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There are an endless number of reasons you might decide to buy a home at any particular time in your life. Whether you just got a new job on the other side of town or are looking for a place closer to family, the motivation behind a move is usually very personal. But there are economic factors at play, as well. Your financial situation, optimism about the future, and perception of the market can also influence a decision to stay where you are or pack your belongings. Fannie Mae’s monthly Home Purchase Sentiment Index looks at how Americans are feeling about buying a home, the real estate market, and their personal economic outlook. In December, the overall index fell slightly from the month before, though the number of Americans who said they thought it was a good time to buy a house was up from November. Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae’s senior vice president and chief economist, says there’s been an increase in economic optimism recently but whether it carries through the rest of the year is uncertain. “A spike in economic optimism in the immediate aftermath of an election is typical,” Duncan said. “Whether consumers will sustain this level of optimism into 2017 remains unclear … If this optimism comes to fruition, it should translate into stronger income growth and increased job security for consumers – the two HPSI components that could help support housing sentiment this year.” More here.

Selling a home can be challenging in any year. Even if market conditions are perfect for homeowners who want to sell, just the act of finding a buyer, shopping for a new place, and organizing a move can be overwhelming. Add in lower for-sale inventory, higher mortgage rates, and economic uncertainty and it may seem like too much to take on. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of help available to guide you through this year’s real estate market. A recent article on Trulia breaks down some of the top tips for selling a home in the new year. First on their list is hiring the right agent. Having a professional who knows the local market and your needs can reduce your stress level and make everything else run more smoothly. You’re also going to want to prepare for competition. Analysts expect inventory to rise this year and that means an increasing number of homes for buyers to choose from. Making your house stand out from the pack might mean staging it according to the demographic most likely to be moving to your neighborhood. In other words, if you live somewhere popular with young families, think about staging an extra bedroom as a nursery. You should also be sure to keep up with technology. These days, everything from virtual tours to drone photography can be used to set your listing apart. Ultimately, though, nothing works better than pricing your home correctly from the start. With a good agent and the right price, you shouldn’t have any trouble selling your house in 2017. More here.

The real-estate market is constantly evolving and there are a lot of moving parts. So, whether you’re buying or selling a home, it’s good to have some awareness of your local market, average mortgage rates, home prices, inventory, etc. That way, you aren’t approaching a major financial transaction totally in the dark. So what should you be watching if you’re looking to buy or sell this year? Well, according to a recent survey of real-estate agents, there are a few trends you should keep an eye on. Mortgage rates rank high on the list. With home prices still rising, if mortgage rates continue to increase, it could have a negative influence on home buyers. Surprisingly, though, when asked what effect a 1 percent increase in rates would have on the market, survey participants said probably not much. In fact, 49 percent of agents said home buyers would just look for less expensive homes, while nearly 20 percent said it would have no effect at all. Survey respondents did say, however, that a rate increase could have an impact on current homeowners who may be looking to sell. According to responding agents, fewer homes available to buy – and the fact that many of these homeowners now have locked in favorable rates – could mean homeowners remain in their current home, despite a desire to move. More here.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell over the two-week holiday season. Rates were down for 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, as well as 15-year fixed-rate loans. Rates for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration were unchanged. But despite the fact that it was the first time in weeks that rates moved lower, demand for mortgage applications still fell. In fact, refinance activity was down 22 percent and the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index dropped 2 percent from two weeks earlier. Naturally, the numbers are adjusted to account for the Christmas holiday but, according to the MBA’s chief economist Michael Fratantoni, the slowdown was even more than is usual for the holidays. “Mortgage application volume typically drops sharply over the holidays,” Fratantoni told CNBC. “However, this year, as mortgage rates continued their upward climb reaching the highest levels in more than two years, overall application volume fell even more than the holiday slowdown would suggest.” The MBA’s weekly survey has been conducted since 1990 and covers 75 percent of all retail residential mortgage applications. More here.