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What You Need to Know About the Mortgage Process [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: Many buyers are purchasing a home with a down payment as little as 3%. You may already qualify for a loan, even if you don’t have perfect credit. Take advantage of the knowledge of your local professionals who are there to help you determine how much you can afford.
Housing Will Not Fall Victim to Next Economic Storm
Some experts are calling for a slowdown in the economy later this year and most economists have predicted that the next recession could only be eighteen months away. The question is, what impact will a recession have on the housing market? Here are the opinions of several experts on the...
Demand for Homes Continues to Climb
Demand For Homes Demand For Homes To Buy Continues To CLimb Across the United States, there is a severe mismatch between the low number of houses for sale and the high demand for those houses! First-time homebuyers are out in force and are being met with...
Why We Buy A Home!
Why we buy a home We often talk about why it makes financial sense to buy a home, but more often than not, the emotional reasons are the more powerful or compelling ones. No matter what shape or size your living space is, the concept and...
First-Time Home Buyers Continue to Put Down Less Than 6%!
Down Payment Down Payment Less Than 6% According to the Realtors Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors, 61% of first-time homebuyers purchased their homes with down payments below 6% in 2017. Many potential homebuyers believe that a 20% down payment is necessary to buy...
Want to Sell Your House Faster? Don’t Forget to Stage! [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: The National Association of Realtors surveyed their members & released the findings of their Profile of Home Staging. 62% of seller’s agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market. 50% of staged homes saw a 1-10% increase in dollar-value...
House Buying Power at Near-Historic Levels
We keep hearing that home affordability is approaching crisis levels. While this may be true in a few metros across the country, housing affordability is not a challenge in the clear majority of the country. In their most recent Real House Price Index, First American reported that consumer “house-buying power”...
Rising Interest Rates Have Not Dampened Demand
Since the beginning of the year, mortgage interest rates have risen over a half of a percentage point (from 3.95% to 4.52%), according to Freddie Mac. Even a small rise in interest rates can greatly impact a buyer’s monthly mortgage payment. First American recently released the results of their quarterly...
How Often Do Families Move?
How often do families move? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) keeps historical data on many aspects of homeownership. One of their data points, which has changed dramatically, is the median tenure of a family in a home, meaning how long a family stays in a home prior to moving. As the graph below...
The #1 Reason to List Your House NOW!
List your house Now If you are debating whether or not to list your house now, here is the #1 reason not to wait! Buyer Demand Continues to Outpace the Supply of Homes for Sale The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun recently commented on the...
Cost Across Time [INFOGRAPHIC]
Cost Across Time Some Highlights: With interest rates still around 4.5%, now is a great time to look back at where rates have been over the last 40 years to determine cost across time. Rates are projected to climb to 5.1% by this time next year according to Freddie Mac....
Homes More Affordable Today than 1985-2000
Homes More Affordable Today Rising home prices have many concerned that the average family will no longer be able to afford the most precious piece of the American Dream – their own home. However, it is not just the price of a home that determines its affordability. The monthly cost...
VA Loans: Making a Home for the Brave Possible
Since the creation of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loans Program, over 22 million veterans have achieved the American Dream of homeownership. Many veterans do not know the details of the program and therefore do not take advantage of the benefits available to them. If you are a veteran or...
Why Should You Use A Professional to Sell Your Home?
Use A Professional When homeowners decide to sell their houses, they obviously want to get the best possible price for their home with the least amount of hassles along the way. However, for the vast majority of sellers, the most important result is actually getting their homes...
Buying This Summer? Be Prepared for Bidding Wars
Summer is traditionally a busy season for real estate. Buyers come out in force and homeowners list their houses for sale hoping to capitalize on those buyers who are looking to purchase before the new school year. This year will be no different! Buyers have already been out in force...