Are First Time Home Buyers Missing Out?

A recent survey shows that those buying their first home are making up a smaller percentage of home buyers. From US News:

The Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey, released last week, found that first-time home buyers were purchasing only 34.7 percent of the homes sold in October. That’s down from 37.1 percent in September, and is the lowest percentage ever recorded by the survey.

This decline surfaces as purchases of non-distressed homes—houses that are not in foreclosure—have increased dramatically in 2012. The report shows that the vast majority of the homes being sold are regular purchases—accounting for 64.7 percent of all houses sold in October, up from 55.7 percent in February. The increase is a sign of strength in the housing market, as fewer people are buying homes in foreclosure.

The article continues to speculate that part of the reason why first time home buyers are not participating as much as other buyers is partly due to tightening underwriting guidelines. If someone has been considering buying their first home, I highly recommend they get started with the pre-approval process early. 

Lenders want to avoid another mortgage meltdown and want to make sure that borrowers qualify for the new mortgage. That might sound like a silly or obvious comment, however during the “subprime era” many home buyers did not qualify for the mortgage. Ultimately, underwriting guidelines are intended to measure a borrowers capability to repay the mortgage and to not have the home become a “distressed property”. 

Underwriters are looking for a borrowers financial strengths and weaknesses when reviewing an application for a mortgage. In an article I wrote a few years ago, I compared this to a chair with each leg of a chair representing a financial quality that underwriters consider: credit, employment, income and assets.

First time home buyers don’t need to be discouraged, they do need to be prepared. Mortgage rates are extremely low making this a great opportunity to buy if one wants to.

I’ll share some tips on what first time home buyers can do in a follow-up post.

Stay tuned!