AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, First-Time Buyers, Buying Tips If you tried to buy a home a few years ago, you probably still remember the frenzy. Homes were listed one day and gone the next. Sometimes it only took hours. You had to drop everything to go and see the house, and if you hesitated even slightly, someone else swooped in and bought it – sometimes even sight unseen. That kind of intensity pushed a lot of buyers to the sidelines. It was stressful, chaotic, and for many, really discouraging. But here’s what you need to know: those days are behind us. Today’s market is moving slower, in the best possible way. And that’s creating more opportunity for buyers who felt shut out in recent years. The Stat That Changes Everything According to the latest data, homes are spending an average of 58 days on the market. That’s much more normal. And it’s a big improvement compared to the height of the pandemic, when homes were flying off the shelves in a matter of days (see graph below): That means you now have more time to make decisions...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, Home Prices, First-Time Buyers, Inventory, Affordability, Buying Tips, Downsize Not every homebuyer wants the biggest house on the block. Some want something simpler, more affordable, and easier to maintain, especially in a market where every dollar counts. That’s where condos come in. For first-time buyers, they can be a smart way to get into homeownership without stretching your budget. For downsizers, they offer less space to maintain with the flexibility to stay in a great location. And right now, condos are one of the most buyer-friendly parts of the market. Condo Inventory Is Up, And That Means More Choice According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), there are 194,000 condos for sale right now. That’s the second highest amount we’ve seen in the last three years (see graph below): Just remember, this is the national figure. The exact number is going to vary based on where you’re looking to buy. But, generally speaking, you have more options and less competition. You’re not stuck waiting for something to pop up or rushing into an offer just to beat someone else to it. You’ve...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, Selling Tips When you sell a house, the last thing you want is for the deal to fall apart right before closing. But according to the latest data from Redfin, that’s happening a bit more often lately. The good news is, it’s completely avoidable if you lean on an agent for insight into why that is and how to avoid it happening to you. This June, 15% of pending home sales fell through. That means those buyers backed out of their contracts. That’s not too much higher than the norm of roughly 12% from 2017-2019, but it’s still an increase. And it’s one you don’t want to have to deal with.  The key to avoiding this headache is knowing what’s causing the issues that lead to a buyer walking away. A recent survey from John Burns Research and Consulting (JBREC) and Keeping Current Matters (KCM) finds that agents reported the #1 reason deals are falling apart today is stemming from the home inspection (see graph below): Here’s why. With high prices and mortgage rates stretching buyers’ budgets, they don’t have a lot of...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, Mortgage Rates Mortgage rates are still a hot topic – and for good reason. After the most recent jobs report came out weaker than expected, the bond market reacted almost instantly. And, as a result, in early August mortgage rates dropped to their lowest point so far this year (6.55%). While that may not sound like a big deal, pretty much every buyer has been waiting for rates to fall. And even a seemingly small drop like this reignites the hope we’re finally going to see rates trending down. But what’s realistic to expect? According to the latest forecasts, rates aren’t expected to fall dramatically anytime soon. Most experts project they’ll stay somewhere in the mid-to-low 6% range through 2026 (see graph below): In other words, no big changes are expected. But small shifts, like the one we just saw, are still likely.  Each time there’s changing economic news, there’s a chance mortgage rates will react. And with so many reports coming out this week, we’ll get a better feeling of where the economy and inflation are headed – and how rates will...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, New Construction, Agent Value, Affordability If you’ve been skipping over newly built homes in your search, you might be doing so based on outdated assumptions. Let’s clear up a few of the most common myths, so you don’t miss out on a solid opportunity. Myth 1: New Homes Are More Expensive It’s easy to assume a new build will cost more than an existing home, but that’s not necessarily true, especially right now. Data from Census and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows the median price of a newly built home today is actually lower than a home that’s been lived in already (an existing home): So, why’s this happening? As Heather Long, Chief Economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, explains: “This largely reflects two trends: New homes are getting smaller on average, and builders are doing more price cuts.” If you’ve ruled out new construction based on price alone, it’s time to take another look. Talk to your local real estate agent to see what’s available (and at what price points). Myth 2: Builders Don’t Negotiate Many buyers assume builders aren’t...

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AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers Believe it or not, there are clear signs buyer interest is heating up again. Let’s talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, and why the housing market might not be as quiet out there as it seems.  Buyers Are Looking, and Search Trends Prove It One of the clearest ways to measure what people are thinking about is to look at what they’re searching for online. And according to Google Trends, searches for phrases like “home for sale” have been climbing steadily this year. The graph below shows an index of two common homebuyer search phrases and how popular they were on Google over the past two years. The higher the line goes, the more popular that phrase was. A 100 on the graph shows the most popular time for each phrase: Here’s what really stands out in this data. Both phrases have been trending up overall this year, and they hit a recent high in mid-July. That’s a pretty strong sign that curiosity (and maybe even interest) in buying a home is improving. That kind of momentum means something. Despite...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, For Sale by Owner, Inventory, Agent Value, Selling Tips Cutting out the agent might seem like a smart way to save when you sell your house. But here’s the hard truth. Last year, homes that sold with an agent went for almost 15% more than those that sold without one. That gap is pretty hard to ignore. And with more homes on the market to compete with right now, selling on your own is a mistake that’s going to cost you. This Isn’t the Market for DIY Selling A few years ago, you might’ve gotten away with a “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) sign in your yard, navigating the process on your own. That’s because homes were flying off the market and buyers were pulling out all the stops. But that’s just not the case anymore. With more inventory than we’ve seen in years, we’re not in a “list it and they will come” market anymore. You need professional expertise. A yard sign and some photos you take on your own won’t cut it. Right now, the housing market is getting back to...

Are you wondering if you’re on track to retire someday? According to Intuit, 69% of people say today’s financial environment makes it tough to plan for the future, and 68% aren’t sure they’ll ever be able to retire. That’s why many people are exploring new ways to build stability and long-term income. And that’s where real estate comes in. Why Real Estate? Here’s What It Can Do for You If you’re able to make the numbers work, buying a second home can be a powerful tool for your future retirement. It could help you: Build wealth over time: As home prices rise through the years, your second home should grow in value and increase your net worth. Generate extra income: Renting the home could bring in some extra income you can add to your existing retirement savings. Just remember, some of the rent coming in will need to be used to pay that mortgage and maintain that house.  Profit in the future: You may decide to sell the second home down the road and use the profit from that sale to give your retirement funds a boost. Diversify your financial assets: Real estate offers a tangible asset that can help...

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AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, First-Time Buyers, Rent vs. Buy, Affordability, Buying Tips Buying a home is exciting… until you start thinking about the down payment. That’s when the worry can set in. “I’ll never save enough.” “I need a small fortune just to get started.” “I guess I’ll just rent forever.” Sound familiar? You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not out of luck. Here’s the thing: a lot of what you’ve heard about down payments just isn’t true. And once you know the facts, you might realize you’re a lot closer to owning a home than you think. Let’s break it all down and bust some big down payment myths while we’re at it. Myth 1: “I need to come up with a big down payment.” This one stops a lot of people in their tracks. A recent poll from Morning Consult and NeighborWorks shows 70% of Americans think they need to put at least 10% down to buy a home. And 11% aren’t sure what’s required at all (see graph below):  The truth? According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the typical down payment for...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, Home Prices, Agent Value, Selling Tips When selling your house, the price you choose isn’t just a number, it’s a strategy. And in today’s market, that strategy needs to be sharp. The number of homes for sale is climbing. And that means buyers have more choices and can be more selective. If your price doesn’t line up with what else is out there, they’ll scroll right past it and go on to the next one. Pricing right from the start is your best move – and a great agent can help make sure you do. Overpricing Comes at a Cost And more sellers are finding that out the hard way. They list their house based on how things were a year ago – or based on a neighbor’s sale that happened under completely different circumstances. Then, when their house doesn’t sell, they’re left with three tough choices: Drop the price: Cutting the price might help get more eyes on the house again, but it can also trigger red flags. Buyers may wonder what’s wrong with it. And that’s going to impact any offers...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, First-Time Buyers, Buying Tips According to Fannie Mae, 90% of buyers don’t actually know what credit score lenders are looking for, or they overestimate the minimum needed. Let that sink in. That means most homebuyers think they need better credit than they actually do – and maybe you’re one of them. And that could make you think buying a home is out of reach for you right now, even if that’s not necessarily true. So, let’s look at what the data really says about credit scores and homebuying. There’s No One Magic Number There’s no universal credit score you absolutely have to have when buying a home. And that means there’s more flexibility than most people realize. Check out this graph showing the median credit scores recent buyers had among different home loan types: Here’s what’s important to realize. The numbers vary, and there’s no one-size-fits-all threshold. And that could open doors you thought were closed for you. The best way to learn more is to talk to a trusted lender. As FICO explains: “While many lenders use credit scores like FICO Scores to help them make lending...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Inventory, Agent Value Depending on where you live, the housing market could feel red-hot or strangely quiet right now. The truth is, local markets are starting to move in different directions. In some places, buyers are calling the shots. In others, sellers still hold the power. It’s a tale of two markets. What’s a Buyer’s Market vs. a Seller’s Market? In a buyer’s market, there are more homes for sale and not as many buyers. That means homes sit longer, buyers have more negotiating power, and prices tend to soften as a result. It’s simple supply and demand. On the flip side, a seller’s market happens when there aren’t enough homes available for the number of people looking to buy them. Because buyers have to compete with each other to get the house they want, that leads to faster sales, multiple offers, and rising prices. Right now, both of these scenarios are playing out, depending on where you are. So, how do you know what kind of market you’re in? Lean on a local real estate agent. They’ll explain...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Mortgage Rates, Forecasts If you’ve been watching the market, you’ve likely noticed a few changes already this year. But what’s next? From home prices to mortgage rates, here’s what the latest expert forecasts suggest for the rest of 2025 – and what these shifts could mean for you. Will Home Prices Fall? Many buyers are hoping home prices will come down soon. And recent headlines about prices dipping in some areas are making some people believe it’s just a matter of time before there’s a bigger drop. But here are the facts. While home price growth is slowing down, that doesn’t mean we’re headed for a crash. As NAHB explains: “House price growth slowed . . . partly due to a decline in demand and an increase in supply. Persistent high mortgage rates and increased inventory combined to ease upward pressure on house prices. These factors signaled a cooling market, following rapid gains seen in previous years.” But experts say, even with that slowdown, prices will still rise this year at the national level. The average of 8 leading...