This Is the Perfect Time of Year to Give Thanks

Happy Holidays! We want to say thank you to all of the people who keep this country safe, and we encourage you all to thank the people who make your life so great.

Looking to buy a home? Search all homes
Looking to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report

Happy Holidays! Now is the perfect time to reflect and give thanks. 

We are so fortunate in this country to live in abundance and safety. Thank you to all of the law enforcement officers, firefighters, military, and the border patrol. We are especially grateful this year for the men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice each day that they go to work. 

Each of us has so much goodness in our life. It is important to be thankful for your spouse, parents, friends, and family. Those relationships are what make life so sweet.

Those relationships are what makes life so sweet.

Now is the perfect time of year to let those people know how much they mean to you and how thankful you are for them. These acts of kindness and words of encouragement bring the buzz to this holiday season. 

As always, if you have any real estate questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Meanwhile, happy holidays to you and your family. We hope you enjoy the season!

Is It Time to Stop Renting and Buy a Home?

We'll discuss the key questions you need to ask yourself to find out whether you're ready to stop renting and buy your first home.

Looking to buy a home? Search all homes
Looking to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report

If you're currently renting but thinking about buying your first house, how do you know if you're ready? There are a few questions you must ask yourself to find out:

1. Are you ready for the financial commitment? Owning a home requires a substantial financial commitment. You have to pay a down payment and closing costs which each cost thousands of dollars, as well as inspection costs. 
2. Do you have healthy credit history? You'll begin to qualify for a mortgage with a 620 credit score, but if you want to get the best rates available, you need a score of at least 700. If you don't have the best credit habits, now's the time to start developing them.
3. Are you ready to make compromises? The house you've envisioned might not meet what your budget is. 
4. Are you emotionally prepared? When you rent and your fridge goes on the fritz, you call the landlord. If your rent goes up, you can just move. When you own a home, however, and your toilet breaks, you're on the hook. Your property taxes may go up, too. 
5. Has your lifestyle outgrown renting? If you're ready to start a family, you'll probably need more rooms and square footage and possibly a yard for a swingset and a dog, for example.
6. Renovations. If you've got the itch to try some DIY projects, owning a home may be the next step for you. How many landlords will let you do renovations to their property? Not many.

Our housing market is completely different than it was during the 2012 election.

If you're thinking about getting out of a rental and buying a house, I'd love to give you a free copy of my book Brilliant Buying, which features tips for home buyers. If you have any questions for me, please don't hesitate to call or email me. I'd love to work with you!

How the Election Affects the Real Estate Market

How does the presidential election affect the housing market? Don’t get drawn in by all the hype; always look to reputable resources if you want to know the truth about our housing market.

Looking to buy a home? Search all homes
Looking to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report

How does the presidential election impact the housing market? Business analysts have watched elections for years and they have found that some things do change during an election year.

In fact, some of these studies found that the marketing and advertising done by the candidates’ campaigns have more of an impact on market uncertainty than the actual results of the election do. These negative ads fuel uncertainty among voters, and that uncertainty sometimes spills over into the business world, which causes myths to begin in the real estate industry as well.

I encourage you not to believe in all of the hype. I think that it is best to hear from the experts that service and analyze the real estate industry and have done so for decades.

According to the National Association of Realtors, inventory has been very low this year. However, even though 2016 got off to a slow start, we have seen the best growth since 2007. 

Not only that, at the beginning of the year, Fannie Mae said that consumers and businesses didn’t have much confidence in the economy. However, since the number of pending home sales and the number of mortgage applications have both gone up and interest rates have gone down, it looks like the market is trending upward at this time.

Our housing market is completely different than it was during the 2012 election.

Finally, you should keep in mind that since the last election in 2012, our housing market is in a totally different place. Back then, home values were just starting to rise as we exited the Great Recession of 2008.

In fact, 2012 was probably the first year that we started to see some gains in the housing market. Since 2012, home prices have increased by an average of $60,000 nationwide. Not only that, the unemployment rate was at 8% four years ago; today, the unemployment rate is hovering at around 4%.

Ultimately, you have to look at the facts and figures from reputable sources, like Fannie Mae and the National Association of Realtors, in order to see how the market is really doing. Don’t get drawn in by all of the hype that comes with presidential elections.

If you have any other questions about our current market, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!