Housing prices have continuously fluctuated throughout history, so when someone decides they want to buy a house, it is not as simple as just going on the Internet and finding one for sale. It is important to consider trends and factors which impact the housing market. Many factors must come into consideration, so education is key. Personal factors include if it fits the needs of the person’s family, location, functionality, and personal budget. However, education must also include understanding the factors which influence the overall housing market. This means once a potential home buyer knows what he or she wants, price should be their main concern. There are some very significant factors which affect real estate prices that people just cannot ignore.

The Biggest Factors Affecting Real Estate Prices

The biggest factors affecting real estates prices in this day and age can vary widely by region. There are many factors to consider when examining prices. This includes appraisal value, economic indicators, inspection reports, interest rates, and potential investors. A few other factors to observe would be neighborhood comps, property location, and updates/upgrades.

Appraisal Value

The appraisal is the official procedure the real estate industry uses for pricing. An appraisal value is an analysis of the property’s worth that occurs during the mortgage origination process. The analysis of the property’s worth is based on a given date and is executed by a professional appraiser. Appraisals are especially important when it comes to securing home equity loans and financing a property. If a loan is greater than the appraised amount, then most lenders will not approve of the loan. This means if the assessed value is lacking, the buyer needs to either put additional money down to reduce the proposed loan amount, or the seller has to lower the price. Moreover, the bank will not approve the loan – at the expense of the seller most times – if the appraiser concludes that there is a structural issue.

Economic Indicators

An economic indicator is a statistic regarding economic activity. There are leading indicators, and lagging indicators. A leading indicator can be used to foresee future trends and can be described as an indicator that frequently adjusts prior to huge economic adjustments. A lagging indicator, on the other hand, is a change in the economy that is only observable after an economic pattern has been put into place and display the economy’s historical performance. A consumer’s capability to support housing prices relies heavily on factors such as unemployment, income growth, and GDP. Significant property price reduction occurs within local economies with sizable amounts of real estate available.

Interest Rates

Federal interests rates usually refer to the Federal Reserve's overnight borrowing rate for depository institutions. This plays a significant role in how mortgage rates and housing prices are set up because banks borrow money based on this set cost. Lower mortgage rates are typically a result of lower interest rates. Consequently, the monthly mortgage payments a home-buyer is required to pay for a given mortgage amount is decreased. A loan becomes more budget friendly for potential home-buyers when the monthly payment is reduced. However this can dramatically escalate the size of the mortgage and property prices. Current interest rates are at a near-historic low, but the Federal Reserve has indicated a potential increase in interest rates by the end of the year. If history is accurate, this should display itself as a rise in mortgage interest rates.

Property Location

When determining property prices, in terms of location, economists summarize it as something referred to as “hedonic pricing”. This, for many homes, gives way to some significant factors that can influence a person’s life and lifestyle. Here are some of them down below:

• A frequently important factor is the quality of schools for buyers with children who are of age
• Local employment opportunities within the vicinity are a high priority for people who can work
• Younger buyers value the closeness to social, shopping, and recreational centers, but this is a major part in pricing for all home-buyers.

Updates and Upgrades

There are some buyers who actively search for fixer-upper properties. Renovating these homes can potentially raise property value substantially. For example, a new roof typically regains greater than 80% of its worth when the house is sold. Another example of this is that manufactured stone veneers and steel entry doors tend to give homeowners the most return on investment upon selling their premises. The most significant upgrades are renovated bathrooms and kitchens, because they designate a major cost if the buyer has to update them. However, the majority of home-buyers favor a house which for immediate occupancy and are willing to pay a sensible premium for that comfort.