few months, in large part as a result of volatile mortgage rates, Rosenberg said data from six months ago is already out of date. To help buyers craft the best offer that’s most likely to succeed, her agents are digging into data from a neighborhood’s most recent sales.

“They’re diving more into the data,” she explained. “They’re saying, well, what have the last couple of sales been? Not the last six months of sales, which is what we would normally do to comp a house, but the last couple of sales in this neighborhood, and how many price reductions have there been in this neighborhood? What are the days on market now? What’s the percent original list versus final sale price in the last 30 days?”

Don’t waive your rights

Stokes is working with homebuyers now who also transacted a home earlier in the pandemic, and he said he had to make it clear to them that waiving things like a home inspection or appraisal were concessions they wouldn’t even consider this time around — even if he didn’t necessarily encourage it the first time.

“You don’t need to do that anymore,” Stokes said. “The market’s normalizing, if not turning, so keep your rights in the contract … there’s no reason to do it just to do it.”

“People were voluntarily waiving [inspections] and just doing escalation clauses,” Dawn Maddux of Engel & Völkers Western Frontier in Missoula said. “In the 11 years I’ve been in real estate, I’ve not ever seen that before … Now, we’re kind of getting back to writing normal offers, maybe at or a little below asking price based on what the market will bear and based on what comps show, where before, it was just a frenzy.”

Press pause

Along the same lines, Maddux elaborated that homebuyers shouldn’t feel rushed to make decisions before they’ve done all their due diligence on a property, and buyers’ agents should actively encourage this to avoid regret later.

“They have time to do their research there — there’s not a frenzied competition,” Maddux said. “It’s honestly better for the seller because, what we’re seeing happen, is there’s a lot of lawsuits pending where buyers jumped into properties, they end up with buyer’s remorse, they [find] out something [about] the house that the seller didn’t disclose, probably because they didn’t know about it, and they didn’t get an inspection so they wouldn’t have had a way to know.”

In this market, when a deal isn’t as sweet as a homebuyer or the buyer’s agent feels it could be, under the right circumstances, there’s no shame in even stepping away from the negotiations for a week or two altogether.

That opportunity arose recently for Stokes and one of his buyers, who was interested in a fixer-upper that he thought was overpriced given how much money would need to go into renovating the property.

“I said, ‘Well, there’s not going to be many buyers out there that are going to be willing to take this on their shoulders right now,” and [the sellers] disagreed,” Stokes told Inman. “And I just told my buyer, ‘Just trust me — you’re one of the only buyers out here that would do this right now. Take a deep breath, sit back, and let’s just watch this for a minute.’”

The seller reached back out a week later, wondering if they were still interested, and Stokes said they were considering some other options. Another week after that, the seller reached back out again and said they would drop the price to match the buyer’s offer

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