first time buyer - The Jenn Pfeiffer Team

March 5, 2024

Buying Houses Before Finding Spouses

By Debra Kim| The New York Times Single men traditionally get a head start in homeownership and reap the benefits faster, but single women are thinking creatively to close the gap. Rachel Rodman always dreamed of owning her own home, but life kept getting in the way. She became a mother at 19, then went through a complicated divorce that left her financially depleted. For many years, she felt resigned to renting with her son, James, now 14. Ms. Rodman, 33, earns a steady income as an events producer for SXSW, the annual festival of creative arts and technology held in her hometown, Austin, Texas. Still, she never felt she had...

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February 27, 2024

Selling

Why Today’s Housing Supply Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers

From our friends in KCM Wondering if it still makes sense to sell your house right now? The short answer is, yes. And if you look at the current number of homes for sale, you’ll see two reasons why. An article from Calculated Risk shows there are 15.6% more homes for sale now compared to the same week last year. That tells us inventory has grown. But going back to 2019, the last normal year in the housing market, there are nearly 40% fewer homes available now: Here’s a breakdown of how this benefits you when you sell. 1. You Have More Options for Your Move Are you thinking about selling because your current house is too big,...

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February 21, 2024

Selling

It’s Time To Prepare Your House for a Spring Listing

From our friends in KCM If you’re thinking of selling your house this spring, now is the perfect time to start getting it ready. With the market gearing up for its busiest time of year, it’ll be important to make sure your house shines bright among the competition. Here are some valuable tips you can use to get your house market-ready. Declutter and Organize First impressions matter, and if your house is a mess, that can easily turn off potential buyers. Before listing, take the time to declutter and organize each room. Decluttering is about more than just tidying up – it’s about creating a sense of space and openness that allows potential buyers to envision...

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February 20, 2024

Living

Think Your Property Taxes Are High? See How Much Homeowners Pay in the Cheapest and Most Expensive States

By Clare Trapasso | Realtor.com Homebuyers looking to avoid high property taxes probably shouldn’t move to New Jersey. The Garden State continued to have the dubious honor of having the nation’s highest property taxes, according to a recent report from personal finance website WalletHub. New Jersey homeowners paid a median of $9,345 in 2022, according to the report. That’s compared with the typical homeowner who paid just $2,869 in property taxes a year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data cited in the report. “Americans who are considering moving and want to maximize the amount of money they take home should take into account property tax rates, in addition to other financial factors like the...

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February 15, 2024

Buying

Don’t Let the Latest Home Price Headlines Confuse You

From our friends KCM Based on what you’re hearing in the news about home prices, you may be worried they’re falling. But here’s the thing. The headlines aren’t giving you the full picture. If you look at the national data for 2023, home prices actually showed positive growth for the year. While this varies by market, and while there were some months with slight declines nationally, those were the exception, not the rule. The overarching story is that prices went up last year, not down. Let’s dive into the data to set the record straight. 2023 Was the Return to More Normal Home Price Growth If anything, last year marked a return to more normal home price...

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February 14, 2024

Buying

Why So Many People Fall in Love with Homeownership

From our friends in KCM Chances are at some point in your life you’ve heard the phrase, home is where the heart is. There’s a reason that’s said so often. Becoming a homeowner is emotional. So, if you’re trying to decide if you want to keep on renting or if you’re ready to buy a home this year, here’s why it’s so easy to fall in love with homeownership. Customizing to Your Heart’s Desire Your house should be a space that’s uniquely you. And, if you’re a renter, that can be hard to achieve. When you rent, the paint colors are usually the standard shade of white, you don’t have much control over the upgrades, and you’ve...

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February 9, 2024

Buying, Living, News

Houses Are Still Selling Fast

From our friends in KCM Have you been thinking about selling your house? If so, here’s some good news. While the housing market isn’t as frenzied as it was during the ‘unicorn’ years when houses were selling quicker than ever, they’re still selling faster than normal. The graph below uses data from Realtor.com to tell the story of median days on the market for every January from 2017 all the way through the latest numbers available. For Realtor.com, days on the market means from the time a house is listed for sale until its closing date or the date it’s taken off the market. This metric can help give you an idea of just how quickly homes...

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February 6, 2024

Buying, Home Staging, Uncategorized

6 Reasons Why It Makes Sense To Sell a Home Right Now—Before the Spring Rush

By Jillian Pretzel | Realtor.com Thinking about selling your house in 2024? While many home sellers wait until spring to put their property on the market, there are some distinct advantages to getting ahead of the curve this year and listing sooner rather than later. Generally, the cold weather season causes home sales to be sluggish, but this winter is a bit different. High interest rates kept much of America’s real estate market in a deep freeze for most of 2023. But now that rates have subsided a bit in the new year, there is a whole lot of pent-up demand (and supply) that could burst onto the market at any...

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January 30, 2024

Living

What Are HOA Fees—and What Do They Actually Pay For?

Curious about homeowners association fees? Here’s how HOA fees are collected and used. By Kristine Gill | Better Homes There are two major components to a homeowners association (HOA). The first is that the organization oversees a set of rules particular to the residential community. The second component is the associated fee required for living in the community and how the HOA fees benefit the homeowners. “An HOA fee is typically structured per community to enforce rules and regulations so it can set the covenants, conditions, and restrictions,” says Donna Soda, Realtor and global real estate advisor. “The idea is to maintain the community in a beautiful manner.” DEFINITION: What is a homeowners association? A homeowners...

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January 29, 2024

Buying, Living

3 Key Factors Affecting Home Affordability

From our friends in KCM Over the past year, a lot of people have been talking about housing affordability and how tight it’s gotten. But just recently, there’s been a little bit of relief on that front. Mortgage rates have gone down since their most recent peak in October. But there’s more to being able to afford a home than just mortgage rates. To really understand home affordability, you need to look at the combination of three important factors: mortgage rates, home prices, and wages. Let’s dive into the latest data on each one to see why affordability is improving. 1. Mortgage Rates Mortgage rates have come down in recent months. And looking forward, most experts expect...

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first time buyer Tag

Buying Houses Before Finding Spouses

Why Today’s Housing Supply Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers

It’s Time To Prepare Your House for a Spring Listing

Think Your Property Taxes Are High? See How Much Homeowners Pay in the Cheapest and Most Expensive States

Don’t Let the Latest Home Price Headlines Confuse You

Why So Many People Fall in Love with Homeownership

Houses Are Still Selling Fast

6 Reasons Why It Makes Sense To Sell a Home Right Now—Before the Spring Rush

What Are HOA Fees—and What Do They Actually Pay For?

3 Key Factors Affecting Home Affordability

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