Homebuyer confidence is higher than ever, and long-term renters are looking to start buying. Today I’ll talk about why that is.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleWhy are homebuyers suddenly so optimistic? Right now, homebuyer confidence is at an all-time high, and there is an increasing number of renters who think that now is a good time to buy.There are three reasons that I believe explain this phenomenon:Lending guidelines are loosening up. Back in 2010 and 2011, things were a little bit harder on the buyer side to qualify for a mortgage. Now that the guidelines have opened up a bit, it has enabled more buyers to buy a home.Jobs are looking good. Fewer buyers are concerned about losing their jobs. Additionally, the median household income is now 150% of what their monthly payment would be as opposed to the historical average of 125%.Long-term renters are now opting to buy homes. Millennials, the generation born after 1980, have mostly opted out of homeownership up until now. Now that they’re entering the market as first-time buyers, they’re further along in their careers with higher income and more savings.Homebuyer confidence is at an all-time high.So what does all this mean for you? If you’re on the fence about buying a home, those are three things to take into consideration. It’s definitely still a good time to buy, and interest rates are low compared to historic averages.If you’re thinking about selling a home, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to get you scheduled for a free consultation.

Kevin Langan Phoenix Real Estate Podcast​

Why Are Homebuyers Feeling Optimistic?

 Now is the time of year when many choose to stop and reflect on the things they are grateful for. Today, I want to let you know how thankful I am for all of you. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleToday I wanted to let you know how grateful I am for you and your support. Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on our blessings. I consider all of you to be among the things I am blessed with. Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on our blessings.I appreciate all of you who have allowed me to serve you over this past year. I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and a great holiday season.If you have any questions or have any real estate needs, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

It's Time to Reflect on Our Blessings

We have an exciting announcement to make today. Stay tuned for good news.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleThe Langan Team is excited to announce that we are joining forces with Brandon Tracy and BTG real estate.With this merger, we’re going to be able to deliver an even higher level of service to our clients even as the industry is constantly changing around us.We have a desire to serve everyone we work with at the highest level possible. With the way things are changing in real estate, some of our personal goals got pushed by the wayside. Now that we have decided to join forces, it will allow us to accomplish all of our goals, both personally and professionally. We are very excited about what the future has to hold for ourselves and our clients.The result is going to be even better service.In addition to fantastic service, Brandon and BTG Real Estate bring a high level of marketing knowledge and leverage to what we already have. Simply put, these are two very talented organizations coming together and taking what each of them is best at to combine them into one package.If you have any questions for us about the merger and what it means for you, we’re always here to answer your call or email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

We’re Bringing Even More Value to Real Estate

How will the Fed’s recent rate hike affect our real estate market? I’ve got the answers for you.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleOn June 14th, the Fed raised the federal funds rate by 0.25%. When those types of things happen, people can start to get a little nervous. Mortgage interest rates have dropped recently to 3.9% in the wake of the recent Fed rate hike. That doesn’t seem like that should be the case, but the federal funds rate and mortgage bond rates don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.The economy continues to do well, with unemployment and inflation rates looking good. The Fed will typically raise rates when the economy is doing well, so this rate hike was expected. That will keep growth on a sustainable pattern.This corresponds with increased sales and home appreciation rates. Interestingly enough, the number of mortgages has actually increased by 2.5% since last year. The economy continues to do well, with unemployment and inflation rates looking good.While the Fed raising or lowering rates tends to get a lot of attention, I feel that the real estate market is going to continue growing and won’t be affected by the changes we’ve been seeing.If you have any additional questions or you’re looking to buy or sell a home in our area, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help!

How Will the Fed's Recent Rate Hike Impact Our Real Estate Market?

What’s driving the Phoenix real estate market? Three things in particular.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleAt the end of the 2nd quarter of 2017, there were three things that stood out to me in terms of market activity. Here’s what’s driving the market right now:1. Active listings are down. There are fewer homes coming on the market this month than there were last month. That 6% decrease means inventory is still very low.2. Pending sales. Right now, we’ve got 11,394 of them, which is down from last month’s 12,431. Some of this is due to a bit of a seasonal decline in our large metro area. Some of it is related to our depleted inventory.3. Closed sales. This month, we had about 236 fewer sales than we did in the previous month, which isn’t a very big change. It’s a notable decrease, but we are still up 8% in closed sales year over year. Homes that are priced right are receiving offers quickly.What does this mean to you? We still have low inventory, affordable homes, and homes that are priced right are getting offers almost immediately after they hit the market. If you have any questions about the market or anything else relating to real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.

Market Update for Phoenix

If you want to buy a home but can't cover the down payment, there are three options for home loans here in the Phoenix area that are perfect for you.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleIf you want to buy a home but don't have any money for down payment, you still have three options. If you're a veteran of a military service, you might have VA eligibility that would allow you to qualify for a VA loan. This is a government-insured loan program that lets you buy a home without any money down.Another option would be looking at the many grant programs offered in our area. In Maricopa County, we have two in particular called Home Plus and Home in 5 that provide grant money that's set aside by the county for your down payment to buy a home. You can even get closing cost assistance from sellers; I've had client buy a home with way with less than $1,000 out of pocket.Our county has multiple grant programs with money set aside to cover your down payment.You can also look into USDA financing. This loan program is sponsored and insured by the United States Department of Agriculture and provides zero money down financing for rural areas. Most areas in Maricopa County don't fall into the USDA requirements, but there are some that do in surrounding areas.If you're interested in any of these three zero money down home loans or you have any other questions about the Phoenix market, give me a call or send me an email. I'm here to help.

3 Ways to Buy a Home Without a Down Payment

If you're on the fence about investing in real estate as a rental property, learning these three benefits might tip the scales for you.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleReal estate is an excellent vehicle for building long-term wealth as an investment.There are three benefits to focus on for buy and hold (rental) real estate investment properties:Cash flow: Once you close on the property and get a tenant, you'll receive income every single month from their rent. You need to make sure you're actually making profit and that the expenses of the property don't exceed the incoming cash. Tax breaks: There's a rule in the IRS code that allows you to depreciate the property - meaning you can write off its expenses over time and deduct it from your taxable income. This creates annual savings.Building equity in the property over time: As you rent out the property, the tenant will pay down the mortgage balance and the property will appreciate over time. Between your tenant paying down the mortgage and the appreciation (40-year average is about 4%), you'll build a lot of equity.Over time, a tenant pays down your mortgage while appreciation boosts your property's value.At the end of the investment, it's important to have an exit strategy in place to move that money into another investment or retirement. If you're thinking of investing in Phoenix real estate or just buying a home, give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd be glad to help however I can.

The 3 Biggest Benefits of Owning Investment Property

How accurate is Zillow’s Zestimate? Not very, and there are three main reasons why. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleWhen it comes to Zillow’s Zestimate tool, there are a few things you need to keep in mind about Zillow and home values: 1. Zestimates can be manipulated by the homeowner or an agent coaching the homeowner. In preparation to list the property for sale, the owner can add updates, change the square footage, and do other things in Zillow that will drastically change their Zestimate. Sometimes, buyers will compare the Zestimate to your asking price to determine what kind of offer they should make and if the home is priced fairly. The problem is that the Zestimate is just a ballpark number, not a fair market value. 2. Zillow can be off by 10% to 20%. In our county, that number is definitely closer to 20%. Zillow itself tracks the Zestimate and the actual sales price of their properties and say that it’s often off by 10%. However, I’ve seen Zestimates in our market off by 30% or 40%. 3. You need to ask a professional. After all, if you think you might be sick, you will look up your symptoms on WebMD. If you are actually sick or concerned, then you will go straight to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. It’s the same with your home value. It’s fine to look at Zillow if you’re just curious, but if you really want to sell or refinance, then you need to reach out to a professional real estate agent so that you have an accurate understanding of what your house is worth in the current market. Send me your address and your Zestimate to see how accurate Zillow really is.Now, I’d like to give you a more specific example. Let’s try an experiment. Send me your Zestimate and your home address. I’ll pull some comparables and tell you what the actual market value of your home is. If we get enough people to participate, I’ll do another video sharing the results of what I found. That way, you will have a clear understanding of how accurate (or inaccurate) Zillow really is in our market. In the meantime, if you have any other questions about real estate, just give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

3 Things to Remember About Zillow’s Zestimates

Many real estate investors here in Phoenix have turned to vacation rentals like Airbnb for cash flow. If you're considering this kind of investment, consider these four points.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleMany real estate investors here in the Phoenix area are making big returns using Airbnb and VRBO.com. If you're thinking about using an investment property to use as a vacation rental, there are four things to keep in mind:Location: Phoenix is a destination city, so you want the property to be close to destination attractions like golf tournaments and other sporting events or things that attract winter travelers. Winter is the 'hot' season for vacation rentals.Zoning and/or HOA restrictions of the property: Some HOAs don't allow vacation rentals, so check with a property's HOA and the city's zoning codes beforehand to make sure you can use it as a vacation rental.Management: You'll want to have a management company in place to take care of it for you so you don't have to deal with tenants coming and going constantly, or the cleaning and turnaround that comes along with it. A management company will handle the bookings, cleaning, and management, making your life as the investor and owner much easier. Exit strategy: Like with any investment, think about the end goal you're shooting for. Personally, I'd be focused on the cash flow and eventually liquidating the property to move the money elsewhere. Having a property in a prime location will appreciate over time, setting you up for success in the long run.Having a property in a prime location will appreciate over time.If you have any other questions about investment properties and the benefits of vacation rentals, give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd love to speak with you!

Real Estate Investments as Vacation Rentals

Today we're looking back on our predictions for the 2017 Phoenix market compared to where we're actually at. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleBack in January, I gave four predictions for what I thought would happen this year in the Phoenix market: Homes priced under $250,000 being very competitive, interest rates, new construction, and the luxury market. Today, I wanted to break down how those predictions fared.First, we still see a lot of pressure in that first-time homebuyer price range of $250,000 and under. Currently, there are fewer than 7,300 pending sales in that price range with only about 5,800 active listings for sale. This means that in this price range, there is less than one month of inventory, which is extremely low, and it's definitely a seller's market. Multiple offers on homes are very common and it's certainly a challenge for buyers looking to get into their first home.I predicted interest rates would rise this year, which they've done with some fluctuation thanks to the stock market going up and down a bit. Overall though, rates are higher than they were last year and we expect them to keep trending up.It's challenging for buyers looking to get into their first home.With new construction sales, we're seeing the activity go up. I can personally say that more and more of my clients want to see new builds because of the fact that they're move-in ready and brand new. Finally, there's the luxury market, which I predicted would get more active this year. Between the $750,000 and $1 million price points, we have 590 pending sales and about 3,300 active listings. That makes for a balanced, healthy, and stable market with about six months worth of inventory, which is much better than it has been in recent years. Over the past few years during the recession, luxury market inventory had been as high as 24 months. Thanks for looking back on our predictions. If you have any questions about the Phoenix market or you're thinking of buying or selling a home, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'm always happy to help!

1st Quarter Predictions vs. Reality in the Phoenix Market

When pricing your home you’ll want to make sure you avoid these common pitfalls. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleMake sure you avoid these common pitfalls when pricing your home. First, don’t price your home out of the market. When buyers are searching they focus on round numbers, so they are going search up to $25,000 or $50,000 price breaks. If you are slightly over one of those price breaks because you think your home is worth a little more than that, you might be invisible to potential serious buyers. Also, keep in mind that buyers have the ability to research comparable home prices and will know if your price seems high. Second, don’t let your home sit on the market. A home that sits on the market for months does not look good to buyers. Buyers can log on to sites like Zillow and check how many days your home has been on the market, so if they think you are desperate there’s a good chance they will present a lowball offer. Buyers have the ability to research comparable home prices and will know if your price seems high.Third, an appraisal is going to reveal your home’s value. A bank uses the appraisal for the buyer’s loan, so even if a buyer agrees to a high list price, you as a seller will more than likely have to drop that price to the appraised value so the buyer can obtain their mortgage loan. Fourth, overpriced homes take a long time to sell. If your home is priced too high it can delay your plans and keep you from moving on with your life. Also, statistics show that if you overprice your home it will end up selling at the same price if not less than the price you should have sold it for originally, but it will take three to four times longer. If you have any other questions about common home selling pitfalls or if you want to know what your home is worth in our current market, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Avoid These Common Pricing Pitfalls

Should you rent a home or buy a home? There are four main reasons why owning a home is ultimately better than renting one. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleShould you rent or buy a home? Here are four things for you to consider when making the decision: 1. The average net worth of a renter is lower than that of a homeowner. The average net worth of a renter is $5,000 while the average net worth of a homeowner is $225,000. Buying a home is a great way to automatically save money by paying down the principal for your home every month. Plus, a home is an asset that will always appreciate over a long period of time. 2. It is more expensive to pay rent on a monthly basis than it is to pay off a mortgage. Mortgage rates are fixed for 30 years, while rent rises according to inflation every year when your lease is up. Your mortgage payment will stay the same, but rent always goes up.3. Owning a home comes with tax write-offs. Your mortgage interest and property taxes are deductible, so that will save you a lot of money on your income taxes and you will get a bigger tax return. 4. There are many low down payment options available out there. Here in Phoenix, there are actually several grant programs that can help first-time homebuyers purchase a property for as little as 0% down. You may have to cover some closing costs, but I’ve seen many buyers get into a home for less than $1,000 out of pocket. Buying a home can be less expensive than renting when you have to put down first and last month’s rent. As you can see, there are many benefits to owning a home rather than renting one. If you have any other questions about buying versus renting or if you would like to learn more about the home buying process, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Renting a Home vs. Buying a Home

Making a strong offer is important. Here’s how to do just that.Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleMaking a strong offer is essential in a seller’s market like the one we are seeing right now. Here are four tips that will help you make the strongest offer possible when the time comes for you to purchase a home:1. Understand how much you can afford. A mortgage pre-approval will show a home seller that you are serious about buying their home and have the financial capabilities to do so. This will give them confidence in working with you and accepting your offer.2. Act fast. Buyer demand has continued to outpace supply and we are seeing multiple offers at nearly every price point below $300,000. You need to take action right away in this market. If you sleep on it, you won’t sleep in it.3. Make a solid offer. Your strongest offer will need to be comparable with other sales in the neighborhood and represent market value. You could also include a personal letter with your offer, letting the seller know exactly why you want to buy their home. Those have helped us win out in multiple offer situations in the past.4. Be prepared to negotiate. Oftentimes, the seller will send a counteroffer. Usually, their offer revolves around the price and closing time frame. Understand that it’s likely we will get a counteroffer, and having that pre-approval in hand will give you stronger footing.Buyer demand is high, so act quickly.The bottom line is that having a professional real estate agent represent you will ultimately end up with you buying your favorite home. Our job is to make sure you secure the home of your dreams. If you have any questions for us or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

A Successful Offer in 4 Steps

If you want to update your house for a return on investment when you sell, where are the smartest places to spend your money?Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for saleIf you want to renovate or update your home, which improvements will bring you the best return on your investment when the times comes to sell?The best place to start is the kitchen because it's where people spend the most time entertaining and cooking with their family. One of the best improvements you can make is to replace your countertops; go for quartz or granite to really improve the look. The next best is the cabinets. If you have gold oak cabinets and you're upgrading to a granite or quartz countertop, consider updating the cabinet color too. Painting them white will make them look clean and modern and won't cost you much. Finally, look into a new backsplash. Subway tile is very popular right now and will really update your kitchen at a low cost. The second best room to update is your bathrooms. It can cost up to $15,000 to redo a bathroom completely, though. Recently, many clients have updated their plumbing fixtures like the shower and sink and have updated the lighting fixtures as well. Go for a brushed nickel or chrome finish to make it modern. You can also get an old tub or tile shower re-coated to make it look brand new. This can update the look of your bathroom and won't cost as much as a full shower or tub replacement. Your kitchen is the best place to spend money on updates.Next, you can always count on paint. I always say that paint costs $40 a gallon and is $1,000 when you put it on the wall. Fresh paint will give your house that clean, updated look without breaking the bank, but go for a color that complements the style of the home. If you haven't completely renovated your house, stay away from super modern colors. Much of it depends on the house, so if you have any questions about the specific upgrades that will work best in your home, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help!

The Smartest Home Upgrades to Add Value

Purchasing a home comes with some hidden costs. Today I’ll go over what those costs are and how to prepare for them. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value reportWant to buy a home? Search all homes for salePurchasing a home is one of the biggest financial transactions you’ll ever make, which is why you should know the money you’ll end up spending goes beyond the sticker price. There are a few things you should do in order to be prepared for hidden costs. The first thing you need to do is check the amount of your property taxes. Although here in Arizona we have some of the lowest property taxes in the nation, taxes are going up in some areas due to increasing home values. If the property you are buying has an HOA, look at the history of their assessments and things that the community might need. You don’t want to get hit with an extra cost, so being aware of that is always smart. Your electric bills might end up being more than you expect.Something else you have to take into consideration is your utilities. Your electric bills might end up being more than you expect, so make sure you get billing history in order to prepare for high summer costs. Most importantly, make sure your A/C unit is running efficiently. Lastly, don’t forget about furnishing your house. Many buyers forget to consider the costs of moving, what furniture they are going to keep, what they are going to need to buy, and other things that go into physically moving from one space to another. Those things can add up, so keep furnishing your home in mind when you set your budget.  If you have any other questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’m always happy to help. 

What Are the Hidden Costs of Buying a Home?

If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Kevin Langan - your professional Real Estate Agent.

Kevin Langan Phoenix Real Estate Podcast​

Kevin Langan Phoenix Real Estate Podcast