Scott MacDonald

April 2022 Market Update

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How about this weather? Cold temps, blustery winds, snow, sleet, and sometimes sunshine and warm temperatures all on the same day. It’s so crazy; I can’t figure out what to wear today! These conditions remind me of the real estate market in Northern Virginia this last month. One house had 100 visitors and multiple contracts in two days; another had 15 visitors and one contract in four days – in the same neighborhood one week apart. We also have a house that has been on the market for more than two weeks with just a handful of showings and no ratified contract. As I always advise, you must have the house in pristine condition, priced right, and in a great location to get the most activity as well as contracts. If you think you can sell anything in this market, you are far from reality.

The real question of the month is, “when should I put my house on the market?” Interest rates have impacted the market as they continue to rise. We’ve had the most volatile few weeks of increases, with rates topping out at over 5%. This has some buyers looking to buy sooner rather than later (many believe rates will continue to rise), and they want to get in today. Another aspect to consider when I’m asked this question is the number of houses for sale – especially in your neighborhood. Overall, in Northern Virginia, inventory levels are down 29% from this same time last year – but inventory is rising. I also consider pricing when answering this question. Prices are up over 9% from last year, but with rising interest rates, inflation, and more homes for sale, price increases will not be as substantial as earlier this year. My answer is simple – get your house on the market sooner rather than later. Call me today if you are considering selling and want to see how this impacts you.

So how does all this impact buyers? If you are financially stable to buy a home, don’t wait – just go for it. Remember to buy for the right reasons – lifestyle, distance to work, and schools to name a few, just don’t forget what your why is. Don’t expect mortgage rates or home prices to come down because neither is going to happen for the foreseeable future. Waiting will cost you more. As the saying goes, ‘don’t wait to buy real estate; buy real estate and wait.’ If you are thinking about buying, call me, and we can discuss your situation in more detail.

In the meantime, have a great spring. Hopefully, the weather will begin to normalize soon!

Hot & Sticky… The Northern Virginia Real Estate Market

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The real estate market continues to be hot – just like the weather.independence day  Inventory levels remain below 7,800 active properties for sale in Northern Virginia.  Last year at this time we had over 9,550 – quite a difference.  There is pent up demand but we are lacking “really good” inventory.  We have buyers that would move up if they found something suitable in a higher price points but nothing seems to be coming on to help with this situation.  So here are a few quick stats on the overall market:

  • Sales of existing homes reached the highest annual pace in over 9 years at 5.29 million.
  • Inventory remains below the 6-month norm and prices are still on the rise, however, this is very hyper-local so ask me for details.
  • Interest rates are at a historic low of 3.48%.

Now, just like the weather, things can be a little sticky…if properties get priced too high, they are sitting on the market.  They are getting lookers, just no offers which at times has led to frustration for our sellers.  It is important to keep in mind proper pricing today is still critical.  To learn more about how we can help you with selling your home, feel free to call me.

The big news recently has been Brexit and how it will affect us in the United States.  Well, virtually immediately, interest rates on mortgages dropped to three year lows.  The good news is they are expected to stay this way for a while.  There is speculation that International investors may sell off their holdings in the UK and invest in the US which could be good news for cities like Washington, DC, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles – let’s keep an eye out for this movement.  The overall sentiment is we may not see its full impact for years but in the short term it will be good for the US housing market.

As always, we are here to help with any questions you may have regarding the Northern Virginia real estate market and have a safe, fun and enjoyable July 4th celebration.

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway

Scott’s Market Minute – Robust Spring Housing Market Expected

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Scott MacDonald’s Northern Virginia real estate housing market trends, local statistics and how this can impact your buying or selling a home  click to play video

Contact Scott MacDonald 702-652-5777 Broker for RE/MAX Gateway for more information and a personal assessment to meet your goals.

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway

 

Unlike the weather out there…the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market is HOT!

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Very Low Inventory + Lots of Buyers = Good News for Sellers!  click to play

Thinking about selling your home?  Contact Scott MacDonald 702-652-5777 for more information and a personal assessment to meet your real estate goals.

Scotts Market Minute 2016FEB12

Now is a great time to buy and sell a home in Northern Virginia!

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway

Northern Virginia Real Estate – Optimism and Home Buying are in the air for 2016

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We continue to have great optimism about home sales in 2016 despite the storm of the century just a few short weeks ago.  We are experiencing a mild winter and agents are building momentum into the spring market making this a great time to buy or sell a home. optimistic heart line Interest rates are phenomenal despite the Federal Reserve raising their rates.
Inventory levels are below last year’s level year-to-date and the great news is, sales are up.  We have pent up demand for housing in Northern Virginia which can be seen when visiting open houses on weekends and our listings are getting great activity throughout the week.  Today’s buyers are serious and are taking action on homes that are staged well, in condition and priced right.  In many cases, we are seeing multiple contracts.

In looking back at 2015, through November, sales of both new and existing homes had increased over the previous year.  According to a recent release from the Department of Commerce, new home sales in 2015 came in at 490,000—the best numbers since August of 2015.  We expect these numbers to increase throughout 2016 as well.  Builders have expressed multiple times they are optimistic as well.

Basic information on the economy shows us that unemployment is at a 7-year low, wages are 5% higher than a year ago, and home prices continue – moderately.  Let’s hope this trend continues as we definitely need higher paying jobs in our area.

One area of potential concern today is in the refinance boom of 2005-2007.  During this time, many borrowers took out 10-year mortgages that were interest only and their reset dates are now coming into maturity.  This means their loan balance is now amortized over 20 years for the last 20 years of the loan increasing their monthly payments significantly.  Add to this potential issue is many of the homes used to collateralize these loans have not gotten back to the value of where they were making it difficult to refinance again.  This could result in short sales and foreclosures.  Let’s pay attention to how this plays out.

As you know, if you have any questions or concerns, you can call, text or email me anytime.  We are here to help you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway

Northern Virginia Real Estate, Housing Inventory and Snowmagedon 2016

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Scott MacDonald video update about the local housing market statistics and the impact on buying and selling a home in Northern Virginia – even with Winter Storm Jonas and the possibility of Snowmageddon 2016!  click to play video

Scott Market Minute 2016JAN22

Now is a great time to buy and sell a house!

Contact Scott MacDonald 702-652-5777 Broker for RE/MAX Gateway for more information and a personal assessment of your housing goals.

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway

Buckle up and hold on tight! 2016 Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update

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Wow, 2015 flew by in a blink of an eye and I am sure 2016 will as well.  As Happy New Year 2016 from REMAX GatewayI mentioned in my previous market updates, we pretty much enjoyed a stable market for housing in 2015.  I expect things to pick up in 2016 because of all the recent activity.  Many of our agents have been working through the holidays with clients and I too have been meeting with both buyers and sellers looking to make moves in 2016 – more so than any other recent December.  So buckle up, the market will be moving forward in a positive direction.

A few areas in the mortgage arena for us to keep our eyes on are rising interest rates and loan products.  Now that the Fed has raised their rate, mortgage interest rates are now just above 4%.  Still great, don’t get me wrong, but they are just a tad higher than where they have been most of 2015.  The other interesting thing to watch with mortgages are the new programs coming into the market.  Fannie Mae now has a low down payment loan to compete with FHA loans.  These loans compete because the down payment can be a gift so buyers don’t need to have their own money saved for the down payment.  Additionally, I have read there are potentially no down payment loans coming back into the market soon.  These two loan products could help Millennial buyers enter the market sooner as they have not been able to save for their down payments due to high rents, student loan debt and lower paying jobs.  This is important because Millenials will be the largest home buying demographic once they can afford to buy.

Something else to watch is as sales continue to rise, prices too will follow – hopefully at a sustainable rate and not like the San Francisco market or our market from 2002-2006.  Home ownership is extremely important to wealth building and consistent growth in prices help this happen for many people.  We don’t need an escalating housing price market like we had in the past, as no one wins in the end.  I would expect a 3-5% increase in housing overall in Northern Virginia.  Some areas will see more, others less, so please ask me about your home’s value if you are interested.

As always, if you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell a home, I am here to help so please feel free to call me.  Here is to making 2016 one of your best years ever!  Happy New Year!

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway
4090B Lafayette Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151
Offices strategically located throughout Northern Virginia.

Economic Forecast for 2016 and what it means to the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market

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Happy Holidays!  Sorry for the delay this month but I wanted to have our Economic Summit with Dr. Stephen Fuller to fill you in on what is coming down the pike for our economy here in Northern Virginia.happy holidays from REMAX gateway

This year sales remained strong and higher than last year indicating we are still in an improving market.  Prices are stable as we wait for higher paying jobs which happened in the last local jobs report.  Higher paying jobs, along with lower inventory will put upward prices on houses in the future.  Next year will be even better than this year but it appears as if 2017 will be the best year of the decade so we have that to look forward to in housing.  Also, new home starts as well as sales are projected to increase in this same manner which will create even more jobs for our local economy.

Additionally, we see no reason that the Continuing Resolution bill will not pass and be implemented which will lead to the first of 8 interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.  Both announcements are due the second and third week of December.  The mortgage interest rates published today already have this rise in rates priced into them so we are not expecting a spike in mortgage interest rates next week when it is announced.  It is projected that by 2018, the Fed rate will be about 3.25% and mortgage interest rates will be around 6%.

Our job market will continue to grow in mostly higher paying jobs but the food and leisure jobs still are the strongest in our economy.  Professional Services and Health Care are coming on strong and this is where the higher paying jobs are for us.  This trend will continue for the next few years.

All in all, a bright forecast for our real estate market just in time for the holidays!  If you would like a copy of the presentation he gave us, please let me know and I will send it to you.

Enjoy this time of year with your friends and family and please be safe!  Until next year, Happy Holidays!

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway
4090B Lafayette Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151
Offices strategically located throughout Northern Virginia.

 

7 Success Tips for a Mastermind Group

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As I was thinking of ways to improve my Platinum Club meetings I came up with this little agenda for myself and thought you could use them in your mastermind or round-table discussions:

  • Have the group discuss one thing that was currently working really well in their business.  What activities are giving them their biggest bang for the buck?
  • Ask about what one thing they need help on,are struggling with, or want to brainstorm on in this session.
  • What oneresource, such as a blog, podcast, service, product that they believed others in the group would appreciate knowing about and they are getting benefit from.
  • Encourage everyone to speak – ask pointed questions about the market, marketing, lead gen, upcoming events, and networking successes plus make sure everyone answers a question but don’t let one person dominate the conversations.  Spread the wealth so to speak.
  • Have agents share disappointments as well so others learn from their mistakes or can help them approach the situation differently to be more successful next time.
  • Group members can also help you to tap into other skill sets and networks. They may be able to fill gaps in your own knowledge, or introduce you to key people in different industries or from different backgrounds.  Have agents meet with top producing agents in the office or from other companies and report back what they learned.  Could also meet with lenders and title people as well – the biggest thing is to get them out in front of people.
  • Also, by meeting regularly and holding one another accountable for achieving their goals, members of our groups can inspire one another to stay on track. Knowing that you have to share your progress in the next meeting can spur you on, so that you don’t let the group down. Have everyone set one goal prior to leaving.  Then in two weeks, ask them how it is going (or remind them of their goal) so they can report back the following month.
  • Finally, you can also lean on one other for support – remind them this is one of the biggest benefits to the group and will help them grow, support of others.

By getting everyone involved in the conversation, they feel included and it helps them to gain confidence in what they are doing.

Get it? Got it? Good!

Ready to join a Mastermind Group? Give me a call 703-652-5777

Scott MacDonald

RE/MAX Gateway

4 Most Important questions we ask this time of year: Are the kids back in school yet? How was your Summer? How is the Real Estate Market? How are Interest Rates?

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Wow, the summer real flew by this year.  Swim meets, baseball games, family vacations and house sales all made time fly. As school begins and Labor Day is upon us, we generally see a little slow down in our market but a few weeks into September and through the first few weeks of November we see the market generally pick back up and this year should be no different.

In my daily routine I often run into friends, past clients, other real estate professionals and of course my agents.  The question most asked is “how’s the market”.  The answer is always, “it depends”.  Are you a buyer, seller or are you looking to rent or are you a landlord PLUS, where are you speaking about the market specifically?  The reason is, it is different under each scenario and in different locations.  Real estate is and will always remain, hyperlocal.  Generally speaking, the Northern Virginia market is better than it was last year.  We have more sales, prices are stable, but there are also more homes for sale.  There are pockets where inventory is low and others where inventory is increasing making it even more important today to speak with a professional about your situation in more detail.

The second most asked question is “how are interest rates and are they going up anytime soon?”  Mortgage interest rates remain great hovering right around 4% for 30 year fixed loans.  A few months ago the Fed spoke about raising rates around this time but with the recent financial market setback and the fact that the job market for higher paying jobs is still flat, it appears a rate hike is not likely.  Additionally, with an election year just ahead of us, no one will be eager to raise them while trying to get re-elected or be in favor of an increase if they are trying to get elected.  Therefore, it does not appear we will see an increase in rates anytime soon keeping our interest rate environment stable.  To learn more, please feel free to call me.

So, kick back and enjoy the Labor Day holiday with friends and family as I climb Mount Kilimanjaro.  I will report back about our great adventure next month.  We are accepting donations until October 3rd so please feel free to help our cause by visiting http://fundraise.thelastwell.org/scottymac and make a difference in the lives of others.

Thank you!

Scott MacDonald