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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Great News for Renters Who Want to Buy a Home

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 6, 2020

Rents in Irvine, CA and across the United States have been skyrocketing since 2012. This has caused many renters to face a tremendous burden when juggling their housing expenses and the desire to save for a down payment at the same time. The recent stabilization of rental prices provides a great opportunity for renters to […]

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Irvine Seniors: Does “Aging in Place” Make the Most Sense?

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 5, 2020

A desire among many seniors is to “age in place”, and Irvine, CA is a great place to do so as we wrote about last September.  According to the Senior Resource Guide, the term means, “…that you will be remaining in your own home for the later years of your life; not moving into a […]

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How to Avoid a Gender Gap When Investing in the Housing Market

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 4, 2020

When buying a home, we all want to feel like we’re making the right decision, paying a fair price, and making the best investment of our lives. According to a recent gender-based study, men and women can unknowingly walk away with very different financial outcomes when the deal closes. Thankfully, if you follow some simple […]

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Three Reasons Why Pre-Approval Is the First Step in the 2020 Homebuying Journey

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 3, 2020

When the number of buyers in the housing market outnumbers the number of homes for sale, it’s called a “seller’s market.” The advantage tips toward the seller as low inventory heats up the competition among those searching for a place to call their own. This can create multiple offer scenarios and bidding wars, making it tough […]

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5 Reasons Irvine Homeowners Throw Better Parties During the Big Game [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Richard Wamsat | Jan 31, 2020

Some Highlights: There’s more room to entertain a large crowd. The kitchen is big enough to whip up endless appetizers – yum! You don’t have to worry about complaints to your landlord when the cheering kicks in! Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

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Strength of the Economy Is Surprising the Experts

By Richard Wamsat | Jan 30, 2020

We’re currently in the longest economic recovery in U.S. history. That has caused some to ask experts to project when the next economic slowdown (recession) could occur. Two years ago, 67% of the economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for the Economic Forecasting Survey predicted we would have a recession no later than […]

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Where Have All the Houses Disappeared To?

By Richard Wamsat | Jan 29, 2020

If you’re following what’s happening in the current housing market, you’ve seen how the lack of newly constructed homes is a major reason there’s a shortage of housing inventory available to today’s buyers. Another reason is that the inventory of existing homes for sale is shrinking. According to the most recent Existing Home Sales Report […]

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Should I Sell My House This Year?

By Richard Wamsat | Jan 28, 2020

If one of the questions you’re asking yourself today is, “Should I sell my house this year?” the current Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) Survey from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) should boost your confidence as it relates to the current selling sentiment in the housing market. Even with all the information overload […]

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First-Time Buyers Are Searching for Existing Homes This Year

By Richard Wamsat | Jan 27, 2020

In the latest Housing Trends Report, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) measured the share of adults planning to buy a home over the next 12 months. The report indicates the percentage of all buyers that will be first-time buyers looking to purchase a home grew from 58% in Q4 2018 to 63% in Q4 […]

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