Should I Refinance My Home?

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

With the recent lower interest rates, many homeowners are wondering if they should refinance. To decide if refinancing is the best option for your family, start by asking yourself these questions: Why do you want to refinance? There are many reasons to refinance, but here are three of the most common ones: Lower your interest rate and payment – This … Read More

Home Price Appreciation Forecast

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

Questions continue to come up about where home prices will head throughout the rest of this year, as well as where they may be going over the few years beyond. We’ve gathered current data from the industry’s most reliable sources to help answer these questions: The Home Price Expectation Survey – A survey of over 100 market analysts, real estate experts, … Read More

Is Your First Home Now Within Your Grasp? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

Some Highlights: According to the US Census Bureau, “millennials” are defined as 18-36-year-olds. According to NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, the median age of all first-time home buyers is 32. More and more “old millennials” (25-36) are realizing that homeownership is within their grasp now! Source: Amanda Robins

Americans’ Powerful Belief in Homeownership as an Investment

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

The Federal Reserve Bank (The Fed) recently released their 2019  Survey of Consumer Expectations Housing Survey. The survey reported that 65% of Americans believe homeownership is a good financial investment. Since 2014, the percentage has increased by over nine percent.The Fed’s survey also showed that when the results are broken down by age, education, income, or region of the country, … Read More

4 Tips to Sell Your Home Faster

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

Since June of last year, we have seen an increase in the inventory of homes for sale month per month. Every spring and summer, the inventory increases because people want to sell their home. For those with children, they may want to be in their new home for the beginning of the school year. If you are one of those … Read More

5 Powerful Reasons to Own Instead of Rent

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

Owning a home has great financial benefits. In a recent research paper, Homeownership and the American Dream, Laurie S. Goodman and Christopher Mayer of the Urban Land Institute explained: “Homeownership appears to help borrowers accumulate housing and nonhousing wealth in a variety of ways, with tax advantages, greater financial flexibility due to secured borrowing, built-in ‘default’ savings with mortgage amortization … Read More

Now’s the Time to Move-Up and Upgrade Your Current Home!

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

Homes priced at the top 25% of the price range for a particular area of the country are considered “premium homes.” In today’s real estate market, there are deals to be had at the higher end! This is great news for homeowners wanting to upgrade from their current house. Much of the demand for housing over the past couple of … Read More

10 Steps to Buying a Home This Summer [INFOGRAPHIC]

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

Some Highlights: If you are thinking of buying a home, you may not know where to start. Here is a simple list of 10 steps that you will go through to purchase a home. Make sure to ask your agent for details about each step and what else may be required in your area! Source: Amanda Robins

Is Mortgage Debt out of Control?

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

The housing crisis of the last decade was partially caused by unhealthy levels of mortgage debt. Homeowners were using their homes as ATMs by refinancing and swapping their equity for cash. When prices started to fall, many homeowners found themselves in a negative equity situation (where their mortgage was higher than the value of their home). As a result, they … Read More

Millennials Are Increasing the Demand for Condominiums

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

When deciding to buy a home, people are presented with many different options. The type of home you buy depends on your needs, budget, and in many cases, the desired maintenance level. For many millennials, their choice has been buying a condominium! According to CoreLogic, “Last year about 43% of all condo home-purchase mortgage applications were submitted by FTHBs… Similarly, … Read More

Top 5 Reasons You Should NOT FSBO

Amanda RobinsUncategorized

Rising home prices coupled with a lack of inventory in today’s market may cause some homeowners to consider selling their home on their own (known in the industry as a For Sale By Owner). However, a FSBO might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers. The top 5 reasons are listed below: 1. Online Strategy for … Read More