99% of Experts Agree: Home Prices Will Increase

Amanda RobinsFor Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Pricing

Some believe that the combined effects of the new tax code and rising mortgage rates will have an adverse impact on residential real estate prices in 2018. However, the clear majority of recently surveyed housing experts believe that home values will continue to rise this year. What is the Home Price Expectation Survey? Each quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel … Read More

Freddie Mac: Rising Mortgage Rates DO NOT Lead to Falling Home Prices

Amanda RobinsBuying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing

Recently, Freddie Mac published an Insight Report titled Nowhere to go but up? How increasing mortgage rates could affect housing. The report focused on the impact the projected rise in mortgage rates might have on the housing market this year. Many believe that an increase in mortgage rates will cause a slowdown in purchases which would, in turn, lead to … Read More

Are Home Values Really Overinflated?

Amanda RobinsFirst Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Pricing

Last week, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their most recent Existing Home Sales Report. According to the report: “The median existing-home price for all housing types in January was $240,500, up 5.8 percent from January 2017 ($227,300). January’s price increase marks the 71st straight month of year-over-year gains.” Seventy-one consecutive months of price increases may have some concerned … Read More

Is Now a Good Time to Rent?

Amanda RobinsFirst Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Move-Up Buyers, Rent vs. Buy

People often ask if now is a good time to buy a home, but nobody ever asks when it’s a good time to rent. Regardless, we want to make certain that everyone understands that today is NOT a good time to rent. The Census Bureau recently released their 2017 fourth quarter median rent numbers. Here is a graph showing rent increases from 1988 … Read More

Latest NAR Data Shows Now Is a Great Time to Sell!

Amanda RobinsFor Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Move-Up Buyers

We all realize that the best time to sell anything is when demand for that item is high, and the supply of that item is limited. Two major reports released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed information that suggests that now is a great time to sell your house. Let’s look at the data covered in the latest REALTORS® Confidence Index and Existing Home … Read More

Mortgage Rates on FIRE! Home Prices Up in Smoke?

Amanda RobinsFirst Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing

Mortgage interest rates have already risen by over a quarter of a percentage point in 2018. Many are projecting that rates could increase to 5% by the end of the year. What impact will rising rates have on house values? Many quickly jump to the conclusion that an increase in mortgage rates will have a detrimental impact on real estate … Read More

Calm Down! The Real Estate Market is NOT Falling Apart

Amanda RobinsFirst Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Move-Up Buyers

There has been tremendous volatility in certain markets over the last few weeks (for example, the stock and currency markets). When this happens, some tend to lump all of their investments together and create an almost ‘Armageddon’ scenario where everything loses value quickly and dramatically. Real estate is an investment that can get caught up in this hysteria. Does the … Read More

U.S. Housing Inventory Crunch Continues… List Your House Today!

Amanda RobinsFor Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Move-Up Buyers

Every winter, families across the country decide if this will be the year that they sell their current houses and move into their dream homes. Mortgage rates hovered around 4% for all of 2017 which forced many buyers off the fence and into the market, resulting in incredibly strong demand RIGHT NOW! At the same time, however, inventory levels of homes … Read More

The Impact of Tight Inventory on the Housing Market

Amanda RobinsFor Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Move-Up Buyers

The housing crisis is finally in the rear-view mirror as the real estate market moves down the road to a complete recovery. Home values are up, home sales are up, and distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) have fallen to their lowest points in years. It seems that the market will continue to strengthen in 2018. However, there is one … Read More