Buying

June 10, 2025

Buying Your First Home? FHA Loans Can Help

From our friends at the kcm blog If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you might feel like the odds are stacked against you in today’s market. But there are resources and programs out there that can help – if you know where to look. And one thing that can make homeownership easier to achieve? An FHA home loan. They’re designed to help you overcome some of the biggest financial hurdles in the homebuying process – and that’s why so many first-timers are using them to make their purchase. Whether you’re dreaming of ditching rent, planting roots, or just wanting a place that’s truly yours, an FHA home loan could be the path...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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June 2, 2025

Buying

What Buyers Need To Know About Homeowners Association Fees

From our friends at the kcm blog When buying a home, you’re probably thinking about mortgage rates, home prices, your down payment, and maybe even your closing costs. But you may not be thinking about homeowners association (HOA) fees. While you won’t necessarily have these, you should know it’s a possibility, depending on where you decide to live. A homeowners association is basically an organization that oversees a housing community (including shared spaces) and sets and enforces rules for things like upkeep. Some buyers love the perks that come with an HOA, others may see the fees as an extra expense. The key is knowing what they cover and whether...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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May 30, 2025

Buying

Can You Still Afford to Buy a Home in the Bay Area? Here’s What the Data Says

#LifeInMarinWithJenn | @HomesInMarin If you’ve been wondering whether buying a home in the Bay Area is still within reach, you’re not alone. According to newly released data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), housing affordability across the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley metro is tightening — and while the challenges are real, so are the opportunities. 📊 What the Numbers Tell Us 🏡 Housing Affordability Index (HAI):At just 32.9, the Bay Area’s HAI is well below the national average — meaning fewer households can afford a median-priced home here. 💰 Price-to-Income Ratio:Currently at 12.3, which means homes cost more than 12 times the median household income. (To compare: a balanced market typically hovers...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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May 27, 2025

Buying

More Homes for Sale Isn’t a Warning Sign – It’s Your Buying Opportunity

From our friends at the kcm blog Maybe you’ve heard the number of homes for sale has reached a recent high. And it might make you question if this is the start of another housing market crash. But the reality is, the data proves that’s just not the case. In most areas, more inventory isn’t bad news. It’s actually a sign of the market returning to a more stable, healthy place. What’s Going on With Inventory? Based on the latest data from Realtor.com, inventory just hit its highest point since 2020, shown with the white line in the graph below. But what you need to realize is, at the same time, inventory levels still haven’t...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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May 19, 2025

Buying, Lifestyle, Living, News

Don’t Let Student Loans Hold You Back from Homeownership

From our friends at the KCM Blog Did you know? According to a recent study, 72% of people with student loans think their debt will delay their ability to buy a home. Maybe you’re one of them and you’re wondering: Do you have to wait until you’ve paid off those loans before you can buy your first home? Or is it possible you could still qualify for a home loan even with that debt? Having questions like these is normal, especially when you’re thinking about making such a big purchase. But you should know, you may be putting your homeownership goals on the backburner unnecessarily. Can You Qualify for a Home Loan...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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May 6, 2025

Buying

The 20% Down Payment Myth, Debunked

From our friends at the kcm blog Saving up to buy a home can feel a little intimidating, especially right now. And for many first-time buyers, the idea that you have to put 20% down can feel like a major roadblock. But that’s actually a common misconception. Here’s the truth. Do You Really Have To Put 20% Down When You Buy a Home? Unless your specific loan type or lender requires it, odds are you won’t have to put 20% down. There are loan options out there designed to help first-time buyers like you get in the door with a much smaller down payment. For example, FHA loans offer down payments as low as 3.5%,...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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April 30, 2025

Buying

Don’t Miss This Prime Spring Window To Sell Your House

From our friends at the kcm blog According to Realtor.com, the best week to list your house this year was April 13–19. And since that week has come and gone, you might be wondering: did I miss my chance? Not at all – and here’s why. That’s just one source’s take, based on their own research. Other organizations run similar studies. And since different places use different methodologies for their research, sometimes the results vary too – and that’s actually good news for you. According to Zillow, the best time to list your house is still ahead. The latest research from Zillow says sellers who list their homes in late May tend to see higher sale prices based...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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April 9, 2025

Buying, Downsize, Selling

Does Your Current Home Fit Your Retirement Plans?

From our friends at the kcm blog Retirement isn’t just a milestone. It’s the beginning of something really special. After years of hard work, it’s finally time to slow down, explore new passions, and live life on your own terms. But with this exciting chapter comes some big choices. And one of the biggest is this: does your current home still make sense for the lifestyle (and budget) you want in this next phase of life? That’s an especially important question right now. Just in the past five years, the cost of living has jumped by 23% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is how...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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April 1, 2025

Buying, Selling

Here’s What a Recession Could Mean for the Housing Market

From our friends at the kcm blog Recession talk is all over the news, and the odds of a recession are rising this year. And that leaves people wondering what would happen to the housing market if we do go into a recession. Let’s take a look at some historical data to show what’s happened in housing for each recession going all the way back to the 1980s. A Recession Doesn’t Mean Home Prices Will Fall Many people think that if a recession hits, home prices will fall like they did in 2008. But that was an exception, not the rule. It was the only time we saw such a steep...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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March 24, 2025

Buying, Selling

4 Things To Expect from the Spring Housing Market

From our friends at the kcm blog Spring is in full swing, and the housing market is picking up along with it. And if you’ve been wondering whether now is the right time to buy or sell, here’s the inside scoop on why this spring may be a great time to make your move. 1. There Are More Homes for Sale After a long stretch of tight inventory, the number of homes for sale is finally improving. According to recent national data from Realtor.com, active listings are up 27.5% compared to this time last year. Look at the graph below and follow the green line for 2025. You can see, even though inventory levels still...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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Buying Your First Home? FHA Loans Can Help

What Buyers Need To Know About Homeowners Association Fees

Can You Still Afford to Buy a Home in the Bay Area? Here’s What the Data Says

More Homes for Sale Isn’t a Warning Sign – It’s Your Buying Opportunity

Don’t Let Student Loans Hold You Back from Homeownership

The 20% Down Payment Myth, Debunked

Don’t Miss This Prime Spring Window To Sell Your House

Does Your Current Home Fit Your Retirement Plans?

Here’s What a Recession Could Mean for the Housing Market

4 Things To Expect from the Spring Housing Market

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