Money Talk

Hire a Professional! Homeownership Helps Protect You from Inflation Some Highlights Wondering if it makes sense to buy a home today even when inflation is high? When other costs go up due to inflation, buying a home helps you keep your monthly housing expense steady. Rents typically increase with inflation. Maybe that’s why, according to a recent survey, 65.1% of landlords say they plan to raise the rent of at least one of their […]
Hire a Professional! What Homebuyers Need To Know About Credit Scores If you’re thinking about buying a home, you should know your credit score’s a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to qualifying for a home loan. Lenders review your credit to assess your ability to make payments on time, to pay back debts, and more. It’s also a factor that helps determine your mortgage rate. […]
Hire a Professional! Why the Median Home Price Is Meaningless in Today’s Market The National Association of Realtors (NAR) will release its latest Existing Home Sales (EHS) report later this week. This monthly report provides information on the sales volume and price trend for previously owned homes. In the upcoming release, it’ll likely say home prices are down. This may feel a bit confusing, especially if you’ve been following along and seeing the blogs […]
Hire a Professional! Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Need To Know. If you’re planning to buy your first home, then you’re probably focused on saving for all the costs involved in such a big purchase. One of the expenses that may be at the top of your mind is your down payment. If you’re intimidated by how much you need to save for that, it may be […]
Hire a Professional! How Owning a Home Grows Your Wealth with Time Some Highlights If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, be sure to factor in the long-term benefits of homeownership. Over time, homeownership allows you to build equity. On average, nationwide home prices appreciated by 290.2% over the last 32 years. That means your net worth can grow significantly in the long term when you own a home. Reach out to a real estate professional so you can start your […]
Hire a Professional! Why Buying or Selling a Home Helps the Economy and Your Community If you’re thinking about buying or selling a house, it’s important to know that it doesn’t just affect your life, but also your community. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales. The chart below illustrates that impact: As the visual shows, when a house is sold, it can make […]
Hire a Professional! A Drop in Equity Doesn’t Mean Low Equity You may see media coverage talking about a drop in homeowner equity. What’s important to understand is that equity is tied closely to home values. So, when home prices appreciate, you can expect equity to grow. And when home prices decline, equity does too. Here’s how this has played out recently. Home prices rose rapidly […]
Hire a Professional! Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates If you’re thinking about selling your house right now, chances are it’s because something in your life has changed. And, while things like mortgage rates are a key part of your decision on what you’ll buy next, it’s important to not lose sight of the reason you want to make a change in the first place. It’s true mortgage rates have […]
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Hire a Professional! Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends… Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M). […]
Hire a Professional! Why You Can’t Compare Now to the ‘Unicorn’ Years of the Housing Market Some Highlights Comparing housing market metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market – and the last few years have been anything but normal. In a way, they were ‘unicorn’ years. Expect unsettling housing market headlines this year, mostly due to unfair comparisons with the ‘unicorn’ years. Connect with a local real estate professional who […]
Hire a Professional! This Real Estate Market Is the Strongest of Our Lifetime When you look at the numbers today, the one thing that stands out is the strength of this housing market. We can see this is one of the most foundationally strong housing markets of our lifetime – if not the strongest housing market of our lifetime. Here are two fundamentals that prove this point. 1. The Current […]
Hire a Professional! The Main Reason Mortgage Rates Are So High Today’s mortgage rates are top-of-mind for many homebuyers right now. As a result, if you’re thinking about buying for the first time or selling your current house to move into a home that better fits your needs, you may be asking yourself these two questions: Why Are Mortgage Rates So High? When Will Rates Go Back Down? […]
Hire a Professional! Real Estate Is Still Considered the Best Long-Term Investment With all the headlines circulating about home prices and rising mortgage rates, you may wonder if it still makes sense to invest in homeownership right now. A recent poll from Gallup shows the answer is yes. In fact, real estate was voted the best long-term investment for the 11th consecutive year, consistently beating other investment types like gold, stocks, and bonds (see graph […]
Hire a Professional! Oops! Home Prices Didn’t Crash After All During the fourth quarter of last year, many housing experts predicted home prices were going to crash this year. Here are a few of those forecasts: Jeremy Siegel, Russell E. Palmer Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School of Business: “I expect housing prices fall 10% to 15%, and the housing prices are accelerating on the […]
Money Talk Why Aren’t Home Prices Crashing? There have been a lot of shifts in the housing market recently. Mortgage rates rose dramatically last year, impacting many people’s ability to buy a home. And after several years of rapid price appreciation, home prices finally peaked last summer. These changes led to a rise in headlines saying prices would end up crashing. Even […]
Homebuyers Buying a Home May Make More Sense Than Renting [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights If you’re trying to decide whether to rent or buy a home, there are a few things you should consider. Homeownership can help you escape the cycle of rising rents, builds your wealth, and serves as a hedge against inflation. If you’re ready to take advantage of the benefits of homeownership, connect with a real estate professional to explore your options.
Hire a Professional! The Two Big Issues the Housing Market’s Facing Right Now The biggest challenge the housing market’s facing is how few homes there are for sale. Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, explains the root causes of today’s low supply: “Two dynamics are keeping existing-home inventory historically low – rate-locked existing homeowners and the fear of not finding something to buy.” Let’s break down these two big issues in today’s housing […]
Hire a Professional! Why It’s Easy To Fall in Love with Homeownership Why It’s Easy To Fall in Love with Homeownership No matter how the housing market changes, there are some things about owning a home that never change—like the personal benefits it can provide. When you own your home, you likely feel a sense of attachment because of the comfort it gives and also because it’s a space that’s […]
Homebuyers What You Should Know About Closing Costs What You Should Know About Closing Costs Before you buy a home, it’s important to plan ahead. While most buyers consider how much they need to save for a down payment, many are surprised by the closing costs they have to pay. To ensure you aren’t caught off guard when it’s time to close on your home, […]
Hire a Professional! Why Today’s Housing Market Isn’t Headed for a Crash Why Today’s Housing Market Isn’t Headed for a Crash 67% of Americans say a housing market crash is imminent in the next three years. With all the talk in the media lately about shifts in the housing market, it makes sense why so many people feel this way. But there’s good news. Current data shows today’s market is […]