![Home Prices Up 5.67% Across The Country! [INFOGRAPHIC] | MyKCM](http://s3.amazonaws.com/kcmmedia/2016/06/06105315/20160610-STM-ENG-1046x1600.jpg)
Let the Coastal Realty Connections team help you find your next real estate purchase. Contact us today. 910-279-9398.
The latest report from Freddie Mac shows that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.61% last week, slightly down from the week before (3.66%), and nearly 20 points lower than a year ago (3.80%).
This is great news for homebuyers who are dealing with rising prices due to a low inventory of homes for sale in many areas of the country. Freddie Mac expressed their optimism for the rates to remain low throughout the spring in a recent blog post:
“We expect mortgage interest rates to stay well under 4% as we head into the heart of the spring homebuying season. We’re predicting it to be the best one in 10 years, which should provide even greater opportunities for first-time homebuyers.”
Below is a chart of the weekly average rates in 2016, according to Freddie Mac.
Rates have again fallen to historic lows yet many experts still expect them to increase in 2016. One thing we know for sure is that, according to Freddie Mac, current rates are the best they have been since last April.
Sean Becketti, Chief Economist for Freddie Mac recently explained:
“Since the start of February, mortgage rates have varied within a narrow range providing an extended period for house hunters to take advantage of historically low rates.”
If you are thinking of buying your first home or moving up to your ultimate dream home, now is a great time to get a sensational rate on your mortgage. Let Coastal Realty Connections put their expertise and excellent customer service to work for you. Contact us today. info@coastalrealtyconnections.com / 910-279-9398.
We think this article written by Cece Nunn of the Starnews Online and posted in WilmingtonBiz is worth sharing.
Two luxury homes with asking prices of more than $5 million in Wilmington were put up for sale in February, an unusual occurrence for the local market, according to a report released this week.
Of the 215 houses priced at more than $1 million in New Hanover and Brunswick counties, the two new listings mean there are only three total with prices that high, and only two homes above that price point have sold in the region in the past decade, the report said. The luxury market real estate report is compiled monthly by Just For Buyers Realty using information from the local Multiple Listing Service.
The two listed in February are at 2336 Ocean Point Drive in Landfall, which is for sale for $5.2 million and listed by Landmark Sotheby’s International Realty; and at 7903 Masonboro Sound Road, listed by Intracoastal Realty for $5.25 million, the report said.
The Ocean Point Drive Mediterranean-revival style home is 7,600 square feet with four bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a saltwater pool, gourmet outdoor kitchen and views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean. The 6,470-square-foot Masonboro Sound Road house sits on 8 acres and has 4 bedrooms and five bathrooms. It also has a pier with a boat lift, water views and a putting green, and comes with a separate three-bedroom, two-bath guest cottage.
In New Hanover County, sales of luxury homes continued a mostly upward trend, with five selling last month compared to three in February 2015. Brunswick County’s sales also increased from last February, going from none to one, the report said. In Brunswick, there are 79 homes listed in the local MLS that are priced at more than $1 million, while there are 136 in New Hanover.
The luxury home market is soft compared to overall real estate sales in the region, but “we’ve definitely been seeing increases in the number of homes that are being sold on the high end,” said Kathleen Baylies, broker-in-charge at Just For Buyers Realty, on Friday.
Both New Hanover and Brunswick saw an increase in the number of luxury homes that went under contract in February in a year-over-year comparison – from four to seven in New Hanover and one to two in Brunswick.
In Pender County, the 13,000-square-foot home at 561 Ashton Lake Road in Burgaw came on the market Dec. 17 and is priced at $4.5 million, Baylies said. Located on a 20-acre site, the mansion includes six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a gym, playroom, sauna, game room, bowling alley and saltwater pool. It also has a 35-acre lake and geothermal heat and air conditioning, according to its listing.
| New Hanover County Feb. 2015 / Feb. 2016 |
Brunswick County Feb. 2015 / Feb. 2016 |
|
| Newly listed | 20 / 24 | 7 / 5 |
| Highest new listing | $4,195,000 / $5,250,000 | $1,689,000 / $1,625,000 |
| Under contract | 4 / 7 | 1 / 2 |
| Closed | 3 / 5 | 0 / 2 |
| Most expensive closed | $1,250,000 / $2,712,500 | n/a /$1,000,000 |
When you are ready to invest in a multi-million dollar home it is especially important to have the right Buyer’s Agent. Coastal Realty Connections works hard to help ensure the success of every client. Contact us for information on representation.
Wilmington NC home sales finished last year with an increase of nearly 13 percent over 2014, according to statistics released Monday by the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors.
The number of Wilmington NC home sales increased by 849 in 2015, from 6,555 to 7,404 in a nearly 13 percent jump, as buyers took advantage of historically low interest rates in a market where some price points are in shorter supply. The figure is the highest year-end number for units sold since 2006, WRAR’s Multiple Listing Service statistics show.
“We’re gaining ground,” said Don Harris, the 2016 president of WRAR.
He said he expects the direction to continue this year. “Interest rates are still low,” Harris said, noting a recent quote of 4.125 percent.
The rates for Wilmington NC home sales are forecast to increase a little, possibly by the fourth quarter of this year, he said. (more…)
Coastal Realty Connections
According to Coldwell Banker’s annual Home Listing Report, Ocean Isle Beach costs the most, while Elizabeth City is the most affordable housing market. The report uses average listing price of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home over 2,700 US markets. The report shows that an average home price for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in North Carolina is $232,748. Within our area the beach communities of Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, Oak Island, Topsail Beach area, Wilmington and Winnabow all fall above the average.
