Molly Cheung -Real Estate Expert in Bay Area

08/01/2023

Bay Area Housing Market Trends- Good news to Bay Area Seller

In May 2023, there were 1.5 months of unsold inventory in the Bay Area—which is the lowest supply level statewide—according to a report from the California Association of Realtors (CAR).

Additionally, the median days on the market for home listings is 13 days in the June CAR report, which is notably less than the national median of 43 days. Statewide, the median days on the market is a mere 17 days—a 150% increase year-over-year. While most home listings sell quickly in California, that statewide increase reveals slowing buyer demand.

There are also fewer sellers listing homes in 2023 versus 2022. For example, CAR reports that active listings in May 2023 were down 27.5% year-over-year. There were only 3,574 new listings compared to 4,928 in May 2022.

In addition to fewer listings, CAR reports 23.8% fewer sales over the past year.

Prices Are Declining But Remain High
Bay Area home prices peaked in the spring of 2022 and have been trending downwards. However, inventory remains tight, which is keeping prices elevated and benefits sellers.

CAR reports that the Bay Area sales price-to-list ratio was 102.6% in May 2023. A reading above 100 signals buyers are paying more than the asking price. As a result, plenty of in-demand homes are still selling for more than the list price as inventory remains low.

While homes are still expensive on a historical basis, the median existing home price for a Bay Area home in May 2023 was $1.3 million. That’s a decline of 11.3% year-over-year for the entire area.

Source from Forber Advisor

根據加州房地產經紀人協會 (CAR) 的報告，2023 年 5 月，灣區有 1.5 個月的未售出庫存，這是全州供應水平最低的。

此外，6 月份 CAR 報告中房屋掛牌市場平均天數為 13 天，明顯低於全國 43 天的中位數。 全州範圍內，上市天數中位數僅為 17 天，同比增長 150%。 雖然加州大多數掛牌房屋銷售很快，但全州範圍內的增長表明買家需求正在放緩。

與 2022 年相比，2023 年掛牌房屋的賣家也有所減少。例如，CAR 報告稱，2023 年 5 月的活躍掛牌房屋數量同比下降了 27.5%。 新掛牌房屋數量僅為 3,574 套，而 2022 年 5 月為 4,928 套。

除了上市數量減少之外，CAR 報告稱，去年的銷量也減少了 23.8%。

價格下降但仍居高不下
灣區房價在 2022 年春季達到頂峰，之後一直呈下降趨勢。 然而，庫存仍然緊張，這導致價格上漲並有利於賣家。

CAR 報告稱，2023 年 5 月灣區的銷售價格與掛牌價之比為 102.6%。讀數高於 100 表明買家支付的價格高於要價。 因此，由於庫存仍然很低，許多需求旺盛的房屋的售價仍然高於標價。

雖然從歷史角度來看，房價仍然昂貴，但 2023 年 5 月灣區現有房屋的中位價為 130 萬美元。 整個地區同比下降 11.3%。

07/19/2023

3 Tips for Investing in Real Estate During High Interest Rates
Do you want to invest in real estate in a fluctuating market? It's certainly not impossible, and you might be able to use some of these tips to guide your investing strategy so you can be successful.
1. Buy if you can
2. Consider the long-term strategy
3. Leverage ARM and short-term loans

Buy if you can
Higher interest rates will lead to higher borrowing costs. This will take many buyers out of the market and lead to less demand and possibly lower prices. If you can afford to buy a property during a time of high interest rates, it could be a worthwhile investment. Due to the drop in demand, many home sellers will try to take their homes off the market, with little success. If you have funds available, you can negotiate a lower asking price by making a competitive offer (e.g., cash).

Consider the long-term strategy
Buying a rental property can give you high returns, especially if you decide on a long-term strategy. When the Fed raises rates and borrowing becomes more expensive, demand for rental homes and apartments will increase as many would-be homebuyers will struggle to secure mortgages and will need to re-rent. A rental property in the right neighborhood can be a good investment that will increase in value over time and help you hedge against inflation.

Leveraging ARMs and short-term loans
As a real estate investor, if you want a lower interest rate for a fixed term with some predictability in your payments, an ARM (adjustable-rate-mortgage) loan might be a good option. This is especially lucrative for investors with a short-term fix-and-flip strategy, as your goal is to sell the property before the fixed-rate period ends. You can also use an ARM loan for a long-term strategy and refinance a fixed-rate mortgage after a few years when rates drop.
Here are some examples of adjustable rate mortgages
• Hybrid ARM. A hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage, also known as a fixed-term adjustable-rate mortgage, is a combination of a fixed-rate mortgage and an adjustable-rate mortgage. After the fixed rate period ends, the rate becomes adjustable. The most common hybrid ARM is 5/1, which means a five-year fixed rate followed by an adjustable rate that resets every year.
• Interest-only ARM. An interest-only ARM is an adjustable mortgage where you only pay interest on the first installment of the loan, so you don't have to pay off the principal later. Interest-only payments can be for a fixed term or for the entire term of the loan. The latter means that you end up paying the principal in one lump sum. Note that you do not build equity during the interest-only period, so your repayments will increase after it ends.
• Payment option ARM. Payment Options ARM offers the buyer a choice of payment options such as 30 or 40 year amortized payments, interest only or minimum payment options.
• With so many financing options available, you can still invest in real estate during periods of high inflation. You just need to develop an investment strategy and align with local real estate and mortgage professionals to help you invest for the long term.

高息時期房地產投資的 3 個秘訣
那麼，您想在市場波動的情況下投資房地產嗎？這當然不是不可能的，您也許可以利用其中一些技巧來指導您的投資策略，從而獲得成功。
1. 如果可以就買
2. 考慮長期戰略
3. 利用 ARM 和短期貸款

如果可以的話就買
較高的利率將導致較高的借貸成本。這將使許多買家退出市場，並導致需求減少，並可能導致價格下降。如果您有能力在高利率時期購買房產，這可能是一項值得的投資。由於需求下降，許多房屋賣家將試圖將自己的房屋從市場上撤出，但效果不佳。如果您有可用資金，您可以通過提出有競爭力的報價（例如：現金，無意外費用）來協商較低的要價。

考慮長期戰略
購買出租房產可以讓您獲得高回報，特別是如果您決定長期策略的話。當美聯儲加息時，借貸變得更加昂貴，對出租房屋和公寓的需求將會增加，因為許多潛在購房者將難以獲得抵押貸款，並且需要重新租房。位於合適社區的出租房產可能是一項很好的投資，可以隨著時間的推移增值，並幫助您對沖通貨膨脹。

利用 ARM 和短期貸款
作為房地產投資者，如果您想在固定期限內獲得較低的利率，並獲得一定的付款可預測性，那麼 ARM( adjustable-rate-mortgage)貸款可能是一個不錯的選擇。對於採用短期固定和翻轉策略的投資者來說，這尤其有利可圖，因為您的目標是在固定利率期結束之前出售房產。您還可以將 ARM 貸款用於長期戰略，並在幾年後利率下降後為固定利率抵押貸款再融資。
以下是可調整利率抵押貸款的一些示例
• 混合 ARM。混合可調利率抵押貸款，也稱為固定期限可調利率抵押貸款，是固定利率抵押貸款和可調利率抵押貸款的組合。固定利率期結束後，利率轉為可調利率。最常見的混合 ARM 是 5/1，這意味著五年固定，然後每年重置的可調利率。
• 只付利息 ARM。只付息 ARM 是一種可調整抵押貸款，您只需在貸款的第一期支付利息，因此您無需在以後還清本金。只付利息可以是固定期限的，也可以是整個貸款期限的。後者意味著您最終將一次性支付本金。請注意，在只還利息期間，您並沒有建立股本，因此您的還款額會在其結束後增加。
• 付款選項 ARM。付款選項 ARM 為買方提供了多種付款選項可供選擇，例如 30 或 40 年攤銷付款、只付利息或最低付款等選項。
• 由於有如此多的融資選擇，您仍然可以在高通脹時期投資房地產。您只需要製定投資策略，並與當地的房地產和抵押貸款專業人士保持一致，以幫助您做好長期投資。

07/18/2023

Quick tips for visiting Open Houses.
It is the peak season to visit open houses during the Summertime. Please pay attention to ten key points:
#1 Feel the actual sense of space in the home. As it can be very different when you see the pictures in the website.
#2 Look at the layout of the house. Is it comfortable for you and your family?
#3 Observe the natural lighting and direction.
#4 Understand what house is nearly updated. In case you can prepare how much you need to pay to upgrade if you buy the house.
#5 Regarding the foundation, pay attention to whether the ground is flat and whether there are cracks in the wall.
#6 Is there any peculiar smell in the house?
#7 Listen to whether there will be noise. Is it quiet?
#8 What is the degree of privacy?
#9 Get to know your neighbors and the community. Is it safe?
#10 Consult with a real estate professional broker for details like HOA, inspection, termite, cash offer, etc.

Free feel to contact me for any questions.

買家如何高效專業看Open House?
大家應注意十大重點。1. 感受房子實際空間感。2.看房子的佈局。3.觀察採光及方向。4.了解房子裝修。5. 地基方面可注意地面是否平坦，牆上是否有裂縫。6.房子是否有異味。7.靜聽會否有噪音。8.穩私度如何。9.了解鄰舍及社區。10.與房產專業經紀了解其他細節。
如遇買賣房問題，歡迎咨詢。

07/13/2023

Hi- welcome to my new platform on Facebook! I am a realtor who serves in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am going to share my experiences, my knowledge, and some good houses with you! I’m dedicated to my clients, and I really go to bat for them. If you’re ready to buy a home, I’m here to represent you and work on your behalf! Free feel to call me and message me!

您好 - 歡迎來到我在 Facebook 上的新平台！ 我是一名在舊金山灣區服務的房地產經紀人。 我將與您分享我的經驗、我的知識和一些好房子！ 如果您準備好買房，我會代表您並為您工作！歡迎廣東話、普通話給咨詢。

Send a message to learn more

07/13/2023

Hi- welcome to my new platform on Facebook! I am a realtor who serves in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am going to share my experiences, my knowledge, and some good houses with you! Free feel to call me and message me!
您好 - 歡迎來到我在 Facebook 上的新平台！ 我是一名在舊金山灣區服務的房地產經紀人。 我將與您分享我的經驗、我的知識和一些好房子！ 歡迎給我打電話和發消息！