News Releases

SARASOTA, FL--(Marketwired - Jul 30, 2014) -

• Thirty percent of those planning to buy say market activity has caused them to delay buying a new home
• One fifth say market activity will likely cause them to buy a new home sooner than they otherwise would
• BMO Economics: Housing affordability remains historically very attractive

With home prices steadily on the rise, a new study released today by BMO Harris Bank found that seven in 10 (68 percent) Florida homeowners believe the value of their home will go up over the next 12 months. Looking back over the past year, 61 percent felt the value had increased and 24 percent thought it had gone down. Thirteen percent foresee the value of their home decreasing in the next 12 months.

"Market prices overall continue to indicate that we are in a recovery, and this was reflected in our survey results with buyer optimism. We've seen this reinforced by an increase in homebuying activity this year," said Sheila Blom, Head of Mortgage Sales, Florida, BMO Harris Bank. "For those thinking about entering the market, I recommend they start with the pre-approval process, working with their banker to ensure they have a good idea of how much house they can afford."

According to the survey, market activity has had some impact on timelines for those planning to buy (see chart).

When Florida residents with mortgages were asked about the forecast for interest rates:

• 63 percent said they expect rates to go up, with 45 percent expecting small increase and 18 percent anticipating a large increase
• 12 percent believe that rates will decrease over the next five years
• A quarter believe that rates will stay the same

"Housing affordability remains historically very attractive, despite rising home prices and borro wing costs coming off their lows. As a result, there continues to be decent demand for homes, assisted from firming household formation," said Michael Gregory, Head of U.S. Economics, BMO Capital Markets. "Although overall U.S. housing activity is experiencing slower momentum than we saw earlier in the recovery, positive developments such as the recent down-drift in mortgage rates and solid job numbers should give an added boost to housing."

At the national level, the survey found:

• Six in 10 (59 percent) Americans believe the value of their home will rise in the next 12 months, and the same proportion say it has risen over the last year
• 29 percent of those looking to buy say they have sped up their timeline to buy a home as a result of market activity, and the same proportion say it has caused them to delay or give up
• Six in 10 (59 percent) of those with a mortgage say they expect interest rates to rise over the next five years

Survey results cited in this report are from a Pollara survey commissioned by BMO Harris Bank using interviews with an online sample of 2,500 Americans, including 250 from the state of Florida, conducted between April 1^st and 7^th, 2014. The margin of error for a probability sample of 2,500 is ± 1.96%, and 250 is ± 6.2% 19 times out of 20.

For more trends, tips and tools to help you plan for your financial future, including buying a home, visit bmoharris.com/YourFinancialLife.

About BMO Harris Bank
BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through more than 600 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Misso uri, Minnesota, Arizona and Florida. BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S. For more information about BMO Harris Bank, go to the company fact sheet. Banking products and services are provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. and are subject to bank or credit approval. BMO Harris® and BMO Harris Bank® are trade names used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with approximately 1,600 branches, and CDN $582 billion in assets (as of April 30, 2014).