• Are More Homes Coming onto the Market?

    Are More Homes Coming onto the Market?,Dana Ubele

    An important factor shaping today’s market is the number of homes for sale. And, if you’re considering whether or not to list your house, that’s one of the biggest advantages you have right now. When housing inventory is this low, your house will stand out, especially if it’s priced right. But there are some early signs that more listings […]

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  • Don’t Expect a Flood of Foreclosures

    Don’t Expect a Flood of Foreclosures,Dana Ubele

    The rising cost of just about everything from groceries to gas right now is leading to speculation that more people won’t be able to afford their mortgage payments. And that’s creating concern that a lot of foreclosures are on the horizon. While it’s true that foreclosure filings have gone up a bit compared to last year, experts […]

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  • Homebuyers Are Getting Used to the New Normal

    Homebuyers Are Getting Used to the New Normal,Dana Ubele

    Before you decide to sell your house, it’s important to know what you can expect in the current housing market. One positive trend right now is homebuyers are adapting to today’s mortgage rates and getting used to them as the new normal. To better understand what’s been happening with mortgage rates lately, the graph below shows the […]

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  • Momentum Is Building for New Home Construction

    Momentum Is Building for New Home Construction,Dana Ubele

    If you’re in the process of looking for a home today, you know the supply of homes for sale is low because you’re feeling the impact of having a limited pool of options. And, if your biggest hurdle right now is that you’re having trouble finding something you like, don’t forget that a newly built home is […]

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  • Today’s Housing Inventory Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers

    Today’s Housing Inventory Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers,Dana Ubele

    One of the biggest challenges in the housing market right now is how few homes there are for sale compared to the number of people who want to buy them. To help emphasize just how limited housing inventory still is, let’s take a look at the latest information on active listings, or homes for sale in a […]

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  • Why Buying or Selling a Home Helps the Economy and Your Community

    Why Buying or Selling a Home Helps the Economy and Your Community,Dana Ubele

    If you’re thinking about buying or selling a house, it’s important to know that it doesn’t just affect your life, but also your community. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales. The chart below illustrates that impact: As the visual […]

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  • Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Need To Know.

    Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Need To Know.,Dana Ubele

    If you’re planning to buy your first home, then you’re probably focused on saving for all the costs involved in such a big purchase. One of the expenses that may be at the top of your mind is your down payment. If you’re intimidated by how much you need to save for that, it may […]

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  • Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates

    Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates,Dana Ubele

    If you’re thinking about selling your house right now, chances are it’s because something in your life has changed. And, while things like mortgage rates are a key part of your decision on what you’ll buy next, it’s important to not lose sight of the reason you want to make a change in the first […]

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  • Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…

    Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…,Dana Ubele

    Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M). […]

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  • This Real Estate Market Is the Strongest of Our Lifetime

    This Real Estate Market Is the Strongest of Our Lifetime,Dana Ubele

    When you look at the numbers today, the one thing that stands out is the strength of this housing market. We can see this is one of the most foundationally strong housing markets of our lifetime – if not the strongest housing market of our lifetime. Here are two fundamentals that prove this point.  1. […]

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  • The Main Reason Mortgage Rates Are So High

    The Main Reason Mortgage Rates Are So High,Dana Ubele

    Today’s mortgage rates are top-of-mind for many homebuyers right now. As a result, if you’re thinking about buying for the first time or selling your current house to move into a home that better fits your needs, you may be asking yourself these two questions:  Why Are Mortgage Rates So High? When Will Rates Go […]

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  • Real Estate Is Still Considered the Best Long-Term Investment

    Real Estate Is Still Considered the Best Long-Term Investment,Dana Ubele

    With all the headlines circulating about home prices and rising mortgage rates, you may wonder if it still makes sense to invest in homeownership right now. A recent poll from Gallup shows the answer is yes. In fact, real estate was voted the best long-term investment for the 11th consecutive year, consistently beating other investment […]

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  • Oops! Home Prices Didn’t Crash After All

    Oops! Home Prices Didn’t Crash After All,Dana Ubele

    During the fourthquarter of last year, many housing experts predicted home prices were going to crash this year. Here are a few of those forecasts: Jeremy Siegel, Russell E. Palmer Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School of Business: “I expect housing prices fall 10% to 15%, and the housing prices are accelerating on […]

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  • The True Value of Homeownership

    The True Value of Homeownership,Dana Ubele

    Buying and owning your home can make a big difference in your life by bringing you joy and a sense of belonging. And with June being National Homeownership Month, it’s the perfect time to think about all the benefits homeownership provides.  Of course, there are financial reasons to buy a house, but it’s important to […]

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  • Today’s Real Estate Market: The ‘Unicorns’ Have Galloped Off

    Today’s Real Estate Market: The ‘Unicorns’ Have Galloped Off,Dana Ubele

    Comparing real estate metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market. That’s due to possible variability in the market making the comparison less meaningful or accurate. Unpredictable events can have a significant impact on the circumstances and outcomes being compared.  Comparing this year’s numbers to the two ‘unicorn’ years […]

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  • The Benefits of Selling Now, According to Experts

    The Benefits of Selling Now, According to Experts,Dana Ubele

    If you’re trying to decide if now’s the time to sell your house, here’s what you should know. The limited number of homes available right now gives you a big advantage. That’s because there are more buyers out there than there are homes for sale. And, with so few homes on the market, buyers will […]

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  • Why Buying a Vacation Home Beats Renting One This Summer

    Why Buying a Vacation Home Beats Renting One This Summer,Dana Ubele

    For many of us, visiting the same vacation spot every year is a summer tradition that’s fun, relaxing, and restful. If that sounds like you, now’s the time to think about your plans and determine if buying a vacation home this year makes more sense than renting one again. According to Forbes:  “. . . […]

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  • The Best Time To Sell Your House Is When Others Aren’t Selling

    The Best Time To Sell Your House Is When Others Aren’t Selling,Dana Ubele

    If you’re thinking about selling your house, you should know the number of homes for sale right now is low. That’s 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 […]

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  • Why Buyers Need an Expert Agent by Their Side

    Why Buyers Need an Expert Agent by Their Side,Dana Ubele

    The process of buying a home can feel a bit intimidating, even under normal circumstances. But today’s market is still anything but normal. There continues to be a very limited number of homes for sale, and that’s creating bidding wars and driving home prices back up as buyers compete over the available homes. Navigating all […]

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  • Why Buying a Home Makes More Sense Than Renting Today

    Why Buying a Home Makes More Sense Than Renting Today,Dana Ubele

    Wondering if you should continue renting or if you should buy a home this year? If so, consider this. Rental affordability is still a challenge and has been for years. That’s because, historically, rents trend up over time. Data from the Census shows rents have been climbing pretty steadily since 1988.  And, data from the […]

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