Category Archives: Uncategorized

Americans’ opinion on the value of real estate as an investment is climbing. That’s according to an annual survey from Gallup. Not only is real estate viewed as the best investment for the ninth year in a row, but more Americans selected it than ever before. The graph below shows the results of the survey since Gallup began asking theContinue reading “More Americans Choose Real Estate as the Best Investment Than Ever Before”

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a house, you’re at an exciting decision point. And anytime you make a big decision like that, one thing you should always consider is timing. So, what does the rest of the year hold for the housing market? Here’s what experts have to say. The Number of Homes Available for Sale IsContinue reading “What Does the Rest of the Year Hold for the Housing Market?”

In today’s housing market, many are beginning to wonder if we’re returning to the riskier lending habits and borrowing options that led to the housing crash 15 years ago. Let’s ease those concerns. Several times a year, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) releases an index titled the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI). According to their website: “The MCAI provides the only standardizedContinue reading “Why Home Loans Today Aren’t What They Were in the Past”

The Marine corps league has shared some ground rules for this weekend.  1) “Don’t wish me a Happy Memorial Day. There is nothing happy about brave men and women dying.  2) It’s not a holiday. It is a rememberance.  3) If you want to know the true meaning, visit Arlington or your local VA not Disney.” Continue reading “Don’t Wish Me a Happy Memorial Day”

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you’ve probably heard mortgage rates are rising and have wondered what that means for you. Since mortgage rates have increased over two percentage points this year, it’s natural to think about how this will impact your homeownership plans. Today, buyers are reacting in one of two ways: they’re either making the decision toContinue reading “Why Rising Mortgage Rates Push Buyers off the Fence”

If you’re planning to buy a home, it’s critical to understand the relationship between mortgage rates and your purchasing power. Purchasing power is the amount of home you can afford to buy that’s within your financial reach. Mortgage rates directly impact the monthly payment you’ll have on the home you purchase. So, when rates rise, so doesContinue reading “How Today’s Mortgage Rates Impact Your Home Purchase”

Buying before you sell can prevent you from moving twice and alleviates the worry of being homeless. There are several ways to do this. Not all of these strategies will work for everyone, so make sure to talk to us, your lender and sometimes your tax person to see what route meets your individual situation. Continue reading “How Do I Buy Before I Sell?”

If you’re planning to buy a home this season, you’re probably thinking about what you’ll need to do to get your offer accepted. In previous years, it was common for buyers to try and determine how much less than the asking price they could offer to still get the home. The buyer and seller would then negotiateContinue reading “Is It Enough To Offer Asking Price in Today’s Housing Market?”

If you’re thinking of selling your house, it may be because you’ve heard prices are rising, listings are going fast, and sellers are getting multiple offers on their homes. But why are conditions so good for sellers today? And what can you expect when you move? To help answer both of those questions, let’s turn to the data. Today, there are farContinue reading “On the Fence of Whether or Not To Move This Spring? Consider This.”

There’s never been a truer statement regarding forecasting mortgage rates than the one offered last year by Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American: “You know, the fallacy of economic forecasting is: Don’t ever try and forecast interest rates and or, more specifically, if you’re a real estate economist mortgage rates, because you will always invariably be wrong.”Continue reading “Where Are Mortgage Rates Headed?”