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          Home Sequim Real Estate Market The Market

          As Interest Rates Increase Sellers Will Lose Money

          Chuck Marunde by Chuck Marunde
          September 4, 2011
          Reading Time: 4 mins read
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          1

          Interest rates are about to start a long slow upward trend.  Will increasing interest rates effect sellers in this market?  Absolutely and much more than most home sellers realize.  I’ll explain why here and provide some solid evidence for your consideration if you hope to sell your home.  Obviously, this has great relevance to buyers, too.  Buyer’s know it’s a buyer’s market, but many sellers don’t realize how much money they could lose if they don’t sell now while interest rates are still at historical lows.  We all know that timing is everything, but that has never been more true than it is now for sellers.  Here is the main argument I make:  As interest rates increase, in order for a buyer to pay the same maximum monthly mortgage payment, the price of the home will have to decrease.  This is similar to the inverse relationship of bond prices and interest rates.

          Interest Rates on an Upward Climb

          Interest Rates

          Exactly when and how far mortgage interest rates will rise is unknown, but expert after reliable expert is predicting increasing interest rates.  The logic is beyond argument.  Federal, state, and municipal debts rage out of control.  Eleven states are on the verge of a financial crisis and possibly bankruptcy.  U.S. Bonds are at risk and major International buyers have registered their concerns in the markets.  The Feds are printing money with nothing to back up the dollar.  Spending is out of control but has reached epic proportions of irresponsibility.  So much for a rational fiscal policy.  The Federal Reserve arguably has lost its grip on monetary policy.  Banks and mortgage companies are on edge and have cut their loan portfolios to a fraction of what they were.  Buyers who are qualified have trouble satisfying ridiculous underwriter requirements.  Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are disasters and part of the problem.  Politicians have handicapped appraisers with laws that actually do the opposite of what they claimed they would do to help buyers and sellers.   There is a large shadow inventory of foreclosures that will increase the total inventory of homes for sale.

          In this chart above, the point is made this way.  Today a home with a loan of $450,000 at current interest rates of 4.75% would cost a buyer $2,347 a month.  If that is the maximum loan the buyer qualifies for, or if that is the buyer’s personal budget maximum, the price of the home must decrease as interest rates increase.  Of course, if the seller is unwilling to reduce the price, this buyer simply does not buy.  As you can see in this chart if interest rates increase from 4.75% to just 5%, the equivalent selling price drops from $450,000 to $445,000.  Carry that to an interest rate of 7% and the selling price drops to $352,000.  That’s a pretty big loss for the seller.

          Interest Rates Are Key

          Buyer's Market

          This chart demonstrates the same concept for increasing interest rates, but the chart shows the actual loss in equity (or selling proceeds).  The numbers are in thousands.  All of this means the buyer’s market will become even more of a buyer’s market.  It also means homeowners who want or need to sell must pay close attention to the timing and strategy for the sale of their home.  The point of this article is that among the many variables to consider, interest rates are about to begin increasing, and that alone will steal equity from sellers, because to sell, they will have to reduce their prices.

          Interest Rates Kill Equity

          A seller has a couple of logical options in this market and given the high probability that interest rates will increase.  Number one, he can do everything possible to sell now at a very reasonable price before he loses money as interest rates increase.  Number two, he can chose not to sell and hold onto his house for five to seven years as the market recovers, assuming that he has that financial option.  Number three, he can conclude that I’m all wet and ignore all the data.  Maybe he’ll get lucky.  Or not.

          I’ll add this small note from 30 years in the real estate school of hard knocks:  Home sellers need knowledgeable and experienced professional real estate agents now more than ever.  I hope if you are trying to sell your home, you will call me up and invite me over for a cup of coffee and an interview.

          These are tough times, and tough times call for hard decisions.  I hope this article helps in some small way for home sellers who understand that interest rates are going to begin increasing soon.

          Last Updated on September 4, 2011 by Chuck Marunde

          Tags: interest rates
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          Chuck Marunde

          Chuck Marunde

          Chuck grew up in remote Alaska, graduated from the University of Alaska with a degree in Economics and Teacher Certification, and after teaching high school for two years, went to law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He served four years as a Captain and JAG in the USAF at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. After practicing real estate law for 20 years in Washington, Chuck founded iRealty Virtual Brokers covering Sequim and the beautiful Olympic Peninsula. He is the author of 2,200 real estate articles and a dozen real estate books, and he produced over 100 real estate videos. Chuck combined his love for real estate and technology to create a massive Internet presence, and his articles and videos and books have been viewed by millions. Chuck is a well recognized real estate expert and his counsel is sought by other brokers and practicing attorneys around the country. Buyers from New York to Hawaii and from Florida to Alaska seek him out to retain him as their buyer's agent, and home owners around the State of Washington seek him out because of his new Flat Fee Listing Service. 

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          Comments 1

          1. Charley says:
            12 years ago

            This is a very interesting article. Due to so many homes on the market in PA, Sequim, and surrounding area, why would anyone want to build a new home now ? There are some fantastic listings of custom homes on the market . In your professional opinion, would it be a good investment at this time?

            ANSWER: Retirees can’t always find their ideal retirement home, especially if they have a kitchen or a shop or other features that are not available in any current listings, so they will choose to built their own home. This makes a lot of sense if you are 65 years old, and this home is intended to be the last home you ever live in. Why not make these last 10 to 20 years your best years in the home you love and that has all the features you want!

            Do you happen to have the link to the website that shows every house that sold and the amount, the amount of the loan the buyers applied for, and other info. I found it once and can’t seem to locate again.

            ANSWER: Yes, I created a site that shows you what is listed and what has sold and for how much with charts and more details on each property at http://sequim-real-estate-market.com.

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