Monthly Archives: March 2018
The Cost of Renting vs. Buying Today [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: Historically, the choice between renting or buying a home has been a tough decision. Looking at the percentage of income needed to rent a median-priced home today (28.9%) vs. the percentage needed to buy a median-priced home (15.7%)... Read More
99% of Experts Agree: Home Prices Will Increase
Some believe that the combined effects of the new tax code and rising mortgage rates will have an adverse impact on residential real estate prices in 2018. However, the clear majority of recently surveyed housing experts believe that home values will continue to rise this year. What is the Home Price Expectation Survey? Each quarter,... Read More
Be Thankful You Don’t Have to Pay Your Parents’ Interest Rate!
Interest rates hovered around 4% for the majority of 2017, which gave many buyers relief from rising home prices and helped with affordability. In the first quarter of 2018, rates have increased from 3.95% up to 4.45% and experts predict that rates will increase even more by the end of the year. The rate you... Read More
Buyer Demand Still Outpacing the Supply of Homes for Sale
The price of any item is determined by the supply of that item, as well as market demand. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) surveys “over 50,000 real estate practitioners about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions” for their monthly REALTORS Confidence Index. Their latest edition sheds some light on the relationship between Seller Traffic (supply) and Buyer Traffic... Read More
5 Reasons Why to Sell This Spring!
Here are five reasons listing your home for sale this spring makes sense. 1. Demand Is Strong The latest Buyer Traffic Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains very strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase…and are in the... Read More
20 Tips for Preparing Your House for Sale This Spring [INFOGRAPHIC]
Highlights: When listing your house for sale your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible! There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens! Your real estate agent will have a list of specific suggestion... Read More
Freddie Mac: Rising Mortgage Rates DO NOT Lead to Falling Home Prices
Recently, Freddie Mac published an Insight Report titled Nowhere to go but up? How increasing mortgage rates could affect housing. The report focused on the impact the projected rise in mortgage rates might have on the housing market this year. Many believe that an increase in mortgage rates will cause a slowdown in purchases which... Read More
Is a Major Home Renovation Worth It in the Long Run?
Last week, we shared “7 Factors To Consider When Choosing A Home To Retire In.” For some homeowners, these seven factors can be taken into account with a home renovation, but is it worth it to remodel or change floor plans? Let’s look at this example. Let’s say you have a 4-bedroom colonial style home... Read More
Are You Aware of How Much Equity You Have in Your Home? You May Be Surprised!
CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 675,000 US homeowners regained positive equity in their homes in 2017. This is great news for the country, as 95.1% of all mortgaged properties are now in a positive equity situation. “U.S homeowners with mortgages (roughly 63% of all the properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of $908.4 billion... Read More
Dreaming of a Luxury Home? Now’s the Time!
If your house no longer fits your needs and you are planning on buying a luxury home, now is a great time to do so! Recently, the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing released its Luxury Market Report which showed that in today’s premium home market, buyers are in control. The inventory of homes for sale... Read More
