Should You Buy a House Now?

These are so expensive now, other than one neighborhood only cats can afford them because you need nine lives to pay off the mortgage.

Rob West is probably not your thinking of buying a house these days, but I'll make it up to you was some advice about whether you should do it with today's sky high values that it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000 800-525-7000. This is moneywise live biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.

So let's start out redfin is reporting that sellers dropped their prices on 12% of properties in March. That's compared to only 9%. During that month in 2021. What is that mean well, even though home values may be easing just a bed were still in a strong sellers market in March.

The median home listing price was just over $400,000 more than 13% from a year ago and nearly 25% higher than in March 2020. According to realtor.com, so it's no wonder that so many would-be homebuyers are wondering if they should go ahead with their plans or give up the American dream for the time being. As with any other major decision.

It helps to have all the information you may be wondering how we got here. In other words, just why are prices so high.

Well, like so many problems over the last two years. It starts with the pandemic. It takes a lot of lumber to build a house and the price of that commodity has risen dramatically due to coded adding thousands of dollars to the cost of home construction. According to the national Association of homebuilders, the price of all building materials has risen more than 20% since January 2021 and almost 30% since January 2020. In addition to the rising price of materials, the construction industry is reeling from a lack of workers training for skilled carpenters and other trades has fallen off dramatically during the pandemic.

All of dad making it more difficult and expensive to build a house. We've also had a mass migration of people out of cities and into suburban and even rural areas. That too is the result of the pandemic has perhaps hundreds of thousands more people are now able to work remotely. These folks began looking for less expensive places to live and that's created a huge demand for housing in areas that have traditionally been less populated in its 2021 report the government-sponsored mortgage agency. Freddie Mac found that the nation had a shortage of nearly 4 million housing units a more than 50% increase from the years 2018 to 2020 that's produced an incredibly strong demand for houses, particularly among millennial's ages 25 to 34. Now don't scoff at this next factor that's pushing home values hi. It's comparatively low interest rates. I know the feds been raising rates in the average 30 year fixed rate mortgage is now over 5%. According to bank rate.com but comparatively speaking that still very low.

In 1982, get this, the average 30 year fixed rate loan was above 18%, and over the last 50 years, the average rate has been nearly 8%, well above today's rates, all of which is to say that the recent mortgage rate hikes have done little to curb the demand for houses so by now you're probably wondering what when will it end and maybe how will it end.

As we've seen many times in the past. Bubbles always burst. The problem is. This isn't a housing bubble like we had before the crash in 2008.

Back then we had lenders giving mortgages to people who are simply not qualified to repay them. We also had a surplus of housing units so foreclosures were flooding the market that already had homes that couldn't be sold. Demand vanished and prices fell through the floor.

Today we have plenty of people with adequate incomes, but also a huge scarcity of housing units so a lot of dollars are chasing after too few homes, keeping prices high. That said, it's highly unlikely we'll see anything like a crash or even a modest decrease in prices. Although prices are expected to moderate in time.

Analysts are predicting. They'll actually fall so should you buy a house in this crazy environment. Well, here we have to give a hat tip to consumer expert Clark Howard for identifying the critical question. The answer will help you decide whether to buy a house today and the question is how long do you plan to live there if you feel confident you'll still be in the house 10 years from now it makes sense to go ahead and that time the market will moderate you will see a more normal appreciation and if you're a short time buyer, it's probably not worth the price of admission in this red hot market. I hope that helps to answer the question should I buy a house today will be back with your questions. Just after this stick around with your financial decisions. We got some lines open today would love to hear from you as we begin to take your calls and questions on anything financial that number to call 800-525-7000 Eric Tidwell standing by today managing our phones and then our team. Amy and Deb there to serve you as well. 800-525-7000. We look forward to hearing from you with several lines open our let's begin today. Chattanooga, Tennessee, WNV.

W. David, thank you for calling circle redhead. Thank you for taking my call. Our don't get your opinion on verbal annuity insurance company and then I'm on – about Israeli companies have to have nine Van Israeli company on the insurance companies that want to get your opinion on that fire yeah well you certainly as you think about annuities. The other, not my favorite option. There is a place for them. If either a you've maxed out your other retirement savings vehicles or be you're just looking to transfer the risk to an insurance company for a guaranteed return. In some cases, were you looking for a floor deal on your investment so that you don't lose value, but the downsides are that you with annuities.

First and foremost, it's really just the cost. There's quite a bit of cost built into these in terms of the various fees and expenses that you will pay yet you have administrative fees.

Fees for special features.

Of course at the fund expenses for the mutual funds inside them, then there's the mortality expense charge. So when you add it all up. You gonna pay more than you would if you were to just invest in a straight high-quality mutual fund on the average, so that's number one.

And then I think number two, you just have to recognize they're treated differently from a tax standpoint, so depending upon what you're comparing it to if you were to just have the assets grow in a straight taxable account. Obviously you'd be pay capital gains, but that's a lot less than what you would pay as ordinary income, which is the way this will be treated as it comes out so I think the question is, is that insurance can't contract the very best place for you to build wealth over time, or would you rather do it in a way that's outside of that where either a you have less expense be you have more access to the funds without surrender charges and perhaps you get the full upside of the investment returns. Where is often in exchange for downside protection. You're giving up something on the upside inside these variable annuity contracts but give me your thoughts on that and if there were something specific you are looking at in terms of why you might consider one. Well got to the bank. You know, plan, and in this this annuity guarantees 30%.

You know from 19 and looking at 3% conspired to the corner of & arrival profanity, a commitment to Mankiw now short and I think that would be one of the reasons why folks to look at them and saying well what if I were to lock in a little bit higher rate that I might be able to get otherwise. The downside is you've got limited access to your funds. At that point so you are tying it up inside this contract. If you needed access to the funds you know you're you're going to pay surrender charges for a considerable period of time. So the opportunity you have outside of that would be probably to engage an investment professional to build a portfolio for you where the goal is 3 to 4%. And yes, you have the risk of the downside, but as long as its investor with a long time horizon with the proper allocation of investments. According to your age and risk tolerance is often you can achieve the same long-term results or better and yet still keep access to your funds in to it in a tax favorable way. So I think at the end of the day you've got to decide as the steward was can give me more peace of mind help me accomplish my objectives with as little risk as possible and is that entrusting this to an insurance company in exchange for a guaranteed rate of return or what I rather keep that capital have a little more access to it. Yes I'm taking a bit more risk even though you can still be fairly conservative in your investments, but you have access to the funds as you needed over time. So I think at the very least, David. What I would do is as you consider this perhaps talk to two or three investment advisors about an alternative strategy outside of an annuity contract just to be able to have all of the options at your disposal before you make a decision okay my Israeli invest in an Israeli company is a a mutual con anymore and it just trade bad habit Israeli companies only in it. There are sure yeah so you can find mutual funds that target specific skill international investments. Whether that's country specific or otherwise I would be able to give any specific recommendations here over the phone but I would just say any investing that you do make sure you're not highly concentrated in one particular segment of the market, whether that's you know all the large gap are all in small Or all international versus domestic and when you get very country specific. You just adding risk unless you properly diversified because of one particular company. There are skinny country in a slips into a recession quicker than others, or has some challenging economic situations. You just obviously you don't have the ability to offset that with your other economies performing perhaps better in other parts of the world. So just be careful in terms of being too concentrated and I would encourage you and David to seek out an investment professional. If you don't have one, you could find one that on our website moneywise.org just click find a CK. We appreciate your call today serve to Aurora Illinois Kevin, thanks for calling the redhead sobbing going with trying to find a personal budget for some time.

I did meet with someone that they let me some kind of paperwork, went terms, or stuff like that is just, more confusing than anything and I really need to get a lock on the my rent and electric bill of the major thing car insurance and I do need minor car repair. I got bitten collected that I want to address to him that you know they start out from under hundred 200,000,390 know that no file lounges one out any resources like a plug and play it like that on the Internet that I can you to direct you to the moneywise aunt Kevin and I can start you off with the six-month Pro subscription just as our gift to you basically go to your app store search for moneywise biblical finance and then if you give for your team. When were done here today your contact information. Once you create a moneywise account will make sure you get a pro subscription. Here's what you be able to do inside the app you can add for sure.

Create your spending plan, but there's three different approaches to managing money, and I'm confident one of those will fit your style.

One is just a track only where you're connecting this to all your institutions, your checking and savings accounts and credit cards. If you have downloading transactions automatically and then they're just being categorized by budget category so you can just see what's going on. Those are for folks that really want to be hands off if you want to be a little more proactive. You could use the second option which is the plan and track so you actually build a budget based on what you think you need to spend to cover your lifestyle each month, including those debt payments and then you track against it and see how you're doing and then the third option, which is what I'd recommend and it's it's more hands-on, but it's really getting give you what you're looking for, especially in light of the situation you just described is our digital envelope system where you actually create your spending plan you create to and fund digital envelopes out of your checking account electronically.

You're not actually moving money, but you're allocating the money in your funding accounts to those envelopes and then as transactions come in.

It reduces those envelopes so at any moment during the month. You can look at your digital envelopes and see exactly where you stand in eating outdoor gasoline, nor do whatever those budget categories that you set up and I think that's can give you a kind of what you're looking for to make sure that you got a plan that balances because that's a key that were making sure those debts are being paid, including getting caught up on those those debts that are behind, and then ultimately staying on budget every month because a budget is only as good as your willingness to stay on track and make sure you control the flow of money in and out soap does that sound like I what you're looking for that you're frustrated with, you know, write down this is what I make but every time it seems like I don't spend a lot of money but yet it seems like you never have enough money to pay my rent on time. It just not in increments. I get that.

Yeah well we help you out with that.

Once you get set up in the app you be able to schedule a meeting with a coach right there in the afternoon I would encourage you to do that as well. This is somebody who cannot only help you get this set up and make sure using it properly, but perhaps even help you look over your budget, see if there's any ideas on how you can cut back and save money so you stay on the line will get your information. Make sure you get set up and I'm confident this will get you pointed in the right direction Kevin but be sure to check back in with us. I love to hear how you doing along the way, thanks for your call today will focus a lot more to come on moneywise all the lines are full.

The CMIS Bradenton Florida were coming your way. Andrews included Lynn Nancy in Florida as well and perhaps your call 800-525-7000 since we apply God's wisdom to your financial decisions moneywise, lies, etc.] the phones will head to Florida. Ms. Bratton, thank you for calling I can help you today hi Ms. Bratton, are you with us. Okay gotcha now. My apologies thank you for calling and you go right ahead and I I I 9.5. While I know you yes so if I understood you correctly, you have a five year car loan at 9 1/2% and you been paying on a two years three years remaining. Is that right Hassan and that's very high, as you pointed out sweet love to get that of lowered. Do you have an understanding of why the rate was so high is your is your credit score low or what was the reason I and want to change it and I am thinking out but I what is your credit score. Ms. Bratton, do you know eight 800 and 700 and something will that's good. And do you have documented income income okay all right well then you should definitely look around because it if you have favorable credit score you got good income is no reason you should be paying that amount of money and that that interest rates I do a couple things number one is I talk to your bank and see what they can offer. Are you comfortable doing business on the Internet. Have you. Would you be willing to do some searches on the Internet for a possible lender not help that I think that would be a great idea to get your son involved in.

Here's what I tell him I tell them that you really need to try to find a lender who can help you refinance this car loan and try to do it with a three year loan so you're not extending the term because I don't want you to go back to a new five-year I want you to stay at three years or less. And now that you paid it down hopefully got a little bit of equity in it if you could put a little more money down.

You might have to if for some reason you were upside down in it, but where car prices are. You shouldn't be, especially if you bought this two years ago and what I would tell him to do is go to two different websites one is called bank rate.com BA NK are a TE.com and he can put in there that he you're specifically looking to refinance a car loan for 36 months with your credit score and he'll get a list of lenders and it'll prioritize those lenders that are the highest rated and then have the lowest rates in terms and I think I would look at a least a couple of online banks and there's no problem there. From a safety standpoint they're old if BIC banks and no one is just as good as the other. But I would look at who can offer you a much more favorable your rate and terms and then you could check also with your local bank as well, but ask him to help you with this process and I'm pretty confident if you got the income and you got the credit score and if you have got some equity in that car, that you should be able to get this refinanced on a much better rate. Okay, okay, now what about okay yeah so that's one question you need to find out and he can help you with that you can go to Edmunds.com or Que BV.com Que BV.com and see what the value of this car is hopefully because you bought it for some of the supply constraints we've got going on right now in the half of the car market. Hopefully you didn't overpay and it's worth more than you owe on it today that will ensure you don't have to put any more money down. If you have any other questions along the way. Give us a call will be right back on moneywise last join us today for moneywise if you'd like to support the ministry would be grateful. Moneywise media is entirely listener supported, which means your support goes a long way toward helping us produce this broadcast each day bringing you all the resources we provide on our website and the Apter coaches you can get to the ministry quickly and easily online. And moneywise.org just click donate anywise.org and click donate.

You'll also find a toll-free number to contact her team, if you prefer to give that way, or a mailing address to send a physical check it's owner website again moneywise.org, click the donate button are back to the phones we go Andrews been waiting patiently in Cleveland, Ohio Andrew government had to get caught thank you. I got to retire within the next year to chew out the 66 later this year and I have a mortgage amount will and I have a 401(k) with my job and wondering if I should pay off my mortgage when I retire from a 401(k) or seductive continue to update mortgage with my retirement fund sharks give me a few the details. What's the current balance on the mortgage many years do you have left to pay on it and then finally what's the balance on the 401(k) okay I owe about 2000 and every tooth out and put 25 so we'll have you know maybe you pay on it and maybe let you got a kid at every Lab so maybe 13 years or so.

Yet like that. And God will want to have been taking it right now that you had about T20 and it yeah it would probably fight Right now like them pump every Year to share so have you done your budget at this point. Do you have a sense of with the mortgage included what would be your monthly expenses and then what income sources are you looking at in retirement to cover the I will be no right now so okay, when I retire and know my budget is not the hot milk throughout the month and no appeal, and I'm probably at maybe couple thousand dollars month type so you believe that you be able to cover your mortgage and all your other bills with the income sources you have Social Security and the pension still have a little bit left over without you touching the mortgage right yeah so I think you know that the thought process here is obviously I'd love for you to be debt-free by the time you retire.

That be great, but the question is, does it make sense given that you still got over 100,000. You're probably 12 or 13 years away from having to paid off to essentially cut that 401(k) in half. You've built up quite a bit of compounding power over the years. As you funded that 401(k) and I realize the market doesn't look particularly attractive right now and a lot of volatility in your probably thinking man I could pay this mortgage often and you have the least a guaranteed return equal to the mortgage and that's true but you're gonna pay a pretty steep tax bill along the way. So I probably do is you know it any time you have the option to do that.

My preference would be unless you had just a real conviction from the Lord that you wanted to be debt-free.

If you do that's certainly fine.

I'd say go for it. I'd probably spread it over a couple of tax years maybe three tax years to maybe take 1/3 of third of the third to get this paid off.

But if you're comfortable and you've got the budget to support it is carrying this debt for the next 10 or 12 years maybe adding a little bit to it each year. So you cut it down from 13 to 10 years and you got the income to support it. I'd probably just let that 401(k) go and try to pay it down out of current cash flow. Assuming you have an emergency fund.

And you know you're not spending down all of your liquid assets and that way you could get to the end of this thing. Eventually, let's say in the next 10 years that mortgage is gone. Let's say the 401(k) keeps growing and that's now worth 300,000 or more and you've got that.

Then to fall back on if you need it for long-term care or something like that down the road but you're not cutting it in half today and then having to take that extra surplus which you already got surplus. You now have even more without the mortgage payment and you'd be sticking it in a savings account.

You know are in and in a 1% or you might invested but then you're paying taxes on the gains so II think from that standpoint.

I probably leave that 401(k) there not pay the tax bill. Let it keep growing.

Even though the next couple years may be a bit choppy, but let's just try to pay this mortgage down at a current cash flow. Assuming you're willing to hang onto the debt for that long and the mother way out and those are outside of the 401(k) no doubt that it will market and what is that invested, I got it with Cambridge. I have some that will be like RA I have already promoted like you know I'm not really sure with all what about doing what I know. I guess it could be the same situation there again and apart from getting an advisor look at that and make sure he invested properly. I probably just keep all that growing you got plenty cash flow you got margin you can accelerate the mortgage payoff. I pride to stay on this current track you're on, as opposed to pulling that money out getting out of the market paying the tax bill only to just create even more margin when you've Artie got a good bit in liquid savings as well. I yeah think you had to really appreciate you call my friend got blessed quickly to Nancy in Florida. Karen and Nancy just like to know if my insurance at this late age of 74 and 75 is worth it.

We are paying the got a life insurance very late in life and my husband didn't believe in it until I convinced them but damn, I'm wondering if it's quite yet I what type of policy is it Nancy is a permanent whole life policy or term policy to life. Okay, what is the cash value on wow it's comparing that with only $50,000 bequest at this late age so this facility tried to get anything more than that. Yes of the death benefit is 50,000 or the cash value death benefit if we only got it a couple of years ago said that the cash out little icy okay and is there a real need for them and how are you looking at this money. What is the purpose of it. If wanted something would happen to my belt, died. I had an annuity which is about $4000 a month and I had my Social Security yet.

I think I could probably be okay.

The only thing hundred a month and are covered my head and I don't think would be okay let let's talk about that a bit more.

I got a pause for a quick break we come back will finish on the other side of this. Nancy and talk about whether this life insurance is the best way to solve that this is moneywise. My few lines open 800 525 is moneywise live your calls and questions on anything financial got room for a couple more questions 800-5256 7800 525-7000 him to stay after just a few minutes today and so will be able to take a few extra questions.

If you have something financially you'd like to talk about.

I'd love to hear from you. Sorry, back to Florida. We go Nancy just before the break you were sharing that you are in your 70s you and your husband you just recently in the last couple years picked up a couple of long term is not long-term care but life insurance policies with a death benefit of 50,000 on your life and your husband's payable to each other. You spent a couple of thousand dollars a year on each of them in premium and you're just wondering.

It does that make sense to hang on to that you said if something were to happen to him. You'd be just fine. Given the annuity income you have for the rest of your life will Social Security you think perhaps some.

What happened to you. He'd be a little short if you something were to happen, then you'd like to be able to use this death benefit to cover that. I think the challenges you know spending a couple of thousand dollars a year on this policy.

I think I'd rather see put that $2000 a year away and you know you could eventually build that up and into funds that between the two of you. You all could put away $4000 a year and money that you're not spending on these life insurance policies you don't need years anyway and so if he had an extra $4000 a year going into an account that you know he could access. Eventually this money is therefore him and you could stop saving that and you not continuing to pay toward this policy and eventually you can save even more than that. So I think from that standpoint, it sounds like it's an unnecessary expense, especially given you know what you could do with that money. If you were to free up those resources does it make sense. I wouldn't even know where to it or how to know what you will have that in the way of emergency savings that $25,000 okay and what you spend on a monthly basis. All of your expenses combined roughly about 3700. Okay so let's call that for thousands of you were to put away six months worth of expenses you you basically got that in your emergency savings. So if you wanted to you could just continue to build that up to may be a years worth of expenses. That way you'd have the funds behind that to be able to get out cover what he needs for that, you know, at least 12 months and then I think if you got to a place where you had a full year's worth of expenses, then it's a matter of saying okay, let's put this money to work and you know by that time, interest rates could be higher. You could ladder some CDs one, two, three, five years and maybe you're getting somewhere between you know 2% and 4% as rates had up and you could also look at just beginning to dollar cost average into a stock and bond portfolio like a balanced mutual fund. It's a mix of stocks and bonds to begin to build wealth that way but I think the key is you have the flexibility by freeing that money up from these policies and I feel like that's going to be a better long-term solution for you all to build use this money however you wish, which you may need it before you.you may need it for long term care, medical expenses, things like that so I think from that standpoint, I'd rather you be keeping an account that you own and sending it to a life insurance company nation. Thank you. Okay to simply appreciate your call today. God bless you. Let said the low stay in Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Debbie, go right ahead, quick question. Can't disagree a little better about hiding the difficult comfortable and getting yeah well if we look at the principle of time of the time it would be based on your increase and so from that standpoint I would say anything that is your increase that comes from the Lord, and it's all his everything we get would be part of our increase unless you know it was a return of capital or you had an accident and you have a loss about with their car in the insurance company.

It repays you for that.

That's not an increase because you just offsetting the loss, but a gift and inheritance.

You know, obviously your income, the sale of a property that's appreciated, not the portion of what you paid for that. You're getting back but the gain on it.

I would say that your increase of you wanted to apply the principle of the ties to that giving a tent unto the Lord.

Based on her increase. I would certainly put gift in that category.

Whether that's an inheritance or some other type of gift.

I think the key would be how are you receiving that is a coming in the form of cash or an asset. It's an asset. Obviously, that has to be liquidated first. Or you may not have the cash to give in and in terms of how you might go about that one tool would be to look at what's called a donor advised fund, which is essentially just a charitable checking account where you can make a gift to that get the tax deduction in the year of the contribution and then take your time as you and your husband praying for to think through where you want to give it away and then as you make those gifts you just going online and and distribute those funds to a charity or or ministry, and I'd look@incfgiving.com for that National Christian foundation, but I think to your original question. It's really what is my increase and do I put a gift in that category. I would say for me, the answer is yes. I car I got bless you Debbie thanks for going today. Omaha, Nebraska Chris, thanks for going to read low income and all I found 18 of 48, about 20,000 a year part time income about $15-$40 a month. We can be reaching the 53,000 credit card debt easily cannot and when I became pregnant.

I change my 401(k) to guaranteed like you know anything anything besides money for medicine and homemade impacted due to the fact that I didn't pour my whole life.

I got to get it out 500 a month.lastly 50 EQ maintaining a 5 to 36. So as you put your budget together. Chris and really, you're the one that needs to define your lifestyle in terms of what it takes for you to live to put food on the table to keep a roof over your head gas in the car and the utilities on and then, whatever else the giving that you want to do been able to buy some clothes every now and then you've got a defined between you and the Lord what lifestyle he's called you to and I could be as simple as you want and obviously you've demonstrated that you can live incredibly modestly and I think that's tremendous that you've been able to do that for long period of time, but at the end of the day. You know you've got a defined that and have a plan and fill in that budget and say this is what I believe you know I can live on and at that point, then you've got to compare the income sources that you have to do that. So what would you say that monthly amount is all in.

When you look at the things you get a bill for in the mail but also the spending that you do on what I call a discretionary basis.

You know, if you stop and get some fast food or you eat out or you know those kinds of things you put gas in the car when you total all that up.

How much are you living on right now I'm only alive sure yeah let's great so me tell my mortgage current. He paid back the minute kind of like my belt and what you will keep those separate I'm just curious going on. Okay alright well I think there's there's something to that. And obviously you know I don't know everything that is behind the statement you just made but obviously money is symptomatic of heart issues in God's design for marriage is one of oneness and unity and I think you know obviously there's something there that it sounds like y'all need to work through. In that regard. Yeah, I'd love to see you join this and be able to us as a married couple say this is God's vision for our family for us as a married couple, and money is a tool to accomplish that's on the how do we want to take whatever money we have available and use it for God's purposes to drive us toward his your vision for our future, and that includes the daily spending we do the giving we do and all of that so I would just encourage you to pray through that and see if perhaps the budget the spending plan could be an instrument of peace that would bring you altogether around shared goals and a real prayerful opportunity to say Lord what you have for us but to your specific question, so I understand that your notetaking perhaps not. If most of the bills are already covered through his income, then you're looking at more of the discretionary type items and you're doing a lot of giving but that doesn't mean that you can have a plan for it and I don't want to remove the Holy Spirit from the equation because you may feel the leading of the Lord to do certain things on a spontaneous basis, but I'd love for you to have a plan for you to spend maybe 30 or 60 days. Chris and track exactly what you're spending all the giving that you're doing you know where is your money going and then put a plan together around that that has a budget item for giving a budget item for every other spending item. You do so that you can then evaluate and say am I happy with this. Does this reflect what's most important to me, and you may say. Absolutely it does well, then at the end of the day you have a number that your solving for and you can say how much savings do I need to be able to fund that between now and Social Security and then when I get Social Security. The SSA will tell you exactly what you can receive you'll know whether that will support the spending that you're doing but it all starts with that spending plan so I would encourage you to take some time and track put that plan together and if one of our coaches can help along the way, don't hesitate to reach out to establish Chris.

We appreciate your calling for us today.

Folks moneywise live is a partnership between Moody radio and moneywise media once say thank you my team today.

Eric Tidwell his last day.

Thank you Eric we love you and Amy and Dan. Deb is well and you will see tomorrow by