What To Save for When Buying a Home

When buying a home, it’s essential to budget for key costs like the down payment, closing costs, and earnest money deposits. While a 20% down payment is common, many loan options require less. Understanding these expenses and working with professionals will help you navigate the process confidently.

How Much Home Equity Have You Gained? The Answer Might Surprise You!

Home equity, the difference between a home’s value and mortgage owed, has significantly increased for homeowners due to rising home prices and longer residency. The average homeowner enjoys about $319,000 in equity, creating opportunities for purchasing new homes, financing improvements, or starting businesses. Understanding this asset is crucial for future financial planning.

Expert Forecasts for the 2025 Housing Market

The housing market in 2025 is anticipated to see a slight decrease in mortgage rates, projected to settle in the mid-to-low 6% range. However, home prices are expected to rise at a more sustainable pace of around 3%. Staying informed and working with trusted professionals is crucial for buyers and sellers.

What’s Motivating More Buyers to Choose a Newly Built Home?

As the new year begins, buyers are increasingly attracted to newly built homes, which accounted for 15% of sales last year—a 17-year high. Key motivations include avoiding renovations, customization options, community amenities, low inventory of existing homes, energy efficiency, and smart home features. Having an agent is recommended for the buying process.

The Biggest Perks of Buying a Home This Winter!

Purchasing a home in winter can offer advantages like reduced competition and motivated sellers. Homes typically take longer to sell during this season, giving buyers more time to negotiate. Moreover, prices can be about 5% lower compared to summer, creating opportunities for savings and better deals.

What Will It Take for Prices To Come Down?

Home prices are unlikely to crash due to a significant mismatch between demand and supply in the housing market. Currently, there are more buyers than available homes, leading to sustained or rising prices. This issue stems from years of insufficient homebuilding post-2008 crisis. Local market conditions may vary, affecting price trends.

Sell Your House During the Winter Sweet Spot

Selling a house in winter can be advantageous due to reduced competition, as fewer homes are on the market. Serious buyers tend to look during this season, making them more likely to purchase. Listing now allows sellers to stand out before the influx of spring listings, maximizing their selling potential.

Why Today’s Foreclosure Numbers Won’t Trigger a Crash

With everything feeling more expensive these days, it’s natural to worry about how rising costs might impact the housing market. Many people are concerned that high prices and tighter budgets could cause more homeowners to fall behind on their mortgage payments, leading to a wave of foreclosures. But before you start worrying about a housing market crash,Continue reading “Why Today’s Foreclosure Numbers Won’t Trigger a Crash”

Two Reasons Why the Housing Market Won’t Crash

The current housing market is stable, with demand exceeding supply, contrary to the conditions leading to the 2008 crash. Presently, there are only 4.2 months of home supply, and unemployment is low at 4.1%. These factors combined suggest that a housing market crash is highly unlikely in the near future.

Housing Market Forecast: What’s Ahead for the 2nd Half of 2024

In the latter half of 2024, experts anticipate moderate rises in home prices, a slight decrease in mortgage rates, and steady home sales. Limited housing inventory will continue to drive prices upward, but not at the rapid pace seen during the pandemic. Lower rates could entice more buyers, potentially leading to increased sales this year.