Today, we will answer the #1 question that almost everyone is asking our real estate team.  Is now a good time to buy a house in Charlotte? 

You might think the answer is obvious, right? There is a potential recession coming in 2023, mortgage applications have dropped to 25 year lows, and buyers affordability has diminished this year. To top that all off, we just had ANOTHER interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve.

So isn’t it obvious? You shouldn’t buy, right? Well, maybe, maybe not. In this article we’re going to be digging a bit deeper than just the headlines. We will take a look at the actual sales data, economic trends, and some basic principles that will help guide you to a good decision for your personal situation.

Is NOW a Good Time To Buy A House In Charlotte? 

 The reality is that some of you should absolutely not be investing in real estate right now.  But, there’s also some of you who should be taking action right now and buying property. 

To answer the question of “Is NOW a good time to buy a house in Charlotte?” we will want to consider a couple important details like your personal financial situation and your job security.

In this article we will cover:

1. Who shouldn’t be buying a house right now?

2. Who should be buying a house right now?

3. Why waiting for the market to “Bottom” is a bad idea. 

1. Who shouldn’t be buying a house right now?

Homeownership has long been the American dream. A picturesque house of your own with a bright green lawn is deeply ingrained in our culture as something to aspire to. It has helped generations of homeowners build wealth that has been passed down to their children and their children’s children. However, for some of us out there, now may not be a good time to purchase a home. 

A. If you have to stretch yourself financially

If you have to stretch yourself financially, you absolutely shouldn’t be buying a home right now. Think about it, we’ve been experiencing record high inflation right now. If inflation continues at even 4, 5, or 6% in 2023 and your wage doesn’t also increase by 4, 5, or 6% to match those. extra costs then it just means you’re going to feel even more stretched. You don’t want to be “House Poor.”

B. If you’re facing any job insecurity

If you have any job insecurity right now, that would be the 2nd reason you wouldn’t want to purchase a property right now. Many experts are predicting that we could see layoffs and higher unemployment in 2023. If you lose your job and are forced to sell in the next 6 to 9 months then you will be in a compromising position. It doesn’t matter if prices don’t come down. Even if they go up a little bit, or stay the same, you could lose thousands of dollars. 

The cost of moving is very expensive and you would be faced with different fee’s and expenses. You can experience mortgage fee’s, you will have to pay movers, and you will be subject to fees associated with agents commissions, lawyers, taxes, etc. These fee’s can add up to 5 to 10% of the value of your property. That’s not something you want to be facing when the economic outlook can potentially be leading towards a recession. 

How much does it cost to sell a house? 

If you are considering selling your home and would like to know how much it ACTUALLY costs to sell your home, then check out our article: Selling your home: How much does it cost to sell a house?  We specifically outline all of the expenses, fee’s, and costs you could experience when selling your home.

C. If you’re not ready, don’t rush

It seems like every time you turn on the news, they are talking about the recession coming in 2023.  It’s probably the most anticipated recession that’s ever been announced. It’s kind of like we penciled it in.  

So, if we are headed into an economic recession, and you still want to invest in real estate BUT you are not quite ready, DON’T RUSH.  Use this time to prepare yourself to make a much better decision a little bit further down the road. 

If you’re not ready, how should you prepare?

Here’s what I would be doing to prepare myself:

1. The first thing I would do is hop on a bit of a budget. 

2. Lower some of your unneeded expenses (Netflix, Starbucks, things you may not need).

3. Start saving as much as you can and build up an emergency fund. 

4. Pick up a “Side Hustle” to earn some extra cash.

5. Pay off as much debt as you can. 

I know that’s not the sexiest advice, but its the truth.

Anything you can do to prevent yourself from making a hasty, or quick, decision means you will likely put yourself in a better financial position down the road. If you can reduce your expenses, pay off debt, and save more money you will increase your debt to income ratio have a larger down payment.  This could lead you to getting better rates and terms in the future, when you are ready to purchase a home.

The Charlotte labor market is strong!

When it comes to Job insecurity, we do have some great news. The Charlotte NC job market is still very strong. Even if we see higher unemployment rates, and more job loss throughout the US, we will be more insulated from these effects in the greater Charlotte NC area.

So, being in the Charlotte area, you may be in a position to get a better job with better income. This will give you more permanence during uncertain times. 

2. Who should be buying a house right now?

If you are someone who has strong job security, low debt levels, and will not be over extended by a home purchase then now may be a great time for you to buy a home. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Rent prices have skyrocketed: Rental rates in the US and in Charlotte have skyrocketed over the past year, which means that purchasing a home may be more attractively priced than renting a home right now. 

2. House prices have fallen: Pricing is a lot more affordable than it was just 6 months ago. Even in the Charlotte area, we have seen around an 9% decrease in the price of homes in some areas. So you may be able to get into a home at a much better price.

3. Home buyers can now negotiate: Due to the economic trends, there are fewer buyers in the marketplace. This means you will be able to negotiate much favorable terms and can potentially get the home at a much better price.  Home buyers are now able to request the seller to pay for closing costs, request a home sale contingency, or other favorable terms!

4. Charlotte’s Booming: The fundamentals we see here in Charlotte NC are still very strong.  The job growth is still robust, there are a ton of people moving to the greater Charlotte area every day, and the average cost of living is still very attractively priced compared to other metropolitan areas.

3. Why waiting for the market to “Bottom” is a bad idea. 

For those of you on the sidelines, waiting on the real estate market to “bottom,” you may have issues with this strategy. The problem with this is, even if you were able to predict the prices perfectly and they did go down, you’re not going to be able to call the bottom. The reason is, housing is a lagging indicator. This means the data that you would use to indicate we hit the bottom happened 3 to 4 months ago. By the time you knew to act, it would already be too late.  

And if you were able to overcome all of that then you would probably lack the courage to act. It’s not because of something you’re doing wrong, it’s just in our nature. Once we hit the “bottom” we will have peak fear, uncertainty, and doubt. The headlines and news will be so bleak the last thing you will want to do is step into the housing market and make a purchase.

There is also an opportunity costs for waiting on the sidelines. While you’ve been waiting on the sidelines, waiting for the bottom, you will be paying those record high rental rates rather than paying that money towards your own equity, in your new home. 

The far better strategy than “trying to time the market” is “time in the market” because no one knows exactly what’s going to happen in the future. One thing we do know though, the longer you do own real estate as an asset, the more likely it is that you will see great returns.

We know that all of our clients are looking to accomplish different goals on different timelines. If you are curious if NOW is the right time for you to make a move, we would love to sit down with you and discuss your personal situation and see if now is in fact a good time to sell. Feel free to call, text, or email us today! 

Contact us through:

📱Call/Text Direct (704)-631-3977

📧Email: info@thefinigangroup.com

💻Website: www.thefinigangroup.com

If you are considering selling your home, make sure you choose the best Realtor. Watch this video to make sure you are asking your potential realtor the RIGHT questions:  10 Questions You Must Ask Your Realtor Before Hiring Them.