2020 - The Year That's Good for Selling and Buying

2019 was a good time to sell.

It doesn't always happen this way, but sometimes, the sweet spot for selling and buying collide. 2020 is the year where this is the case. Real estate prices are largely unscathed, and interest rates are low. Both sellers and buyers win. 

2021 is going to be a good time buy. Price will have slowed (at least I think anyway!) and interest rates will still be low. In fact, I think through 2022 will be a good time to buy.

Good News for Investors

Those who own multiple homes and investment properties have some good news coming. With housing prices high and more or less remaining high (even with micro ups and downs), more people will remain renters. Many who have thought of buying will continue to rent longer.  And more renters means more demand for rental housing. Landlords can expect to benefit from this.

A client of mine was planning on selling to buy a larger home. I ran some numbers and it turns out she would have pretty good cash flow on her current home since rents have gone up a lot in her neighborhood. And her property isn't under rent control laws. Her lender has increased her borrowing amount based on this potential income. She is now going to keep this property, rent it out, and buy her larger dream home. This is when real estate gets fun.

Buying vs Selling in a Changing Market

ARGUMENTS FOR SELLING:

1. We've reached another height

2. There are talks of plateauing and possibly even microdips in the market

3. You have amazing equity and can upgrade from the starter pad to a forever home

Words of wisdom when selling: Be patient and smart. You will have to have your home in great shape and priced right with a local realtor who knows what's up in the area.

ARGUMENTS FOR BUYING:

1. Rents are through the roof, and still going up due to high demand and low supply

2. Why pay your landlord's mortgage?

3. Population in LA keeps growing

Words of wisdom when buying: Look at the big picture. Inventory is low, and it's still a seller's market. So bid wisely. Do not nitpick about overbidding 5k here, 5k there. Over a 30 year fixed, that's like $3/mo. And try to be less emotional about the things that can be changed, such as ugly carpets.