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Live, Dine, Shop, Play...in the North Shore’s Premiere Community

Realtor® Margaret Ludemann, Glen Homeowner

fixed rate mortgage

Positive economic environment for real estate sales

February 9, 2015 by Margaret Ludemann

The economic environment for real estate sales was positive through most of 2014, and that good news should continue in 2015. After a slow start in the first quarter 2014 due to the long winter, the American economy had the strongest 6 month performance in 11 years including a 5% growth rate on an annual basis in the 3rd quarter.

Job growth picked up steam in 2014. Nationally the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.6%, down from 7% a year ago and from its high of 10% in October 2009. Illinois unemployment dropped to 6.4% (through November 30), its lowest point since June 2008.

Interest rates remained low during the year. That was somewhat surprising as they were expected to rise in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

The Dow ended 2014 at 17,823, up 7.52% after a remarkable increase of 29.65% in 2013.

The economy is expected to be favorable for home sales in 2015…with growth picking up, unemployment continuing to fall, and mortgage interest rates remaining low (though moving up modestly later in the year). A week ago, mortgage rates hit their 20 month low. Freddie Mac reported the average 30 year fixed rate mortgage interest rate at 3.59%; and 15 year fixed rate mortgages averaging 2.92%

I see home prices rising again, in line with historical norms of 3% to 4%. The bottom line is that if you want to sell your home in 2015, you’ll probably get it done and at a better price than a few years ago.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor, homeowner in The Glen, Glenview, Illinois

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: @properties, American economy, Economic environment, fixed rate mortgage, Freddie Mac, Glenview, home prices, home sales, interest rates, job growth, Margaret Ludemann, mortgage interest rates, real estate market, real estate sales, Realtor, sell your home, The Glen, unemployment rate

Mortgage interest rates: good news for home buyers and sellers

September 22, 2014 by Margaret Ludemann

A few weeks ago a potential buyer of a home in The Glen (in Glenview Illinois) told me that he was holding off buying a home until mortgage interest rates improve. I believed that was unwise, so I researched historical 30 year, fixed rate mortgage interest rates using Freddie Mac data. I grouped them into 5 year periods and calculated the averages. What did I learn…that recent mortgage interest rates are roughly half what they were 25 years ago!

The average rate in August (the most recent data available) was 4.12% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. This is a smidgeon higher than early months of 2013. Rates, however, have inched downward in each of the last 4 months; and that August rate of 4.12% is actually lower than the same month last year. So it is clear that home financing today is extremely low. While rates may bump along with modest increases and decreases in the short term, there is no evidence that they will become appreciably lower in the foreseeable future. In fact, it is likely that rates will eventually increase to more normal levels.

Interest rates matter…a lot…because they affect a buyer’s monthly payment and the total cost of financing over the period of ownership of a home. Every 1% rise in interest rates reduces buying power by approximately 11%. Obviously today’s low interest rates are beneficial to home buyers, but they are also good for home sellers. If buyers can purchase more house because of low interest rates, there are more qualified buyers for sellers’ homes.

If you are interesting in buying a home in The Glen or greater Glenview, please email me at Margaret.ludemann@cbexchange.com or call me at 847-401-1802.

Margaret Ludemann, Glen homeowner and @properties Realtor

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: @properties, buying power, fixed rate mortgage, Glenview, home buyers, home financing, home sellers, homeowner, interest rates, Margaret Ludemann, mortgage, Realtor, The Glen

Margaret Ludemann, Realtor®
Phone: 847-401-1802
Text: 847-401-1802
Email: margaretludemann@gmail.com

at properties logo

@properties
1517 Waukegan
Glenview, IL 60025

@properties and Realtor® Margaret Ludemann are not affiliated with and do not represent any for-profit business or not-for-profit organization associated with the development known as The Glen, in Glenview, Illinois, including but not limited to any retail or commercial or professional enterprise, developers or builders operating in The Glen, or homeowners associations therein. Realtor Margaret Ludemann, Glen Homeowner is affiliated with @properties.
Broker Reciprocity© 2013 Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC (MRED). The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity program of Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC (MRED). Real Estate listings held by brokerage firms other than @properties are marked with the Broker Reciprocity logo or the Broker Reciprocity thumbnail logo (a little black house) and detailed information about them includes the names of the listing brokers. Some properties which appear for sale on this website may subsequently have sold and may no longer be available. The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.

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