Julie Tuggle's (jtuggle) Blog

The Fed Has SpokenAnd Charlotte home buyers and their agents are listening. The latest Freddie Mac survey reveals the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage now stands at 3.22%, the highest since May of 2020. With the uptick in inflation, the Fed’s action came as no surprise.What might surpr...

The Times They Are – What?Many analysts and commentators throughout the real estate industry have half-joked that we’re stuck in Groundhog Day. Like Bill Murray’s Scrooge-like character, buyers and their agents wake up every morning to the same news: Inventory down, prices up. It’s the same for t...

Times Are Tough for Renters, TooThe Charlotte real estate market remains robust — and challenging. As inventory continues to decline and prices spiral up, the impact on the rental market has been significant. Nationwide, rents have grown more than 10% since early 2020.Charlotte, which has seen st...

 The Challenge of Construction Labor ShortagesConstruction firms have long struggled to maintain an adequate work force, but COVID and underlying demographic trends have combined to intensify the problem. The workforce continues to age, so there’s a diminishing percentage of people willing and ab...

Three Proven Tips for Buying a Home Sight UnseenYes, these are trying time for home buyers, and not just for those looking for a Charlotte home. Throughout the country, hopeful buyers face shrinking inventories, rising prices, and sellers unwilling to negotiate terms or prices.But it’s not comple...

Dealing With A Disrupted Construction Supply ChainOne of the most challenging lessons of the COVID pandemic is its lingering effect on the real estate market. Prior to the pandemic, home buyers already faced a lopsided seller’s market, characterized by rising prices and decreasing inventory. COVI...

Charlotte makes Realtor.com’s Top Ten Markets The growing demand for Charlotte homes has secured the greater Charlotte area in the third spot in Realtor.com’s forecast for the top 10 housing markets in the country. The report notes that the most desirable markets tend to be tech hubs and state ca...

Spring Thaw for Charlotte Real Estate?There’s still a lot that’s uncertain these days, but there are a few things we know for sure. for themselves.And that’s not all. Many of the restrictions from COVID are easing up, releasing pent-updemand, as well as keeping buyer’s agents busy as they scout t...

Sight Unseen?With no end in sight in a relentless seller’s market, something previously unheard of is making its appearance in the race for Charlotte homes.In addition to multiple offers, high deposits , and sight-unseen over-asking price offers, the latest trend catching many by surprise is the ...

Is Home Ownership An Impossible Dream?In previous posts, we’ve noted the immediate impact COVID has had on the Charlotte real estate market. Now the market is reeling again from the pandemic’s aftershocks. COVID has had a chaotic effect on the timber industry, and this in turn has translated into...