Mortgage Watch | May 22, 2018

By Buying, Selling May 22, 2018

Homeowners Plan to Pump over $13B in Tax Savings into the Housing Market:

Both current homeowners and renters plan to use their tax savings in the housing market.

Zillow estimates both homeowners and renters could put $13.2 billion in tax savings directly into the American housing market in 2018, using some of their tax cut to rent or buy a bigger home. Americans will likely spend almost double that amount – an additional $24.7 billion – on home renovations in 2018, and will add about $62.6 billion to their savings and investments, according to results of the most recent Zillow Housing Aspirations Report (ZHAR).

Zillow estimates homeowners and renters could put $13.2 billion in tax savings directly into the American housing market in 2018, using some of their tax cut to rent or buy a bigger home.
Americans will likely spend almost double that amount – an additional $24.7 billion – on home renovations in 2018.
Lower-income households are likely to spend a larger portion of their tax cut on housing: 12.2 cents on the dollar for households in the bottom income quintile, compared to 3.6 cents on the dollar for households in the top income quintile.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enacted in December is likely to result in tens of billions of dollars being reinvested into housing in some form or another – despite the fact the legislation expressly limited a number of longstanding tax benefits for homeowners.

The net effect of the TCJA was to reduce most Americans’ federal tax liability and increase their after-tax income, in large part by lowering marginal tax rates and increasing the standard deduction. Many are likely to spend at least some of these gains, however small, on housing – despite new limits on tax benefits historically aimed at homeowners, including the mortgage interest deduction and deductions for state and local property taxes.

Rates Currently Trending: Neutral

Mortgage rates are moving sideways so far today. The MBS market worsened by -40 bps last week. This was enough to worsen mortgage rates or fees. The rates experienced moderate volatility last week.

About the Author
Tim Morissette, REALTOR®

Tim Morissette, also known in the community as Mr. Foothill Ranch, offers over 46 years of real estate experience which has given him an established reputation and unmatched market knowledge. He is joined by his wife, Michele and sons Matt and Jeff, as they continue to offer personal service with an emphasis on achieving his clients’ real estate goals.  This unique combination of traits has led to his proven track record of referral and repeat business. This can be witnessed by the trust of homeowners in Foothill Ranch where he has sold twice as many homes and represented three times more buyers than the next-leading real estate agent for the last 26 years.

As residents of Foothill Ranch since 1994, Tim and Michele are actively involved in the community by fundraising for Foothill Ranch Library, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Cancer Society, Homes for Habitat, Relay for Life, South County Outreach, and the local church and schools. Tim enjoys sponsoring community-wide garage sales, paper shredding and e-waste recycling event, an Easter egg hunt, & a Meet Santa Event.

Tim and Michele are dedicated to their family of four sons, daughter-in-laws, and grandchildren. As a family, they enjoy many outdoor activities which include camping, spearfishing, mountain climbing and exploring the miles of hiking and equestrian trails in Foothill Ranch and the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Tim and his sons are also avid snowboarders and enjoy mountain biking and lobster diving. Family is a top priority in the Morissette household. They look forward to helping more families achieve their dreams of homeownership.