A recent report by the Orlando Regional Realtors Association, states that right now is a good time to buy or sell a home in Orlando, FL. Although there is a shortage of inventory, mortgage interest rates remain extremely low which continues fueling high demand for housing in Central Florida.
Many Realtors in Orlando… including myself, thought when the pandemic started, it would be devastating for real estate professionals. Since real estate agents work solely on commissions meaning… if you don’t close a deal, you don’t get paid. Realtors, for the most part, aren’t eligible to collect unemployment like in a normal 9 to 5 job.
There’s no denying the Coronavirus pandemic slowed down many businesses and even caused some to close, but the Orlando real estate business isn’t one of them. I can tell you that my own brokerage Orlando Realty Consultants, is even busier than we were this time last year.
There’s no doubt in my mind this is largely due to people moving from larger cities up north wanting to live in more spacious suburban surroundings. More and more businesses are offering their employees a way to work remotely so they can live wherever their hearts desire.
Orlando is home to some of the best suburban neighborhoods in the state of Florida. Neighborhoods like Hunter’s Creek which was voted the 21st best place to live in the US by CNN’s Money Magazine. These great communities combined with gorgeous year-round weather make living in Orlando attractive to anyone and everyone.
Orlando Home Sales Up 20% Since Start Of Pandemic
The greatest issue home-buyers are confronting is that low housing inventory is driving an enormous demand. With historically low-interest rates, homes are vanishing off the market.
Even if you are not interested in buying or selling, real estate agents in Orlando say now is an excellent time to refinance. It does not hurt to see what your options are. You could end up shaving hundreds of dollars a month on your mortgage payment if you refinance.
Can We Expect To See More Foreclosures In 2021
Most homeowners that have been affected financially by the pandemic have been able to get through these hard times. Thanks to forbearance agreements, unemployment checks, and stimulus money people who know how to “trim the fat” have been able to keep up with their bills. But what happens when all these temporary solutions come to an end?… and they will end at some point. I believe many homeowners may have to take out home equity loans at some point and use them to keep up with their mortgage payments while others will elect to sell their Orlando home to cash in on the current seller’s market.
Right now, it’s too early to tell how this will all play out because many people are still receiving unemployment benefits and our new president is promising another round of stimulus checks to all tax-paying Americans. Hopefully, the world will get back to being close to normal, the economy will bounce back, and the housing market will continue to boom.
