TheMReport — News and strategies for the evolving mortgage marketplace.
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40 | M R EP O RT O R I G I NAT I O N S E R V I C I N G DATA G O V E R N M E N T S E C O N DA R Y M A R K E T THE LATEST ORIGINATION Now Is the Time to Be a Homebuyer Sellers had the better deal in 2020 thanks to rapid home appreciation and low inventory driving quick sales. However, November's housing market conditions offered some power to buyers. T here's no doubt, 2020 was a seller's market when it came to home buying. Most houses sold at or above list price, sales were quick, and people were looking for change thanks to the monotony of pandemic life. But even though sellers defi- nitely had the better year, Redfin reports that November was the month to be a buyer. Historically low mortgage rates gave purchas- ers a bit more power, offering some relief from rapidly escalat- ing home prices. The median monthly mortgage payment peaked in February at $1,163 but dropped down to $1,094 in November. And even though the nationwide median list price in November was $336,000, mortgage rates plum- meted 2.77%—the lowest on record—which helped offset the higher cost of homes. "It's easy to forget that the price is just one part of the equation of how much house a buyer can af- ford," said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. "The relation- ship between historically low mortgage rates and surging home prices has been fascinating to watch this year. We've seen mort- gage rates drive unforeseen levels of homebuyer demand, which has pushed prices up by upwards of 15% in recent weeks. The good news for those buyers who are persevering through a dearth of homes for sale and fierce bidding wars is that once you do land a home, today's sub-3% mortgage rates are largely cancelling out the high prices." However, there were still many barriers for buyers. Love inventory and intense competi- tion made it a difficult process for many. In fact, 54.3% of Redfin offers faced competition in November. And over 50% of of- fers for the six months prior also entered bidding wars for homes. "A lot of my buyers would be surprised to hear that November was considered a good month to buy," said Shoshana Godwin, Seattle Redfin agent. "Although monthly mortgage payments are lower than they were at the beginning of the year, buyers are still facing five to 15 competing offers on desirable homes. People have to find a home and get their offer accepted before they can take advantage of low rates."