Homeownership Finally Makes Political Debate

This is not a political post! Finally, the issue of homeownership has become a platform talking point in this year’s presidential debate. Yesterday, one of the candidates running for President spoke out about the importance of homeownership in America. Hillary Clinton detailed a new economic agenda yesterday. In announcing her new agenda, she remarked: “Homeownership is about more than just owning a home. It is about putting roots down in a community with better schools, safer streets and good jobs. … Continue reading

Play Chess… Not Checkers

Checkers is a simple game with a simple objective; eliminate the other player’s pieces. Even the process of doing so is simple, jump the other player’s pieces and start a collection. There is very little thought as to a defensive strategy and it is often more reactive than strategic. Even though the objective of Chess is simply laid out — obtain the other player’s King — the process in which to obtain this goal is much more strategic. Chess requires … Continue reading

Homeowner’s Net Worth is 45x Greater Than a Renter’s

Every three years the Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The latest survey, which includes data from 2010-2013, reports that a homeowner’s net worth is 36 times greater than that of a renter ($194,500 vs. $5,400). In a Forbes article the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Chief EconomistLawrence Yun predicts that in 2016 the net worth gap will widen even further to 45 times greater. The graph below demonstrates the results of the last two Federal Reserve studies … Continue reading

How Do You Know If You’ve Found Your ‘Perfect Match’? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights: Every agent brings a different set of skills & specialties to their clients. It is important to find an agent who you can trust to guide you through the entire process step-by-step. Having a conversation about your goals & expectations will not only save you unneeded frustration, but will also make the transaction as smooth as possible

Final 2015 Housing Numbers Now In

Many have questioned the stability of certain sectors of the U.S. Economy, one section in particular is the housing market. Today we would like to share how the experts feel about how we ended 2015 and where they think we are headed in 2016. How did we do in 2015? The National Association of Realtors “Overall, a resilient U.S. economy and very solid job growth in recent years made 2015 a great rebound year for the housing market. Existing-home sales … Continue reading

Do You Know How Much Equity You Have In Your Home? You May Be Surprised!

CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 256,000 properties regained equity in the third quarter of 2015. This is great news for the country, as 92% of all mortgaged properties are now in a positive equity situation. Price Appreciation = Good News For Homeowners Frank Nothaft, CoreLogic’s Chief Economist, explains: “Home price growth continued to lift borrower equity positions and increase the number of borrowers with sufficient equity to participate in the mortgage market. In the last three years, borrowers with … Continue reading

What You Don’t Need To Hear From Your Listing Agent

You’ve decided to sell your house. You begin to interview potential real estate agents to help you through the process. You need someone you trust enough to: Set the market value on possibly the largest asset your family owns (your home) Set the time schedule for the successful liquidation of that asset Set the fee for the services required to liquidate that asset An agent must be concerned first and foremost about you and your family in order to garner … Continue reading

Homes Selling Quickly Across The Country

According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Existing Home Sales Report, homes were on market for an average of 58 days in December. This was slightly longer than the 54 days in November, but still better than the 66 days experienced in December 2014. 32% of homes across the country were on the market for less than a month! Colorado, Utah and Delaware led all states as homes are selling in 30 days or less on average. The map … Continue reading

Will Appraisals Continue to be a Challenge in 2016?

First American Title issues a quarterly report, the Real Estate Sentiment Index (RESI), which “measures title agent sentiment on a variety of key market metrics and industry issues”. Their 2015 4th Quarter Edition revealed some interesting information regarding possible challenges with appraisal values as we head into 2016. “The fourth quarter RESI found that title agents continue to believe that property valuation issues will be the most likely cause of title order cancellation over the coming year.” This shouldn’t come … Continue reading

Will Appraisals Continue to be a Challenge in 2016?

First American Title issues a quarterly report, the Real Estate Sentiment Index (RESI), which “measures title agent sentiment on a variety of key market metrics and industry issues”. Their 2015 4th Quarter Edition revealed some interesting information regarding possible challenges with appraisal values as we head into 2016. “The fourth quarter RESI found that title agents continue to believe that property valuation issues will be the most likely cause of title order cancellation over the coming year.” This shouldn’t come … Continue reading

Real Estate Websites by Cherie Young