Lifestyle

December 5, 2023

Home prices spiral upward, worsening affordability

By Dave Gallagher | Real Estate News A collection of reports show that high mortgage rates weren’t enough to dampen price increases as demand continues to outpace supply. Key points: Case-Shiller, FHFA and Redfin indexes reported higher home prices in September and into October. Combined with elevated mortgage rates, affordability is hitting record lows. This highlights a widening gap between the "haves" and the "have nots," says Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant. Even as mortgage interest rates were spiking earlier this fall, home prices continued climbing through the end of September and into October, according to data from three new reports. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index found that national home prices rose...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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November 9, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle

Listening to Real Estate Agents Can Pay Off for Originators

By Rob Chrisman, Senior Advisor If we’ve learned anything from 2022 and 2023, it is that they are not 2020 and 2021. Volumes and margins have dropped, as have profits. The number of lenders and originators have dropped as well. And those originators, whether they are brokers, IMB loan officers (LOs) or bank and credit union LOs, have had to adapt to a changed environment where they not only can’t sit at their desk waiting for the phone to ring but must go out and actively look for new business. Where can LOs find the elusive purchase borrower? Many lenders have originators who are looking for leads in unconventional places....

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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November 9, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle

Thinking About Using Your 401(k) To Buy a Home?

Received an email from our friends in KCM and here are my thoughts about this: Thinking about using your 401(k) to buy a home can be a big decision. While it may seem like a quick fix to achieve your dream of homeownership, it's important to weigh the pros and cons before making any moves. Below are some factors to consider: Pros: - Access to funds: Using your 401(k) can give you quick access to a large sum of money for your down payment. - No credit check: Unlike with traditional loans, borrowing from your 401(k) doesn't require a credit check. - Interest paid back to yourself: When you borrow from your...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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September 21, 2023

Lifestyle, Living

Planning to Retire? Your Equity Can Help You Make a Move

From our friends in KCM Reaching retirement is a significant milestone in life, bringing with it a lot of change and new opportunities. As the door to this exciting chapter opens, one thing you may be considering is selling your house and finding a home better suited for your evolving needs. Fortunately, you may be in a better position to make a move than you realize. Here are a few reasons why. Consider How Long You’ve Been in Your Home From 1985 to 2009, the average length of time homeowners stayed in their homes was roughly six years. But according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), that number is higher today. Since 2010, the average home tenure is just...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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September 13, 2023

Lifestyle

How to Organize a House Renovation

The Spruce | By: Lee Wallender Home renovation is complex and difficult, especially when renovating an entire home. Whole-home renovations can upset your life, strain relationships, and tax your budget. But this is balanced out by the prospect of significantly increased resale value, more and better living space, and a gorgeous home that you'll enjoy living in. It's important to understand what you're getting into when you choose a whole home renovation. A look at the elements and the basic flow of a major home renovation will give you a sense of what's involved and help you effectively plan the project. Design and Plan Whether it's a sketch on a piece of paper or...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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August 24, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle, Living

Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year Is Made for Dramatic Exteriors

Modern farmhouses and beyond. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Stanly Ranch, an Auberge resort in Napa, California, isn’t your typical hotel. Instead of one big elevator building, a slew of modern black houses dot the 700-acre property. The sleek villas served as an inspiring setting for Behr’s annual color of the year announcement. The paint purveyor revealed today that Cracked Pepper is its top choice for 2024, and it’s a no-brainer as to where to use it. “It’s the perfect exterior color,” says Sarah Fishburne, Home Depot’s director of trend and design. Photography by Emily Dorio Of course, the “soft black,” as Erika Woelfel,...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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August 15, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle

Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-August

By: CALCULATEDRISK BY BILL MCBRIDE On Friday, in Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-August I reviewed home inventory and sales. House Prices Reported YoY house price growth remained negative in May, with the Case-Shiller National Index down 0.5%. The MoM increase in the seasonally adjusted Case-Shiller National Index was at 0.74%. This was the fourth consecutive MoM increase following seven straight MoM decreases. Most measures of house prices have shown an increase in prices over the last several months, and a key question is Will house prices decline further later this year? Other measures of house prices suggest prices will be up YoY soon in the Case-Shiller index. The NAR reported median prices were down 0.9%...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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July 28, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle, News

MacKenzie Scott’s foundation is donating $10 million for affordable housing (exclusive)

The National Housing Trust will likely use some of the funding to modernize homes to be more climate-friendly—which should also drive down rents. By: Fast Company When Priya Jayachandran received an email from MacKenzie Scott’s foundation informing her that it was donating $10 million to her organization, she thought it was a hoax. She almost deleted the message. But the offer was legitimate. Scott’s philanthropic organization, Yield Giving, is providing National Housing Trust, founded in Washington, D.C., in 1986, with a onetime donation of $10 million—the largest NHT has ever received—to further its work. That includes creating and preserving affordable housing, supporting affordable rent payments for tenants, and making the homes more...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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July 19, 2023

Home and Garden, Home Staging, Lifestyle, Living

Renting or Selling Your House: What’s the Best Move?

By: KCM If you’re a homeowner ready to make a move, you may be thinking about using your current house as a short-term rental property instead of selling it. A short-term rental (STR) is typically offered as an alternative to a hotel, and they’re an investment that’s gained popularity in recent years. While a short-term rental can be a tempting idea, you may find the reality of being responsible for one difficult to take on. Here are some of the challenges you could face if you rent out your house instead of selling it. A Short-Term Rental Comes with Responsibilities Successfully managing your house as a short-term rental takes a lot of time and effort....

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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July 10, 2023

Buying, Home and Garden, Home Staging, Lifestyle, Living, Neighborhood, News, Open House

Why Homeownership Wins in the Long Run

From our friends in KCM Today’s higher mortgage rates, inflationary pressures, and concerns about a potential recession have some people questioning: should I still buy a home this year? While it’s true this year has unique challenges for homebuyers, it’s important to think about the long-term benefits of homeownership when making your decision. Consider this: if you know people who bought a home 5, 10, or even 30 years ago, you’re probably going to have a hard time finding someone who regrets their decision. Why is that? The reason is tied to how home values grow with time and how, by extension, that grows your own wealth. That may be why, in a recent Fannie Mae survey, 70% of respondents...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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Home prices spiral upward, worsening affordability

Listening to Real Estate Agents Can Pay Off for Originators

Thinking About Using Your 401(k) To Buy a Home?

Planning to Retire? Your Equity Can Help You Make a Move

How to Organize a House Renovation

Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year Is Made for Dramatic Exteriors

Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-August

MacKenzie Scott’s foundation is donating $10 million for affordable housing (exclusive)

Renting or Selling Your House: What’s the Best Move?

Why Homeownership Wins in the Long Run

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