Editor’s Note: This was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. See what else is cookin’ now at blog.rismedia.com:
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Forecasters say that mortgage rates above 4 percent are here to stay. With that in mind, it’s important to realize what high mortgage rates mean and how they affect your current and future real estate investments.
As a seasoned real estate investor and house flipper, I’ve seen a lot of changes come and go in the housing market. I’ve come to realize that even the toughest and hottest housing market can still leave investors reaping the rewards.
Right now, prices for houses are higher due to the extremely low supply of homes. Very few homes are being built, especially in the low end-range. While it may seem like it’s slim pickings in terms of real estate investing, there are still good deals available; it just takes time and savvy investing smarts to find them.
Even though there are fewer listings in today’s market, rising prices present opportunities for people to sell homes that need work. While there are opportunities in both buyers’ and sellers’ markets, my advice when it comes to real estate investing is to always leave yourself plenty of room for unknown costs or changes in the market. That way, you can flip in good, bad or even mediocre markets. The trick is never assuming prices will increase and accounting for all costs. Investors get in the biggest trouble when markets change and they bought based on estimated future appreciation.
Real estate agents have also felt the effects of the current housing market. Along with the market changes and higher rates, real estate agents are competing in a smaller pool of homes. There are many buyers and prices are rising. Normally this makes a good seller’s market, which is good for agents, but this market is different because there are so few homes for sale. (Agents love a seller’s market, but not when there are no homes to sell!) They are suffering under fewer sales and less money, causing many to drop out of the business altogether. The bright spot for investors is that agents still in the game have much more time on their hands and investors may be able to find hungry agents who have both the time and the drive to find them deals.
As far as worrying about the current political climate, I don’t think the market will change much based on new policies. If anything, lending guidelines will get looser, making it easier to get loans. Prices are higher, but if you invest wisely based on ratios and profit margins, you can make money with low or high prices. It can be tougher to get cash flow on rentals in a hot market, but there are many markets in the U.S. that are still great for rental property investing. I think supply and demand are the biggest factors when looking at housing prices, and supply is not going to increase for single-family homes any time soon, so bear that in mind.
While rising mortgage interest rates can hurt buyer demand and buying power, you can still make money in real estate no matter what the market is like. It takes a huge jump in rates to significantly affect buying power.
Furthermore, I don’t think rates will cause a housing crash, either. The last crash happened because of inflated demand caused by loose lending guidelines. The builders over-built, and it all started to crumble when everyone realized how many people who should have never gotten a loan in the first place got one they really couldn’t afford. This time around, the people who are getting loans have much stronger financial capabilities and stability. There is also not the over-building that caused issues we saw in the past. So, even if there is a crash, many investors will do just fine. In fact, the last crash created more tenants and increased rents in some areas, while prices decreased. The trick is creating equity by purchasing below market, buying with cash flow, and not over-leveraging.
Regardless of the current interest rates, people will always buy and sell homes, which means there will always be opportunity to make money flipping or as a landlord.
Mark Ferguson is a real estate agent, real estate investor, author and the creator of Investfourmore.com.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of RISMedia.
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