Keeping Current Matters

Keeping Current Matters

Housing Challenge or Housing Opportunity? It Depends.

The biggest challenge in real estate today is the lack of available homes for sale. The low housing supply has caused homes throughout the country to appreciate at a much faster rate than what we’ve experienced historically. There are many reasons for the limited number of homes on the market, but as you can see […]
Keeping Current Matters

There Are More Homes Available Now than There Were This Spring

There’s a lot of talk lately about how challenging it can be to find a home to buy. While housing inventory is still low, there are a few important things to understand about the supply of homes for sale as we move into the end of the year. The Number of Homes for Sale Usually Peaks in […]
Keeping Current Matters

Knowledge Is Power When It Comes to Appraisals and Inspections

Buyers in today’s market often have questions about the importance of getting a home appraisal and an inspection. That’s because high buyer demand and low housing supply are driving intense competition and leading some buyers to consider waiving those contingencies to stand out in the crowded market. But is that the best move? Buying a home is […]
Keeping Current Matters

Your Home Equity Is Growing [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters Housing Challenge or Housing Opportunity? It Depends. The biggest challenge in real estate today is the lack of available homes for sale. The low housing supply has caused homes throughout the country to appreciate at a much faster rate than what we’ve experienced historically. There are many reasons for the limited number of homes on the market, but as you can see […]

Keeping Current Matters There Are More Homes Available Now than There Were This Spring There’s a lot of talk lately about how challenging it can be to find a home to buy. While housing inventory is still low, there are a few important things to understand about the supply of homes for sale as we move into the end of the year. The Number of Homes for Sale Usually Peaks in […]

Keeping Current Matters Knowledge Is Power When It Comes to Appraisals and Inspections Buyers in today’s market often have questions about the importance of getting a home appraisal and an inspection. That’s because high buyer demand and low housing supply are driving intense competition and leading some buyers to consider waiving those contingencies to stand out in the crowded market. But is that the best move? Buying a home is […]

Keeping Current Matters Your Home Equity Is Growing [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters Important Distinction: Homes Are Less Affordable, Not Unaffordable It’s impossible to research the subject of buying a home without coming across a headline declaring that the fall in home affordability is a crisis. However, when we add context to the most recent affordability statistics, we soon realize that, though homes are less affordable than they have been over the last few years, they are more affordable than […]

Keeping Current Matters Looking To Move? It Could Be Time To Build Your Dream Home. While today’s supply of homes for sale is still low, the number of newly built homes is increasing. If you’re ready to sell but have held off because you weren’t sure you’d be able to find a home to move into, newly built homes and those under construction can provide the options you’ve been waiting for. The latest Census data shows the […]

Keeping Current Matters What Does the Future Hold for Home Prices? If you’re looking to buy or sell a house, chances are you’ve heard talk about today’s rising home prices. And while this increase in home values is great news for sellers, you may be wondering what the future holds. Will prices continue to rise with time, or should you expect them to fall? To answer that […]

Keeping Current Matters Sellers: Your House Could Be an Oasis for Buyers Seeking More Options Sellers have a great opportunity this season as buyer demand still heavily outweighs the current supply of homes for sale. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), today’s housing inventory sits at only a 2.6-month supply. To put that into perspective, a neutral market typically features a 6-month supply. That places today’s market firmly in the sellers’ market category. […]

Keeping Current Matters Homebuyer Tips for Finding the One [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters What Do Past Years Tell Us About Today’s Real Estate Market? As you follow the news, you’re likely seeing headlines discussing what’s going on in today’s housing market. Chances are high that some of the more recent storylines you’ve come across mention terms like cooling or slowing when talking about where the market is headed. But what do these terms mean? The housing market today is anything but normal, and it’s still […]

Keeping Current Matters The Big Question: Should You Renovate or Move? The last 18 months changed what many buyers are looking for in a home. Recently, the American Institute of Architects released their AIA Home Design Trends Survey results for Q3 2021. The survey reveals the following: · 70% of respondents want more outdoor living space · 69% of respondents want a home office (48% wanted multiple offices) · 46% of respondents want […]

Keeping Current Matters Don’t Wait for a Lower Mortgage Rate – It Could Cost You Today’s housing market is truly one for the record books. Over the past year, we’ve seen the lowest mortgage rates in history. And while those rates seemed to bottom out in January of this year, the golden window of opportunity for buyers isn’t over just yet. If you’re one of the buyers who worry they’ve missed out, […]

Keeping Current Matters Experts Agree: Homeownership Provides a Path to Long-Term Wealth A recent survey from LendingTree.com found there are multiple reasons why Americans would choose to purchase a home instead of renting. Some of the most popular non-financial reasons given include: · The flexibility to make the space your own · The pride homeownership offers · The sense of stability In the same survey, 41% of respondents say they’d rather own a home than […]

Keeping Current Matters What’s Causing Today’s Competitive Real Estate Market? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Keeping Current Matters 111,285 Reasons You Should Buy a Home This Year The financial benefits of buying a home versus renting one are always up for debate. However, one element of the equation is often ignored – the ability to build wealth as a homeowner. According to the latest research from the National Association of Realtors (NAR): “Homeownership is a key pathway to building wealth and narrowing the racial income and wealth […]

Keeping Current Matters What Do Supply and Demand Tell Us About Today’s Housing Market? There’s a well-known economic theory – the law of supply and demand – that explains what’s happening with prices in the current real estate market. Put simply, when demand for an item is high, prices rise. When the supply of the item increases, prices fall. Of course, when demand is very high and supply is very low, prices […]

Keeping Current Matters The Main Key To Understanding the Rise in Mortgage Rates Every Thursday, Freddie Mac releases the results of their Primary Mortgage Market Survey which reveals the most recent movement in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate. Last week, the rate was announced as 3.01%. It was the first time in three months that the mortgage rate surpassed 3%. In a press release accompanying the survey, Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac, explains: […]

Keeping Current Matters Two Reasons Why Waiting a Year To Buy Could Cost You If you’re a renter with a desire to become a homeowner, or a homeowner who’s decided your current house no longer fits your needs, you may be hoping that waiting a year might mean better market conditions to purchase a home. To determine if you should buy now or wait, you need to ask yourself […]

Keeping Current Matters Is a 20% Down Payment Really Necessary To Purchase a Home? There’s a common misconception that, as a homebuyer, you need to come up with 20% of the total sale price for your down payment. In fact, a recent survey by Lending Tree asks what is keeping consumers from purchasing a home. For over half of those surveyed, the ability to afford a down payment is the biggest hurdle. That […]

Keeping Current Matters Remote Work Is Here To Stay. Can Your Home Deliver the Space You Need? A lot has changed over the past year. For many people, the rise in remote work influenced what they’re looking for in a home and created a greater appetite for a dedicated home office. Some professionals took advantage of the situation and purchased a bigger home. Other people thought working from home would be temporary, so they chose […]