More homes purchased with cash: Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance

By Kerri Ann Panchuk
• February 27, 2012 • 9:28am

Even more American homebuyers are paying cash to acquire homes, according to a new survey from Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance.

The group's HousingPulse Tracking Survey said between October and January, the number of homeowners purchasing residences with cash grew from 30.8% to 34.1%.

This trend is occurring at a time when mortgage rates are holding low. The survey noted that all-cash buyers are getting discounts of approximately 10%.

Homebuyers who turned to cash purchases are doing so because of the slow underwriting process late appraisals and long-wait times when dealing with certain loans, the report said.

"It is taking about 60 days to close a non-troubled FHA loan. About 30 days longer than usually a year ago," an agent in Florida told the survey team.

To release its report, the Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking survey interviewed 2,500 real estate agents across the country.

kpanchuk@housingwire.com

More In Real Estate

The trend of rising home prices continues and is expected to carry on, but don't expect double-digit gains as a norm, analysts say. Home prices rose 12.1% in April, making it the 14th consecutive month of year-over-year increases, according to the latest CoreLogic Home Price Index.

 

A limited supply of new and existing homes for sale have caused a jump in homebuilders' average selling prices, but housing supply constraints and rising interest rates, coupled with weak macroeconomics may spell trouble ahead.