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It’s Not Just About the Price of the Home   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 overa...

Three Ways to Win in a Bidding War   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....

Why Is It so Important to Be Pre-Approved in the Homebuying Process?   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 b...

Should You Buy an Existing Home or New Construction?   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 ...

Builders & Realtors Agree: Real Estate Is Back   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 depre...

The Top Reasons People Are Moving This Year   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 m...

Forbearance Numbers Are Lower than Expected   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 ...

The Beginning of an Economic Recovery   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&rs...

Current Buyer & Seller Perks in the Housing Market   Today’s housing market is making a truly impressive turnaround, and it’s also setting up some outstanding opportunities for buyers and sellers. Whether you’re thinking of buying or selling a home ...

Why Foreclosures Won’t Crush the Housing Market Next Year   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 ...

Homes Are More Affordable Right Now Than They Have Been in Years   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 ...

The Latest Unemployment Report: Slow and Steady Improvement   Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest Employment Situation Summary. Going into the release, the expert consensus was for 1.58 million jobs to be added in July, and for the ...

Experts Weigh-In on the Remarkable Strength of the Housing Market   America has faced its share of challenges in 2020. A once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, a financial crisis leaving millions still unemployed, and an upcoming presidential election that may prove to be one of the most contentious ...

Why Homeowners Have Great Selling Power Today   We’re sitting in an optimal moment in time for homeowners who are ready to sell their houses and make a move this year. Today’s homeowners are, on average, staying in their homes longer than they used to, and this is one ...

How Is Remote Work Changing Homebuyer Needs?   With more companies figuring out how to efficiently and effectively enable their employees to work remotely (and for longer than most of us initially expected), homeowners throughout the country are re-evaluating their needs. Do I still ne...

Three of the Latest Reports Show Housing Market Is Strong   The residential real estate market is remaining resilient as the country still struggles to beat the COVID-19 pandemic. Three separate reports recently revealed how the housing market is still showing growth. Here’s a look at...

Guidance and Support Are Key When Buying Your First Home   In June, the number of first-time homebuyers accounted for 35% of the existing homes sold, a trend that’s been building steadily throughout the year. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR): “...

Homeownership Rate Continues to Rise in 2020   So far, it’s been quite a ride this year, and our nation has truly seen its fair share of hurdles. From COVID-19 to record unemployment and then the resulting recession, just to name a few, the second quarter of 2020 has had more than a f...

Will We See a Surge of Homebuyers Moving to the Suburbs?   As remote work continues on for many businesses and Americans weigh the risks of being in densely populated areas, will more people start to move out of bigger cities? Spending extra time at home and dreaming of more indoor and outd...

Home Sales Hit a Record-Setting Rebound   With a worldwide health crisis that drove a pause in the economy this year, the housing market was greatly impacted. Many have been eagerly awaiting some bright signs of a recovery. Based on the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the&n...

Two Reasons We Won’t See a Rush of Foreclosures This Fall   The health crisis we face as a country has led businesses all over the nation to reduce or discontinue their services altogether. This pause in the economy has greatly impacted the workforce and as a result, many people have ...

Thinking of Selling Your House? Now May be the Right Time   Inventory is arguably the biggest challenge for buyers in today’s housing market. There are simply more buyers actively looking for homes to purchase than there are sellers selling them, so the scale is tipped in favor of the...

A Remarkable Recovery for the Housing Market   For months now the vast majority of Americans have been asking the same question: When will the economy turn around? Many experts have been saying the housing market will lead the way to a recovery, and today we’re seeing signs ...

What Are Experts Saying about Home Prices?   Last week, a very well-respected real estate analytics firm surprised many with their home price projection for the next twelve months. CoreLogic, in their latest Home Price Index said: “The economic downturn that started i...

Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows for Three Consecutive Weeks   Over the past several weeks, Freddie Mac has reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropping to record lows, all the way down to 3.03%. Last week’s reported rate reached the lowest point in the histo...

Best Time to Sell? When Competition Is at an All-Time Low   In a recent survey of home sellers by Qualtrics, 87% of respondents said they were concerned their home won’t sell because of the pandemic and resulting economic recession. Of the respondents, 51% said they are...

Not All Agents Are Created Equal   In today’s fast-paced world where answers are just a Google search away, there are some who may question the benefits of hiring a real estate professional when selling a house. The reality is, the addition of more information can lead to more confusi...

Buyers: Are You Ready for a Bidding War?   With businesses reopening throughout the country and some experts indicating early signs of a much-anticipated economic recovery, more homebuyers are actively entering the housing market this summer. Today, housing is truly driving the U.S. ec...

Latest Unemployment Report: Great News…for the Most Part   The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their latest Employment Situation Summary last Thursday, and it again beat analysts’ expectations in a big way. The consensus was for 3,074,000 jobs to be add...

Latest Unemployment Report: Great News…for the Most Part   The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their latest Employment Situation Summary last Thursday, and it again beat analysts’ expectations in a big way. The consensus was for 3,074,000 jobs to be add...

Taking Advantage of Homebuying Affordability in Today’s Market   Everyone is ready to buy a home at a different time in their lives, and a health crisis or not, today is no exception. Understanding how affordability works and the main market factors that impact it may help those who a...

Are New Homes Going to Be Available to Buy This Year?   In today’s economy, everyone seems to be searching for signs that a recovery is coming soon. Many experts agree that it may actually already be in motion or will be starting by the 3rd quarter of this year. With th...

A Historic Rebound for the Housing Market   Pending Home Sales increased by 44.3% in May, registering the highest month-over-month gain in the index since the National Association of Realtors (NAR) started tracking this metric in January 2001. So, what exactly are pending home sal...

Is the Health Crisis Driving Buyers Out of Urban Areas?   The pandemic has caused consumers to re-examine the components that make up the “perfect home.” Many families are no longer comfortable with the locations and layouts of their existing homes. The allure of city life (more...

What Are Experts Saying About the Rest of 2020?   One of the biggest questions on everyone’s minds these days is: What’s going to happen to the housing market in the second half of the year? Based on recent data on the economy, unemployment, real estate, and more, ma...

Think You Should For Sale By Owner? Think Again   Some Highlights  For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is the process of selling real estate without the representation of a real estate broker or real estate agent. According to the National Association of Realtors’ Profile...

Should We Be Looking at Unemployment Numbers Differently?   The New York Times recently ran an article regarding unemployment titled: Don’t Cheer Too Soon. Keep an Eye on the Core Jobless Rate. The piece suggests we should look at unemployment numbers somewhat...

New Index Reveals Impact of COVID-19 on Real Estate   Earlier this month, realtor.com announced the release of their initial Housing Recovery Index, a weekly guide showing how the pandemic has impacted the residential real estate market. The index leverages a weighted average...

What Are the Experts Saying About Future Home Prices?   A worldwide pandemic and an economic recession have had a tremendous effect on the nation. The uncertainty brought about by both has made predicting consumer behavior nearly impossible. For that reason, forecasting home prices has beco...

Homebuyers Are in the Mood to Buy Today   According to the latest FreddieMac Quarterly Forecast, mortgage interest rates have fallen to historically low levels this spring and they’re projected to remain low. This means there’s a huge incentive for buyers who are ready to p...

7 Strategies for a 2020 Open House   Some Highlights Buyer interest is high right now, so this summer is a great time to sell your house. Here are 7 strategies to help make your house showing a safe and effective one. Let’s connect today to get your house on the market ...

Want to Make a Move? Homeowner Equity is Growing Year-Over-Year   One of the bright spots of the 2020 real estate market is the growth in equity homeowners are experiencing across the country. According to the recently released Homeowner Equity Insights Report from CoreLogic,...

Is the Economic Recovery Already Underway?   The Wall Street Journal just released their latest monthly Survey of Economists. In an article on the findings, they reported: “The U.S. economy will be in recovery by the third quarter of this year, economists sa...

Are You Ready for the Summer Housing Market?   As the health crisis started making its way throughout our country earlier this spring, sellers have been cautious about putting their homes on the market. This hesitation stemmed primarily from fear of the spread of the coronavirus, and unders...

Is a Recession Here? Yes. Does that Mean a Housing Crash? No.   On Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) announced that the U.S. economy is officially in a recession. This did not come as a surprise to many, as the Bureau defines a recession t...

Real Estate Will Lead the Economic Recovery   With more U.S. states reopening for business this summer, and as people start to return to work, we can expect the economy to begin improving. Most expert forecasts indicate this economic recovery will start to happen in the second half of this&...

The Shocking News in the Unemployment Report   Last Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released their May Employment Situation Summary. Leading up to the release, most experts predicted the unemployment rate would jump up to approximately 20% from the 14.7% rate...

National Homeownership Month   Some Highlights National Homeownership Month is a great time to reflect on how we can each promote stronger community growth. Homeownership helps families build financial freedom, find greater happiness and satisfaction, and make a positive impact on our l...

Three Things to Understand About Unemployment Statistics   Tomorrow morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the latest Employment Situation Summary, which will include the most current unemployment rate. It will be a horrific number. Many analysts believe unemploy...

Is it Time to Sell Your Vacation Home?   The travel industry is one of the major sectors that’s been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, it’s hard to know how long it will take for summer travelers to be back in action and for the industry to fully recover. Homeo...

The Benefits of Homeownership May Reach Further Than You Think   More than ever, our homes have become an integral part of our lives. Today they are much more than the houses we live in. They’re evolving into our workplaces, schools for our children, and safe havens that provide shelt...

Home Prices: It’s All About Supply and Demand   As we enter the summer months and work through the challenges associated with the current health crisis, many are wondering what impact the economic slowdown will have on home prices. Looking at the big picture, supply and demand will gi...

Why This Summer Is the 2020 Real Estate Season   With stay-at-home orders starting to gradually lift throughout parts of the country, data indicates homebuyers are jumping back into the market. After many families put their plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, wha...

Economists Forecast Recovery to Begin in the Second Half of 2020   With the U.S. economy on everyone’s minds right now, questions about the country’s financial outlook continue to come up daily. The one that seems to keep rising to the top is: when will the economy begin to...

Buying or Selling a Home? You Need an Expert Kind of Guide   In a normal housing market, whether you’re buying or selling a home, you need an experienced guide to help you navigate through the process. You need someone you can turn to who will tell you how to price your home correctly...

We Remember & Honor Those Who Gave All   We remember, today and always.

Experts Predict Economic Recovery Should Begin in the Second Half of the Year   One of the biggest questions we all seem to be asking these days is: When are we going to start to see an economic recovery? As the country begins to slowly reopen, moving forward in strategic pha...

6 Reasons Why Selling Your House on Your Own Is a Mistake   There are many benefits to working with a real estate professional when selling your house. During challenging times like the one we face today, it becomes even more important to have an expert help guide you through the ...

Housing Market Positioned to Bring Back the Economy   All eyes are on the American economy. As it goes, so does the world economy. With states beginning to reopen, the question becomes: which sectors of the economy will drive its recovery? There seems to be a growing consensus tha...

#1 Financial Benefit of Homeownership: Family Wealth   While growing up, we were taught by our parents and grandparents that owning a home is a financially savvy move. They explained how a mortgage is like a “forced savings plan.” When you pay rent, that money is lost forever. W...

2020 Homeowner Wish List [INFOGRAPHIC]   Some Highlights In a recent study by realtor.com, homeowners noted some of the main things they would change about their homes to make them more livable. Not surprisingly, more space, an updated kitchen, and a home gym rose to the top of the...

Will the Housing Market Turn Around This Year?   Today, many people are asking themselves if they should buy or sell a home in 2020. Some have shifted their plans or put them on hold over the past couple of months, and understandably so. Everyone seems to be wondering if the market is going...

A Surprising Shift to the ‘Burbs May Be on the Rise   While many people across the U.S. have traditionally enjoyed the perks of an urban lifestyle, some who live in more populated city limits today are beginning to rethink their current neighborhoods. Being in close proximity to every...

Unemployment Report: No Need to Be Terrified   Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest jobs report. It revealed that the economic shutdown made necessary by COVID-19 caused the unemployment rate to jump to 14.7%. Many anticipate that next month t...

Will Home Values Appreciate or Depreciate in 2020?   With the housing market staggered to some degree by the health crisis the country is currently facing, some potential purchasers are questioning whether home values will be impacted. The price of any item is determined by supply as well a...