If you’re thinking about buying a home, you should know your credit score’s a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to qualifying for a home loan. Lenders review your credit to assess your ability to make payments on time, to pay back debts, and more. It’s also a factor that helps determine your mortgage rate. An article from Bankrate explains: “Your credit score is one of the most...
If you're planning to buy your first home, then you're probably focused on saving for all the costs involved in such a big purchase. One of the expenses that may be at the top of your mind is your down payment. If you’re intimidated by how much you need to save for that, it may be because you believe you must put 20% down. That doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. As the National Association of...
Some Highlights If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, be sure to factor in the long-term benefits of homeownership. Over time, homeownership allows you to build equity. On average, nationwide home prices appreciated by 290.2% over the last 32 years. That means your net worth can grow significantly in the long term when you own a home. Reach out to a real estate professional so you can...
If you're thinking about buying or selling a house, it's important to know that it doesn't just affect your life, but also your community. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales. The chart below illustrates that impact: As the visual shows, when a house is sold, it can make a big difference in the local...
Today’s mortgage rates are top-of-mind for many homebuyers right now. As a result, if you’re thinking about buying for the first time or selling your current house to move into a home that better fits your needs, you may be asking yourself these two questions: Why Are Mortgage Rates So High? When Will Rates Go Back Down? Here’s context you need to help answer those questions. 1. Why Are...
With all the headlines circulating about home prices and rising mortgage rates, you may wonder if it still makes sense to invest in homeownership right now. A recent poll from Gallup shows the answer is yes. In fact, real estate was voted the best long-term investment for the 11th consecutive year, consistently beating other investment types like gold, stocks, and bonds (see graph below): If you’re...
Some Highlights June is National Homeownership Month, and it’s a perfect time to think about all the benefits that come with owning your home. Owning a home not only makes you feel proud and accomplished, but it’s also a big step toward having a secure and stable financial future. Are you ready to enjoy all the amazing advantages that come with owning a home? Get in touch with a local real...
Buying your first home is an exciting decision and a major milestone that has the power to change your life for the better. As a first-time homebuyer, it’s a vision you can bring to life, but, as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shares, you’ll have to overcome some factors that have made it more challenging in recent years: “Since 2011, the share of first-time home buyers has been under...
For many of us, visiting the same vacation spot every year is a summer tradition that’s fun, relaxing, and restful. If that sounds like you, now’s the time to think about your plans and determine if buying a vacation home this year makes more sense than renting one again. According to Forbes: “. . . if the idea of vacationing at the same place every year makes you feel instantaneously relaxed,...
The process of buying a home can feel a bit intimidating, even under normal circumstances. But today's market is still anything but normal. There continues to be a very limited number of homes for sale, and that’s creating bidding wars and driving home prices back up as buyers compete over the available homes. Navigating all of this can be daunting if you’re trying to do it alone. That’s why...