Appearing as a guest on Good Morning America this week, Barbara Corcoran answered several questions from viewers, ranging from when the right time to buy a home is to how to win a bidding war. As for the former, Corcoran said now is the time to buy.
“It’s a good time to buy because the minute interest rates go down, everybody’s waiting for them to go down even by a point, and when they do, they’re going to come rushing back in the market,” Corcoran said. “Prices are going to explode, and you’re going to be paying more for the same house. And you can always refinance, remember, when and if interest rates come down.”
It’s not Corcoran’s first time advising against even attempting to time the market. Previously, on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Corcoran said to forget about the timing, again stressing that now is always the time to buy.
The self-proclaimed “NYC Real Estate Queen” founded the Corcoran Group with a $1,000 loan in 1973, which she famously turned into $66 million after selling her business in 2001. She’ll always be a powerhouse within the real estate industry, but now most people know her as the spunky, blunt, and well-dressed shark on ABC’s Shark Tank.
Another viewer asked Corcoran how to win bidding wars, saying that he and his fiancee have been looking for a house but have been out bid every time they’ve found one they like. Corcoran said the key is to look like the “best deal in town,” while playing on the seller’s emotions.
“You have to be prequalified for your mortgage so you can go in there as an all cash deal. I’m an all cash deal, it’s not contingent, I already got my mortgage—you want that power behind you,” Corcoran said. “You also want to go in and realize it’s never just a financial deal. Get a nice piece of stationery and handwrite a note to that owner, and tell them how much you love the house. It makes a difference because people like to sell homes to people who love their house.”
As for the different types of mortgage loans that buyers can choose from, Corcoran said it depends on how long you’re going to live in that home. If you’re going to live there a long time, or at least except you are, Corcoran said a conventional rate mortgage at the shortest term you can afford, is the best option. On the other hand, if you’re only going to be living there for a short period of time, likely under five years, she said you’ll want to get an adjustable rate mortgage because it’s cheaper.
When Corcoran was then asked if there’s any way to get relief as someone who’s “house poor,” a term used to describe someone that’s spending more than 30% of their income on housing, she answered: “you don’t get relief from that.” In coastal cities, Corcoran said, people are spending more than 40% of their income on housing. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, in her view—people are forced to save by paying off their mortgage.
“When it comes time to retire, for most of us, it’s the only money we have to retire on,” Corcoran said.
Now if you want to make the most out of your home purchase, she said you’ll always get the best return in a high-traffic area. And if you want to make a killing, buy a home in an up and coming area. Corcoran’s formula for doing so? Follow the creative community and see where they’re living, and check out the nightlife.
And of course, a Corcoran Q&A couldn’t be complete without touching on rentals and renting. As for rent prices, Corcoran said they’re going to continue to go up, and there won’t be any relief. When interest rates go up and chase people into the rental market, rents generally go up. But when interest rates go down, that doesn’t mean rent follows. Corcoran said she’s never met a landlord that brings down their rent, ever. And, most of us know how she feels about renting—that it’s a “no-win game.”
