Some homeowners may consider trying to sell their home on without the assistance of a real estate professional, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). We think there are several reasons this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers. Here are five of our reasons 1. […]
We have recently reported on the misconception that many buyers have regarding the down payment necessary to purchase a home. Multiple studies reveal that 40-50% of Americans believe you need between 15-20% of a down payment to be eligible to purchase a home. This misconception came about as the government just last year debated new […]
The Gallup organization conducts an annual report entitled the Economy and Personal Finances Poll, which asks Americans to choose the best option for long-term investment. It was no surprise that real estate returned to the top position over other investment categories (gold, stocks/mutual funds, savings accounts/CDs and bonds). Back in 2011, gold was the most […]
There are some homeowners that have been waiting for months to get a price they hoped for when they originally listed their house for sale. The only thing they might want to consider is… If it hasn’t sold yet this fall, maybe it’s not priced properly. After all 14,164 houses sold yesterday, 14,164 will sell today […]
If you are thinking about purchasing a home right now, you are surely getting a lot of advice. Though your friends and family have your best interests at heart, they may not be fully aware of your needs and what is currently happening in real estate. Let’s look at whether or not now is actually […]
It was great to see that mortgage interest rates dropped under the 4% mark again. Buyers are lucky to be purchasing at a time when rates are at historic lows. However, let them know their luck may soon run out. Here are the projected interest rates for this time next year as stated by the […]
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Existing Home Sales Report earlier this week. The report revealed that “sales bounced back in September to their highest annual pace of the year”. As the chart below shows, after a very slow start at the beginning of the year, residential home sales have been increasing nicely. […]
Billionaire money manager John Paulson was interviewed at the Delivering Alpha Conference presented by CNBC and Institutional Investor. During his session he boldly stated: “I still think, from an individual perspective, the best deal investment you can make is to buy a primary residence that you’re the owner-occupier of.” Who is John Paulson? Paulson is the person […]
The price of any item (including residential real estate) is determined by ‘supply and demand’. If the supply of an item is larger than the amount of people looking to purchase that item, the price will decrease. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), historically there is a natural decline in buyers looking to purchase a […]
Google, in a recent research study, revealed: “Two in three (consumers) researched prospective agents extensively online prior to working with them.” This means that your online presence has become crucial in building your brand with today’s buyers and sellers. Google went on to say that: “Millennials are likely to make their long-awaited entrance into market […]
Are you thinking of selling your house? Are you dreading having to deal with strangers walking through the house? Are you concerned about getting the paperwork correct? Hiring a professional real estate agent can take away most of the challenges of selling. A great agent is always worth more than the commission they charge just […]
Do you really need an agent to sell your house in today’s market? Here’s what Fannie Mae suggests to sellers on the Know Your Options section of their website: “Select how you’ll market and list the home (e.g., with a real estate agent or for sale by owner). There are pros and cons to each, […]
Discover Home Loans conducted an interesting survey that revealed how prepared homebuyers are for the actual mortgage process. The survey reported that 94% of prospective buyers believe they are making a good investment decision if they buy a home. The survey also explained that 66% of buyers reach out to real estate agents to help determine whether buying […]
We have often talked about the difference between COST and PRICE. As a seller, you will be most concerned about ‘short term price’ – where home values are headed over the next six months. As either a first time or repeat buyer, you must not be concerned about price but instead about the ‘long term […]
Now that the housing market has stabilized, more and more homeowners are considering moving up to the home they have always dreamed of. Prices are still below those of a few years ago and interest rates are still below 5%. However, sellers should realize that waiting to make the move while mortgage rates are increasing […]
Throughout the course of the year, we have periodically given our Members the, often powerful and consistently downloaded, Buyer’s Purchasing Power Slides. We wanted to have a central location where we could house these slides with different price levels where you could always find them. We have provided you with 10 slides that show exactly […]
For the last several years, home sellers had to compete with huge inventories of distressed properties (foreclosures and short sales). The great news is that the supply of these properties is falling like a rock in the vast majority of housing markets (only 8% of homes sold in August). Many homeowners are now thinking of […]
Our founder, Steve Harney, occasionally asks to do a personal post on what he sees as important to our industry. Today we are reposting one of his favorites. Enjoy! – The KCM Crew Last week, I was talking to a young couple I know that was about to close on their first home. They were […]
A recent study has concluded that 39% of buyers prefer to rent out their last residence rather than sell it when purchasing their next home. The study cites that many homeowners were able to refinance and “locked in a very low mortgage rate in recent years. That low rate, combined with a strong rental market, […]
School is back in session, the holidays are right around the corner, you might not think that now is the best time to sell your house. But with inventory below historic numbers and demand still strong, you could be missing out on a great opportunity for your family. 1. Demand is Strong Foot traffic refers […]
If you have sellers on the fence as to whether this fall is the time to list their home, simply show them the graph below! The real estate market has done well to recover from the slow start we experienced due in part to the inclement weather at the beginning of 2014. But with those […]
![NAR's Existing Home Sales Report [INFOGRAPHIC] | Keeping Current Matters](https://files.keepingcurrentmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/07185532/Existing-Home-Sales-October-1500.jpg)
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