In previous articles, I have mentioned it is too early to jump into the US housing market unless you have a very long term plan. This latest article in Business Week seems to concur with my thoughts.
2009 was a record year for foreclosures in the US with an increase in the number of foreclosures of 21% versus 2008 and they believe 2010 will be worse. The majority of this is all related to the adjustable rate mortgages resetting to higher interest rates causing payments to increase on many properties by double or more.
With any equity in the property wiped out, it doesn’t make sense for many homeowners to continue to make payments on a house they owe $100,000 or more above its actual value. With the ability in the US for mortgage holders to just walk away from this loss without the lender being able to come after them, it is exactly what they are doing.
So what does this mean to potential buyers? Well, as more of these foreclosed properties hit the market it will continue to drag prices downward, or at the very least leave prices very flat until all the inventory burns through and demand ramps up. So while that four bedroom home just outside Phoenix with the pool sounds like a bargain now at $200,000, in six months it may be more of a bargain.
You can read the full article here, Foreclosures: An Increase of 21% in 2009 and Climbing
