You’ve probably seen posts on social media talking about how “home prices are falling.” And when you see something like that, it’s normal to wonder:Is this the start of a crash?What does this mean for my house?Let’s clear this up right away. This is not a crash. And your home is not suddenly losing a lot of value.The National Story – Prices Are Still Going UpHere’s what often gets left out of what you’re seeing online. While some markets are experiencing slight declines, they’re the minority. Most places are still seeing prices rise or at the very least, hold steady.That’s why, at the...
What if you didn’t have a mortgage payment on your next house? It may sound a little unrealistic. But for a number of homeowners, it’s actually doable.Nearly 3 in 10 homes purchased today are bought in cash, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That’s far more than the pre-pandemic norm (see graph below):So, how are so many buyers pulling that off? The answer is simple: home equity.Back in 2020-2021, mortgage rates and the number of homes for sale were both at all-time lows. And that combination pushed home prices up, fast.If you owned a home during that time, it likely...
Let’s be clear: selling your house is absolutely possible right now. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), roughly 11k homes sell every day in this country.And the sellers who are making their moves happen all have one thing in common: they’ve adjusted their strategy to match today’s market. They’re realizing inventory has grown. Homebuyers are more selective. And buyer expectations are higher.The sellers who struggle are usually approaching today’s market with yesterday’s expectations. Here are the three biggest mistakes they’re making – and how to avoid them.1....
Renting can feel like the easier choice right now. There’s no big down payment. No dealing with surprise repairs. And no long-term commitment.But then your rent goes up again. And again. And suddenly the thing that seemed flexible starts looking… expensive, especially considering you’re not building any equity. And once that happens, it’s easy to feel a little trapped in the cycle.That’s because there’s so much chatter today about how buying a home isn’t affordable. But the truth is, the math may work out better than you’d expect based on what’s changed recently.Buying Is More...