5 Thing You Should Know Before You Buy

Whether you're looking for a first home or a forever home, it's important to study the real estate market before buying instead of focusing only on the house itself, as both can affect the deal. But what factors should you consider about a real estate market? Here are 5 top things you should know before buying a home.

1. Location and timing are important

Location is the most important factor in real estate for a reason: You can't change it. Therefore, a home's location impacts value in a big way. Also, keep in mind houses depreciate over time, but land generally does not. So, it's always wise to consider location before buying a home.

If you're looking to get a great value with a good possibility of appreciation, the best time to buy is when the neighborhood is still up-and-coming. It will probably be expensive to get into a neighborhood after it's already established as a desirable place to live. If there's no indication the neighborhood will ever be desirable, it will likely be a cheap buy, but a risky one, as the value could decline. Try to buy when a neighborhood is coming up but not quite there yet. Look at amenities, crime statistics, employment figures, population, and school ratings. If everything is improving, the area is worth further research.

2. Price can make or break a deal

Price is always a factor when buying a home. It's always best to buy during a buyer's market, meaning the market favors buyers. For 2020 and 2021, the market is a seller's one, meaning it favors sellers: Demand is up, supply is down, and historically low mortgage interest rates below 3% are making homes more affordable and thus more in demand. All those factors combined make this not only a seller's market but a strong seller's market, which creates high real estate prices.

3. Housing supply statistics

As noted above, housing supply is currently down. But when home sales are rising because demand outpaces supply, supply tends to increase (unless there are building restrictions). This will likely be the case moving forward, as builder confidence for single-family homes has reached an all-time high, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

4. Where to buy in 2021

After the coronavirus pandemic, the market has shifted away from city centers and has instead gone to the suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas. As more people realize they can work from home, they're opting for more space, and to afford that, they're moving to where the space is.

5. How COVID-19 affected employment

As noted, it's wise to look at employment trends in the area you're considering investing in. More jobs coming to the area is a good sign; increasing unemployment numbers is not. The uncertainty of the job market is another risk factor to consider before buying a home.

The Bottom Line

You might be ready to jump into the real estate market today, but timing is important. Real estate can be a great way to gain wealth and often seems like a sure thing but take some time to properly study the market to know what to buy and when to give yourself a better chance for success.

Contact the real estate professionals at Crown Realty Experts to assist you navigating this process. We have helped hundreds of people purchase their first, dream, and forever homes with the empathy, experience & knowledge on how to get this done. You call us & leave all your HOMEwork to us!