Category: Home Prices

Times are uncertain, so skipping a few mortgage payments sounds nice, right? Not so fast.

In response to the economic turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Congress passed an unprecedented 2.2 TRILLION dollar financial aid package for Americans. Known as The CARES Act, it aims at relieving businesses and individuals from economic hardships, including provisions to allow folks to request mortgage payment forbearance for the next several months. Awesome, right??!! Not so fast.

The intentions of this policy were wise, as a mortgage payment is often the single largest monthly expense for households. But, the unforeseen ripple effects of hundreds of billions of dollars in delayed payments has the potential to cripple the entire mortgage industry, put homeowners in perilous financial positions, cause grave damage to the overall economy.

To explain the economics of this issue, I’ll briefly touch on lessons of history, politics, English, and zoology.  I know its long, but please take the time to understand the full story and the negative consequences you and society at large may face if pursuing mortgage payment forbearance.

 

First, A Bit of History

On March 27^th, President Trump signed The CARES Act, a package of profound financial aid to Americans. The last time the federal government swooped in to save the economy, it was 2008 and TARP (“Troubled Asset Relief Program”) was passed to primarily bail out large (ie-“too big to fail”) banks in the midst of the “Mortgage Meltdown.” There was much criticism about how big banks were saved but the “little guy” was left out in the cold, so today’s policy makers didn’t want to repeat that same formula. The CARES Act is more focused on small businesses and individuals, and includes direct cash payments as well as the option to request to defer payments for the next 6-12 months without proof of financial hardship. As long as the mortgage is backed by a government entity, the mortgage servicer must honor the request. But, what the mortgage servicer must also honor is the monthly funds owed to the mortgage bond holders. In a nutshell, mortgage companies have to keep paying money out even though money is not coming in. YIKES!

Mortgage servicers will be facing incredible cash crunches and have repeatedly asked policy makers to establish a lifeline allowing mortgage servicers to borrow money from The Federal Reserve Bank to keep money flowing through the system. Without this form of aid, the mortgage industry as we know it could die.

 

Next, A Little Politics

As of this writing, the most influential politician on this matter insists that government intervention is not yet needed. Mark Calabria, the appointed director of Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) who directs Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, has a track record of disfavoring the government coming to the rescue in turbulent times. In fact, he’s gone on record to say if he were in charge during the Mortgage Meltdown of 2008 he would have let the very institutions he currently leads fail! Moreover, Mr. Calabria recently estimated “2 million borrowers would seek forbearance requests by May” and suggested if mortgage servicers get in trouble they could always sell their mortgage accounts to the larger mortgage servicers. Mr Calabria is either tragically miscalculating or misinformed on both fronts.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the industry already processed well over 2 million requests by early April, and this number will only increase as our economy struggles to fully bounce back from shutdowns. Furthermore, the two largest mortgage servicers in the country, Wells Fargo & Chase Bank, have established policies in the last week to drastically reduce the amount and types of new mortgage

s they are willing to take on. There is no way the larger mortgage outfits will be a backstop to these new kinds of toxic mortgages with payment forbearance. Since the payment forbearance phenomenon was not created by the free markets, the free markets are not able to be the solution. Government intervention is essential, and at this time support to mortgage companies is only being offered to loans related to VA & FHA, which is a very small minority of the overall mortgage market.

 

Siri, What Does Forbearance Mean?

Unless you have a Jeopardy-sized vocabulary, forbearance is not a word you use often. Oxford dictionary says its “the action of refraining from exercising a legal right, especially enforcing the payment of a debt.” Simply put, forbearance does not mean forgiveness. Mortgage companies may temporarily refrain from collecting your payments, but they won’t hold back any longer than legally necessary, and likely won’t play nice when that time comes.

 

Survival Instincts Will Take Over

With inevitable liquidity issues and no sign of an immediate parachute from the federal government, mortgage servicers have impossible decisions ahead of them. Sadly, I believe this will force mortgage servicers to avoid favorable forbearance agreements at all costs. They will only play as nice as necessary to follow the law, but be ruthless otherwise. If you went through a short-sale or loan-modification process during the last housing recession, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

For example, there are no rules that govern when these deferred mortgage payments are re-paid. Even this video from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau is vague. Potential options your mortgage servicer may offer: 1.) tack the payments on at the end of the loan; 2.) spread the missed payments over a period of time; or 3.) demand the payments be made in a lump sum.

What would you do if you ran out of cash and someone was overdue on a loan due to you? You’d force them to play catch up ASAP, right??!!  Its not greed.  Its not nasty.  Its survival.

 

Mortgage servicers will do the same thing, forcing a homeowner who skipped payments at, say, $2000/month for 3 months & now pay $8000 in a lump sum in the 4^th month. Obviously, most folks who truly need the payment relief in the coming months likely won’t be in a position to make a single catch-up payment, but tragically mortgage servicers are not in a position to float millions of skipped payments over the next few months and then patiently wait for reimbursement at the end of a 30-year loan. They have been backed into a corner, and will use any means necessary to try and survive.

I remain optimistic that policy intervention and clarity will eventually calm this situation down, but until it does every mortgage servicer is in a choke hold.

 

What Should I Do?

If you have suffered a big economic loss and cannot make your mortgage payment, by all means call your mortgage company and request payment forbearance. Yes, this may mean you are forced into a lump sum payment at some point, but that is tomorrow’s problem. You have bigger problems today; take the payment relief and hope repayment options are more favorable when you’re back on your feet.

BUT, if you are still able to make your mortgage payments, please continue to do so. Consider taking advantage of the delayed tax filing deadline (extended 90 days to July 15^th!), but don’t delay making your mortgage payments unless absolutely necessary. Staying out of forbearance will allow you to keep your options open for refinancing if rates slip down (forbearance generally disqualifies you from getting a new mortgage) & will help you avoid a build-up of payments that will likely need to be paid all at once in the future. It is not only in your best interest, but also in the best interest of the mortgage industry and our country at large. If too many borrowers utilize payment forbearance, the mortgage system could face catastrophic failure that would result in a housing crash worse than the Mortgage Meltdown of the late 2000s.

Spread The Word, Not The Virus

Please pass this post along to as many friends and family as possible, and do your part to encourage folks who have been considering mortgage forbearance to know the full story. In the meantime, stay safe, stay inside, and stay sane!

Energy efficient upgrades to a home can add value, lower your utility bills, and make you a “greener” citizen of the Earth. There are now a number of finance alternatives that have made these updates more accessible than ever before.

For example, you can lease solar systems and offset the monthly lease payment with the energy savings produced. You can also borrow money to install energy saving appliances, and have the loan payments added to your property tax bill. With all of these new finance alternatives, it has helped many homeowners who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to install these updates with their own savings.

But are these new finance options truly helping homeowners? We have spoken to a number of clients who weren’t aware of some of the fine print of these finance schemes, specifically how these lease and loan options create a lien on their property that make it difficult or even impossible to refinance their homes.  Furthermore, changing income tax laws impact many of these finance alternatives.  PACE loans, for example, are liens buried into the property’s tax bill, but many California homeowners may find their property taxes not as tax-deductible as in years past.

Most folks recognize that they are going to pay interest if they borrow money from a solar or utility company, but what does not appear to be commonly understood is that these loans and leases are recorded against the property.

We have worked to help several clients refinance to a lower interest rate and save money on their mortgage payment. During the underwriting process, we discover an additional lien resulting from a solar, window, HVAC, or other energy efficiency update. This secondary lien must either be paid off or give permission for the mortgage to be refinanced. Many times, the client either doesn’t want to or can’t pay off the loan, and the energy efficiency loan won’t allow the refinance to proceed. The refinance attempt ultimately fails. Ironically, the act to save money through energy efficient updates ends up handcuffing the client to a higher mortgage interest rate loan, thus losing more money to interest than what is being saved in lower utility costs.

Not all loan and lease terms are the same amongst the various options and vendors. And in some cases it probably makes sense to obtain one of these loans and live with the potential down sides.   Simply be sure you know the fine print. Solar and other outfits are pushing these available financing options hard on homeowners, but there are more traditional finance options available that you may want to consider as well. A cash-out refinance, home equity line of credit, home improvement loan, or other form of traditional mortgage financing may make sense as well. As always, we are happy to discuss what options you may have and objectively point out the pros and cons of each.

March marks the beginning of Real Estate season.  As snow melts and flowers bud, current and aspiring home buyers alike are coming out of financial hibernation to assess their real estate affairs.  That’s why I hope this annual market forecast is a timely message to many of my clients and readers.

 

I’ve always said forecasting is a fancy word for guessing.  No one knows for certain what lies ahead in our local real estate market.  Nevertheless, as someone who witnesses the front-lines action in the market, I have the chance to share observed indicators with you.

These “markers” signify much of the same patterns we’ve seen in the market for the last three years: high demand, low supply, and rising prices.  Frankly, I don’t see these altering course in 2017.  Here’s why:

Without further ado, here are three significant real estate predictors to watch for in 2017.

Welcome to the Party, Millennials!

Millennials are discussed for many reasons, and for good reason!  They are the largest generation by population in our country, so their actions will have profound impact on many industries, including real estate.  Research from Zillow indicates Millennials were the largest generational buying group in 2016, and they are predominantly buying in the suburbs.  This is a big deal, as Millennials have deferred home buying longer than their predecessors.  The conceived factors vary from their high levels of student debt to their emotional scars of witnessing others before them lose homes and wealth during the Great Recession, but the simple fact is Millennials have not been buying homes at typical rates…until now.

Last year, the United States’ Home-ownership rate dipped below 63% for the first time since 1965 a symptom not necessarily of affordability (after all, home-ownership rate hit an all-time high when prices were at all-time highs in 2005) but rather due to a lack of appetite.   With Millennials poised to remain hungry for homes of their own, the demand for housing will persist into 2017 and beyond.

Where are all of the new homes?

In last year’s forecast post, I shared some shocking statistics regarding the relatively low level of new home construction in Sacramento.  Without enough homes to go around for everyone, prices are forced to go up.  New home permits are increasing (up 20% from a year ago), but not at a rate fast enough to meet current buyer demand.  2016 had over 6,000 single-family home permits filed in the Sacramento area, the most seen since the Great Recession but far fewer than the peak of 18,523 in 2004.

Furthermore, there are fewer and fewer homes available to rent.  In the 4^th quarter of 2016, the Western region of the United States had a rental vacancy rate of 4.2%, the lowest reading since the Census department began collecting this statistic in the mid-1950s!!!

Until new home construction picks up considerably, there will be upward pressure on the prices (& rents) of the limited number of homes for sale (& rent).

Never Say Never (to new housing highs)

When the real estate market crashed ten years ago, many people said home prices became so inflated that they’d never reach those levels again.  In 2011, the “never again” prophecy seemed accurate.  Sacramento home prices had lost over 50% of their values from the peak seen in 2005.  Beginning in 2012, however, the market rebounded with a vengeance and now has clawed back to price levels seen in 2007, before the Great Recession.  This 5-year rally has market observers wondering if we will break through to new price highs soon.

Some pockets of town have already earned this accolade.  East Sacramento, for example, is experiencing higher home prices now than ever before.  I believe other neighborhoods will follow suit, but not prolifically in 2017.  We may need to wait one more year before breaking new records, but sooner or later the “never say never” prophecy will ring true.

In 95819, the median home price hit a peak of $500k in 2005.

Presently, it’s $525k!
 

Is This a Bubble Waiting To Pop?

Some view these hot market factors and predict a market bubble forming.  After all, how much longer can a 5-year rally last?  While I agree that a rally can’t last forever, the rare combination of scarce housing options, home-ownership rates at 50-yr lows, and an emerging generation of home buyers leads me to believe the Sacramento housing market is well-insulated from another bubble.  Even with the looming possibility of rising interest rates impinging housing affordability, our real estate market should see steady gains (5-10%) yet again this year.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, I’d love the opportunity to serve.  With 15 years of local market experience, I am able to provide honest insight on how to best navigate the current market dynamics to help make your real estate transaction a success.

As always, thank you for reading Matt’s Memos!

 

Energy efficient upgrades to a home can add value, lower your utility bills, and make you a “greener” citizen of the Earth. There are now a number of finance alternatives that have made these updates more accessible than ever before.

For example, you can lease solar systems and offset the monthly lease payment with the energy savings produced. You can also borrow money to install energy saving appliances, and have the loan payments added to your property tax bill. With all of these new finance alternatives, it has helped many homeowners who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to install these updates with their own savings.

But are these new finance options truly helping homeowners? We have spoken to a number of clients who weren’t aware of some of the fine print of these finance schemes, specifically how these lease and loan options create a lien on their property that make it difficult or even impossible to refinance their homes.

A trusted colleague told me early in my career that there is no free lunch in lending. In other words, you don’t get to borrow money without strings attached. Typically, that means you are paying interest, and in the case of real estate it also means you put your property up for security against the loan. Mortgages, for example, are recorded against the property and this loan must be paid off prior to selling or allowing another mortgage to be taken out.

Most folks recognize that they are going to pay interest if they borrow money from a solar or utility company, but what does not appear to be commonly understood is that these loans and leases are recorded against the property.

Several times in the last year, we have worked to help a client refinance to a lower interest rate and save money on their mortgage payment. During the underwriting process, we discover an additional lien resulting from a solar, window, HVAC, or other energy efficiency update. This secondary lien must either be paid off or give permission for the mortgage to be refinanced. Many times, the client either doesn’t want to or can’t pay off the loan, and the energy efficiency loan won’t allow the refinance to proceed. The refinance attempt ultimately fails. Ironically, the act to save money through energy efficient updates ends up handcuffing the client to a higher mortgage interest rate loan, thus losing more money to interest than what is being saved in lower utility costs.

Not all loan and lease terms are the same amongst the various options and vendors. And in some cases it probably makes sense to obtain one of these loans and live with the potential down sides.   Simply be sure you know the fine print. Solar and other outfits are pushing these available financing options hard on homeowners, but there are more traditional finance options available that you may want to consider as well. A cash-out refinance, home equity line of credit, home improvement loan, or other form of traditional mortgage financing may make sense as well. As always, we are happy to discuss what options you may have and objectively point out the pros and cons of each.

Last week marked the beginning of Chinese New Year, the year of the Monkey. Fitting, considering last week’s financial markets around the globe were filled with “monkey business.” It seems everywhere you turn lately there are crazy things happening. The Dow Jones is down several thousand points from recent highs, suggesting we may be entering a “bear” market. Gas prices are as low as they’ve been in nearly 15 years, leading many to think economic growth is slowing. And several central banks around the world are charging negative interest rates (imagine being charged interest to keep your money in the bank!?!).

Despite the monkey business everywhere else, our local real estate market appears to be quite normal. We are seeing similar vital statistics this winter compared to recent years. Sacramento area home prices are up 10.7% over the last year. And low interest rates combined with rising rent prices are keeping demand high for real estate.

But will the world’s monkey business eventually seep into our local markets? Will we remain insulated from the worlds’ woes? Or be dragged down with them?

In short, I believe the recent economic turmoil will only fuel our real estate market, not hinder it. We should see the similar dynamics seen in recent years (low inventory, high demand, low interest rates) but I think they’ll be further intensified in 2016! Here are my reasons for a strong year ahead for Sacramento real estate:

 

Money will flow to what’s “real”
With money fleeing the stock market, it has to go somewhere. Fear is abundant in the markets (check out this cool “Fear & Greed” index tool), and money runs to safety when it smells fear. I believe it will find its way to real assets, like precious metals (gold prices are up 10% in just the last month!) and real estate.

Millennials will “get real”
It is widely documented that the millennial generation (those born roughly between the early 1980s and early 2000s) has deferred home ownership more than their predecessors. The reasons vary (they have more school debt, prefer to live in higher-priced urban areas, don’t want to be “tied down” with a mortgage, etc.) but sooner or later they’ll see the light to become homeowners. In Sacramento, the validity for homeownership is becoming quite clear.

In recent years, Sacramento has become a magnet for Millennials. This article cites everything from the dining scene to recreation to coffee as reasons why younger folks flock to the River City (excuse the language used in the article). Furthermore, rent prices have been skyrocketing in Sacramento. This article from Sacramento News & Review states we are the third hottest rental market in the country, only behind Portland and San Francisco, with average rent prices climbing 10.6% in a single year. With rents rising and no clear sign of significant new construction on the way (more on this in a moment), many who are renting should be considering home ownership, which will further spur real estate demand and prices upward.

New home construction will continue to lag
New home and apartment construction has not kept up with demand in Sacramento. Developers site high costs and red tape; others are concerned of the over-building that occurred a decade ago and don’t want to repeat history. Nevertheless, only Detroit had fewer new construction starts last year than Sacramento.
Let that last sentence sink in for a minute; the only city with slower new construction activity in the entire county is a city that lost 25% of its population from 2000-2010. Detroit is not building because they don’t need new housing units; 1 in 4 people up and left during the Great Recession! Sacramento, in contrast, GREW 25% in population during the same decade, and until we begin building new housing we will continue to see home prices and rents soar, both in urban and suburban areas.

Mortgages will remain cheap and accessible
With gas below $2 a gallon and other world banks charging negative interest rates, its clear that no one should be concerned with inflation here in the US. Inflation is Public Enemy #1 to fixed interest rates such as mortgages, so with no inflationary threat mortgage rates will remain low.
How low? In a word…ridonkulously low (well, in sort-of a word)! With low rates (30-year fixed rates below 4% and 15-year rates near 3%) and, in turn, low mortgage payments, this will only further instigate millennials and other home renters to become home owners. Furthermore, underwriting guidelines are loosening and new loan products are emerging (more on this next month in a separate post). This makes financing accessible to more home buyers, thus allowing demand to grow ever more.

To re-cap, I’m incredibly optimistic for the 2016 real estate market.  Compared to my “rosy” forecast from 2015 (which turned out to be quite accurate, I might add), this year’s is just plain flushed! I expect strong price appreciation (10%+ for Sacramento), coupled with high volume (lots of buying and selling), and fueled by very affordable and available financing. Until new home construction is firing on all cylinders and inflation becomes a concern, the outlook for our local real estate market will remain bright.

As always, thanks for reading Matts Memos!