Keeping Current Articles 7 Reasons to List Your House This Holiday Season Around this time each year, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to list their houses. Similarly, others who already have their homes on the market remove their listings until the spring. Let’s unpack the top reasons why listing your house now or keeping it on the market this winter may be the […]
Keeping Current Articles The Cost Across Time [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: With interest rates around 3.66%, now is a great time to look back at where they’ve been over the past few decades. Comparatively, they’re pretty low! According to Freddie Mac, rates are projected to increase to 3.9% by this time next year. The impact your interest rate has on your monthly mortgage payment […]
Keeping Current Articles The Cost Across Time [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: With interest rates around 3.66%, now is a great time to look back at where they’ve been over the past few decades. Comparatively, they’re pretty low! According to Freddie Mac, rates are projected to increase to 3.9% by this time next year. The impact your interest rate has on your monthly mortgage payment […]
Keeping Current Articles How Long Can This Economic Recovery Last? The economy is currently experiencing the longest recovery in our nation’s history. The stock market has hit record highs, while unemployment rates are at record lows. Home price appreciation is beginning to reaccelerate. This begs the question: How long can this economic recovery last? The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Survey of Economists recently called for […]
Keeping Current Articles Buyers Are Looking Now. Are You Ready to List Your Home? Inventory on the market today is low, especially among existing homes in the entry and middle-level tiers of the market. It is hovering well below the 6-month supply typically found in a more normal market, as shown in the graph below:With inventory being one of the biggest housing market challenges today, finding a starter home […]
Keeping Current Articles Expert Advice: 3 Benefits to Owning a Home Success is something often worth repeating, and Brent Sutherland, a Certified Financial Planner and Real Estate Investor, has certainly made his way in a momentum-driving direction. Here are 3 tips he shares from a recent piece in Business Insider on the benefits of owning real estate: 1. Real estate diversifies your income “While it is […]
Keeping Current Articles The Cost of Renting vs. Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Historically, the choice between renting and buying a home has been a tough decision. Looking at the percentage of income needed to rent a median-priced home today (27.7%) vs. the percentage needed to buy a median-priced home (17.5%), the choice is clear. Every market is different. Before you renew your lease, find out […]
Keeping Current Articles This is Not 2008 All Over Again: The Mortgage Lending Factor Some are afraid the real estate market may be looking a lot like it did prior to the housing crash in 2008. One of the factors they’re pointing at is the availability of mortgage money. Recent articles about the availability of low-down payment loans and down payment assistance programs are causing concern that we’re returning […]
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Keeping Current Articles Buyer Demand Growing in Every Region Buyers are out in full force this fall, increasing the demand for homebuying in all four regions of the country. According to the latest ShowingTime Showing Index, “Home showing activity was up again nationwide with a 4.6 percent rise in traffic, as the traditionally slow fall season began with a marked boost in buyer interest.” […]
Keeping Current Articles Homeownership Rate Remains on the Rise In the third quarter of 2019, the U.S. homeownership rate rose again, signaling another strong indicator of the current housing market. The U.S. Census Bureau announced, “The homeownership rate of 64.8 percent was not statistically different from the rate in the third quarter 2018 (64.4 percent), but was 0.7 percentage points higher than the rate […]
Keeping Current Articles 75 Years of VA Home Loan Benefits Today, on Veterans Day, we salute those who have served our country in war or peace, and we thank them for their sacrifice. This year marks the 75th anniversary of VA Home Loan Benefit offerings through the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, also known as the GI Bill. Since 1944, this law has created opportunities for those […]
Keeping Current Articles VA Home Loans by the Numbers [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: The Veterans Administration (VA) Home Loan is a benefit that is available to more than 22 million veterans and 2 million active duty service members to help them achieve the dream of homeownership. In 2018, $161 billion was loaned to veterans and their families through the program. In the same year, the average […]
Keeping Current Articles Forget the Price of the Home. The Cost is What Matters. Home buying activity (demand) is up, and the number of available listings (supply) is down. When demand outpaces supply, prices appreciate. That’s why firms are beginning to increase their projections for home price appreciation going forward. As an example, CoreLogic increased their 12-month projection for home values from 4.5% to 5.6% over the last few […]
Keeping Current Articles Millennials: Here’s Why the Process is Well Worth It. Millennials have waited longer than any other generation to become homeowners, but the wait for this cohort is just about over. According to National Mortgage News,  “Millennials, those young adults now aged 23 to 38, are now entering their peak household formation and homebuying years.” If you’re a Millennial, you’re already well aware that you’re […]
Keeping Current Articles Planning on Buying a Home? Be Sure You Know Your Options. When you’re ready to buy, you’ll need to determine if you prefer the charm of an existing home or the look and feel of a newer build. With limited existing home inventory available today, especially in the starter and middle-level markets, many buyers are considering a new home that’s recently been constructed, or they’re building […]
Keeping Current Articles The #1 Reason to List Your House in the Winter Many sellers believe spring is the best time to put their homes on the market because buyer demand traditionally increases at that time of year. What they don’t realize is if every homeowner believes the same thing, then that’s when they’ll have the most competition. So, what’s the #1 reason to list your house in […]
Keeping Current Articles The Difference an Hour Will Make This Fall [INFOGRAPHIC] Every Hour in the U.S. Housing Market:  614 Homes Are Sold 95 Homes Regain Positive Equity Median Home Values Go Up $1.38   Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters
Keeping Current Articles Taking the Fear Out of the Mortgage Process A considerable number of potential buyers shy away from the real estate market because they’re uncertain about the buying process – particularly when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage. For many, the mortgage process can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be!  In order to qualify in today’s market, you’ll need a down […]
Keeping Current Articles How to Determine If You Can Afford to Buy a Home The gap between the increase in personal income and residential real estate prices has been used to defend the concept that we are experiencing an affordability crisis in housing today. It is true that home prices and wages are two key elements in any affordability equation. There is, however, an extremely important third component to […]
Keeping Current Articles Thinking of Selling Your Home? The Waiting Is The Hardest Part. Tom Petty famously penned the words, “the waiting is the hardest part” in his early 80’s hit song The Waiting, and his thought process can surprisingly also be applied to individuals considering selling their homes today. Traditional thinking would suggest it may be best to wait until the spring to sell when there is a […]