Older Americans are ‘splurging’ on home modifications to support aging in place

The data is clear: Older adults, when contemplating future living arrangements, would prefer to remain in their homes as long as feasibly possible. But for those who own homes with features or layouts that may not be conducive to aging in place, some are taking proactive measures — and spending a lot of money — to make their home suitable.

This is according to a story published this month by the The Associated Press, which examines steps that some older homeowners are taking to ensure they can remain in their homes, as opposed to relocating to a dedicated care facility or another living arrangement.

One profiled couple in California hired an interior designer for $20,000, and spent another $95,000 on home modifications designed to more easily accommodate natural limitations to mobility that come from aging.

“She had the kitchen aisles widened to accommodate a wheelchair in case she or her husband ever need one,” the story explained. “The bathroom now has a walk-in steam shower and an electronic toilet seat that cleans the user when activated.”

When asked about the reason for making these investments, the wife described their desire to maintain the comfort, familiarity and pride in the home they’ve lived in together rather than giving them up.

While aging in place is a common choice, economic and mortgage market realities are also making it difficult to relocate even if someone may want to. Between elevated interest rates and the resulting “lock-in” effect, home prices and limited inventory levels are also making relocations challenging for baby boomers and older members of Generation X.

“Despite feeling tied down, a subset of these older adults have enough extra cash to splurge on upgrades designed to keep their homes both enjoyable and accessible as they age,” the story said. “The demand for inconspicuous safety bars, lower sinks, residential elevators and other amenities has given home improvement chains, contractors, designers and architects a noticeable lift.”

Some of the chains reporting increased renovation and modification activity include The Home Depot and Lowe’s, two of the largest home improvement retailers in the U.S. The Home Depot is refreshing an in-house brand with accessibility in mind for things like grab bars and easier-to-use faucets. Meanwhile, in 2021, Lowe’s established a single stop for items including wheelchair ramps and shower benches, the story explained.

Customers looking for products and tools to enhance their home’s accessibility seek “bathrooms that exude beauty and elegance, with essential accessibility features seamlessly integrated,” according to Lowe’s trend and style director Monica Reese, who spoke with the AP.

The need for such renovations will only become more pressing as time goes on, due both to demographic trends and a suitability for aging in place that can be lacking in existing-home inventory.

“According to a 2023 analysis of the 2011 American Housing Survey by the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) of Harvard University, less than 4% of U.S. homes combine single-floor living with no-step entry, and halls and doorways wide enough for wheelchairs,” the story said.

Additionally, the Harvard study found that “20% of survey respondents age 80 and above with incomes below $30,000 reported accessibility challenges, compared to 11% for those with incomes of $75,000 or more.”

This means that renovations of existing homes are likely to become more necessary as time goes on. But there is also a need to address accessibility challenges in affordable housing for older people, which will require a public policy solution, according to Jennifer Molinsky, director of the JCHS Housing an Aging Society Program.

“[T]here’s a lot of disparity,” she said. “There are people, through no fault of their own or for systemic reasons, who may not have the money to modify.”

Reverse mortgage companies in the past have engaged in renovation partnerships, and they have advertised home modifications to facilitate aging in place as a potential use case for loan proceeds.

In a 2019 interview with RMD, Molinsky said that home equity could have a place in funding some of these necessary modifications. It could play a role in alleviating the increasing prevalence of aging-associated financial burdens for senior homeowners.

“I don’t think we know enough [yet] about where society is going, but it is true that fewer people have pensions,” Molinsky said in 2019. “So, I think there’s a good reason to think that home equity becomes an important source of money for people who don’t have those pensions or haven’t been able to save up in their 401K or IRA.”

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Housing supply will be impacted as more Americans age in place

By Didier Malagies • 12 Nov, 2024

There is likely to be a “modest” amount of excess home supply driven by demographic changes as older homeowners move out of their homes or die. But the aging U.S. population is not expected to be an outright source of change to home-price projections over the next 10 years, according to a newly updated report on homes owned by baby boomers . “First, based purely on changing demographics, over the next decade there was projected to be a modest amount of excess supply of homes for sale as older homeowners age and die — around a quarter million units annually,” according to the report published by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). “Second, housing supply and demand shifts from changing demographics are slow moving and highly predictable, which suggests that there would not be measurable effects on house price growth from population aging and mortality.” The report projects that over the next decade, there will be a “negative excess supply of homes for sale,” which will fuel a demographic mismatch between supply and demand during that time. Much of this is driven by the fact that baby boomers, as previously documented , are not selling their homes at the same levels as previous generations. “Since 2015, there has been a sizable increase in the homeownership rate among those 70 and older,” the report said. “This, combined with a larger base of older Americans from the aging of the baby boomers, has led to a greater number of existing homes held onto longer. “In contrast, pre-2015 homeownership patterns would have predicted that these homes would have been sold. So, older Americans are holding onto their homes longer, and there are more of them.” This could serve to raise existing home supply in future years, but demand will continue to outpace supply in the here and now. “The findings highlight the varying patterns for older Americans as shifting demographics, the pandemic, and overall buyer attitudes have impacted buying and selling decisions,” said Edward Seiler, executive director for the Research Institute for Housing America and associate vice president of housing economics for the MBA “It is evident that older households are aging in place , leading to updated predictions that show that there will be no excess supply of homes to the markets from older Americans moving or dying over the next decade. The report also projects that there will be “over 8 million homes supplied by older Americans as they age and die,” which will rise to roughly 9 million over the next decade. Of that total, “approximately 1 million will be due to the death of older Americans.”

Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan

By Didier Malagies • 11 Nov, 2024

ender's 1% Down Payment program is designed to make homeownership more accessible for eligible first-time buyers by lowering the upfront costs typically required for a mortgage. Here's a breakdown of how the program generally works: How It Works 1% Down from the Borrower: The borrower contributes just 1% of the home purchase price as a down payment. 2% Contribution from Lender: Lender covers an additional 2% of the down payment, allowing the borrower to start with a total of 3% equity in the home. Eligibility: Borrowers must meet certain income and credit score requirements. The program often targets lower-income buyers or those who qualify for special financial assistance. Key Features and Benefits Low Entry Barrier: The reduced down payment can make homeownership achievable sooner for first-time buyers or those with limited savings. Conventional Loan: The loan is structured as a conventional mortgage, which may help borrowers avoid some of the restrictions associated with government-backed loans like FHA loans. Potential Mortgage Insurance: Depending on the loan details, borrowers may need to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) until they reach 20% equity. Other Considerations Interest Rates: Rates and terms are subject to typical mortgage rate changes, so it's advisable to check the current rate before applying. Credit Requirements: There may be a minimum credit score requirement, though this is typically more flexible than for standard conventional loans. The 1% Down program can be an excellent option for buyers looking to make homeownership more affordable. tune in and learn at https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329

Will mortgage rates settle after the election ends and the Fed meets?

By Didier Malagies • 06 Nov, 2024

It’s a big week for the U.S. economy as the 2024 election takes place and monetary policymakers are meeting to decide what to do next about interest rates. For mortgage professionals who’ve been dealing with uncertainty of late, more clarity could soon emerge. Mortgage rates have been rising quickly in recent weeks, dashing hopes for growth across the purchase and refinance lending channels. According to HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center , the average 30-year conforming rate stood at 6.88% on Tuesday. This figure has jumped 16 basis points (bps) over the past week , 26 bps in the past two weeks and 57 bps since Sept. 18, when the Federal Reserve cut benchmark rates by half a percentage point. The average 15-year conforming rate, meanwhile, grew to 6.55% on Tuesday — up an eye-popping 27 bps in one week. Conditions aren’t expected to improve in the short term, according to HousingWire Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami. “Mortgage rates are heading higher unless the spreads are fantastic today,” he wrote Tuesday. “The election data will create some wild swings, but the ISM (Institute for Supply Management) service report was a big beat of estimates, which made yields higher this morning after the report was released.” Some help is expected Thursday in the form of another Fed rate cut. According to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool , about 95% of interest rate traders believe the federal funds rate will be lowered by 25 bps. And there is a 77% chance of another 25-bps cut in December, which would bring the overnight rate to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. “Assuming a 25-basis point cut in November, the September FOMC projections imply one additional quarter-point cut in December,” Sam Williamson, senior economist at First American, said in a statement. “However, additional upside surprises on inflation or employment data could influence the Fed to consider taking the December cut off the table. In contrast, accelerated economic weakness or a rapid slowdown in inflation could prompt the Fed to take a more dovish approach to policy normalization.” While Tuesday is Election Day, the results of the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump may not be known immediately. The contest is expected to be extremely close and is likely to be decided by a handful of battleground states , including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The presidential race, along with control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, could also factor into interest rate movements in the short term. Survey data released Tuesday by Redfin found that 38% of early voters factored housing affordability into their choice between Harris and Trump. About one-third of respondents believe that rates will decline during a Trump presidency, compared to one-quarter who think the same under Harris. And more respondents believe rates will rise under Harris (32%) versus Trump (28%). ICE Mortgage Technology reported this week that lower interest rates during the third quarter led to higher levels of home equity lending. Home equity withdrawals across both second-lien mortgages and cash-out refinances reached a two-year high mark in Q3 2024. But even with a collective $48 billion in originations for these two categories from July through September, ICE reported that U.S. homeowners are touching only 0.42% of their tappable equity — the amount they can borrower against while keeping a 20% equity stake in the home. The 10-year average extraction rate is 0.92%. Second mortgages are 26% below their historic utilization rate, while cash-out refis are 69% below normal. ICE noted that “elevated interest rates have been a deterrent to homeowner equity utilization in recent quarters, as 30-year mortgage rates climbed at times into the high 7% range, curtailing cash-out refinance activity, and the average introductory rate on second lien home equity lines of credit ( HELOCs ) rose above 9.5%.” If Fed policymakers continue on their rate-cutting path, however, this could make home equity loan products “more affordable and more attractive,” ICE concluded. “Since the Fed began its latest cycle of rate hikes, the monthly payment needed to withdraw $50K via a HELOC more than doubled, from as low as $167 per month back in March 2022 to $413 in January of this year,” Andy Walden, the company’s vice president of research and analysis, said in a statement.