Some Highlights Buying a home has powerful financial and non-financial benefits. It creates more stability, helps grow your net worth, and gives you an undeniable sense of pride. While today’s market can be challenging for buyers, use these reasons to remind you of why homeownership is so worthwhile.  When you’re ready to enjoy all the amazing advantages that come with owning a home, get in touch with a local real estate agent ..read more

Buyers face challenges in any market – and today’s is no different. With higher mortgage rates and rising prices, plus the limited supply of homes for sale, there’s a lot to consider. But, there’s one way to avoid getting tripped up – and that’s leaning on a real estate agent for the best possible advice. An expert’s insights will help you avoid some of the most common mistakes homebuyers are making right now. Putting Off Pre-approval As part of the homebuying process, a lender will look at your finances to figure out what they’re willing to loan you for your mortgage. This gives you a good i ..read more

You’re ready to sell your house. But what do you need most from your real estate agent? Well, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) asked that very question to recent sellers and found one of the top things they were looking for is help marketing their house to potential buyers. Maybe that’s what you need the most help with too. You expect your real estate agent to write a great description of your house for the listing and pair it with some high-quality photos. But that’s not all you’re going to get when you partner with a great agent. They’ll do a lot more to make sure your house stand ..read more

Some Highlights The asking price for your house can impact your bottom line and how quickly it sells. Both under- and overpricing have drawbacks. So to find the right price for your house, lean on your agent for their expertise. Don’t pick just any price for your listing. Trust your real estate professional to help you find the perfect price for your house ..read more

There’s no denying mortgage rates are having a big impact on today’s housing market. And that may leave you with some questions about whether it still makes sense to sell your house and make a move. Here are three of the top questions you may be asking – and the data that helps answer them. 1. Should I Wait To Sell? If you’re thinking about waiting to sell until after mortgage rates come down, here’s what you need to know. So are a ton of other people. And while mortgage rates are still forecasted to come down later this year, if you wait for that to happen, you may be dealing with a lot more ..read more

Are big investors really buying up all the homes today? If you’re trying to find a house to buy, this may be something you’re wondering about. Maybe you’ve read about it or seen reels on social media saying investors buying all the homes is making it even harder to find what the average buyer is looking for. But spoiler alert – there’s a lot of misinformation out there. To clear things up, here’s the scoop on what’s really happening. A lot of the big investor activity is actually in the rearview mirror already. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) explains: “Investors of all sizes spent billions of ..read more

If one of the main reasons you’re hesitant to buy a home is because you’re worried about the upkeep, here’s some information you may find interesting on both new home construction and existing homes (a home that’s been lived in by a previous owner). Newly Built Homes Need Less Upfront Maintenance If you can afford it, you may find a newly built home could help ease your worries about maintenance costs. Think about it, if everything in the house is brand new, it won’t have the wear and tear you may see in an existing home – and that means it’s less likely to need repairs. As LendingTree says ..read more

If you’re thinking of making a move this year, there are two housing market factors that are probably on your mind: home prices and mortgage rates. You’re wondering what’s going to happen next. And if it’s worth it to move now, or better to wait it out. The only thing you can really do is make the best decision you can based on the latest information available. So, here’s what experts are saying about both prices and rates. 1. What’s Next for Home Prices? One reliable place you can turn to for information on home price forecasts is the Home Price Expectations Survey from Fannie Mae – a survey ..read more

There’s no denying the last couple of years have been tough for anyone trying to buy a home because there haven’t been enough houses to go around. But things are starting to look up. There are more homes up for grabs this year. The graph below uses the latest data from Realtor.com to show in April 2024 there were more homes for sale than there were over the last few years (2021-2023):   As Realtor.com explains: “There were 30.4% more homes actively for sale on a typical day in April compared with the same time in 2023, marking the sixth consecutive month of annual inventory growth.” B ..read more

Having a hard time finding a first home that’s right for you and your wallet? Well, here’s a tip – think about condominiums, or condos for short. They’re usually smaller than single-family homes, but that’s exactly why they can be easier on your budget. According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), condos are typically less expensive than single-family homes (see graph below): So, if you’re comfortable with a smaller space and want to buy your first home this year, adding condos to your search might be easier on your wallet. Besides giving you more options for ..read more