Buying Another Tool to Improve Affordability   The rapid rise in mortgage rates during 2022 coupled with continued appreciation of home prices have limited the number of buyers in the market which is reflected by the lower number of home sales currently.  “It’s a fact that many households are impacted by higher mortgage rates as they no longer earn the qualifying income […]
Uncategorized When will the market turn? Housing affordability has declined dramatically in 2022 due to continued rising home prices and a three-percentage point jump in mortgage rates.  Based on the popularity of Google searches for “housing bust” or “housing bubble”, it could be surmised that buyers are anticipating relief, but they are probably not going to see it anytime soon. Home price […]
Uncategorized “Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?”     You may remember the famous line in the Dirty Harry movie when Clint Eastwood has just had a shootout with bank robbers and is standing in front of the lone surviving thief who is considering going for his gun. Harry with his gun pointed at the bad guy says to him “”Did he fire six shots […]
Buying Finding Funds for a Down Payment A soft second loan, sometimes called a silent second, is subordinate to the first mortgage, whose payment is deferred or forgiven until a specific date or the resale of the property.  This would mean that buyers would not have to contend with regular payments thereby keeping their debt-to-income ratio lower and more affordable. While normal lending […]
Buying Waiting for the Mortgage Rates to Come Down? Waiting for the mortgage rates to come down before you buy a home may not be a good decision. If you are correct, and the rates do come down by two percent, the savings you benefit from a lower rate will most likely be devoured by the appreciated price increase. As of 10/27/22, the 30-year […]
Homeownership Homeowners Need Resources Managing an asset worth hundreds of thousands of dollars is a responsibility that requires attention to details such as timely payment of the mortgage, home repairs and maintenance, upkeep, and oversight on financial issues including taxes, insurance, and other things. Depending on how long you’ve been a homeowner, you may have faced some of the […]
Buying Securing Your Retirement   Social Security was established, on August 14, 1935, to take care of the country’s elderly in their retirement years.  Today, about 65 million or 1/6 of Americans collect benefits and the average monthly retirement amount received in January 2022 was $1,614 per month or about $19,370 per year. This annual Social Security benefits exceed the […]
Buying Building Your Home Buying Team There are a lot of professionals involved in the homebuying process.  And when these people can function as a team, the buyer is much more likely to end up where they want to be…in their new home. The lender is an integral part of the team unless you are going to be paying cash.  Trust is very important when […]
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Buying Cause to Pause Rising mortgage rates are causing some would-be buyers to pause their decisions until they determine whether rates are going to come back down.  While it may be possible, the probability is that prices are going to continue to increase. On December 23, 2021, the 30-year fixed-rate, according to Freddie Mac, was 3.05% and is at 6.29% […]
Buying Housing Affordability – Call to ARMs Housing Affordability is negatively affected by both rising home prices and mortgage rates.  A 20% increase in nominal home prices and a 2% increase in the 30-year fixed rate mortgage since January have contributed to a 46 point drop in the NAR Housing Affordability Index. The Index was 143 in June 2021 and is 98.5 in […]
Selling Surviving Spouse Sale Period Married couples who own a home as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, the surviving spouse inherits the home, along with their basis, and it does not trigger a taxable event.  Unfortunately, the capital gain exclusion is reduced to a single person’s share unless the survivor disposes of the property in the granted time. Married […]
Buying Are prices and rates going to continue to rise?      
Buying Indecision Can Be Expensive   With all that is going on in the world, a global pandemic, supply chain issues, highest inflation in 40 years, the economic effects of a war in Ukraine, it can be overwhelming to think about when the right time is to buy a home. On a local level, there is a pent-up demand for […]
Buying and Selling Moving Down in an Up Market      
Uncategorized Showing How Earnest You Are The expression “putting your money where your mouth is” demonstrates a monetary sincerity to what could be empty words.  In today’s competitive market where multiple offers are common, sellers want as much assurance as possible that the buyer is sincere and will close on the sale. The seller who accepts a contract expects the buyer to […]
Buying Difficult to Buy What Is Not For Sale                             Buyers are becoming discouraged there are not enough homes on the market, especially, in certain price ranges.  When they do find something they want, there may be multiple offers and they end up losing to another buyer. Some buyers after experiencing several […]
Moving Questions to Ask a Mover                             “I’d wish I’d known that before I picked a mover.” Having a checklist of questions might have prevented this issue. This list of questions will provide you with things to discuss when interviewing a moving company. Fees What is the charge […]
Buying and Selling Buy Before You Sell    
Buying When are the Negotiations Over? The primary negotiation in a home purchase takes place when the contract is agreed upon that includes the price, closing and possession.   With inventory down over 19% in the past year and multiple offers being more of the norm than the exception, the first round of negotiations can be challenging. Buyers and sellers alike feel relieved […]
Buying Become a Victim of Inflation or Benefit from It In inflationary times, currently the highest in 40 years, the purchasing power of your money diminishes each day; essentially, buying you less.  The biggest threat is to be without capital assets, like a home, that are benefiting from the increase in prices. Your money buys less gasoline now, than it did a year ago, by close […]