Some Highlights

• Since the creation of the VA Home Loans Program, 22 million veterans have been able to achieve the American Dream of homeownership.
• In 2017, $188 billion was loaned to veterans and their families through the program.
• VA Purchase Loans are on the rise in 46 out of 50 states and Washington, DC.

Some Highlights

• Historically, the choice between renting or buying a home has been a tough decision.
• Looking at the percentage of income needed to rent a median-priced home today (28.9%) vs. the percentage needed to buy a median-priced home (15.7%), the choice becomes obvious.
• Every market is different. Before you renew your lease again, find out if you can put your housing costs to work by buying this year!

Highlights:

• When listing your house for sale your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible!
• There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens!
• Your real estate agent will have a list of specific suggestions for getting your house ready for market and is a great resource for finding local contractors who can help!

Some Highlights

Some Highlights

• Interest rates are projected to increase steadily heading into 2019.
• The higher your interest rate, the more money you end up paying for your home and the higher your monthly payment will be.
• Rates are still low right now. Don’t wait until rates hit 5% to start searching for your dream home!

Some Highlights

• Don’t forget to set your clocks forward this Sunday, March 11th at 2:00 AM EST in observance of Daylight Saving Time.
• Unless of course, you are a resident of Arizona or Hawaii!
• Every hour in the United States: 614 homes are sold, 81 homes regain equity (meaning they are no longer underwater on their mortgage), and the median home price rises $1.51!

Some Highlights

• Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale which means that buyers are often competing with one another for the few listings that are available!
• Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply needed to sustain a normal housing market.
• Perhaps the time has come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire.

Some Highlights

• Many buyers are purchasing a home with a down payment as little as 3%.
• You may already qualify for a loan, even if you don't have perfect credit.
• Take advantage of the knowledge of your local professionals who are there to help you determine how much you can afford.

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 2019.
• CoreLogic predicts home prices to appreciate by 4.3% over the next 12 months.
• If you are ready and willing to buy your dream home, find out if you are able to!

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 paperwork, understanding the process, negotiations, and helping you with 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

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

Some Highlights

• “The majority of millennials said they consider owning a home more sensible than renting for both financial and lifestyle reasons — including control of living space, flexibility in future decisions, privacy and security, and living in a nice home.”
• The top reason millennials choose to buy is to have control over their living space, at 93%.
• Many millennials who rent a home or apartment prior to buying their own homes dream of the day when they will be able to paint the walls whatever color they'd like, or renovate an outdated part of their living space.

Some Highlights

• Atlas Van Lines recently released the results of their annual Migration Patterns Survey in which they tracked their customer’s movement from state-to-state over the course of 2017.
• Idaho held on to the top spot of ‘high inbound’ states for the 2nd year in a row followed by Washington.
• The ‘outbound’ states seem to draw a line straight across the country from Connecticut to Wyoming.

Some Highlights

• The National Association of Realtors surveyed their members & released the findings of their Annual Profile of Home Staging.
• 50% of staged homes saw a 1-10% increase in dollar value offers from buyers.
• 77% of buyer’s agents said staging made it easier for buyers to visualize the home as their own.
• The top rooms to stage in order to attract more buyers are the living room, master bedroom, kitchen, and dining room.

Some Highlights

• Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale which means that buyers are often competing with one another for the few listings that are available!
• Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply needed to sustain a normal housing market.
• Perhaps the time has come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire.

Some Highlights

• As we usher in the new year, one thing is for certain… if you plan to buy or sell a house this year, you need a real estate professional on your team!
• There are many benefits to using a local professional!
• Pick a professional who knows your local market and can help you achieve your dreams!

Some Highlights

• Existing home sales are currently at an annual pace of 5.81 million, the highest pace since December 2006.
• The inventory of existing homes for sale has dropped year-over-year for the last 30 consecutive months and is now at a 3.4-month supply.
• NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun had this to say: “Faster economic growth in recent quarters, the booming stock market and continuous job gains are fueling substantial demand for buying a home as 2017 comes to an end.”

Some Highlights

• The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latest Quarterly Home Price Index report.
• In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state.
• Based on the latest numbers, if you plan on relocating to another state, waiting to move may end up costing you more!

Some Highlights

• Realtor.com shared their “5 Habits to Start Now If You Hope to Buy a Home.”
• Setting up an automatic savings plan that saves a small amount of every check is one of the best ways to save without thinking a lot about it.
• Living within a budget will not only help you save money for down payments but will help you pay down other debts that might be holding you back.

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 44 out of 50 states, and Washington D.C.
• Homes typically went under contract in 34 days in October!

Some Highlights

• The inventory of existing homes for sale has dropped year-over-year for the last 29 consecutive months and is now at a 3.9-month supply.
• Existing home sales are currently at an annual pace of 5.48 million, the highest pace since June of this year, but down 0.9% from October 2016.
• NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, had this to say: “While the housing market gained a little more momentum last month, sales are still below year ago levels because low inventory is limiting choices for prospective buyers and keeping price growth elevated.”

Some Highlights

• Whether you are selling your home, just purchased your first home, or are a homeowner planning to stay put for a while, there is value in knowing which home improvement projects will net you the most “Return On Investment” (ROI).
• While big projects like adding a bathroom or a complete remodel of a kitchen are popular ways to increase a home’s value, something as simple as updating landscaping and curb appeal can have a quick impact on a home’s value.

Some Highlights

• Since the creation of the VA Home Loans Program, 22 million veterans have been able to achieve the American Dream of homeownership.
• So far in 2017, $188 billion has been loaned to veterans and their families through the program.
• VA Purchase Loans are on the rise in 46 out of 50 states and Washington, DC.

Every Hour in the US Housing Market: 

• 624 Homes Sell
• 347 Homes Regain Positive Equity
• Median Home Values Go Up $1.13

Some Highlights

Some Highlights

• 40% of millennials who purchased homes this year have put down less than 10%.
• 76.4% of loan applications were approved last month.
• The average credit score of approved loans was 724 in September.

Some Highlights

• Historically, the choice between renting or buying a home has been a tough decision.
• Looking at the percentage of income needed to rent a median-priced home today (29.2%) vs. the percentage needed to buy a median-priced home (15.8%), the choice becomes obvious.
• Every market is different. Before you renew your lease again, find out if you can put your housing costs to work by buying this year!