The year 2020 will certainly be one to remember, with new realities and norms that changed the way we live. This year’s real estate market is certainly no exception to that shift, with historic highlights continuing to break records and challenge what many thought possible in the housing market. Here’s a look at four key … Continue reading "Have You Ever Seen a Housing Market Like This?"

To all essential workers on this Labor Day, thank you. Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

Some Highlights The word “home” is taking on a whole new meaning this year, and buyers are starting to look for new features as they re-think their needs and what’s truly possible. From more outdoor space to virtual classrooms for their children, buyers have a growing list of what they’d like to see in their … Continue reading "The 2020 Homebuyer Wish List [INFOGRAPHIC]"

Homebuying has been on the rise over the past few months, with record-breaking sales powering through the market in June and July. Buyers are actively purchasing homes, and the momentum is continuing into the fall. It is, however, becoming harder for buyers to find homes to purchase. If you’ve been thinking about selling your house, … Continue reading "Homebuyer Demand Is Far Above Last Year’s Pace"

The year 2020 will be remembered as one of the most challenging times of our lives. A worldwide pandemic, a recession causing historic unemployment, and a level of social unrest perhaps never seen before have all changed the way we live. Only the real estate market seems to be unaffected, as a new forecast projects … Continue reading "How Will the Presidential Election Impact Real Estate?"

When most of us begin searching for a home, we naturally start by looking at the price. It’s important, however, to closely consider what else impacts the purchase. It’s not just the price of the house that matters, but the overall cost in the long run. Today, that’s largely impacted by low mortgage rates. Low … Continue reading "It’s Not Just About the Price of the Home"

With so few houses for sale today and low mortgage rates driving buyer activity, bidding wars are becoming more common. Multiple-offer scenarios are heating up, so it’s important to get pre-approved before you start your search. This way, you can put your best foot forward – quickly and efficiently – if you’re planning to buy … Continue reading "Three Ways to Win in a Bidding War"

Some Highlights The percentage of income needed to afford a median-priced home today is declining, while that for renting is on the rise. This is making buying a home an increasingly attractive option for many people, especially with low mortgage rates driving purchasing power. Let’s connect if you’d like expert guidance on exploring your homebuying … Continue reading "The Cost of Renting Vs. Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC]"

You may have heard that pre-approval is a great first step in the homebuying process. But why is it so important? When looking for a home, the temptation to fall in love with a house that’s outside your budget is very real. So, before you start shopping around, it’s helpful to know your price range, … Continue reading "Why Is It so Important to Be Pre-Approved in the Homebuying Process?"

Finding the right home to purchase today is one of the biggest challenges for potential buyers. With so few homes for sale and construction of newly built homes ramping up, you may be wondering if you should consider new construction in your search process. It’s a great question to ask, and one to look at … Continue reading "Should You Buy an Existing Home or New Construction?"

When shelter-in-place orders brought the economy to a screeching halt earlier this year, many believed the residential housing market would follow suit. Countless analysts predicted buyer demand would disappear and home values would depreciate for the first time in almost a decade. That, however, didn’t happen. It appears the opposite is taking place. After the … Continue reading "Builders & Realtors Agree: Real Estate Is Back"

Today, Americans are moving for a variety of different reasons. The current health crisis has truly re-shaped our lifestyles and our needs. Spending extra time where we currently live is enabling many families to re-evaluate what homeownership means and what they find most important in a home. According to Zillow: “In 2020, homes went from … Continue reading "The Top Reasons People Are Moving This Year"

Some Highlights According to trending data, searches for key real estate topics are skyrocketing online. Clearly, lots of people have questions about buying a home, and other topics related to the process. Working with a trusted real estate professional will help you create the most personalized and helpful experience. Let’s connect so you have the … Continue reading "Ask a Pro About Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC]"

Originally, some housing industry analysts were concerned that the mortgage forbearance program (which allows families to delay payments to a later date) could lead to an increase in foreclosures when forbearances end. Some even worried that we might relive the 2006-2008 housing crash all over again. Once you examine the data, however, that seems unlikely. … Continue reading "Forbearance Numbers Are Lower than Expected"

The residential real estate market has definitely been the shining light in this country’s current economic situation. All-time low mortgage rates coupled with a new appreciation of what a home truly means has caused the housing market to push forward through this major health crisis. Let’s look at two measures that explain the resilience of … Continue reading "Just How Strong Is the Housing Recovery?"

In today’s housing market, it can be a big challenge for buyers to find homes to purchase, as the number of houses for sale is far below the current demand. Now, however, we’re seeing sellers slowly starting to come back into the market, a bright spark for potential buyers. Javier Vivas, Director of Economic Research … Continue reading "Sellers Are Returning to the Housing Market"

The news these days seems to have a mix of highs and lows. We may hear that an economic recovery is starting, but we’ve also seen some of the worst economic data in the history of our country. The challenge today is to understand exactly what’s going on and what it means relative to the … Continue reading "The Beginning of an Economic Recovery"

Some Highlights Sometimes it helps to see the dollars and cents you’ll save when you purchase a home while mortgage rates are low. Today’s low rates mean it’s less expensive to borrow money, so the savings over the life of your loan is significant. Let’s connect to determine the best way to position your family … Continue reading "Mortgage Rates & Payments by Decade [INFOGRAPHIC]"

Today, home prices are appreciating. When we hear prices are going up, it’s normal to think a home will cost more as the trend continues. The way the housing market is positioned today, however, low mortgage rates are actually making homes more affordable, even as prices rise. Here’s why. According to the Mortgage Monitor Report … Continue reading "Homes Are More Affordable Right Now Than They Have Been in Years"

With the strength of the current housing market growing every day and more Americans returning to work, a faster-than-expected recovery in the housing sector is already well underway. Regardless, many are still asking the question: will we see a wave of foreclosures as a result of the current crisis? Thankfully, research shows the number of … Continue reading "Why Foreclosures Won’t Crush the Housing Market Next Year"