If you’re crossing your fingers for the housing market to take a nosedive and make homes affordable again, the latest scoop might disappoint. Despite what you might hope, experts are betting that house prices will continue climbing. Let’s explain why today’s scene is nothing like the pre-2008 chaos. Tougher to Get a Loan Nowadays – And That’s for the Best Rewind to the days leading up to 2008; almost anyone could get a mortgage. Fast-forward to now, and it’s a whole different ball game. The Mortgage Bankers Association shows us that getting a mortgage has become a tougher nut to crack. This ti ..read more

The current housing market has forced many homeowners to consider whether they want to renovate their current home or move to a new home. There are advantages to both, and the answer will likely depend on your personal preferences and lifestyle. When surveying a group of homeowners in mid-2021, a few trends emerged, including a desire for more outdoor living space, a home office, or an exercise room. Homeowners who are seeking these types of features have the option to either renovate their current space or find and purchase a home that already has these aspects. Things to Consider Some things ..read more

Your very own home is probably the biggest purchase you will make in your life. It requires a lot of effort, energy, dedication, patience, and, of course, time. It’s no small feat to buy a house. It’s also no small feat to sell a house either. In fact, selling a house is so complicated that an entire industry of trained professionals handles such transactions. Indeed, the real estate business has been booming for generations because people can rely on these experts to sell their homes at a fair price and with as little hassle as possible. However, it is practically possible to sell y ..read more

Many prospective home buyers wander around at an open house without much of a plan. They look at the layout of the rooms, the general feel of the place, and the brands of the appliances that will come with the kitchen. But buyers with a plan and a little forethought know precisely what they’ll be looking for during the open house. The housing market can be highly competitive, depending on where you’re shopping. This means that if your market is a hot one, you will probably be walking into a freshly cleaned and staged home that has probably seen some recent upgrades as well. That’s great, but t ..read more

Buying a home for the first time has a lot of challenges, but by avoiding these mistakes those who are shopping for a new home can save some money. There are a lot of things to consider such as the area of the home, the size of the home, and financing options. A good real estate agent can guide the homebuyer through the process. There are a few common mistakes that buyers make which you should be sure to avoid when you purchase a new home.  Mistake #1: Not Having a Realistic Budget  How to Figure Out Your Budget One of the ways that homeowners damage their own financial wellness is b ..read more

Past data showed that millennials were buying homes at a much lesser rate than the previous generations before them. There were a lot of socioeconomic reasons why this made sense, such as the challenges with the current job market, the lasting impact of the 2008 housing crash, and the amount of student loan debt that the millennial generation found themselves carrying into adulthood.  It is not that millennials did not want to buy homes, but that they were scared to get into even more debt, and that they simply could not afford it. Millennials saw how their parents struggled during the ho ..read more

Buying a house is a large purchase, so it isn’t strange to second guess your finding. Is it really the home of your dreams? Unfortunately, in today’s housing market, houses are not staying available very long, which means you could lose out on the house you love. A few critical indicators can reassure you about making the right decision on your home purchase. It is essential to know the questions to ask, so you know it isn’t an emotional decision but a strategic and factual one. Use these five steps to boost your confidence in your new venture. You Like the Area No matter how much a home fits ..read more

If you are planning to refinance or sell your home, an appraisal is necessary to determine the value of your home. You want your home to be in the best condition before this happens so it will be appraised at the highest possible value. There are many small steps you can take to have the appraisal go well.  Start with Some Spackle If you have lived in your current home for a while, you likely had shelves or pictures hung on the walls. There might also have been some accidents that caused damages to your walls. Before your appraisal would be the perfect time to fix those small imperfection ..read more

In just the past few months of 2020, so much has changed. And for many people, that includes what their perfect “dream house” might look like. Not long ago, home buyers were showing a preference for small homes with designated gathering spaces. However, after being inside for so long, that is no longer as appealing to many people. According to Barrons, “While the coronavirus still rages on, it’s hard to predict what post-pandemic abodes might look like…Yet, developers around the U.S. are already rethinking projects, anticipating residents’ needs and preferences that Covid-19 would spur. In doi ..read more

Choosing an architect is not something I thought I would ever be doing, but we are so fortunate to have this opportunity with our new house renovations and I am so excited, I am bursting! I know of a few local architects in the valley and I set out to find a perfect match. I wanted someone who understood our goals for the home, the biggest one being to have a home that will be accommodating to entertain my large family. Family is everything to me. Now that my parents are gone, we need to work hard to keep everyone together. Birthdays, holidays…things are constantly changing and now we are the ..read more