Read. Learn. Repeat.
Are You Home Equity Rich?
Equity is the market value of your home minus what you owe. Denver home prices are shooting up , boosting overall home equity levels. Rising home prices have Denver homeowners sitting on potential cash. That’s good news for homeowners. And it’s another good reason to become one. Tap into your home equity for the right reasons. Pay for a remodel that reinvests money back into your home and increases your resale value. Use the equity to move into a home which better meets your needs.
Give us a call and let’s discuss your situation.
Michelle Oddo: 303-961-6906
michelleoddo@leader1.com
Real Estate Market Seasonal Shifts with Some Surprises!
Our Denver real estate market certainly keeps us on our mistle-toes!
This time last year, we had a nice increase in residential listings. While we were (still are) hoping for more housing inventory, we’ve seen a decline for the third month in a row. It’s not unusual for our market to take a “holiday slumber.” I just know several home buyers hunting for a new home – even now!
But while our seasonal decline has impacted last month’s closings and transactions, we still discovered some surprises under the tree:
– Days on the Market slowed: Even in a tighter market, on average, buyers took their time to find the right home.
– Sold Price increased: Many sellers got a slightly higher return in November. The average single-family home closed at $537,624 and the average condo was $365,856.
Yes, a few months of lighter inventory does shift our market more in favor of our sellers, but the larger, annual picture reveals our market’s “balancing:”
– We still have over 2% more homes sold for all of 2019 than we did in 2018.
– It took homes 9% more time to go under contract last month than this time last year.
– Our average home price is up by almost 7%, year-over-year ( Source: DMAR Monthly Report).
Buyers wanting to purchase a new home in the new year need an excellent strategy and team of professionals. The new year may be the right time for you to get the ball rolling.
Happy holidays everyone! Text, call or email me during the holidays with any of your questions.
michelleoddo@leader1.com
Planning For 2020
Join the Oddo Group at LeaderOne Financial for a real estate education and planning event in Littleton, CO.
We’ll help you to develop a personalized plan to:
- Achieve your most important goals.
- Build your systems now so you can lean on them in 2020.
Michelle Oddo is a top mortgage producer with a proven track record and she’d like to help you build your road
map to a successful 2020!
For more information on event times and location, Click here .
Mortgage Closing Costs Explained
Closing costs include fees required to finalize a mortgage. You pay closing costs whether you buy a home or refinance your mortgage. Most of the closing are the responsibility of the buyer, but the seller usually has to pay a few as well.
Visit our video library for more educational videos about mortgage terms, such as points and seller concessions.
You can text, call or email me about any mortgage questions or concerns you may have.
Michelle Oddo: 303-961-6906
michelleoddo@leader1.com
Purse Auction
100% of proceeds go to supporting single-parent families! Browse and bid on dozens of high-end designer purses as you enjoy wine and hor d’oeuvres. All funds will go to the James Resource Network, which provides services and attainable housing for single-parent families in the metro area.
Learn more on our facebook page!
Buying A Home During the Holiday Season Has Advantages
It may be a seller’s market in the Denver suburbs, but we’ve had more inventory than the last few years. So if you’re looking for a home, buying during the holiday season has its advantages. You can text, call or email me about pre-qualifying for a loan.
Michelle Oddo: 303-961-6906
michelleoddo@leader1.com
Private Mortgage Insurance
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) enables you the buyer to put down less than 20% on the purchase of a home. In the past when you bought a home you had to have a
20% down payment. That is no longer the case because of PMI.
Private mortgage insurance companies partner with the lender on your mortgage to share the risk that enables you the buyer to put a smaller percentage down and still get into a home.
You will typically have to pay private mortgage insurance payment as part of your monthly payment unless it’s a special program that has priced the interest rate without needing the mortgage insurance. However, most times you will need PMI.
Once your property appreciates in value, if it’s a conventional loan and you get to 78% of that original purchase price, your mortgage insurance will automatically drop off.
That’s the nice thing, you do not have to refinance if you don’t want to.
With an FHA loan your mortgage insurance premium is called MIP. It’s the same thing as PMI except it’s through the government and is HUD funded. It does not automatically drop off on most FHA loans and it will most likely be there for a lifetime unless you take action to remove it.
If you have questions about this or if you have PMI and you would like to know if it should come off or should you refinance to get rid of it or you just want to learn about different, interesting or creative ways to do a loan without PMI, give us a call we have lots of answers and options for you.
The Oddo Group with LeaderOne Financial is located in Littleton, CO. Give us a call! (720) 738-1080.
A Balanced Denver Real Estate Market? It Depends On Your Needs
You’ve seen stories about our Denver real estate market balancing. The phrase “a buyers’ market” hasn’t been used in our Denver metro area in years. So is it balanced for buyers and sellers? It all depends on the price point and type of home.
For all Denver real estate bought and sold in our area in September, we finished with 2.04 months of single-family homes and 2.12 months of condos available for sale. Since it takes almost six months of inventory to balance a market, we have a ways to go!
But our Denver real estate market this year has been “balancing” – we’ve had more inventory on the market than in 2018. Sellers have reduced their prices more often and listings have lingered on the market for more days. While price appreciation hasn’t reversed, it’s growth rate has slowed down. In fact, our average sales price in September was 6% higher than this time last year.
So where do homebuyers have buying power? If you plan to buy a premiere condo between $750,000 and $999,999 or a $1 million+ single-family home, we have nearly 6 months of inventory.
The further down you go in price point, the greater the demand for listings, and the stronger the market favors sellers. Last month we only had 1.33 months of single-family homes and 1.97 for condos priced between $300,000 and $499,999! It’s a very hot market.
The bottom line, if you plan to buy or sell in our shifting Denver market, get expert advice and guidance through the process. I’d love to help you reach your goals. Call or text me today if you have any questions!
Michelle Oddo
Senior Mortgage Banker & Branch Manager
LeaderOne Financial
O (720) 738-1081
M (303) 961-6906
Michelleoddo@leader1.com
* Source: https://www.dmarealtors.com/dmar-real-estate-market-trends-report-oct-19
Down Payment Programs
Supporting Charitable Causes Through One Hope
The Oddo Group at LeaderOne Financial gives back to a wide spectrum of charitable causes through purchasing client gifts through One Hope Wine.
The Oddo Group at LeaderOne Financial is always looking to help in the community and welcome any suggestions you might have.