If you’re thinking of selling your house this year, timing is crucial. After all, you’ll want to balance getting the most out of the sale of your current home and making the best investment when you buy your next one.
If that’s the case, you should know – you may be able to get the best of both worlds today. Here are four reasons why this spring may be your golden window of opportunity.
1. The Number of Homes on the Market Is Still Low
Today’s limited supply of houses for sale puts sellers in the driver’s seat. There are far more buyers in the market today than homes available. That means purchasers are eagerly waiting for your house.
Listing your house now makes it the center of attention. And if you work with a real estate professional to price your home correctly, you can expect it to sell quickly and likely get multiple strong offers this season.
2. Your Equity Is Growing in Record Amounts
According to CoreLogic’s most recent Homeowner Equity Insight report, homeowners are sitting on record amounts of equity thanks to recent home price appreciation. The report finds that the average homeowner has gained $55,300 in equity over the past year.
That much equity can open doors for you to make a move. If you’ve been holding off on selling because you’re worried about how rising prices will impact your next home search, rest assured your equity can help fuel your move. It may be just what you need to cover a significant portion – if not all – of the down payment on your next home.
3. Mortgage Rates Are Increasing
While its actual mortgage rates have already been climbing this year, current mortgage rates are still below what they’ve been in recent decades. In the 2000s, the average mortgage rate was 6.27%. In the 1990s, the average rate was 8.12%.
For context, the current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, according to Freddie Mac, is 3.85%. And while recent global uncertainty caused rates to dip slightly in the near term, experts project rates will rise in the months ahead. Doug Duncan, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at Fannie Mae, says:
“For home buyers, we believe that borrowing costs will likely rise with the increase in mortgage rates….”
It’ll cost you more to purchase your next home when that happens. That’s why it’s important to act now if you’re ready to sell. Work with a trusted advisor to kickstart the process so you can take key steps to make your next purchase before rates climb further.
4. Home Prices Are Climbing Too
Home prices have been skyrocketing in recent years because of supply and demand imbalance. And as long as that imbalance continues, so will the rise in home values.
What does that mean for you? If you’re selling so, you can move into the home of your dreams or downsize into something that better suits your current needs; you have an opportunity to get ahead of the curve by leveraging your growing equity and purchasing your next home before prices climb higher.
And, once you make your purchase, you can find peace of mind in knowing ongoing home price appreciation is growing the value of your new investment.