What Will New Homes Look Like in 2015?

The current state of affairs within the housing industry has many wondering what lies ahead in 2015. Changes are being made to match the current trends within the industry; not only the number of new homes being built but also what’s inside newly built homes.

A recent study by The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) surveyed a group of builders, designers, architects, manufacturers, and marketing specialists. The Director of Economic Services of the NAHB, Stephan Melman said, “We asked builders, ‘what do you anticipate the new home size would be by 2015?’ “ The overall consensus was found to be “houses will get smaller”.  The study found that homebuilders expect newly built single-family homes to average 2,150 square feet compared to the current 2,400 square foot average.

This aligns well with the trend of going green that we can expect to see more of in 2015.  Smaller homes have greater heating and cooling efficiency gains associated with less space. Builders are also utilizing water-efficient appliances and plumbing, using LED and compact fluorescent lighting, as well as installing energy efficient windows.

Other amenities will also be affected, such as the “Great Room” replacing the “Living Room”. The “Great Room” combines the living room, dining room and family room into one open space that usually flows into the kitchen which helps save square footage.

Other changes that you can expect to see in 2015 are:

• Reduced 4 or more bedroom homes
• More master suite walk-in closets
• Changes in use of space outside of main living quarters, such as more porches and 2 car garages
• Better utilization of space by replacing formal dining rooms with eat-in kitchens
• Larger laundry rooms
• Less mudrooms, hobby rooms or game/media rooms
• A wide variety of interior color choices

Many exciting changes are on the horizon for newly built homes in 2015. The options for designing your perfect home seem to be endless. Melman stated, “Although affordability is driving these decisions, smaller homes are a positive for builders, it allows for more creative design, more amenities, better flow. It’s an opportunity to deliver a better home.” The changes ahead in 2015 seem to be positive for all involved and the goal of a better home will be met for builders and buyers alike.

“CFPB issues proposals to update Integrated Disclosure Rule.” Say what? Read on!

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently published recommendations for updating the Integrated Disclosure Rule, which is under the Truth in Lending and Real Estate Settle Procedures Acts.

The rule’s purpose is to supply easy-to-understand disclosures for borrowers when they complete a residential mortgage application. The CFPB proposed two changes to the Integrated Disclosure Rule:

One change is in regard to construction loans. Given the longer time it takes to close one of these loans compared to other loans, the estimated charges can change after 60 days.

“Our proposal would create a space on the Loan Estimate form where creditors could include language informing consumers that they may receive a revised Loan Estimate for a construction loan that is expected to take more than 60 days to settle,” the CFPB said.

The second change would give creditors more time to give borrowers a revised loan estimate after the latter locks in a floating interest rate. The current turnaround period is limited to the same day, and the CFPB proposed extending that time to the next business day. This strategy would give creditors adequate time to produce new disclosures while giving borrowers more time to lock in their rates.

Mortgage market becomes more favorable. The CFPB’s proposed changes to the Integrated Disclosure Rule are welcome news for consumers who want to get a US home mortgage while clearly understanding their obligations in receiving financing to buy a home. Although borrowers will have to wait until Aug. 1, 2015 to see the rule in affect, they currently can get some relief in getting a mortgage via low interest rates. Here are the findings of the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey by mortgage insurer Freddie Mac:

·        The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.97% in the week ending Oct. 16, down from 4.12% the previous week and marking the first time the average fell below 4.00% since June 2013.

·        Fifteen-year FRMs’ average interest fell from 3.30% to 3.18%.

·        For 1-year Treasury-indexed adjustable-rate mortgages, the average rate was down four percentage points to 3.28%.

·        Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid ARMs dropped below 3% to stand at an average of 2.92%.

Freddie Mac Vice President and Chief Economist Frank Nothaft attributed the drop in mortgage rates to investors’ skepticism regarding economic volatility in Europe.

Academy Mortgage is one of the top independent purchase lenders in the country as ranked in the 2013 CoreLogic Marketrac Report. Visit www.academymortgage.com to find a loan, get a rate, or calculate your payment today.

Designing Your New Construction Home

Building your new home allows you to tailor your home to your current needs and your personal taste.  That’s what’s great about building a home.  You can dream big and your options are unlimited.  But what if you budget isn’t?  How do you choose the best upgrades and stay within your budget? C&E Wurzer Builders, your go-to for new construction homes in the Eau Claire area, and now expanding into the Madison area, has tips for you to get the most bang for your buck!

Kitchen Cabinets: Your kitchen is where you and your family spend most of your time so you want it to be functional, durable and a room that you enjoy.  Upgrading your cabinets gives you better construction and longer lasting finishes.  Buy premium hinges and draw slides – they will stand abuse for many years.

Flooring:  Choose wool carpeting.  It will stand up to traffic, looks great and maintains its good looks. Also, there is a wider selection of colors.  Upgrade your carpet padding too which will increase the life of your carpet.  Wood Flooring is another great option for your main living areas — it never goes out of style, it blends with any décor and adds warmth to any room.

Ceiling Fans: They are a smart, low-cost upgrade that will save you energy in both the summer and winter months.

Skylights: Skylights add about 30 percent more light than a window of comparable size.  Some have built-in shades that you can operate manually or by remote control. Some even open up and have rain sensors that close it automatically.

Choose features that you can install now to adjust to your future.

A main floor den can be converted into a bedroom if you have a growing family.

Include roughed-in plumbing and electric for an eventual basement bathroom or attic.

A deep tandem garage that fits three cars can be walled off later to add indoor space or an extra room.

Plywood sheathing can be installed behind drywall and tiles in bathrooms to attach grab bars without hunting for studs.

Most importantly, choose the upgrade that’s going to make you happy.  After all, this new house is your home.  What does it say about you?

For more information on Wurzer builders, copy the link below.  Happy Dream-building!

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Underwater but want to buy a new home? Just. Keep. Swimming.

So you bought a house in 2006, it lost 20-40 % of its value….but, today you could break even, hopefully……you want to buy a new home, but don’t really have any equity, what should you do?  You’re not too confident in the housing market, but you know rates are great?? The real question should be……What would you pay today to put income in your pocket and a roof over your head for the rest of your life?

Today you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a new home, keep your old house and own them both in 15 years! What would your life look like if you owned two homes in 15 years? You could use the income from one to live in the other, have a roof over your head for life and have a retirement income! Act now….this opportunity will go away within 1-2 years max.

Interest Rates are going up! We have been at a 100 year low and you won’t be able to create wealth like this ever again in your lifetime!

That’s right, when rates are back to 6.5-7 % you will not qualify to keep your old house and buy another and you might be lucky to even buy one home on a 30 year mortgage! let alone a 15 year mortgage.

The choice is yours.

Option One:

Stay put…be conservative wait to see what is going to happen with the market.
Keep your “old” house, hunker down….wait and see if rates really will go up?

Option Two:
You purchased your existing house in 2006, paid $255,000 it went up, then down, then down some more, now it is back up to a little less than you owe.
Why sell?……keep it, rent it for the monthly payment….at 5.5% your payment is
$1636 and fair market rent should be at least that. Pay $600 a month extra in addition to rent and you own it in 15 years!

Your new home is $300,000. Instead of doing a 30 year mortgage at 4.25 with a payment of $2026, do a 15 year loan at 3.5% and pay an extra $695 per month!

So what? 

For $2,600 more per month over 15 years, you can own both houses, get income of $2,000 per month for the rest of your life and own your home free and clear…..with the leverage of reverse mortgages, you could have $4,000-$5,000 per month with no house payment for the next 15-20 years! That’s what!

If you have been wrestling with yourself, your spouse, your parents or relatives you need to
BUY NOW!  and you will forever be a genius.