Should I Buy Now or Wait Until Next Year?

Infographic courtesy of Keeping Current Matters / The KCM Blog

 

Some Highlights:

• The “cost of waiting to buy” is defined as the additional funds necessary to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to increase over a period of time.
• Freddie Mac forecasts interest rates to rise to 4.5% by the Q4 2020.
• CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 4.8% over the next 12 months.
• If you are ready and willing to buy your dream home, find out if you are able to!

75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion

Just before the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, I found a treasure stuck in my old college beer mug... don't know when I put it there or why I didn't treat it with greater honor, but as it began to crumble in my hands, I realized that I needed to do something to save it.  It's a well-worn calendar page that my father saved from June 6, 1944. My dad was a hard-working immigrant who spoke no English when he arrived in the United States in 1930. He loved his new country and was very proud to become an American citizen. Recognizing the historical significance of D-Day, he saved this calendar page with a note on the back that read: "The Day. Good Luck." This worn page now hangs on the wall in my office and each time I look at it, I feel like I'm honoring both those who lost their lives on that day and my father.

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In June 2014, an 11-year-old boy visited Normandy, France for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.  As part of the boy’s personal project, titled “Project Vigil,” he spent four days teaching visitors and tourists about three paratroopers who had been buried in the American Cemetery.  His parents taught him well!


Complete Article by Paul Morris / Littlethings.com

Teach Your children Well by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Ronald McDonald House - 5/31/19

Another meal served at Ronald McDonald House 

by a great group of SCCL residents!

So proud to call these folks my friends!

Louise Lowe, Bill Kelsey, Pook Bellini, Maria Sullivan, Syndie Fleener, Carol Stillerman, and Kathy McPherson

 

SCCL Market Update

May was a busy month in Sun City Carolina Lakes!

Photo Courtesy of Dan Peters

Single Family Residential (SFR)Homes

19 Went Under Contract

12 Closed

Carriage Homes & Villas

7 went Under Contract.

2 Closed

Please note that occasionally listing changes are not uploaded on MLS immediately.

A closing that occurred in May might not appear until June.

I always adjust for any changes as they come up.

Please use the "UP-TO-DATE STATS FOR SCCL" tab above
 to check for the latest information.

To view the interactive version of the graphs below, use the 'UP-T0-DATE STATS" tab above.

To view the interactive version of the graphs below, use the 'UP-T0-DATE STATS" tab above.

Multigenerational Homes Are on the Rise

Article Courtesy of Keeping Current Matters/The KCM Blog

As loved ones start to get older, we start to wonder: how long will they be able to live alone?  Will they need someone there to help them with daily life? There’s a reason to ask those questions now more than ever, as the average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78years old!  As a result, 41%of Americans in the market are searching for a home that can accommodate a multigenerational family.

The graph below shows the number of people by generation that purchased a multigenerational home because they will either be taking care of an aging parent or they just want to spend time together.

Of those buyers, 26% indicated they will be taking care of an aging parent, and 14% said they want to spend time with an aging parent. These numbers do not come as a surprise. According to Pew Research Center, 64 million Americans (20% of the population) lived in a multigenerational household in 2016 (Last numbers available).

An increasing number of studies affirm the benefits of being part of a multigenerational household. These benefits aren’t just for the grandchildren, but for the grandparents as well. According to these two resources:

The University of Oxford

“Children who are close to their grandparents have fewer emotional and behavioral problems and are better able to cope with traumatic life events, like a divorce or bullying at school”.

Boston College

“Researchers found that emotionally close ties between grandparents and adult grandchildren reduced depressive symptoms in both groups”.

This research gives helpful insight into why 41% of Americans are in the market to buy a multigenerational home.

Bottom Line

If you have a home that could accommodate a multigenerational family and are thinking about selling, now is the perfect time to put it on the market! The number of buyers looking for this type of home will only continue to increase.

MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE

I have always found it strange to wish someone a Happy Memorial Day and I can never bring myself to say those words.  Yes, we all look forward to the first long weekend that marks the unofficial beginning of summer and the first barbecue of the season, picnic, trip to the lake... or the Indy 500.  But, while all of those things make Memorial Day weekend a fun time, we need to remember the real meaning of Memorial Day.  As we enjoy time with family and friends, let us be sure to take time to honor the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms we cherish.    

 
MEMORIAL DAY LINKS:
Memorial Day History
American Widow Project
The Origin of Sounding Taps 
Arlington Remembrance by Trace Adkins
Buglers at Arlington National Cemetery
God Bless the USA by the Texas Tenors

As we remember those who died in service to our country, let us give thanks to those who are serving now and to all our Veterans for their past service to our country. 

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On a personal note, in September 2017 my husband and I attended the 50th reunion of his United States Marine Corps Officers Basic School Class.  As we gathered with his Marine Corps brothers, the bond was strong, as memories were shared, and those who are no longer with us were remembered.  Memorial Day has a special meaning for these men and it is with heavy hearts that they remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

 

Heat Wave Hazard Issued For Charlotte Region Ahead Of Next Week’s Upper-Ridge Anomaly

 Article Courtesy of Charlotte Stories

A massive new weather pattern, called a ‘heat ridge’, will bring some of the highest temperatures Charlotte has ever seen in the month of May.
The phenomena is being caused by vertically stacked ridges of hot air which sink, compress, and heat up under pressure.

Yesterday, the National Weather Service sent out a hazardous temperature alert for the Southeast, warning our region of possible record-breaking high temperatures over the next 3-7 days.
“Upper-level ridging over the Southern Plains eastward to parts of the Southern Mid-Atlantic/Southeast and with maximum temperature anomalies in a range from +10 to +15 degree range will aid in producing an area of excessive heat over parts of the Southern Mid-Atlantic/Southeast into the Eastern Gulf Coast/Tennessee Valley Saturday into Wednesday.”

According to Weather Nation, weekend temperatures in Charlotte will be higher than Houston and Miami;

The upcoming heat wave could even break some records for our region.  The hottest May temperatures that Charlotte has ever seen was in 1941 when we saw 3 days where the temperature reached 98 degrees.
 
According to Weather Underground, next Tuesday’s high is predicted to be 96 degrees (the hottest May temperature we’ve experienced since 1953) – if actual temperatures climb just a couple of degrees higher, we’ll break the ’41 record;

CLICK HERE for complete article and graphics by Charlotte Stories.
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Graphic courtesy of AdoptaPet.com

As a former desert dweller (having lived in Paradise Valley, Arizona for 38 years), I want to remind everyone to stay inside during the heat of the day. Walk your dogs early or late in the day. Always bring water for yourself and your pet... and drink it frequently! Avoid exertion and stay hydrated. Heatstroke can be DEADLY!


- Pook

Are Older Generations Really Not Selling Their Homes?

Article Courtesy of Keeping Current Matters/The KCM Blog

 Many studies suggest one of the main reasons for the inventory shortage in today’s market of homes for sale is that older generations have chosen to “age in place” over moving.

The 2019 Home Buyers & Sellers Generational Trend Report by NAR clarifies this point!

NAR’s findings show that Baby Boomers (43%) and the Silent Generation (12%) made up 56% of sellers in 2018! This means the majority of sellers last year were over the age of 54. This also shows these generations ARE moving!
The report also shared the reasons why they chose to move. According to the research, the top reason was a desire to be closer to friends and family. Below is a full breakdown:

As we can see, they have plenty of reasons to sell their current home! But what type of homes are they trading in?
Once again, the report demonstrated that older generations are not keeping that 3-bedroom, 2-bath colonial home. Instead, they are putting it on the market and moving on with their lives!

Bottom Line

If you are living in a house that no longer fits your needs, contact a local real estate professional who can help you find a home that will!

What is Really Happening with Home Prices?

 Article Courtesy of Keeping Current Matters/The KCM Blog

Home values have softened over the last twelve months. We are no longer seeing 6-7% annual appreciation levels for the national housing market. The current numbers are closer to 4%. Some have suggested that year-over-year appreciation levels could fall to 3% or less this year.
However, a stronger-than-expected economy and a good spring housing market have changed some opinions. Some analysts are now predicting that home value appreciation may begin to increase as we move forward.

Here are three examples:

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist of First American

“Data on the movement of unadjusted house prices during the early spring home-buying season won’t be available for a few more months, but it’s quite likely that price appreciation will accelerate again.”

CoreLogic’s April “Home Price Insights”

“Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased year over year by 3.7% in March 2019 compared with March 2018…The CoreLogic HPI Forecast indicates that home prices will increase by 4.8% on a year-over-year basis from March 2019 to March 2020.”

Pulsenomics’ Quarterly “Home Price Expectation Survey”

• The 2018 4^th Quarter survey called for 3.8% appreciation for 2019.
• The 2019 1^st Quarter survey raised the appreciation projection for this year to 4.3%.

Bottom Line

Price appreciation has slowed over the past year. However, a strong economy and a good housing market have many experts thinking that home values might re-accelerate moderately throughout the rest of this year.

How Tariffs Could Impact Your Home Renovation

Video courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

Photo:  From WSJ Video

The cost of home renovations could rise by thousands of dollars thanks to the increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. WSJ’s Jason Bellini takes a look at how consumers will be affected. 

View Wall Street Journal Video