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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It’s a Sellers’ Market [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 26, 2021

Some Highlights Over the past year homeowners in Orange County, CA have gained an unprecedented opportunity to sell with great success while buyer demand is soaring. With homes nationally selling twice as fast as they did last year at this time, getting multiple offers, and rising in price, home sellers are in the driver’s seat. Let’s connect today if […]

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A Young girl and a black dog looking out a window onto houses.

Are There Going to Be More Homes to Buy This Year?

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 25, 2021

If you’re looking for a home to purchase right now and having trouble finding one, you’re not alone. At a time like this when there are so few houses for sale, it’s normal to wonder if you’ll actually find one to buy. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), across the country, inventory of available homes for sale […]

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How Much Leverage Do Today’s House Sellers Have?

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 24, 2021

The housing market has been scorching hot over the last twelve months. Buyers and their high demand have far outnumbered sellers and a short supply of houses. According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sales are up 23.7% from the same time last year while the inventory of homes available for […]

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The Reason Mortgage Rates Are Projected to Increase and What It Means for You

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 23, 2021

We’re currently experiencing historically low mortgage rates. Over the last fifty years, the average on a Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been 7.76%. Today, that rate is 2.81%. Flocks of homebuyers have been taking advantage of these remarkably low rates over the last twelve months. However, there are no guarantee rates will remain this low much longer. Whenever we […]

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Wood House Model with Question mark on top

Where Have All the Houses Gone?

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 22, 2021

In today’s housing market, it seems harder than ever to find a home to buy. Before the health crisis hit us a year ago, there was already a shortage of homes for sale. When many homeowners delayed their plans to sell at the same time that more buyers aimed to take advantage of record-low mortgage […]

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Home Mortgage Rates by Decade [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 19, 2021

Some Highlights Mortgage interest rates have dropped considerably over the past year, and compared to what we’ve seen in recent decades, it’s a great time to buy a home. Locking in a low rate today could save you thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your home loan, but these low rates may not last forever. […]

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Sunset

Will Low Mortgage Rates Continue through 2021?

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 18, 2021

With mortgage interest rates hitting record lows so many times recently, some are wondering if we’ll see low rates continue throughout 2021, or if they’ll start to rise. Recently, Freddie Mac released their quarterly forecast, noting: “The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a record low over a dozen times in 2020 and the low interest rate environment is projected to continue […]

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3 Ways Home Equity Can Have a Major Impact on Your Life

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 17, 2021

There have been a lot of headlines reporting on how homeowner equity (the difference between the current market value of your home and the amount you owe on your mortgage) has dramatically increased over the past few years. CoreLogic indicated that equity increased for the average homeowner by $17,000 in the last year alone. ATTOM Data Solutions, in their latest U.S. […]

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Young creative man working in his home office

Millennials: Is It Time to Buy a Bigger Home?

By Richard Wamsat | Feb 16, 2021

In today’s housing market, all eyes are on millennials. Not only are millennials the largest generation, but they’re also currently between 25 and 40 years old. These are often considered prime homebuying years when many people begin to form their own households and invest in real estate. If you’re like many millennials who are spending […]

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