![Is Your First Home Within Your Grasp Now? [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/17111721/20180518-Share-STM-705x385.jpg "Is Your First Home Within Your Grasp Now? [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters")
Is Your First Home Within Your Grasp Now? [INFOGRAPHIC]
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Moving Up to Your Dream Home? Don’t Wait!
Mortgage interest rates have risen by more than half of a point since the beginning of the year, and many assume that if mortgage rates rise, home values will fall. History, however, has shown this not to be true.
Renters Under 50 Want to Buy a Home!
Every year, the New York Federal Reserve publishes the results of their Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE). Each survey covers a wide range of topics including inflation, labor market, household finance, credit access and housing.
Access: An Important Factor in Getting Your House SOLD!
So, you’ve decided to sell your house. You’ve hired a real estate professional to help you through the entire process, and they have asked you what level of access you want to provide to your potential buyers.
Homeownership: “A Man Is Not a Complete Man, Unless He Owns a House”
The famous quote by Walt Whitman, “A man is not a whole and complete man, unless he owns a house and the ground it stands on,” can be used to describe homeownership in America today. The Census revealed that the percentage of homeowners in America has been steadily climbing back up since hitting a 50-year low in 2016. The homeownership rate in the first quarter of 2018 was 64.2%, higher than last year’s 63.6%.
![3 Tips for Making Your Dream of Owning a Home a Reality [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/08163024/20180511-Share-STM-705x385.jpg "3 Tips for Making Your Dream of Owning a Home a Reality [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters")
3 Tips for Making Your Dream of Owning a Home a Reality [INFOGRAPHIC]
![3 Tips for Making Your Dream of Owning a Home a Reality [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/08162959/3-Tips-KCM.jpg)
5 Ways Tax Reform Has Impacted the 2018 Housing Market
Starting late last year, some predicted that the 2018 tax changes would cripple the housing market. Headlines warned of the potential for double-digit price depreciation and suggested that buyer demand could drop like a rock. There was even sentiment that homeownership could lose its coveted status as a major component of the American Dream.
Real Estate Tops Best Investment Poll for 5th Year Running
Every year, Gallup surveys Americans to determine their choice for the best long-term investment. Respondents are given a choice between real estate, stocks/mutual funds, gold, savings accounts/CDs, or bonds.
Home Inspections: What to Expect
So you made an offer, it was accepted, and now your next task is to have the home inspected prior to closing. Oftentimes, agents make your offer contingent on a clean home inspection.
What If I Wait Until Next Year to Buy a Home?
We recently shared that national home prices have increased by 6.7% year-over-year. Over that same time period, interest rates have remained historically low which has allowed many buyers to enter the market.
![50% of Homes Sold in 30 days in March [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/01161100/20180504-Share-STM-705x385.jpg "50% of Homes Sold in 30 days in March [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters")
50% of Homes Sold in 30 Days in March [INFOGRAPHIC]
![50% of Homes Sold in 30 days in March [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/01161030/20180504-Days-on-the-Market-KCM.jpg)
4 Reasons Why Today’s Housing Market is NOT 2006 All Over Again
With home prices rising again this year, some are concerned that we may be repeating the 2006 housing bubble that caused families so much pain when it collapsed. Today’s market is quite different than the bubble market of twelve years ago. There are four key metrics that explain why:
This Just In: Data Says May is the Best Month to Sell Your Home
According to a newly released study by ATTOM Data Solutions, selling your home in the month of May will net you an average of 5.9% above estimated market value for your home.
How Much Has Your Home Increased in Value Over the Last Year?
Home values have risen dramatically over the last twelve months. In CoreLogic’s most recent Home Price Index Report, they revealed that national home prices have increased by 6.7% year-over-year.
Why Home Prices Are Increasing
There are many unsubstantiated theories as to why home values are continuing to increase. From those who are worried that lending standards are again becoming too lenient, to those who are concerned that prices are again approaching boom peaks because of “irrational exuberance,” there seems to be no shortage of opinion.
![Existing Home Sales Grow Despite Low Inventory [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/24163403/20180427-Share-STM-705x385.jpg "Existing Home Sales Grow Despite Low Inventory [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters")
Existing Home Sales Grow Despite Low Inventory [INFOGRAPHIC]
![Existing Home Sales Grow Despite Low Inventory [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/24163325/20180427-EHS-Report-KCM-ENG.jpg)
“Short of a war or stock market crash…”
This month, Arch Mortgage Insurance released their spring Housing and Mortgage Market Review. The report explained that an increase in mortgage rates and/or home prices would impact monthly payments this way:
New Study Shows ‘Best States for Millennials’
A new study by WalletHub used “30 key metrics, ranging from share of millennials to millennial unemployment rate to millennial voter-turnout rate” to find out which states are the ‘Best States for Millennials.’
Thinking of Selling Your Home? Why You Need A Pro in Your Corner
With home prices on the rise and buyer demand strong, some sellers may be tempted to try and sell their homes on their own (FSBO) without using the services of a real estate professional.
Buying a Home Is Cheaper Than Renting in the Majority of the US
The results of the 2018 Rental Affordability Report from ATTOM show that buying a median-priced home is more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property in 54% of U.S. counties analyzed for the report.
![Home Buying Myths Slayed [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/19122855/20180420-Share-STM-705x385.jpg "Home Buying Myths Slayed [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters")
Home Buying Myths Slayed [INFOGRAPHIC]
![Home Buying Myths Slayed [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/19122819/20180420-KCM-ENG.jpg)
Is Family Mortgage Debt Out of Control?
Some homeowners have recently done a “cash out” refinance and have taken a portion of their increased equity from their house. Others have sold their homes and purchased more expensive homes with larger mortgages. At the same time, first-time buyers have become homeowners and now have mortgage payments for the first time.
How Much Do You Need to Make to Buy a Home in Your State?
It’s no mystery that cost of living varies drastically depending on where you live, so a new study by GOBankingRates set out to find out what minimum salary you would need to make in order to buy a median-priced home in each of the 50 states, and Washington, D.C.
Rising Prices Help You Build Your Family’s Wealth
Over the next five years, home prices are expected to appreciate, on average, by 3.6% per year and to grow by 18.2% cumulatively, according to Pulsenomics’ most recent Home Price Expectation Survey.
Getting Pre-Approved Should Always Be Your First Step
In many markets across the country, the number of buyers searching for their dream homes greatly outnumbers the number of homes for sale. This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out. One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search.
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