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FHA Guidelines (a Cheat Sheet)

December 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Coyle Group - HUD LogoThis is a special announcement to all of our real estate agent friends out there.  The Philadelphia Appraisers at the Coyle Group just published “The FHA Cheat Sheet”.  It was developed in response to agents, who for years, have asked us “is there a comprehensive list of FHA requirements?”  Well, it may not be comprehensive but, The Coyle Group has compiled a list of 40 of the most frequent FHA repair items and issues that face sellers, buyers and agents.  Gain some insight on how the FHA views defective paint or cracked pavement.  See what to do about broken window and graffitti…plus a whole lot more.  We’ve even include a BONUS Tip at the end!

If you are interested in receiving a PDF copy of the FHA Cheat Sheet, please send an email with your full name and email to appraisals@coyleappraisals.com be sure to put FHA in the subject line. 

For more information be sure to visit our website at www.thecoylegroupllc.com or contact us by phone at 215.836.5500

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Another Reason to get a Pre-Listing Appraisal

April 11, 2011 by 1 Comment

Just the other day, I received a phone call from a Mortgage Broker friend of mine. Yes, appraisers and Mortgage Brokers are still allowed to be friends.

He wanted my input on a situation in which one of his former clients found themselves.  Let’s call them the Utley’s. (For the privacy of the parties involved, I will not use the actual names, streets, pricing or house photo in this post.)  The Utley’s currently have their home listed for sale in Springfield Township, Montgomery County for $345,900.  There home has been on the market for 39 days and they have an offer on the table for $339,000.  The Utley’s are concerned about whether or not they should accept an offer this “low”.

I began buy pulling up the information on the Utley’s home in the MLS and public records.  It is a nice 1939 colonial with three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, approximately 1,500 Sq.Ft.  A very common home in this area.

Then, I took a look at the sales and listing activity in the immediate area for similar homes.  What I found was surprising.  The last three sales in the neighborhood in the past year sold for $370,000, $370, 000 and $412,000.  There are currently two competing listings in the neighborhood listed for $370,000 and $469,900.  The home listed at $469,900 was a larger, four bedroom that was completely renovated, probably not the best comparable.

However, there was also one pending sale right around the corner from the Utley’s.  This house was last listed for $339,900 but, it lacked a powder room and was roughly 220 Sq.Ft. smaller.  It had also been on the market for over 160 days with an original list price of $364,000.

After looking at this information, my question to my Mortgage Broker friend was “why did they list it so low?”

By listing at $345,900, the Utley’s are basically telling the market “Hey, this is my pie-in-the-sky, hope I can get it number…but, I am probably willing to take less!”  The reason they are receiving “low” offers is because they apparently under listed their home, based on available market data.  They (and their agent) may have shot themselves in the foot.

To compound the issue, it turns out, the Utley’s agent is a “friend of the family” (probably not for much longer after this experience) that is a licensed agent but, who is not very familiar with their neighborhood.   In the end, the Utley’s may be leaving thousands of dollars on the table or may have to re-list at a higher price.

This is a perfect example of why Sellers and Agents need to have a Pre-Listing Appraisal completed prior to listing a property.  A Pre-Listing appraisal can assist Sellers and their Agents maximize their selling price without over or under pricing.  If the Utley’s and their Agent had an appraisal of the home done prior to listing they might have developed a different price point and might not be in a situation where they are entertaining such “low” offers.

For information on The Coyle Group’s Pre-Listing Appraisal services, please call our office at 215.836.5500 or visit this link.

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Inventory Levels

February 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Inventory levels in the Philadelphia housing market are up over January 2010.  The latest data TReND MLS reports the following:

County Available Units Months of Inventory
Philadelphia 8,138 9
Montgomery 4,829 8
Bucks 3,421 8
Delaware 3,367 9
Chester 3,361 9

* Calculations based on single family dwellings as of 02/14/2011

These numbers basically tell us that if no more homes were listed for sale as of today, it would take 8 or 9 months to sell off the current inventory of homes.  This is an over-supply.  When there is an oversupply in the real estate market this puts downward pressure on pricing. 

Back when the market was on fire in 2004-2006, it was not uncommon to see inventory levels in the 2-3 month range.  In some areas, there were months that the levels went under 2 months.  Homes were selling the day that they went on the market.  This was a classic example of undersupply.  An “in balance” inventory is generally viewed as being between 3-6 months of supply.

It will be interesting to see how inventory levels are affected as the Spring Selling season begins.  Traditionally, Spring is the time when Sellers list their homes.  So we may see an uptick in inventory as new listings hit the market.  The question is, will the Spring Buyers be there to soak up the inventory?

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FHA Q&A

January 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
 

Also, take into consideration, that while the FHA may be OK with these conditions, most Buyers in the Philly region are not.  Would you be OK purchasing a property with either of these situations present?   

As more and more Buyers use FHA financing, Sellers and their Agents will have to educate themselves on the FHA repair guidelines and requirements.  This can be a daunting task.  As of today, the HUD Handbook, also known as Valuation Analysis for Single Family One-to-Four-Unit Dwellings (4150.2) is comprised of nine chapters and four appendices, totaling hundreds of pages.  And, it seems like the handbook is revised or updated on a weekly basis.  

When marketing your home, try to position it to appeal to the widest range of buyers.  If your home’s sale price is at or under the current FHA program limits for the Philadelphia region ($420,000) then you would be wise to make sure that your home is compliant with the FHA guidelines and be prepared to repair any FHA required repairs or inspections.  

If you don’t know the FHA Guidelines 4150.2 and how they apply to your situation, you may want to consider hiring an FHA Appraiser to visit your property prior to listing.  In addition to providing a Pre-Listing Appraisal, the Appraiser could point out potential FHA issues that might affect a potential Buyer’s ability to obtain funding as well as issues that could be addressed ahead of time…essentially taking them off the negotiating table and possibly speeding up the selling process.   

For answers to any other FHA related questions, please feel free to send us an email or just post to this site.   

 

Q: What do these two pictures have in common?  

A: They are both acceptable property conditions under FHA Guidelines.  Now, local laws and zoning may take issue with heaving concrete sidewalks and blood stained flooring surfaces but, not HUD/FHA.  In Mortgagee Letter 2005-ML-48, these conditions were cited along with a list of other “minimum property conditions that no longer require automatic repair.”

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Tax Credit Expires

May 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment

It happened over the weekend without much fanfare or comment.  The $8,000 homebuyer tax credit expired.  For some, it helped them make the move to homeownership.  For others, it was a much needed shot in the arm that boosted business and made everything feel like 2004-2005, again.  Many real estate agents, mortgage brokers and appraisers found themselves busy, some were even overwhelmed by the surge of business.  It felt so good that many pundits were touting the end of the housing crisis, claiming that the economic recovery is underway…look out, good times ahead!

While the economic recovery may be underway, it was not the tax credit that spurred it along.  The tax credit may prove in the weeks and months to come to have been a crutch upon which the housing market was propped. 

It will be interesting to see if the recovery has any legs now that the crutch has been removed. 

Based on what we’ve noticed in the Philadelphia markets, I think that we may see a dip in home prices in the near future.  The expiration of the tax credit may keep some first time buyers from entering the market.  This, along with new listings being added, will force pricing pressures downward as more listings chase fewer buyers.  It will be more important than ever for Philadelphia area Agents and Sellers to price their properites correctly and competitively.

The hand-out is over, interest rates are still artificially low and the tsunami of foreclosures is still on the horizon…it will be an interesting next few months.

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