Owning a Home Helps Protect Against InflationYou're probably feeling the impact of high inflation every day as prices have gone up on groceries, gas, and more. If you're a renter, you're likely experiencing it a lot as your rent continues to rise. Between all of those elevated costs and uncertainty about a potential recession, you may be wondering if it still makes sense to buy a home today. The short answer is it does. Here's why. Homeownership actually shields you from the rising costs inflation brings.Freddie Mac explains how:  Not only will buying today help you begin to build equity, a fixed-rate mortgage can stabilize your monthly housing costs for the long-term even while other life expenses continue to rise as has been the case the past few years. Unlike rents, which tend to ris... 06/02/2023

The spring housing market has been surprisingly active this year. Even with affordability challenges and a limited number of homes for sale, buyer demand is strong, and getting stronger.One way we know there are interested buyers right now is because showing traffic is up. Data from the latest ShowingTime Showing Index, which is a measure of buyers actively touring homes, makes it clear more people are out looking at homes than there were prior to the pandemic (see graph below):And though theres less traffic than the buyer frenzy of the past couple of years, were not far off that pace. There are a lot of interested buyers checking out available homes right now.But why are buyers so active at a time when mortgage rates are higher than they were just last year?The Job Market Is Growing at... 05/23/2023

The Best Time To Sell Your House Is When Others Aren't Selling If you're thinking about selling your house, you should know the number of homes for sale right now is low. Thats because, this season, there are fewer sellers listing their houses for sale than the norm.Looking back at every April since 2017, the only year when fewer sellers listed their homes was in April 2020, when the pandemic hit and stalled the housing market (shown in red in the graph below). In more typical years, roughly 500,000 sellers add their homes to the market in April. This year, we saw fewer than 400,000 sellers entering the market in April (see graph below):While there are a number of factors contributing to this trend, one thing keeping inventory low right now is that some homeowners are reluctant to move ... 05/13/2023

The Three Factors Affecting Home Affordability Today Theres been a lot of focus on higher mortgage rates and how they're creating affordability challenges for todays homebuyers. Its true that rates climbed dramatically since the record-low we saw during the pandemic. But home affordability is based on more than just mortgage rates its determined by a combination of mortgage rates, home prices, and wages.Considering how each one of these factors is changing gives you the full picture of home affordability today. Here's the latest.1. Mortgage RatesWhile mortgage rates are higher than they were a year ago, they've hovered primarily between 6% and 7% for nearly eight months now (see graph below):As the graph shows, mortgage rates have experienced some volatility during that time. And even a... 05/04/2023

A Key Opportunity for HomebuyersThere's no denying the housing market has delivered a fair share of challenges to homebuyers over the past two years. Two of the biggest hurdles homebuyers faced during the pandemic were the limited number of homes for sale and the intensity and frequency of bidding wars. But those two things have reached a turning point.As you may have already heard, the number of homes for sale has increased this year, and even more so this spring. As Danielle Hale, Chief Economist for realtor.com, explains:New listings a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale were up 6% above one year ago. Home sellers in many markets across the country continue to benefit from rising home prices and fast-selling homes. Thats prompted a growing number of homeowners to sell homes ... 07/09/2022

Real Estate Consistently Voted Best Investment Some Highlights Based on a recent Gallup poll, real estate has been rated the best long-term investment for nine years in a row. Owning real estate is more than just a place to call home. Its also an investment in your future. Thats because its typically a stable and secure asset that can grow in value over time. If you're ready to buy a home and invest in your future, lets connect.     07/04/2022

More Americans Choose Real Estate as the Best Investment Than Ever BeforeAmericans opinion on the value of real estate as an investment is climbing. Thats according to an annual survey from Gallup. Not only is real estate viewed as the best investment for the ninth year in a row, but more Americans selected it than ever before.The graph below shows the results of the survey since Gallup began asking the question in 2011. As the trend lines indicate, real estate has been gaining ground as the clear favorite for almost a decade now:If you're thinking about purchasing a home, let this poll reassure you. Even when inflation is high like today, Americans recognize owning a home is a powerful financial decision.How an Investment in Real Estate Can Benefit You During High Inflation Because inf... 06/24/2022

Home Price Deceleration Doesn't Mean Home Price DepreciationExperts in the real estate industry use a number of terms when they talk about what’s happening with home prices. And some of those words sound a bit similar but mean very different things. To help clarify what’s happening with home prices and where experts say they’re going, here's a look at a few terms you may hear: Appreciation is when home prices increase. Depreciation is when home prices decrease. Deceleration is when home prices continue to appreciate, but at a slower pace. Where Home Prices Have Been in Recent YearsFor starters, you've probably heard home prices have skyrocketed over the past two years, but homes were actually appreciating long before that. You might be surprised to learn that home prices have climbed fo... 06/20/2022

On the Fence of Whether or Not To Move This Spring? Consider This!If you're thinking of selling your house, it may be because you've heard prices are rising, listings are going fast, and sellers are getting multiple offers on their homes. But why are conditions so good for sellers today? And what can you expect when you move? To help answer both of those questions, lets turn to the data.Today, there are far more buyers looking for homes than sellers listing their houses. Here are the maps of the latest buyer and seller traffic from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to help paint the picture of what this looks like:Notice how much darker the blues are on the left. This shows buyer traffic is strong today. In contrast, the much lighter blues on the right indicate weak or very wea... 04/18/2022

Conquering Cottage Kitchen ClutterCottage-style kitchens are an increasingly popular option when it comes to creating an attractive yet functional kitchen layout. These cottage kitchens usually rely on an open layout so that everything is easily accessible regardless of what you need. In lieu of bulky cabinets and endless drawers, these kitchens make heavy use of open shelving and pegboards to hold everything. It can be a very attractive look for your kitchen and a pretty functional layout as well, but if you’re not careful, it’s also an invitation for chaos.The ugly truth is that cabinets and drawers became popular because they keep all of the clutter and disarray hidden safely away and add a bit of built-in organization to the pandemonium of kitchen layouts. Do away with most of the c... 04/10/2022

The Many Benefits of HomeownershipThe past two years have taught us the true value of homeownership, especially the stability and the feeling of accomplishment it can provide. But homeownership has so much more to offer. Here's a look at a few of the non-financial and financial benefits of owning a home. If you're looking to buy a home today, think about all the ways homeownership can impact your life.Homeownership Has Impactful Personal and Emotional BenefitsOwning your home gives you a significant sense of pride because its a space that is truly yours. And as a homeowner, you can customize your home to your hearts desire. Having a space you've put your stamp on enhances the pride and sense of ownership you may feel.And that sense of ownership can extend beyond your shelter to help cre... 04/01/2022

Some Highlights With inflation driving up the cost of everyday items, seeking out an energy-efficient home can be a great way to decrease the expenses you can control. Energy efficiency can help lower your utility bills and possibly even save you money on your taxes. Options to look for include efficient appliances, windows, and solar panels. If you're planning to buy a home this year, consider energy efficiency in your search. Lets connect so you can better understand features that can save you money for years to come.   03/28/2022

Spring Cleaning Checklist for Sellers Some Highlights If you're thinking about selling your house this spring, here are some things you'll want to tackle before you list. Spend your time on tasks that make it feel inviting, show its cared for, and boost your curb appeal. To determine the full list of things you'll want to tackle for your home, you need the opinion of a trusted expert. Lets connect to help make sure your house shows well this season.    03/21/2022

Real Estate Voted the Best Investment Eight Years in a RowIn an annual Gallup poll, Americans chose real estate as the best long-term investment. And its not the first time its topped the list, either. Real estate has been on a winning streak for the past eight years, consistently gaining traction as the best long-term investment (see graph below):If you're thinking about purchasing a home this year, this poll should reassure you. Even when inflation is rising like it is today, Americans agree an investment like real estate truly shines.Why Is Real Estate a Great Investment During Times of High Inflation?With inflation reaching its highest level in 40 years, its more important than ever to understand the financial benefits of homeownership. Rising inflation means prices are increasing a... 03/05/2022

Are You Ready To Fall in Love with Homeownership? Financial benefits are always a key aspect of homeownership, but its also important to understand that the nonfinancial and personal benefits are why so many people genuinely fall in love with their homes. When you own your home, you likely feel a sense of emotional attachment because of the comfort it provides, but also because its a space that's truly yours.Over the past two years, we've learned to love our homes even more as we've stayed home more than ever due to the ongoing pandemic. As a result, the personal and emotional benefits our homes provide have become even more important to us.As the most recent State of the American Homeowner from Unison puts it:Despite the upheaval and uncertainty of the past year, one thing has stayed t... 02/25/2022

Getting Ready for a Bathroom Remodel?When it comes to redoing the various rooms in your home, the bathroom is often overlooked. Some homeowners won’t even touch the bathroom unless a leak or some other problem makes it necessary. This is a really poor way to look at it, however, especially given how much time we spend in the bathroom, between bathing, getting ready to face the day, and a few other things. Your bathroom is just as deserving of attention as any other room in your home.Of course, the why doesn’t really matter; whether you’re remodeling your bathroom because you want to change its look or you’re doing it because you’re already making repairs, the time to start is almost here. The question is, how do you get ready to remodel your bathroom? Here are some things that you shoul... 02/13/2022

Owning Is More Affordable than Renting in the Majority of the CountryIf you were thinking about buying a home this year, but already pressed pause on your plans due to rising home prices and increasing mortgage rates, there's something you should consider. According to the latest report from ATTOM Data, owning a home is more affordable than renting in the majority of the country. The 2022 Rental Affordability Report says:. . . Owning a median-priced home is more affordable than the average rent on a three-bedroom property in 666, or58 percent, of the 1,154 U.S. counties analyzed for the report. That means major home ownership expenses consume a smaller portion of average local wages than renting.Other experts in the industry offer additional perspectives on renting today. In the latest ... 02/10/2022

The Color of the Year Has Been Announced!You may not be aware of it, but many paint and pigment companies choose colors that they think will be hot in the coming year. Shades of green seem to be an overwhelming favorite for 2022, with almost every company choosing some green hue as either their top pick, or part of their overall range of choices. In fact, green is so well-represented this year that there’s really only one company that seems to be bucking the green trend entirely, but it’s a big one.Pantone Color Institute, the company that actually manages color standards, broke from the pack with a significantly different choice for color of the year. Before we get to what that choice actually is, though, let’s take a moment to consider the rest of the color of the year choices from ot... 02/02/2022

Whether you’re looking to design a bedroom, a nursery, or a playroom, creating a unique space for your children is usually a bigger job than you expect. This is especially true if you want to come up with something that will stand the test of time. The wants and needs of your children will change as they get bigger, and if you don’t account for this, then sooner or later that “perfect” room you designed for your little one will be outdated and possibly even unwanted. Is there anything that you can do other than completely redesign your kids’ rooms every few years?Fortunately, the answer is yes. By taking the way that children’s needs change over time into account, you can come up with more flexible designs that are easier to adapt even as your child’s interests shift. There will still b... 01/26/2022

Is It Time for New Cabinets?Cabinets play an important part in the functionality of your kitchen. Unfortunately, over time you might find that your cabinets no longer really meet your needs. This could be because they’re falling into disrepair, or it may be a result of you gradually needing more storage than your cabinets can provide. You might even realize that the decoration of your kitchen and surrounding rooms just don’t match your cabinets anymore. Regardless of the reason, it could be time to consider some new cabinets.Have you actually reached the point where you need to get new cabinets, though? If you aren’t sure, spend a little time considering how well your cabinets truly meet your needs and what it is that you ideally want. Here are a few things to think about to help you ma... 01/23/2022