Are you facing the decision of whether or not to rent or buy a house this year? If so, check out this video that will help you decide if it's better to rent or buy a house: If you rent, you probably have to make a big decision every year: do you keep the same lease, start a new one, or buy a home? This year is the same. But before you get too deep into your choices, it helps to know...
Are you ready to buy a home this year? Then watch this video to see how you can make homeownership a reality in 2023: As rent prices continue to rise, many renters want to know what they can do to get ready to buy their first home. Recent information from ApartmentList.com shows that: The first half of 2021 has seen the fastest growth in rent prices since the start of our estimates in...
Are you ready to buy a new home? Then be sure and watch this video to find out the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved, as well as why you should get pre-approved first: Being pre-approved is one of the initial steps in the home-buying process. To understand why pre-approval is such a vital step, you must first grasp what it is and what it accomplishes for you. According to...
Are you thinking you should wait for rates to drop to 4% or maybe even 3%? Then Watch this: The Federal Reserve took action to try and lower inflation last year. Mortgage rates quickly increased in response to such initiatives from the all-time lows we experienced in 2021, reaching a peak of just over 7% last October. As a result, prospective buyers' purchasing power was reduced, which led to some of...
If you have just applied for a home loan, check out this video about what not to do so it doesn't get denied: Although it's terrific to begin planning your move and decorating once you've filed for a home loan, there are some important considerations to make before closing. Following your loan application, there are a few things you should avoid. Avoid Making Large Cash Deposits Cash is hard to track...
If you're about to buy your first home, you're probably saving up for all of the costs that come with it. Your down payment is probably the first cost that comes to mind. But don't make it harder than it needs to be by believing a common myth about how much you need to save. Understand That a 20% down payment isn't always the norm Freddie Mac explains: “. . . nearly a third of prospective...
One of the top stories in recent real estate headlines was the intensity and frequency of bidding wars. With so many buyers looking to purchase a home and so few of them available for sale, fiercely competitive bidding wars became the norm during the pandemic – and it drove home prices up. If you tried to buy a house over the past two years, you probably experienced this firsthand and may have been...
If you’re thinking about buying a home, you likely have a lot of factors on your mind. You’re weighing your own needs against higher mortgage rates, today’s home prices, and more to try to decide if you want to jump into the market. While some buyers may wait things out, there’s a reason serious buyers are making moves right now, and that’s the growing number of homes for sale. So far this...
Short answer, YES! Unless you are very skilled in the construction trade, we highly recommend that you get a home inspection before purchasing that dream home. Some Highlights If you’re buying a home, here’s what you should know about your home inspection and why it’s so important. A home inspection is a crucial step in the homebuying process. It assesses the condition of the home you...
The desire to own a home is still strong today. In fact, according to the Census, the U.S. homeownership rate is on the rise. To illustrate the increase, the graph below shows the homeownership rate over the last year: That data shows more than half of the U.S. population live in a home they own, and the percentage is growing with time. If you’re thinking about buying a home this year,...