Strategic Tips for Buying Your First Home

By |2024-02-25T08:14:23-06:00February 25, 2024|Real Estate|

Buying your first home is a big, exciting step and a major milestone that has the power to improve your life. As a first-time homebuyer, it's a dream you can make come true, but there are some hurdles you'll need to overcome in today’s housing market – specifically the limited supply of homes for sale and ongoing affordability challenges. So, if you're ready, willing, and able to buy your first home, here are three tips to help you turn your dream into a reality. Save Money with First-Time Homebuyer Programs                                        Paying the initial costs of homeownership, like your down payment and closing costs, can feel a bit daunting. But [...]

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It’s Time To Prepare Your House for a Spring Listing

By |2024-02-19T18:32:00-06:00February 19, 2024|Real Estate|

If you're thinking of selling your house this spring, now is the perfect time to start getting it ready. With the market gearing up for its busiest time of year, it'll be important to make sure your house shines bright among the competition. Here are some valuable tips you can use to get your house market-ready. Declutter and Organize First impressions matter, and if your house is a mess, that can easily turn off potential buyers. Before listing, take the time to declutter and organize each room. Decluttering is about more than just tidying up – it's about creating a sense of space and openness [...]

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Features That Can Help Your Home Sell Faster & For More Money

By |2024-02-20T10:57:49-06:00February 1, 2024|Real Estate|

Research from the home site Zillow indicates that homebuyers braving this uncertain market are still willing to pay for the specific features that speak to them and certain amenities may even help a home get a higher offer. According to Zillow’s research, listings that mention high-end cooking amenities such as steam ovens, pizza ovens, and professional-grade appliances can sell for as much as 5.3% more than similar homes that don’t have these features (or at least don’t mention them in their property listings). “Not every buyer will appreciate a chef’s kitchen or a putting green in their backyard, but those [...]

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Ways Your Home Equity Can Help You Reach Your Goals

By |2024-01-15T12:08:33-06:00January 15, 2024|Real Estate|

If you’ve owned your house for at least a couple of years, there’s something you’re going to want to know more about – and that’s home equity. If you’re not familiar with that term, Freddie Mac defines it like this: “. . . your home’s equity is the difference between how much your home is worth and how much you owe on your mortgage.” That means your equity grows as you pay down your home loan over time and as home values climb. While it’s true home prices dipped slightly last year, they rebounded and have been climbing in many areas since then. Here’s why that price growth is good [...]

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3 Keys To Hitting Your Homeownership Goals in 2024

By |2024-01-01T12:23:13-06:00January 1, 2024|Real Estate|

If buying or selling a home is your goal for 2024, it’s important to understand today’s housing market, know your why, and work with industry experts to bring your homeownership vision for the new year into focus. Over the last year, the economy had a big impact on the housing market, and likely on your wallet too. That’s why it’s critical to have a clear picture of not just the market today, but also on what you want out of it when you buy or sell a home. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains: “The key to making a good decision in this challenging housing [...]

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Sell Smarter: Why Working with a Real Estate Agent May Beat Going Solo

By |2023-12-22T11:19:46-06:00December 22, 2023|Real Estate|

If you're thinking about selling your house on your own, called “For Sale by Owner” or FSBO, there are some important things to consider. Going this route means taking on a lot of responsibilities by yourself – and that can be a bit of a headache. A recent report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found two of the most difficult tasks for people who sell their house on their own are getting the price right and understanding and performing paperwork. Here are just a few of the ways an agent helps with those difficult tasks. Getting the Price Right Setting the right price for your house is [...]

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Why Mortgage Rates Could Continue To Decline

By |2023-12-20T09:13:50-06:00December 20, 2023|Real Estate, Uncategorized|

When you read about the housing market, you’ll probably come across some information about inflation or recent decisions made by the Federal Reserve (the Fed). But how do those two things impact you and your homebuying plans? Here's what you need to know. The Federal Funds Rate Hikes Have Stalled One of the Fed’s primary goals is to lower inflation. In order to do that, they started raising the Federal Funds Rate to slow down the economy. Even though this doesn’t directly dictate what happens with mortgage rates, it does have an impact. Recently inflation has started to cool, a signal those increases worked and are [...]

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Are the Top 3 Housing Market Questions on Your Mind?

By |2023-12-01T11:30:12-06:00December 1, 2023|Real Estate|

When it comes to what’s happening in the housing market, there’s a lot of confusion going around right now. You may hear one thing in conversation with your friends, see something totally different on the news, and read something on social media that contradicts both of those thoughts. And, if you’re thinking about making a move, that can leave you with a lot of lingering questions. That’s where a trusted local real estate agent comes in. Here are the top 3 questions people are asking about today’s housing market, and the data to help answer them. 1. What’s Next for Mortgage Rates? Mortgage rates are [...]

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Wise Investments: Home Improvements That Boost Your Home’s Value

By |2023-11-18T12:41:53-06:00November 16, 2023|Real Estate|

  As a homeowner, you're constantly seeking ways to enhance your living space and maximize the value of your investment. While not every home improvement project yields a significant return on investment (ROI), certain upgrades can make a substantial difference in your property's appraisal value and appeal to potential buyers. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has compiled data on home improvements that consistently deliver impressive ROIs. Here are some of the top performers: 1. New Roof: Average Investment $7,500, Average ROI 107% A new roof is a sound investment that protects your home from the elements and enhances its [...]

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Thinking About Using Your 401(k) To Buy a Home?

By |2023-11-10T12:38:34-06:00November 10, 2023|Real Estate|

Are you dreaming of buying your own home and wondering about how you’ll save for a down payment? You're not alone. Some people think about tapping into their 401(k) savings to make it happen. But before you decide to dip into your retirement to buy a home, be sure to consider all possible alternatives and talk with a financial expert. Here’s why. The Numbers May Make It Tempting The data shows many Americans have saved a considerable amount for retirement (see chart below): It can be really tempting when you have a lot of money saved up in your 401(k) and you see your dream home on the horizon. [...]

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