Mortgage Archives – Page 4 of 7 – Michigan Real Estate News

Spring Homebuying Season Accelerates

March 28, 2022/in SE Michigan /by Tracy Willis

The metro Detroit housing market is off and running in the spring homebuying season. Redfin is reporting that almost 3/4 of homes on the market in metro Detroit are receiving multiple offers. Buyers are offering well above list price, free occupancy for sellers who are waiting for their next home purchase, and appraisal guarantees. Some are even paying closing costs. First-time home buyers and those financed with government-backed loans are at a disadvantage.

Detroit’s January Home Sales Up, Southeast Michigan’s Down

February 21, 2022/in Detroit, SE Michigan /by Tracy Willis

Detroit’s housing market continues to thrive. Sales and prices are rising at a rate unlike others in the metro area. January’s median sales price was almost a third higher than a year ago. Sales are up 3 percent. They’re down in other areas of the region. The number of homes on the market in Detroit is up more than 26 percent. Across southeast Michigan, sales are down 8.8 percent, and listings have decreased 4.3 percent. Supply continues to be lower than the high demand. Homes are selling faster because there are fewer houses on the market, causing buyers to jump on homes quicker.

Southeast Michigan Housing Market Increases Continue

February 14, 2022/in SE Michigan /by Tracy Willis

Low inventory and increased demand caused the upswing of the 2021 Southeast Michigan housing market. Some areas in the city of Detroit saw the biggest increase in sale prices. One area’s prices jumped an incredible 68%. Detroit had more sales than anywhere in the region, with 2021 marking an 11.1% increase over 2020 and a median value increase of 33.6%. One broker’s theory is that the increase in sales in the city comes from landlords who decided they wanted to get out when the Duggan administration enforced certificates of compliance in order to be eligible for full distributions of coronavirus relief funds.

Overtaxed Detroit Homeowners Wait for Reparations

January 24, 2022/in Detroit, SE Michigan /by Tracy Willis

Over-assessed Detroit homeowners are waiting for compensation from the city. Between 2010 and 2016, the city of Detroit overtaxed homeowners by at least $600 million. Detroit City Council President and the Coalition for Property Tax Justice have set forth a tentative plan for compensation and restoration of residents’ dignity. The illegal overassessments led to 100,000 Detroiters losing their homes when they should not have. The state constitution states that property can not be assessed at more than 50% of its market value, and yet the city assessed 55%-85% of its property in violation of that law. There are four categories of residents that are eligible for compensation if they owned and occupied a home that was overtaxed between 2009 and 2020. Depending on the category residents fall under, a variety of compensation options are available to fit their individual needs.

Michigan’s Rental Aid is Backlogged as Need Continues Rise

January 10, 2022/in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Northern Michigan, SE Michigan, Western Michigan /by Tracy Willis

173,000 tenants have applied for the statewide rent aid program that was launched to help renters avoid eviction and meet their payments. Wayne County makes up about one-third of the applicants. Detroiters make up 22% of the rent help applicants. According to the chief operating officer of the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, they continue to see high numbers of requests for support. The Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey reports that between Dec. 1 and Dec. 13, more than 100,000 Michiganders said they were behind on rent or mortgage payments. Less than half of the applications for assistance were approved as of January 7. Statewide, wait time between application and approval averages 35 to 40 days. In Wayne County, that wait time may take as long as 10 weeks. MSHDA has hired staff combat the backlog and high numbers of applications in Wayne County

U.S. Home Prices Increased in October

January 3, 2022/in National /by Tracy Willis

Residential Sale Prices Continue Upward Trend

December 27, 2021/in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Northern Michigan, SE Michigan, Western Michigan /by Tracy Willis

Prospective buyers in Michigan’s housing market placed higher bids in 2021. A lack of inventory caused a 13.8% increase in residential sale prices in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. There was a 3% increase in total sales. Branch County, Detroit, Bay County, Sanilac County and Mason, Oceana and Manistee counties reported higher than 20% increases in housing prices. Gratiot, Isabella, St. Joseph, Greater Shiawassee and Hillsdale counties reported less than 7% housing price increases. Antrim, Charlevoix and Kalkaska were the only to counties to report a decrease in home prices (-0.7%).

The Housing Market May Be Calming Down

December 13, 2021/in National, SE Michigan /by Tracy Willis

Experts say the housing market is may be approaching normalcy for 2022. Home prices should continue to rise, but the pace of the increase will be slower than the last two years. Buyers will continue to outnumber sellers which means home inventory will remain low. Jeannette Schneider, president of RE/MAX of Southeastern Michigan predicts that home values will increase 8-10 percent in 2022. Other experts say models suggest that in October 2022, prices will be 12.8 percent higher than the the year before. The going will continue to be rough for first time home owners.

Expiring Covid Mortgage Bailouts Problematic for Thousands

December 6, 2021/in National /by Tracy Willis

As Covid-related mortgage bailout programs expire, hundreds of thousands of homeowners may lose or sell their homes. Out of options, borrowers who lost too much income or their businesses during the pandemic could take advantage of high equity in their homes and sell. However, data shows that has not been the trend. About a third of borrowers with at least 40% equity in their homes still go into foreclosure. Over 7 million bailed out borrowers are current on their mortgage payments. Some sold their homes or refinanced them to afford the mortgages. About half a million are in loss litigation with lenders.

Michigan Renters & Landlords Still Wait For Relief

October 11, 2021/in Detroit, SE Michigan /by Tracy Willis

Nearly two-thirds of metro Detroit residents are still behind on their rent or mortgage, despite the millions of dollars in federal funds that have been sent to provide relief. Many face eviction or foreclosure in the next two months. Michigan allocated $425 million through the end of September through the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance program. Thousands of people are still looking for aid. According to a census survey, 64 percent of metro Detroit residents are not current on payments for their homes.

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