How to Get the Most Money from the Sale of Your House
Every homeowner wants to make sure they maximize the financial reward when selling their home. But, how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house? Here are two keys to insuring you get the highest price possible.
Selling Your Home? The Importance of Using a Real Estate Professional
When a homeowner decides to sell their house, they obviously want the best possible price with the least amount of hassles. However, for the vast majority of sellers, the most important result is to actually get the home sold.
Why You Should Sell Now... Before Winter Hits
People across the country are beginning to think about what their life will look like next year. It happens every Fall. We ponder whether we should relocate to a different part of the country to find better year-round weather or perhaps move across the state for better job opportunities.
Homeowners in this situation must consider whether they should sell their house now or wait. If you are one of these potential sellers, here are five important reasons to do it now versus the dead of winter.
The Importance of Home Equity to a Family
There has been much written about how dramatically home values have increased over the last several years. With the increase in values, comes an increase in the equity each home owning family now has. The Joint Center of Housing Studies at Harvard University recently reported that, after taking inflation into account, aggregate home equity has increased 60% since 2010. And home equity is the major component of most family’s overall wealth.
Waiting until after the Holidays Isn’t a Smart Decision
Every year at this time, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to put their home on the market for the first time. Others who already have their home on the market decide to take it off the market until after the holidays. Here are six great reasons not to wait:
House Hasn’t Sold Yet? Take Another Look at the Price
The residential housing market has been hot. Home sales have bounced back solidly and are now at their second highest pace since February 2007. Demand remains strong going into the winter. Many real estate professionals are reporting that multiple offers are occurring regularly and listings are actually selling above listing price. What about your house?
If your house hasn’t sold, it is probably the price.
Baby Boomers Finding Freedom In Retirement
Within the next five years, Baby Boomers are projected to have the largest household growth of any other generation during that same time period, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard. Let’s take a look at why…
The Difference An Hour Can Make [INFOGRAPHIC]
![The Difference an Hour Can Make [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/The-Difference-an-Hour-Can-Make-STM.jpg)
Every Hour in the US Housing Market:
- 634 Homes Sell
- 347 Homes Regain Positive Equity
- Median Home Values Go Up $1.46
Picking a Real Estate Agent through Facebook
According to a joint study released by Google and the National Association of Realtors, 2 of 3 people searching for a prospective real estate professional research them “extensively online prior to working with them". And, that number is probably increasing every day.
Where Will Home Prices Be Next Year? [INFOGRAPHIC]
![Where Will Home Prices Be Next Year? [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Home-Prices-STM.jpg)
Some interesting facts:
- 25 states are forecasted to achieve higher levels of appreciation in the next 12 months than already achieved in the last year.
- 25 state and the District of Columbia are forecasted to experience a slow in appreciation.
- All 50 states & D.C. are forecasted to achieve some level of positive price appreciation.
Even though each state is appreciating at different levels, you need to know the Cost of Waiting until next year to buy your dream home!
New Home Sales Surge
According to the latest report from the US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, newly constructed home sales jumped 5.7% month-over-month and 21.6% year-over-year to an annual pace of 552,000.
Many buyers are looking to the new homes market to make up for the lack of existing home sales inventory. National Association of Home Builders Chief Economist David Crowe explains:
Pending Home Sales Remain Steady
The National Association of REALTORS’ just released the results of their latest Pending Home Sales Index, which showed a small 1.4% decline in signed contracts in August. Pending sales remain strong year-over-year as they were 6.1% higher than August ’14 and have now risen for 12 consecutive months.
What is the Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)?
Home Equity: You May Have More Than You Think
CoreLogic recently released their 2015 2nd Quarter Equity Report which revealed that 759,000 properties had regained equity in the last quarter. That means that 91% of all mortgaged properties (approximately 45.9 million) are now in a positive equity position. Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic, reported:
Sales Up In (Almost) Every Price Range!
The National Association of Realtors’ most recent Existing Home Sales Report revealed that home sales were up rather dramatically over last year in five of the six price ranges they measure.
#1 Reason to List Your House Today
If you are debating listing your house for sale this year or even early next year, here is the #1 reason not to wait!
Buyer Demand Continues to Outpace the Supply of Homes For Sale
How Quickly Are Homes Selling In Your State? [INFOGRAPHIC]
![How Quickly Are Homes Selling In Your State? [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20151002-Days-on-the-Market-STM.jpg)
Some Highlights:
- The National Association of REALTORS® surveyed their members for their Confidence Index
- The REALTORS® Confidence Index is a key indicator of housing market strength based on a monthly survey sent to over 50,000 real estate practitioners. Practitioners are asked about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions.
- Homes sold in less than 60 days in 39 out of 50 states and Washington D.C.
- Only Vermont had a median sold date longer than 90 days.
Is it Time to Downsize your Home?
A recent study by Edelman Berland revealed that of homeowners who are contemplating selling their house in the near future 33% plan to scale down. Let’s look at a few reasons why that would make sense to many Americans.
Thinking of Selling? 5 Reasons You Shouldn't For Sale By Owner
In today's market, with homes selling quickly and prices rising some homeowners might consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.
Existing Home Sales Slow Amongst Tight Inventory [INFOGRAPHIC]
![Existing Home Sales Slow Amongst Tight Inventory [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/EHS-SEP-STM.jpg)
Some Highlights:
- Existing Home Sales slowed down slightly in August but remained 6.2% higher than August 2014.
- Inventory levels remain below the 6 months necessary for a normal market at a 5.2-month supply.
- First Time Buyers rebounded in August to make up 32% of sales, matching a 2015 high.
How Much Must You Trust Your Listing Agent?
You and your family have decided to sell your house. It is now time to choose a real estate professional to help with the process. One of the major attributes this agent must possess is trustworthiness. To what degree do you need to trust them?
3 Graphs That Scream List Your House Today!
In school we all learned the Theory of Supply and Demand. When the demand for an item is greater than the supply of that item, the price will surely rise.
Over 23% Thinking of Selling. Why the Hesitation?
Last month, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that housing inventory was down 4.7% from the same time last year and that the month’s inventory of homes for sale stood at 4.8 - far below the six months necessary for a normal housing market. Why is there such a shortage of inventory?
Economic Impact of Every Home Sold [INFOGRAPHIC]
![Economic Impact of Every Home Sold [INFOGRAPHIC] | Simplifying The Market](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Economic-Impact-STM.jpg)
Some Highlights:
- Every time a home is sold, the surrounding economy feels a boost.
- Different industries and businesses benefit at each stage of the process of moving into a home!
- Hawaii leads the way with a $177,000 boost to the local economy.
Most Experts Agree: There is No Housing Bubble
There is no doubt that home prices in the vast majority of housing markets across the country are continuing to increase on a month over month basis. The following map (based on data from the latest CoreLogic pricing report) reveals the appreciation level by state:
