Do you want content like this delivered to your inbox?
Share

Forget the Price of the Home. The Cost is What Matters.

Share

Forget the Price of the Home. The Cost is What Matters.

Andy Rose

Andy brings to the table over 12 years of real estate experience including becoming a licensed Georgia broker in 2018 and a licensed Broker in Fl...

Andy brings to the table over 12 years of real estate experience including becoming a licensed Georgia broker in 2018 and a licensed Broker in Fl...

Nov 7 3 minutes read

Home buying activity (demand) is up, and the number of available listings (supply) is down. When demand outpaces supply, prices appreciate. That’s why firms are beginning to increase their projections for home price appreciation going forward. As an example, CoreLogic increased their 12-month projection for home values from 4.5% to 5.6% over the last few months.


The reacceleration of home values will cause some to again voice concerns about affordability. Just last week, however, First American came out with a data analysis that explains how price is not the only market factor that impacts affordability. They studied prices, mortgage rates, and wages from January through August of this year. Here are their findings:


Home Prices

In January 2019, a family with the median household income in the U.S. could afford to buy a $373,900 house. By August, that home had appreciated to $395,000, an increase of $21,100.


Mortgage Interest Rates

The 0.85 percentage point drop in mortgage rates from January 2019 through August 2019 increased affordability by 9.7%. That translates to a $40,200 improvement in house-buying power in just eight months.


Wage Growth

As rates have fallen in 2019, the economy has continued to perform well also, resulting in a tight labor market and wage growth. Wage growth pushes household incomes upward, which were 1.5% higher in August compared with January. The growth in household income increased consumer house-buying power by 1.5%, pushing house-buying power up an additional $5,600.


When all three market factors are combined, purchasing power increased by $24,500, thus making home buying more affordable, not less affordable. Here is a table that simply shows the data:

Forget the Price of the Home. The Cost is What Matters. |  MyKCM

Bottom Line

In the article, Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, explained it best:

Focusing on nominal house price changes alone as an indication of changing affordability, or even the relationship between nominal house price growth and income growth, overlooks what matters more to potential buyers – surging house-buying power driven by the dynamic duo of mortgage rates and income growth. And, we all know from experience, you buy what you can afford to pay per month.


Selling Your Home? 

Get your home's value - our custom reports include accurate and up to date information.

Get Home Value
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and deliver our services. By continuing to visit this site, you agree to our use of cookies. More info