Here are 5 compelling reasons listing your home for sale this summer makes sense. 1. Demand Is Strong The latest Buyer Traffic Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing, and able to purchase… and are in the market right now! More often than not, multiple buyers are competing with each other for the same home. Take advantage of the buyer activity…

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Some Highlights: If you are planning on listing your house for sale this year, these four home improvement projects will net you the most Return on Investment (ROI). Minor renovations can go a long way toward improving the quality of your everyday life and/or impressing potential buyers. Whether you plan to stay in your house for a long time or just a few years, it’s smart to know which home renovations add the most value.

During the housing market crash, Gen X homeowners lost more wealth than other generations. However, things are changing now! A strong economy, increasing home prices, and the recovery of the housing market are helping this generation to regain their lost wealth. According to Pew Research Center, “Their fortunes have rebounded more than those of other generations during the post-recession economic expansion and as home and stock prices have risen. Since 2010, the median net worth of Gen X households has…

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A lot is happening in the world, and it’s having a direct impact on the housing market. The reality is this: some of it is positive and some of it may be negative. Some we just don’t know yet. The following three areas of the housing market are critical to understand: interest rates, building materials, and the outlook for an economic slowdown. 1. Interest Rates One of the most important things to consider when buying a home is the interest…

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In a real estate market where home prices are rising, many have begun to reexamine the idea of buying a home, choosing instead, to rent for a while. But often, there is a dilemma: should you keep paying rent, knowing that rent is rising too, or should you lock in your housing cost and buy a home? Let’s look at both scenarios and analyze the pros and cons of each: Renting With the housing market crash in 2008, many homeowners…

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Freddie Mac recently released a report entitled, “Perceptions of Down Payment Consumer Research.” Their research revealed that, “For many prospective homebuyers, saving for a down payment is the largest barrier to achieving the goal of homeownership. Part of the challenge for those planning to purchase a home is their perception of how much they will need to save for the down payment… …Based on our recent survey of individuals planning to purchase a home in the next three years, nearly a third think…

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Some Highlights: The “cost of waiting to buy” is defined as the additional funds necessary to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to increase over a period of time. Freddie Mac forecasts interest rates to rise to 4.5% by the Q4 2020. CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 4.8% over the next 12 months. If you are ready and willing to buy your dream home, find out if you are able to!

If you are a “baby boomer” (born between 1946 and 1964), you may be thinking about selling your current home. Your children may have finally moved out. Your large, four-bedroom house with three bathrooms no longer fits the bill. Taxes are too high. Utilities are too expensive. Cleaning and repair are too difficult. You may be ready to move into a home that better fits your current lifestyle. Many fellow boomers have already made the move you may be considering….

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We often talk about the financial reasons why buying a home makes sense. But, more often than not, the emotional reasons are the more powerful and compelling ones. No matter what shape or size your living space is, the concept and feeling of home can mean different things to different people. Whether it’s a certain scent or a favorite chair, that feeling of safety and security you gain from owning your own home is simultaneously one of the greatest and…

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There are many financial benefits to homeownership, but probably none more important than its ability to create family wealth. How Housing Matters is a joint project of the Urban Land Institute and the MacArthur Foundation. It is an online resource for research and information on how homeownership contributes to individual and community success. Their article, The First Rung on the Ladder to Economic Opportunity Is Housing, explains the importance of homeownership to a family’s financial health. In that article, they…

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