PA Governor Amends Covid-19 Executive Order: Real Estate is Now “Essential”!

Since March 19, 2020, the PA Real Estate market has been in a form of suspended animation.  For those agents who followed the law, business stopped on a dime.  Properties that went “under contract” prior to that date were allowed to move forward although many municipalities and contractors were not willing or able to help complete the sale.  Even then, many of those owners were frustrated in their efforts to buy their “next home”.  Some ended up paying two mortgages.

 

Otherwise, agents were not allowed to conduct business “in person”, owners with “active” listings could not have actual showings and buyers could not visit properties to see inside.  Business could be conducted “virtually” which likely worked better with “under contract” properties since those prospective buyers had likely seen the interior of their intended purchase.  Properties that had been inspected were in the best position although getting to settlement had its issues especially if a municipal inspection needed to be done since many of those departments stopped doing business.

 

Owners still looking for buyers had issues.  Most buyers are reluctant, even in a competitive market, to make an offer without actually being able to see the interior.  Buying “sight unseen” happened but I liken it to “online dating” where someone tells or shows you what they want you to “know”.  What could go wrong?  At least that was better than going on a “blind date”!

 

While I respect different “business models” and understand that some buyers and sellers needed a “creative” solution to work past our being the only state where Real Estate was considered “non-essential”, buying “sight unseen” is risky.  For a few hundred dollars a buyer could use a property inspection as a way out.  While not intended as legal advice, it happens.  Some buyers cannot afford to waste any money so this may not have been an option for them.  What about a seller who risks this happening to them?  If the listing agent follows the rules, the property history may stigmatize the property if others thought there were issues with the house whereas the problem was really the buyer.

 

Fortunately, there is a new “dawn” albeit with some restrictions.  Some sellers and buyers will jump at the opportunity; others may choose to wait to see what happens.  How many are currently unemployed and unable to get financing?  How many sellers need to buy their “next home” and are not ready to compete or who feel that the “right one” is not yet on the market?  If possible, some sellers may want to get their house sold even if it means renting for a short time.  At least their purchase won’t be tied to a sale and they may be able to determine if they really like an area they were considering.

 

As I always say, you cannot “time the market” so I encourage buyers and sellers to determine what is in their best interests.  I am an experienced, trained and educated REALTOR and can offer the knowledge and insight to help you evaluate what is best for you.  Assuming that people follow the guidelines and requirements for resuming Real Estate activity, my hope is that PA continues to improve so that we can avoid a set-back.  Time will tell.  Either way, I can help you now or later!  I do suggest doing some planning and preparation so we can do an effective and efficient campaign when you are ready.  That could make all the difference.

 

In the meantime, please visit my web site, listen to my podcasts and read my blogs.

 

There is no time for inexperience, empty promises or false expectations!

 

HIRE WISELY:  We are not all the same!

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How Buyers Bought Real Estate in 2019: Who is the Typical Buyer? Part 2 of 2.

Today I want to discuss the 2019 NAR or National Association of REALTORS Profile of Buyers and Sellers.  The report comes from a survey using 125 questions mailed to over 159,750 recent home buyers who purchased a primary residence between July 2018 and June 2019.  This was a national survey so your market may be quite different.  Real Estate is local:  there is no national Real Estate market so please contact me for information about your local market.

This is Part 2 of 2.  In Part 1, I focused on buyer characteristics, meaning who is the typical buyer.  In Part 2, I will focus on the process the typical buyer used to find their home, the results they achieved and how they felt about the experience.  There will be some overlap between the parts.

As I learned years ago, buying a home is an emotional decision justified with logic.  This is what can make it fun or not.  The process can be interesting enough when there is only one buyer involved.  People have different ways of making decisions and we all handle challenges and stress differently.  Buying a home typically offers plenty of both.  When more than one buyer is involved, there can be quite a negotiation between the parties and they often seek my opinion.  Purchasing a home is typically the largest financial transaction anyone will ever make and it involves many lifestyle factors.  It is a serious process.  Here are some highlights:

• 87% purchased existing homes; 13% bought new construction;
• Nationally, buyers typically paid 98% of the asking price;
• 55% of buyers said that finding the “right property” was the most difficult part of the process; 26% mentioned financing (including saving for a down payment (13%), getting a loan (8%) and the appraisal (5%)), 19% cited the paperwork and 18% mentioned understanding the process. And yet, buyers often avoid or delay seeking professional assistance.  Given 24/7 access to the Internet, some may find this interesting.  I am not surprised as it supports my belief that Realtors bring value to the process of buying Real Estate above and beyond simply providing houses to look at.  While that is obviously important, buyers need to arrange financing and determine what they want and need in a house so that they can evaluate their options and make the best choice for themselves, keeping in mind that they may have serious competition.  Some houses sell quickly.  Buying a home takes time and effort.  For example, I have worked with many buyers during my career and have been able to identify houses for them to consider that they did not or could not find on their own.  My experience working with sellers, especially those whose properties other agents could not sell, has taught me a great deal about marketing homes to ensure that they appear in buyer’s search results.  Think “Google search”.  This knowledge helps me with buyers.  I will be happy to explain this in detail;
• 86% financed their purchase, typically financing 88% of the purchase price with first-timers financing 94% and repeat buyers financing 84%;
• The median down payment was 12% for all buyers with 6% for “first-time” and 16% for “repeat”;
• 9% found the mortgage application process to be much more difficult than expected with only a 1% difference between first-time and repeat buyers. This explains why so many wait to do this, perhaps to their detriment.  Sellers tend to focus on three parts of any agreement:  the amount of the offer, the buyer’s financing and the terms and conditions of the offer.  Sellers want to avoid or minimize the risk of a failed sale;
• 13% reported that saving for a down payment was the most difficult step with 51% of those citing student loans. This is a problem that has been well reported.  It delays many aspects of life;
• 50% of buyers found the home they purchased online; 28% through an agent; 7% from a “For Sale” or an open house sign. There is no doubt that the Internet has displaced agents as a valuable source of property listings.  No one can or should dispute that.  However, it has clearly NOT displaced the need for us to assist with the numerous tasks that are necessary to buying a house regardless of where or how it was identified.  One final point here is that it is important that a buyer provide accurate information as far as what is important for them.  Having a buyer search online for one set of criteria while their buyer-agent searches for something different can and will cause problems.  We should be finding the same possibilities!  Communication is critical;
• 94% were “satisfied” with the process but only 63% reported being “very satisfied” while 7% were somewhat or very dissatisfied. Buying a house or investment property can be very frustrating.  Trying to justify the emotion of a home purchase with logic can be a challenge.  I have met a number of owners who told me that they made a mistake when they bought their home; some realized that sooner than others.  While their situations may have varied, this often meant that they would have some difficulty selling or achieving what they wanted or needed to make a move.  I can share some stories;
• 61% were given agency disclosures at some point with 27% at the first meeting, 23% when the contract was written and 11% at some other time. In PA you may know this as the Consumer Notice form that we are required to use.  The purpose of this disclosure is to offer a buyer choices as far as how we are to work together.  Historically many buyers assumed we were representing “their best interests” even though they had not formally committed to using our services.  Prior to buyer agency all agents worked for the seller’s best interests!  The good news is that 61% received it, even if late.  20% say they never received it and 20% said they did not know.  In addition to being a REALTOR and Associate Broker, I am a Mediator and have spent years working on our Professional Standards Committee.  In those roles I have been involved in many situations where the consumer, meaning a buyer or seller, had quite a different perception of their relationship with an agent than their agent had.  Trust me when I tell you that this can cause problems;
• Continuing with that thought, 39% said they had a written representation agreement with their agent; 19% said it was oral; 28% had no agreement and 15% did not know;
• Buyers ranked a number of agent qualities as “very important”: 97% want honesty and integrity; 93% want them to be knowledgeable about the process; 93% want them to be responsive; 88% want communication skills, 83% want them to be able to negotiate and 46% mentioned technology skills.
• The top three benefits Real Estate agents provided were: 61% said helping buyers understand the process, 60% said pointing out features or faults with properties, 48% said negotiating better terms, 47% said providing a list of service providers, 37% said negotiated a better price and 30% said shortened the home search.

Buying Real Estate is a unique purchase:  not only is it much less frequent than other purchases, it typically involves multiple steps, each offering their own challenges.  If you would like to discuss buying or selling or if you have any thoughts about this, please contact me.  Please look for Part 1.

Please look for my post on how sellers sold Real Estate in 2019.

There is no time for inexperience, empty promises or false expectation! 

HIRE WISELY!  We are not all the same.

How Buyers Bought Real Estate in 2019: Who is the Typical Buyer? Part 1 of 2.

Today I want to discuss the 2019 NAR or National Association of REALTORS Profile of Buyers and Sellers.  The report comes from a survey using 125 questions mailed to over 159,750 recent home buyers who purchased a primary residence between July 2018 and June 2019.  This was a national survey so your market may be quite different.  Real Estate is local:  there is no national Real Estate market so please contact me for information about your local market.

This is Part 1 of 2 and will focus on buyer characteristics, meaning who is the typical buyer.  In Part 2, I will focus on the process the typical buyer used to find their home, the results they achieved and how they felt about the experience.  There will be some overlap between the parts.

As I learned years ago, buying a home is an emotional decision justified with logic.  This is what can make it fun or not.  The process can be interesting enough when there is only one buyer involved.  People have different ways of making decisions and we all handle challenges and stress differently.  Buying a home typically offers plenty of both.  When more than one buyer is involved, there can be quite a negotiation between the parties and they often seek my opinion.  Purchasing a home is typically the largest financial transaction anyone will ever make and it involves many lifestyle factors.  It is a serious process.  Here are some highlights:

• 33% were first-time buyers, the same as in 2018. The historic number has been 40%.  The typical buyer was 47 years old, with those age 25 to 34  accounting for 24% of all sales;
• Buyers moved a median distance of 15 miles while those who sold one primary residence to buy another moved a median distance of 20 miles;
• There were several reasons mentioned for buying: 81% felt that a home purchase was a good investment; 66% of first-time buyers wanted to own their home as did most buyers under age 61; those over 61 mentioned being closer to family and friends or down-sizing;
• Buyers expected to live in their homes for a median time of 15 years with 20% saying 1 to 5 years, 45% saying 16 or more and 20% saying they did not plan on making another move;
• As far as motivating factors influencing location: 63% prioritized the quality of the neighborhood, 46% convenience to their job, 44% the affordability of the house (owning can be cheaper than renting!), 26% the quality of the school district, 20% walkability.  When you buy a house, you are buying the neighborhood and a lifestyle:  this is more than simply buying a product;
• As far as characteristics of the home and how they compromised: 25% prioritized price, 23% condition, 19% size, 7% quality of the neighborhood, 3% quality of the schools.  29% did not compromise.
• 44% of buyers looked online before doing anything else with 93% using the Internet at some point during the process; 16% started by contacting an agent; 12% started by looking online for information about the process; only 7% started by contacting a lender or bank. This can be good or bad, depending on what a buyer really knows and understands about the process and their local market.  There is a wealth of information online but my experience suggests that much of it is wrong or does not apply to all markets.  Some buyers will spend valuable time “shopping”, which is admittedly the “fun part”, instead of doing other things that might make their search easier, especially if they find that they need to do some homework to get financing.  They might find a home they really like only to find themselves unprepared or unable to compete with other buyers who had a better game plan.  The process can make all the difference;
• 93% of buyers relied on the Internet for information; 87% on an agent. Traditional methods are still used but to a much lesser extent than in the past.  For example, only 51% visited open houses, 39% looked for “For Sale” signs and 11% looked at newspapers.   Please keep in mind that these statistics refer to sources use to search for available properties, not necessarily what led to a sale;
• 65% walked through homes they found online; 41% drove by and did not go inside. You might be amazed to learn that, while driving through a neighborhood to see if it meets your needs is an excellent way to narrow your focus, many buyers eliminate houses simply because the exterior needs some attention;
• Buyers typically searched for 10 weeks and looked at a median of 9 homes. They waited for 3 weeks before contacting an agent.  A lot can happen in 3 weeks!  On the other hand, buyers who did not use the Internet spent 4 weeks searching and viewed 4 homes.  I wonder which group was more satisfied with their purchase in the long run;
• For internet “shoppers”, 87% found photos and 85% found detailed property information very useful. They enjoy the “online shopping experience” much more than actually looking at house after house.  What an agent uploads to their MLS typically feeds “as-is” to the Internet:  too often this is a case of “garbage in; garbage out”.  Sadly, many listing agents make looking at their property listings more challenging than it should be.  Many property listings offer few quality photos, some listings have none and many are not labeled making it often difficult to know what you are looking at.  Many agents use their cell phone for taking pictures.  I often see photos that seem to have been uploaded randomly, bouncing from interior to exterior and even turned sideways or upside down.  I also see poorly written or missing descriptions as well as listings having minimal searchable features which can make it difficult for those listings to even appear in a buyer’s search results and, when they do, a buyer may not really know what they are looking at.  The result is that they click through to the next property listing.  The good news for buyers is that properties attracting little attention often get needlessly reduced in price which rewards a persistent buyer.  If you are a seller, have you been asked to reduce your price?  Have you seen your MLS printout and searched online for your own property?;
• 52% of buyers who used the Internet found the property they bought online. 71% who used a mobile device found their home through a mobile application.  29% through an agent;
• 89% of buyers used a Real Estate agent and 91% who used the Internet used an agent; 5% bought directly from a builder or builder’s agent; 4% bought directly from the owner which would include FSBOs or “private sales” where one or both parties are not professionally represented. The number using a professional has actually trended higher since the Internet entered the picture.  This proves to me that we can coexist with the so-called third-party sites if we bring “value” to the process.  Our “value” extends well beyond searching for houses.  Once you identify a house that you like, there are a number of steps that must be taken to get it under contract and then to complete the purchase.  This is no time to cut corners!
• 52% of buyers wanted a Real Estate agent to help them find the right house, 23% wanted help negotiating (12% mentioned “terms” while 11% mentioned “price”), 8% wanted help with paperwork and 6% wanted help valuing comparables.

Buying Real Estate is a unique purchase:  not only is it much less frequent than other purchases, it typically involves multiple steps, each offering their own challenges.  If you would like to discuss buying or selling or if you have any thoughts about this, please contact me.  Please look for Part 2.

Please look for my post on how sellers sold Real Estate in 2019.

There is no time for inexperience, empty promises or false expectations!

 HIRE WISELY!  We are not all the same!

How Sellers Sold Real Estate in 2019: Who is the Typical Seller?

Today I want to discuss the 2019 NAR or National Association of REALTORS Profile of Buyers and Sellers.  The report comes from a survey using 125 questions mailed to over 159,750 recent home buyers who purchased a primary residence between July 2018 and June 2019.  The focus of this podcast will be buyers who sold one home to buy another.  This was a national survey so your market may be quite different.  Real Estate is local:  there is no national Real Estate market so please contact me for information about your local market.

• NAR has been collecting seller data since 1985 when the typical owner remained in their home for a median time of 5 years. In 2019 that number was 10 years which suggests that buyers may want to think long-term about their investment.  What appears to be a solid investment today may look different later.  Unfortunately, I still see sellers who paid more for their house than it is worth today and that can delay being able to sell it;
• Sellers between the ages of 18-34 typically sold within 5 years while those over 75 sold after 19 years;
• The median selling price was 99% of the final asking price with 27% getting full price, 17% getting more than asking and 20% getting less than 95% (7% got less than 90%). If you are an owner whose house is not attracting serious interest, meaning offers, this is important to know.  Many buyers think they are better at negotiating than they really are and are hesitant to start with their “best offer”.  In a very competitive situation they may not get a second chance.  On the other hand, a buyer may prefer to make an offer on a house closer to its market value to avoid having an appraisal issue or risk losing their second choice to another buyer when their offer on a house expires.  Whether a listing agent should disclose the existence of other offers is debatable but this should only be done when a seller allows it.  In some markets and with some buyers, competition may be welcome.  In others, not so much.  Sellers may also think themselves better at negotiation than they really are so they need good advice from a trusted and respected representative.  Ego can be a terrible thing to overcome.  Last point, showings are nice but they do not guarantee a sale;
• Houses selling in the first 4 weeks achieved a median of 99%; after 16 weeks the number fell to 93%.
• 13% of houses purchased sold for more than asking price with 26% achieving the asking price and 24% selling for 95% or less than asking price;
• The typical seller was 57 years old;
• 69% were repeat sellers while 31% were selling for the first time;
• 70% who sold a home stayed in the same state; 17% moved to another region; 13% stayed in the same region but a different state;
• 44% bought larger homes; 30% bought a similar size; 26% down-sized. The age of the seller strongly correlates with these statistics;
• 48% bought a newer home than they sold; 28% bought one the same age; 24% bought an older home;
• 44% spent more than their selling price; 26% spent the same; 30% spent less;
• The most common reason for selling for all sellers was that the house was too small (13%), followed by moving closer to friends and family (a combined 16%), job relocation (11%), change in family situation (10%) and neighborhood became less desirable (10%);
• 29% of first-time sellers cited size as being too small whereas repeat sellers cited moving closer to friends and family (17%). Selling is an expensive proposition so having to move in the short term because you outgrew a house or simply needed more space can be costly;
• 89% of all sellers used a Real Estate agent with only 8% being a FSBO. 89%, while down from 91% last year, is consistent with the last few years despite the presence of the Internet.  The % of FSBOs has steadily declined since 2000  even though the Internet was thought to have helped with exposure.  Most of those involved a seller who the buyer already;
• 89% of all sellers listed their homes on the Multiple Listing Service while 4% did not; 65% used a yard sign;
• 21% of sellers wanted help marketing their home, 20% wanted to sell within a specific timeframe, 19% wanted help with pricing and 16% wanted help with ways to sell it for more;
• The median selling time for all sellers was 3 weeks with 11% selling in less than one week, 35% taking 1-2 weeks and 14% taking 3-4 weeks. There is a correlation between the % of the final asking price achieved and the length of time it takes to sell.  While it can be a distracting obsession, many buyers look at the “days on the market” as an indicator of a home’s desirability and may avoid homes that are simply over-priced although they have no issues.  Houses that sold within 2 weeks or less achieved 100% of the final asking price whereas houses on the market for 17 weeks or more achieved only 94%.  Keep in mind that many houses are reduced in price to attract attention so looking at the final asking price as compared to the selling price is only one part of the story.  Sellers determine the asking price but buyers determine the value.  If nothing else, easy access to the Internet has allowed buyers to competitively shop meaning they at least know what is on the market although relying on valuation algorithms is risky.  Houses tend to get the most activity within a week or two of hitting the market.  Once the current supply of buyers knows a house is for sale and no one buys it, something has to energize and existing buyer or other buyers have to start their search;
• 34% of sellers used buyer incentives to attract interest. The top three were home warranties (17%), closing cost assistance (14%) and remodeling/ repair credit (8%).  After 16 weeks this number rose to 47%.  These are not guaranteed to get the job done and should be discussed at the outset;
• 66% of sellers were “very satisfied” with the process; 26% were “somewhat satisfied” and 8% were somewhat (5%) or very (4%) dissatisfied;
• The overall median selling price was $275,900. Remember that this is a national number.  The median selling price for FSBOs was $200,000; for agent-assisted sales it was $280,000 and for FSBOs who eventually used an agent the median selling price was $261,000.  This clearly shows the advantage of hiring and paying a professional;
• The median equity in a sold home was $60,000.

The bottom line is that this can be a very confusing process.  This NOT a retail transaction!  It is typically costly enough without making expensive mistakes.  Unless you do this regularly, I respectfully suggest that you trust a trained, experienced professional.  Whether you want to trust your most valuable asset to someone with little experience or someone who has a long track record is up to you but any professional is likely to know more than an average seller looking to save a few dollars.  I understand that signing a formal contract with someone, even if recommended to you, is quite a leap of faith.  Most of us can offer options to increase your comfort level.  After all, we want to make sure that you “fit” with us as well.

Selling Real Estate is unique compared to most typical purchases:  not only is it much less frequent than other purchases, it typically involves multiple steps, each offering its own challenges.  If you would like to discuss selling or buying or if you have any thoughts about this, please contact me.

Please look for my posts on how buyers bought Real Estate in 2019.

There is no time for inexperience, empty promises or false expectations! 

HIRE WISELY!  We are not all the same!