What if you didn’t have a mortgage payment on your next house? It may sound a little unrealistic. But for a number of homeowners, it’s actually doable.Nearly 3 in 10 homes purchased today are bought in cash, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That’s far more than the pre-pandemic norm (see graph below):So, [...]
Let’s be clear: selling your house is absolutely possible right now. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), roughly 11k homes sell every day in this country.And the sellers who are making their moves happen all have one thing in common: they’ve adjusted their strategy to match today’s market. They’re realizing inventory has grown. [...]
Renting can feel like the easier choice right now. There’s no big down payment. No dealing with surprise repairs. And no long-term commitment.But then your rent goes up again. And again. And suddenly the thing that seemed flexible starts looking… expensive, especially considering you’re not building any equity. And once that happens, it’s easy to [...]
For a lot of parents or grandparents, watching a family member struggle to buy their first home right now is hard. That's because you saw firsthand how homeownership gave your life more stability and helped grow your net worth – and you want your loved ones to have those same opportunities.But with all the affordability [...]
There’s one decision you're going to make when you sell that determines whether your house sells quickly, or it sits. Whether buyers make an offer, or scroll past it. Whether you walk away with the maximum return, or you end up cutting the price later.And that’s your asking price.The #1 Mistake Sellers Make Today: Trusting [...]
If you saw headlines that talked about how “home sales fell sharply in January,” it probably raised an eyebrow – especially if you’re thinking about selling your house. But context matters.Yes, in January, home sales declined. But that has more to do with seasonality and the weather than it does with any big drop off [...]
At some point, a house that once felt perfect just… doesn’t anymore.Maybe you need more space.Maybe working from home turned your dining room into a permanent office.Maybe the layout just doesn’t match how you live now.If your current house is starting to feel like it’s holding you back instead of supporting your life, it’s natural [...]
You may have seen talk online that new home inventory is at its highest level since the crash. And if you lived through the crash back in 2008, seeing new construction is up again may feel a little scary.But here’s what you need to remember: a lot of what you see online is designed to [...]
Now that the market is slowing down, homeowners who haven’t sold at the price they were hoping for are increasingly pulling their homes off the market. According to the latest data from Realtor.com, the number of homeowners taking their homes off the market is up 38% since the start of this year and 48% since [...]
If you’re still worried about having to deal with a bidding war when you buy a home, you may be able to let some of that fear go.While multiple-offer situations haven’t disappeared entirely, they’re not nearly as common as they used to be. In fact, a recent survey shows agents reported only 1 in 5 [...]
If you tried to buy a home a few years ago, you probably still remember the frenzy. Homes were listed one day and gone the next. Sometimes it only took hours. You had to drop everything to go and see the house, and if you hesitated even slightly, someone else swooped in and bought it [...]
Not every homebuyer wants the biggest house on the block. Some want something simpler, more affordable, and easier to maintain, especially in a market where every dollar counts. That’s where condos come in.For first-time buyers, they can be a smart way to get into homeownership without stretching your budget. For downsizers, they offer less space [...]
When you sell a house, the last thing you want is for the deal to fall apart right before closing. But according to the latest data from Redfin, that’s happening a bit more often lately. The good news is, it’s completely avoidable if you lean on an agent for insight into why that is and [...]
Mortgage rates are still a hot topic – and for good reason. After the most recent jobs report came out weaker than expected, the bond market reacted almost instantly. And, as a result, in early August mortgage rates dropped to their lowest point so far this year (6.55%).While that may not sound like a big [...]
If you’ve been skipping over newly built homes in your search, you might be doing so based on outdated assumptions. Let’s clear up a few of the most common myths, so you don’t miss out on a solid opportunity.Myth 1: New Homes Are More ExpensiveIt’s easy to assume a new build will cost more than [...]
Some HighlightsNow that there are more homes for sale, buyers have more options. And sellers need to be more flexible to close the deal.That's why almost half of homeowners are making some type of concession. This can include covering closing costs, paying for repairs, or dropping the price.Not sure which concessions to offer? Connect with [...]
Believe it or not, there are clear signs buyer interest is heating up again.Let’s talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, and why the housing market might not be as quiet out there as it seems. Buyers Are Looking, and Search Trends Prove ItOne of the clearest ways to measure what people are thinking [...]
Cutting out the agent might seem like a smart way to save when you sell your house. But here’s the hard truth.Last year, homes that sold with an agent went for almost 15% more than those that sold without one.That gap is pretty hard to ignore. And with more homes on the market to compete [...]
Are you wondering if you’re on track to retire someday?According to Intuit, 69% of people say today’s financial environment makes it tough to plan for the future, and 68% aren’t sure they’ll ever be able to retire. That’s why many people are exploring new ways to build stability and long-term income.And that’s where real estate [...]
Some HighlightsPrices, rates, and finding the right home are three of the biggest challenges for buyers today. You may find better luck with all 3 if you look at newly built homes.There are more available. Builders are more flexible on prices right now. And people who buy new homes tend to get lower rates in [...]
