You made an offer and it was accepted. Your next task is to have the home inspected prior to closing. Agents often recommend you make your offer contingent upon a clean home inspection. This contingency allows you to renegotiate the price you offered for the home, ask the sellers to cover repairs, or in some…
The latest edition of the Realtors Confidence Index from NAR sheds some light on the relationship between seller traffic (supply) and buyer traffic (demand). Until the supply of homes for sale starts to meet buyer demand, prices will continue to rise. The price of any item is determined by supply, as well as the market’s demand for the item. The National…
Some Highlights: The “cost of waiting to buy” is defined as the additional funds necessary to buy a home if prices and interest rates were to increase over a period of time. Freddie Mac forecasts interest rates will rise to 3.8% by Q4 2020. CoreLogic predicts home prices will appreciate by 5.4% over the next 12 months.…
When people talk about homeownership and the American Dream, much of the conversation revolves around the financial benefits of owning a home. However, two recent studies show that the non-financial benefits might be even more valuable. In a recent survey, Bank of America asked homeowners: “Does owning a home make you happier than renting?” 93%…
According to a new study from realtor.com, the week of September 22 is the best time of year to buy a home, making it ‘Black Friday’ for homebuyers. Every year, ‘Black Friday’ is a highly anticipated event for eager shoppers. Some people prepare for weeks, crafting and refining a strategic shopping agenda, determining exactly when…
If you’re thinking about remodeling your house before you list it, take a look at these three tips to help you decide if you really need to fix it up before you sell. The answer may surprise you. With the fall season upon us, change is in the air. For many families, children are growing…
In today’s real estate market, more houses are coming to market every day. Eager buyers are searching for their dream homes, so setting the right price for your house is one of the most important things you can do. According to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index, home values have risen at over 6% a year…
Some Highlights: Buyers are active in the market and often competing with one another for available listings. Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply found in a normal housing market. Homes are still selling relatively quickly, averaging 31 days on the market.
One of the benefits of homeownership is that it is a “forced savings plan.” Here’s how it works: You make a mortgage payment each month. Part of that payment is applied to the principal balance of your mortgage. Each month you owe less on the home. The difference between the value of the home and…
When searching for a home, you may end up selecting a property in a community with a Homeowners Association (HOA). Before you buy, it’s important to know how an HOA works and what they mean for you. According to a recent article on realtor.com, “In a nutshell, an HOA helps ensure that your community looks…