Mortgage Rates Continue to Drop Signaling a Good Time to Invest in Real Estate | Morris Invest (2024)

FAQs

Should I invest in real estate when interest rates are high? ›

However, investing in real estate in a rising rate environment can be good. People will always need housing, and even if the market conditions aren't ideal, people will need to rent out a home or apartment. Interest rate hikes can allow investors to make more money because of the increased demand for rental properties.

That means the mortgage rates will likely be in the 6% to 7% range for most of the year.” Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). MBA's baseline forecast is for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to end 2024 at 6.1% and reach 5.5% at the end of 2025 as Treasury rates decline and the spread narrows.

Housing prices are adjusting down from the 2020-2021 highs due to rapid interest rate hikes by the Feds. Interest rates are still historically low and affordable for rental property investors. Real estate is a long-term investment and the long term outlook is positive for investing now.

The 2% rule is a rule of thumb that determines how much rental income a property should theoretically be able to generate. Following the 2% rule, an investor can expect to realize a positive cash flow from a rental property if the monthly rent is at least 2% of the purchase price.

The winners. Unsurprisingly, bond buyers, lenders, and savers all benefit from higher rates in the early days. Bond yields, in particular, typically move higher even before the Fed raises rates, and bond investors can earn more without taking on additional default risk since the economy is still going strong.

The Fed raised the rate 11 times between March 2022 and July 2023 to combat ongoing inflation. After its December 2023 meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) predicted making three quarter-point cuts by the end of 2024 to lower the federal funds rate to 4.6%.

While McBride had expected mortgage rates to fall to 5.75 percent by late 2024, the new economic reality means they're likely to hover in the range of 6.25 percent to 6.4 percent by the end of the year, he says.

"By the first quarter of 2025, mortgage rates could potentially fall below the 6% threshold, or maybe even lower." Hold steady through 2024: Afifa Saburi, a capital markets analyst for Veterans United Home Loans, doesn't think rates are going to drop much this year.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate as of Thursday was 6.99%. By the final quarter of 2025, Fannie Mae expects that to slide to 6.0%.

Whether you're in your twenties, forties or even beyond, there's no such thing as being too late to start investing in real estate.

What is the best time to invest in real estate? ›

One of the most advantageous times to invest in real estate is during a buyer's market. This occurs when there is an oversupply of properties and fewer buyers in the market. As a result, sellers may be more motivated to negotiate on price and terms.

NAR forecasts that sales will rise by 13 percent in 2024. “Housing sales are expected to increase a bit from this year,” agrees Chen Zhao, who leads the economics team at Redfin. “However,” she qualifies, “we are not expecting sales to increase dramatically, as rates are likely to remain above 6 percent.”

The 50% rule or 50 rule in real estate says that half of the gross income generated by a rental property should be allocated to operating expenses when determining profitability. The rule is designed to help investors avoid the mistake of underestimating expenses and overestimating profits.

Essentially, the 50% rule is a simple and effective tool used by investors to estimate the operating expenses of a rental property. It is based on the premise that roughly 50% of the gross income generated by a property will be consumed by operating expenses, excluding mortgage payments.

According to Standard and Poor's, the average annualized return of the S&P index, which later became the S&P 500, from 1926 to 2020 was 10%. 1 At 10%, you could double your initial investment every seven years (72 divided by 10).

Inflation is anticipated to keep falling in 2024 and may reach the BoE's 2% target earlier than expected. As inflation has declined faster than expected this year, the BoE could start cutting the base rate in 2024 and possibly fall to 4% by the end of next year, according to data from private bank Berenberg.

The 10-year treasury constant maturity rate in the U.S. is forecast to decline by 0.8 percent by 2026, while the 30-year fixed mortgage rate is expected to fall by 1.6 percent. From seven percent in the third quarter of 2023, the average 30-year mortgage rate is projected to reach 5.4 percent in 2026.

Are mortgage rates negotiable? Yes, to some degree, mortgage interest rates are negotiable. Mortgage lenders have some flexibility when it comes to the rates they offer. However, in many cases getting a lower rate on your loan will come with a price, such as paying “points” to get a lower rate.

A rule of thumb says that you'll benefit from refinancing if the new rate is at least 1% lower than the rate you have. More to the point, consider whether the monthly savings is enough to make a positive change in your life, or whether the overall savings over the life of the loan will benefit you substantially.