Last night, while chatting with friends over dinner in their lovely Colorado home, they told me something surprising. “We bought our house when we did because we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to afford it in two more years,” they confided. “We just didn’t think about it too much.”
As a major over-thinker, this felt like a revelation. I labor over each decision, from purchasing a new brand of toothpaste on Amazon to choosing what to eat for lunch. I often feel anxious about larger decisions to the point of paralysis, failing to take any action at all.
While I often think that overthinking protects me, it actually does more harm than good. According to scientific studies—and according to many people’s personal experiences—overthinking can disrupt your sleep and interfere with your problem-solving skills. Sound familiar?
An important side note: I am by no means saying you should buy a house without careful thinking and planning. Buyers should absolutely chat with professionals like the Pickett Street team and their mortgage lenders about this major life decision. However, I would like to argue that, sometimes, our anxiety-prone brains get in the way and prevent us from accomplishing our goals.
If you need more convincing, chat with Pickett Street at info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-5397. Also, Pickett Street’s next free home buyers class is on October 16th. In the meantime, read on for two major reasons why you should buy now.
1. Competition is low.
If you want to avoid spring’s real estate frenzy, when bidding wars abound as potential buyers scramble to purchase homes, buy a home this fall. Pickett Street’s Director of Operations Margaret Smith says, “So many people should be buying right now! Buy now while competition is low—before spring.” She adds that if you tried to buy a home this past May and lost to people paying $100K over the list price, you can and should try again this fall.
Additionally, according to the Seattle Times writer Mike Rosenberg, “Inventory is way up. Sales are way down. And prices have stopped skyrocketing.” Home prices and inventory in the Seattle area have shifted back to 2012 levels when the housing market was still buyer-friendly. The market is currently shifting from the hot sellers market of the past two years to a buyers market.
2. Interest rates are rising.
Fixed mortgage rates hovered around 4.72% a week ago, up from 3.18% a year ago. In response to these rising rates, Pickett Street’s preferred mortgage lender Cody Touchette lays out the reasons you should buy your home now: waiting any longer to buy your dream home may cost you over $1,800 annually (the cost of a vacation or paying off your credit cards), and around $55,000 over the next thirty years (potential retirement cash). What’s more, this time next year, interest rates may have risen to 5.20%.
While experts predict that these rates will continue to rise, the 30-year fixed rate average wobbled a bit this week, dipping to 4.71%. Pickett Street’s advice: buy now, before these rates rise any higher, which they are sure to do!
If you still feel unsure about buying a home, reach out to Pickett Street at info@pickettstreet.com or 425-502-5397. The team can walk you through your options and ease your anxiety regarding this decision. In other words, let Pickett Street’s experts to do the overthinking while you take a deep breath and get excited about your new home.