Interest Rates Hit New 12 Month Low!
According to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, interest rates for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage are currently at their lowest for 2019. Rates like these haven’t been seen since February 2018!
What are the Benefits of Becoming a Homeowner?
Every family has a list of important dates. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, pet adoptions…and the list goes on. For 64.4 percent of households in the United States, this list includes the day they became a homeowner for the first time!
How Can I Increase My Family’s Net Worth?
Every three years, the Federal Reserve conducts their Survey of Consumer Finances. Data is collected across all economic and social groups. The latest survey data covers 2013-2016.
3 Tips for Making Your Dream of Buying A Home Come True [INFOGRAPHIC]
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Some Highlights
- Setting up an automatic savings plan that saves a small amount of every check is one of the best ways to save without thinking too much about it.
- Living within a budget right now will help you save money for down payments while also paying down other debts that might be holding you back.
- What are you willing to cut back on to make your dreams of homeownership a reality?
3 Reasons Why We Are Not Heading Toward Another Housing Crash
With home prices softening, some are concerned that we may be headed toward the next housing crash. However, it is important to remember that today’s market is quite different than the bubble market of twelve years ago.
Why A Normal Market is Just What We Need
The housing market has been hot for a while now. Homes have been flying off the shelves as fast as they have been listed. Buyers have been competing in bidding wars just to find a home to buy, let alone find their dream home.
2019 Will Be a Great Year for Buyers AND Sellers
Many homeowners believe that rising interest rates and home prices have scared away buyers and therefore have not listed their houses for sale. However, the truth is that buyers who were unable to find a home last year are out in force, and there are even more coming!
Millionaire To Millennials: Don’t Get Stuck Renting A Home… Buy One!
In a CNBC article, self-made millionaire David Bach explained that: “The biggest mistake millennials are making is not buying their first home.” He goes on to say that, “If you want to build real financial security, real wealth for your lifetime, then you need to buy a home.”
Where Did Americans Move in 2018? [INFOGRAPHIC]
![Where Did Americans Move in 2018? [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/MovingAcrossAmerica2019-STM.jpg)
Some Highlights
- Every year United Van Lines conducts their National Movers Study by tracking their customer’s movement state-to-state over the course of the year.
- Vermont claimed the top spot of states with the highest percentage of inbound residents following a campaign that covered relocation costs for skilled workers who moved to the state.
- The most common response for why someone relocated to another state was for a new job or company transfer.
First Comes Love… Then Comes Mortgage? Couples Lead the Way
According to the National Association of REALTORS most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, married couples once again dominated the first-time homebuyer statistics in 2018 at 54% of all buyers. It is no surprise that buying a home is more attainable with two incomes to save for down payments and contribute to monthly housing costs.
Why Homeownership Matters Now More Than Ever
Study after study shows that no matter what generation Americans belong to, the vast majority believe that homeownership is an important part of their American Dream. The benefits of homeownership can be broken into two main categories: financial and non-financial (often referred to as emotional or social reasons.)
5 Reasons to Love Hiring A Real Estate Pro [INFOGRAPHIC]
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Highlights:
- Hiring a real estate professional to guide you through the process of buying a home or selling your house can be one of the best decisions you make!
- They are there for you to help with contracts, explaining the process, negotiations, and pricing (both when making an offer or setting the right price for your home).
- One of the top reasons to hire a real estate professional is their understanding of your local market and how the conditions in your neighborhood will impact your experience.
Some Highlights
How to Get a Better Perspective on Affordability
Headlines spotlight the fact that buying a home is less affordable today than it was at any other time in more than a decade. Those headlines are accurate.
One More Time... You Do Not Need 20% Down to Buy a Home
The largest obstacle renters face when planning to buy a home is saving for a down payment. This challenge is amplified by rising rents, which has eaten into the amount of money renters have leftover for savings each month after paying expenses.
Whose Mortgage Do You Want to Pay? Yours or Your Landlord’s?
There are some people who haven’t purchased homes because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. However, everyone should realize that unless you are living with your parents rent-free, you are paying a mortgage – either yours or your landlord’s.
5 Reasons Homeowners Throw the Best Super Bowl Parties! [INFOGRAPHIC]
![5 Reasons Homeowners Throw the Best Super Bowl Parties! [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/20190201-Super-Bowl-MEM-ENG.jpg)
Highlights:
- Watching the big game at home with your friends & family offers many advantages.
- There’s more room to entertain a large crowd, and you don’t have to worry about complaints to your landlord if you cheer too loudly!
- The kitchen is big enough to make as many appetizers as you want, and if some of your guests are only there to watch the commercials, they can do so on a different TV in another room!
Some Highlights
4 Proven Ways Real Estate Can Build Sizable Family Wealth
Recently, David Greene, co-host of the BiggerPockets podcast and a nationally renowned author and speaker, wrote an article in Forbes explaining how investing in real estate could help build wealth. Many of the points he made also apply to a family owning their own home. Here are a few:
Is Student Loan Debt A Threat to Homeownership? No!
Over the course of the last thirty years, a shift has happened. An entire generation has been raised to believe that a college education is their key to unlocking opportunities that were not available to their parent’s or grandparent’s generations.
3 Things You Need in a Shifting Real Estate Market
Whether you are thinking of selling your house or buying a home, today’s real estate headlines can be confusing – perhaps even concerning. What is actually happening with mortgage rates? Are home values dropping or are they just rising at a slower pace? What impact will the economy have on the housing market?
The Importance of Homeownership to the American Dream
For centuries, people in this country have seen homeownership as part of the American Dream. Whether they were born here or immigrated from another country, they wanted to own a piece of America. With so many prominent societal changes over the last few decades, it is fair to ask if people in America still feel the same way about owning a home. The answer was made abundantly clear in two separate reports released earlier this month.
The Difference Having a Professional on Your Side Makes
In today’s fast-paced world, where answers are a Google search away, there are some who may wonder what the benefits of hiring a real estate professional to help them in their home search are. The truth is, with the addition of more information, comes more confusion.
What is the Cost of Waiting Until Next Year to Buy? [INFOGRAPHIC]
![What is the Cost of Waiting Until Next Year to Buy? [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cost-of-Waiting-MEM-ENG.jpg)
Some Highlights
- The cost of waiting to buy is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices & interest rates were to increase over a period of time.
- Freddie Mac predicts interest rates to rise to 5.1% by the end of 2019.
- CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 4.8% over the next 12 months.
- If you are ready and willing to buy your dream home, find out if you are able to!
Last Chance! Homes are a Bargain Compared to Historic Norms
A loaf of bread used to be a nickel. A movie ticket was a dime. Not anymore. Houses were also much less expensive than they are now. Inflation raised the price of all three of those items, along with the price of almost every other item we purchase.
Buying a Home Young is the Key to Building Wealth
Homeowners who purchase their homes before the age of 35 are better prepared for retirement at age 60, according to a new Urban Institute study. The organization surveyed adults who turned 60 or 61 between 2003 and 2015 for their data set.
Buying a House This Year? This Should Be Your 1st Step!
In many markets across the country, the number of buyers searching for their dream homes 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 that you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search.
