Tag Archive for good time

Sunny Outlook May Motivate Buyers, Sellers

Throughout the winter, analysts and industry experts said the housing market would regain its strength this spring and summer. Now, according to the most recent National Housing Survey from Fannie Mae, a combination of rising consumer confidence and an improving job market may be about to prove them right. The survey polls 1,000 Americans each month to gauge their attitudes toward homeownership, price changes, the economy, their personal financial situation, and overall consumer confidence. The most recent survey found the number of respondents who said they think now is a good time to sell a house at a record high, while the number who were concerned about losing their job hit a record low – both encouraging signs. Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, said consumer confidence is moving in a positive direction. According to Duncan, the optimistic results are in line with Fannie Mae’s forecast of increased housing activity and gradual strengthening of the housing market this spring and summer selling season. Also among the results, 69 percent of participants said they felt now is a good time to buy a home. More here.

Americans’ Optimism About Home Prices Grows

A majority of Americans believe that home prices in their area will rise over the next year, according to a new survey from Gallup. The survey found 56 percent of Americans say they expect average prices to increase, which is up from an all-time low of 21 percent in 2011. It is also five times the number that say prices will fall. The results of Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll are further evidence that optimism about the housing market continues to build after experiencing sharp declines following the housing crash. Americans are confident that prices will keep trending upward and that now is a good time to capitalize by purchasing a home. In fact, 74 percent of respondents said it was a good time to buy a house, which is among the most positive readings in survey history. The number of Americans who think now is the time to buy has been climbing in recent years after dropping to 52 percent in 2006. According to Gallup, Americans’ view of the housing market has mostly recovered from the lows seen during the downturn. People feel the worst is over but prices aren’t yet overvalued. This perception is partly responsible for the expectation that this spring and summer will see an increase in home sales. More here.

69% Of Americans Say Now Is The Time To Buy

Though the housing market’s momentum slowed over the winter, Americans’ attitudes about buying and selling homes continues to move in a positive direction. In fact, according to Fannie Mae’s March 2014 National Housing Survey, 69 percent of Americans say now is a good time to buy a house and the number who say it’s a good time to sell increased 4 percent from the month before. Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, said there are several positive signs going into this year’s spring home buying season. Compared to last year, consumers are less pessimistic about their personal finances and more optimistic about the current selling environment and their ability to get a mortgage, Duncan said. For example, in the most recent survey, 52 percent of respondents said they thought it would be easy for them to get a home mortgage, which is an all-time survey high. The share of participants who said they’d prefer to buy rather than rent was also up, reaching 68 percent. Still, there is lingering uncertainty about economic conditions and many Americans continue to believe the economy is on the wrong track. Fannie Mae, however, expects a pickup in economic growth this year, which may boost the confidence of those still pessimistic about economic conditions and the housing market. More here.

Americans Increasingly Positive About Housing

The number of Americans who have a positive perception of the current housing market has improved significantly from a year earlier, according to Fannie Mae’s December National Housing Survey. The year-over-year gains reflect an increasingly strong recovery, despite a dip in sentiment during the fall. For example, the percentage of respondents who feel it’s a good time to sell a house rose from 21 percent to 33 percent over the last year. The percentage of participants who said they felt it would be easy to obtain a home mortgage also increased over the past 12 months, from 45 percent last year to 50 percent in the most recent survey. Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae, said consumer attitudes about the ease of getting a mortgage today are at their highest level in the survey’s three-and-a-half-year history. According to Duncan, that improvement should help offset the effects of higher mortgage rates and support a continued but measured housing recovery as we move through 2014. Also, the number of Americans who believe now is a good time to buy a home jumped to 67 percent and the percentage of respondents who feel their personal financial situation will get better in the next year was up four points to 42 percent. More here.

Majority of Americans Say Now Is A Good Time To Buy

Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey polls Americans each month to assess their perception of the housing market, including attitudes toward owning or renting a home, price and rate changes, consumer confidence, household finances, and the overall economy. According to the results of the most recent survey, Americans’ optimism about housing growth has begun to plateau after trending upward since the beginning of the year. Still, a majority of respondents say now is a good time to buy a home and the number who said they’d prefer to buy if they had to move increased from last month. The percentage of people who believe it’d be easy for them to get a home mortgage also increased from the previous month’s survey. Overall, participants said they think home prices and rent will rise over the next year, while the number of people who said mortgage rates would increase over the same time period fell slightly from the month before. More here.