Location Is Everything…Even With Interest Rates

Stephen Phillips, president of the new Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokerage network, does not anticipate rates rising any time soon, but when they do, they will not affect everyone – or everywhere – the same way. Many first-time homebuyers could feel the sting of a rising mortgage interest trend, he says. Middle- to upper-middle class investors snapping up homes to turn them into investment properties could continue to bolster the lower end of the market, notes Phillips, who adds it is almost what he would call a fragmented market. “The areas that got hit worst by subprime (lending), they’ve come roaring back at the lower end,” he says, pointing to speculative markets in areas such as Florida and Southern California. As for the other end of the spectrum, the typical high-end buyer does not need a mortgage to make a deal in a high-rate environment – just cash. | Read More