By Margaret Heidenry| realtor.com
Mortgage rates dipped further this week, with the average rate for a 30-year fixed home loan falling from 6.99% last week to 6.95% for the week ending June 13, according to Freddie Mac.
“Mortgage rates continued to fall back this week as incoming data suggests the economy is cooling to a more sustainable level of growth,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Top-line inflation numbers were flat, but shelter inflation, which measures rent and homeownership costs, increased, showing that housing affordability continues to be an ongoing impediment for buyers on the house hunt.”
Mortgage rates have been perched on a 7% seesaw, rising...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
If you’re considering selling your house on your own as a “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO), you want to think about if it’s really worth the extra stress. Going this route means shouldering a lot of responsibilities by yourself – and, if you’re not an expert, that opens the door for mistakes to happen and can quickly become overwhelming.
A report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows two key areas where people who sold their own house struggled the most: pricing and paperwork.
Here are just a few of the ways an agent makes those tasks a whole lot easier.
Getting the Price Right
Setting the right price for your house is...
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By Barbara Marquand | NerdWallet
After starting a career in engineering in Boynton Beach, Florida, Moisey Abdurakhmanov was renting a home with friends when he decided he wanted his own place.
“I realized I was basically paying somebody else’s mortgage every month,” he recalls.
So when the lease was up, he moved back home with his parents, saved every dime he could and bought a house five months later in January 2021 — “easily one of the best decisions I’ve made.”
Many millennials are taking a similar path to homeownership. About a quarter (24%) of people ages 25 to 33 who bought a home between July 2022 and June 2023 said...
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From our friends from the KCM blog
June is a busy month in the housing market because a lot of people buy and sell this time of year. So, if you’ve got a move on your mind and you’re looking to make it happen this month, here’s a snapshot of what you need to know to make sure you’re ready.
If You’re Buying This June
A lot of homebuyers with children like to move after one school year ends and before the next one begins. That’s one reason why late spring into summer is a popular time for homes to change hands. And whether that’s a motivator for you or not, it’s important to realize more buyers are going to be looking...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
With all the headlines and talk about housing affordability, it can be tempting to get lost in the financial side of buying a home. That’s only natural as you think about the dollars and cents of it all.
And while you ultimately need to be able to afford a home you buy, don’t lose sight of why homeownership was so important to you in the first place. That’s because buying a home is so much more than just a financial transaction. As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says:
“The benefits of purchasing and owning your place of residence are both financial and emotional – pride in homeownership and the feeling of security are...
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By Keith Griffith | realtor.com
A recent breakdown of mortgage rates by generation contains a few surprises, finding that millennials on average secured lower rates than baby boomers.
The report earlier this month from Freddie Mac shows that millennials are tied with Gen X for the lowest home loan rate at origination, at 4%. Mortgage rates for boomers are slightly higher, at 4.1%, despite that generation’s much higher propensity for refinancing.
For the silent generation, which preceded the boomers, rates average 4.3%. Meanwhile, the youngest adult generation, Gen Z, has the highest average mortgage rate, at 4.9%. That’s likely because the oldest members of Gen Z, who are now 27, are more...
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FROM OUR FRIENDS AT THE KCM BLOG
Climate change is impacting where people buy homes. As the experts at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explain:
“Sixty-three percent of people who have moved since the pandemic began say they believe climate change is—or will be—an issue in the place they currently live.”
If you’re planning to move, climate change is something you might want to consider, no matter where you are. A recent study from Realtor.com helps put the growing impact climate change is having on real estate into perspective (see below):
So, how can you be sure your investment is safe from the elements?
For starters, work with a local real estate agent to understand the likelihood of your future home being...
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By Margaret Heidenry | realtor.com
The housing market has been stagnant for several years now, with high home prices and unpredictable mortgage rates sidelining buyers and sellers alike.
But some U.S. metros seem to be defying the real estate market malaise. In these places, not only are homes selling at a quicker pace than the rest of the country, but prices are up as well.
Indeed, in its latest data analysis, which ranks the nation’s 20 hottest markets, Realtor.com® found that home prices are flat everywhere, seeing only a 2% rise in March—except for the hottest markets, which rose by 5.3% annually.
“Prices increased slightly nationwide in March, but the month’s hottest markets saw more substantial price...
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By Clare Trapasso | realtor.com
When Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss learned his windstorm insurance was doubling to $20,000 a year, his insurance agent had an unexpected solution: Pay off the mortgage on his West Palm Peach, FL, home and drop the insurance entirely.
So, two years ago, he did just that. He figured his century-old home had survived “numerous” hurricanes. The money he saved on the insurance was used instead for a new roof. He also installed impact windows in the three-bedroom home, which is located about a mile from the shore.
“It felt terrible. … [But] it just didn’t make sense anymore,” says Weiss, who is also a...
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From our friends in KCM
If you’re trying to sell your house, you may be looking at this spring season as the sweet spot – and you’re not wrong. We’re still in a seller’s market because there are so few homes for sale right now. And historically, this is the time of year when more buyers move, and competition ticks up. That makes this an exciting time to put up that for sale sign.
But while conditions are great for sellers like you, you’ll still want to be strategic when it comes time to set your asking price. That’s because pricing your house too high may actually cost you in the long run.
The Downside of Overpricing Your House
The asking...
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