Richard Wamsat’s Real Estate News & Views

Local market updates, buyer and seller tips, and homeowner resources for Orange County and Irvine.

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Does Your Home Have What Buyers Are Looking For?

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 16, 2020

There’s great opportunity for today’s homeowners to sell their houses and make a move, yet due to the impact of the ongoing health crisis, some sellers are taking their time coming back to the market. According to Javier Vivas, Director of Economic Research at realtor.com: “Sellers continue returning to the market at a cautious pace […]

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Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows for Three Consecutive Weeks

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 15, 2020

Over the past several weeks, Freddie Mac has reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropping to record lows, all the way down to 3.03%. Last week’s reported rate reached the lowest point in the history of the survey, which dates back to 1971 (See graph below): What does this mean for buyers? This is […]

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What Are Experts Saying about Home Prices?

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 14, 2020

Last week, a very well-respected real estate analytics firm surprised many with their home price projection for the next twelve months. CoreLogic, in their latest Home Price Index said: “The economic downturn that started in March 2020 is predicted to cause a 6.6% drop in the HPI by May 2021, which would be the first […]

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Buyers: Are You Ready for a Bidding War?

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 13, 2020

With businesses reopening throughout the country and some experts indicating early signs of a much-anticipated economic recovery, more homebuyers are actively entering the housing market this summer. Today, housing is truly driving the U.S. economy forward. With so many buyers looking for homes to purchase and so few houses for sale right now, there’s a […]

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Americans Rank Real Estate Best Investment for 7 Years Running [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 10, 2020

Some Highlights Real estate has outranked stocks, savings accounts, and gold as the best long-term investment among Americans for the past 7 years. The belief in the stability of housing as a long-term investment remains strong, despite the many challenges our economy faces today. Of the four listed, real estate is also the only investment you […]

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Not All Agents Are Created Equal

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 9, 2020

In today’s fast-paced world where answers are just a Google search away, there are some who may question the benefits of hiring a real estate professional when selling a house. The reality is, the addition of more information can lead to more confusion. A real estate agent can be your essential guide, but truth be […]

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I was very pleased with how smoothly the whole home buying process went.

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 8, 2020

I interviewed 5 different real estate agents and Richard Wamsat and his associate Ken Yonemitsu were the most knowledgeable, informative and engaged…

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Best Time to Sell? When Competition Is at an All-Time Low

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 8, 2020

In a recent survey of home sellers by Qualtrics, 87% of respondents said they were concerned their home won’t sell because of the pandemic and resulting economic recession. Of the respondents, 51% said they are “seriously worried.” That concern seems reasonable considering the current condition of the economy. The data, however, is showing that home […]

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Taking Advantage of Homebuying Affordability in Today’s Market

By Richard Wamsat | Jul 7, 2020

Everyone is ready to buy a home at different times in their lives, and despite the health crisis, today is no exception. Understanding how affordability works and the main market factors that impact it may help those who are ready to buy a home narrow down their optimal window of time to make a purchase. […]

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