How To Think Strategically as a Buyer in Today’s Market The game of chess can provide incredible lessons to apply to all aspects of life, including the homebuying process. Chess requires you to plan and think about your strategy from the very beginning of the game. The homebuying process, like chess, requires strategy and planning. Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your plan is as strong as possible when you begin your home search. Pre-Approval: the Best Opening Play To Make as a Homebuyer It’s important to have a great opening play when you’re buying a home. And the best move you can make when you begin your home search is getting pre-approved by a lender. You’ve probably already heard this is an important step, but what exactly is pre-approval and what benefits does it provide you? As Freddie Mac puts it: “The pre-approval letter from your lender tells you the maximum amount you are qualified to borrow. Getting a pre-approval letter is not a loan guarantee, it simply states how much your lender is willing to lend you. . . .” And while determining how much you can afford at the start of your search is critical, the pre-approval letter also serves another important purpose. Freddie Mac also notes: “This pre-approval allows you to look for a home with greater confidence and demonstrates to the seller that you are a serious buyer.” In the game of chess, a strong opening move signals to your opponent that you’re a serious competitor. As a homebuyer, your pre-approval letter signals to the seller that you’re a serious, interested buyer. Homebuying: It’s a Team Game, Not a Single-Player Experience Every step you take to create your strategy as a buyer is important in today’s market. Why? Mortgage rates are still low, but increasing. Prices are going up. There’s a limited supply of homes for sale. These are just a few key variables in today’s market you need to be prepared for. That means leaning on expert guidance as you plan every move is more important than ever. Have a team of professionals – like your trusted real estate agent and a loan officer – every step of the way to make sure you make the right moves. Bottom Line Getting a pre-approval letter isn’t just good strategy, it can be game-changing. It allows you to get a full understanding of what you can afford, and it signals to sellers that you’re serious. Let’s connect today to ensure you’re playing chess and being strategic during the home buying process.  

Sellers Have Incredible Leverage in Today’s Market With mortgage rates climbing above 3% for the first time in months, serious buyers are more motivated than ever to find a home before the end of the year. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), puts it best, saying: “Housing demand remains strong as buyers likely want to secure a home before mortgage rates increase even further next year.” But the sense of urgency they feel is complicated by the lack of homes for sale in today’s market. According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from NAR: “From one year ago, the inventory of unsold homes decreased 13%. . . .” What Does This Mean for Sellers Today? With buyers eager to purchase but so few homes available, sellers who list their houses this fall have a tremendous advantage – also known as leverage – when negotiating with buyers. That’s because, in today’s market, buyers want three things: To be the winning bid on their dream home. To buy before rates rise To buy before prices go even higher. Your Leverage Can Help You Negotiate Your Best Terms These three buyer needs give homeowners a leg up when selling their house. You might already realize this leverage enables you to sell at a good price, but it also means you can negotiate the best terms to suit your needs. And since buyer demand is still high, there’s a good chance you’ll get offers from multiple buyers who are willing to compete for your house. When you do, look closely at the terms of each offer to find out which one has the best perks for you. If you have questions about what’s best for your situation, your trusted real estate advisor can help. They have the expertise and are skilled negotiators in all stages of the sales process. Bottom Line Today’s buyers are motivated to purchase a home this year, and that’s great news if you’re thinking of selling. Let’s connect today to discuss how much leverage you have as a seller in today’s market.

Sellers: Your House Could Be an Oasis for Buyers Seeking More Options Sellers have a great opportunity this season as buyer demand still heavily outweighs the current supply of homes for sale. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), today’s housing inventory sits at only a 2.6-month supply. To put that into perspective, a neutral market typically features a 6-month...

As Home Equity Rises, So Does Your Wealth Homeownership is still a crucial part of the American dream. For those people who own a home (and those looking to buy one), it’s clear that being a homeowner has considerable benefits both emotionally and financially. In addition to long-term stability, buying a home is one of the best ways to increase your net worth. This boost...

5 Reasons Today’s Housing Market Is Anything but Normal There are many headlines out there that claim we’re reverting to a more normal real estate market. That would indicate the housing market is returning to the pre-pandemic numbers we saw from 2015-2019. But that’s not happening. The market is still extremely vibrant as demand is still strong even while housing supply is slowly returning. Here’s the definition of normal from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern: characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine.” Using this definition, here are five housing industry metrics that prove we’re nowhere near normal. 1. Mortgage Rates If we look at the 30-year mortgage rate chronicled by Freddie Mac, we can see the average rates by decade: 1970s: 8.86% 1980s: 12.7% 1990s: 8.12% 2000s: 6.29% 2010s: 4.09% Today, the average mortgage rate stands at 2.87%, which is very close to the historic low. Currently, mortgage rates are anything but usual, typical, or routine. 2. Home Price Appreciation According to Black Knight, a housing data and analytics company, the average annual appreciation on residential real estate prices since 1995 has been 4.14%. According to the latest forecast from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), home price appreciation will hit 14.1% this year, which will be greater than any year since Black Knight began collecting this data. Currently, home price appreciation is anything but usual, typical, or routine. 3. Months’ Supply of Inventory (Homes for Sale) According to NAR: “Months’ supply refers to the number of months it would take for the current inventory of homes on the market to sell given the current sales pace. Historically, six months of supply is associated with moderate price appreciation, and a lower level of months’ supply tends to push prices up more rapidly.” As of the latest Existing Homes Sales Report from NAR, the current months’ supply of inventory stands at 2.6. That’s less than half of a normal supply. Currently, the supply of homes for sale is anything but usual, typical, or routine. 4. Days It Takes To Sell a Home The days-on-market metric gives an indication of how hot a market is and how quickly homes are selling. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, the average days on market stood at 35, according to NAR. Today, that number is cut in half and is now at 17 days. Currently, the days-on-market metric is anything but usual, typical, or routine. 5. Number of Offers per Listing According to NAR, the number of offers per listing stood at 2.2 in 2019. Today, that number is double at 4.5. Currently, the number of offers per listing is anything but usual, typical, or routine. Bottom Line When… Mortgage rates are near historic lows Price appreciation is at historic highs Housing inventory is less than half of the normal amount The time it takes to sell a home is cut in half, and There are twice as many offers on each house …it’s hard to say we’re in a normal market.

  Key Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying a Home Sometimes it can feel like everyone has advice when it comes to buying a home. While your friends and loved ones may have your best interests in mind, they may also be missing crucial information about today’s housing market that you need to make your best decision. Before you decide whether you’re ready to buy a home, you...