Selling

April 29, 2024

Soaring Insurance Costs Could Force House Prices To Fall—and Some Homeowners To Forgo Coverage

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...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

April 2, 2024

Selling

Why Overpricing Your House Can Cost You

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...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

March 25, 2024

Buying, Selling

What Every Homebuyer Should Know About Closing Costs

From our friends in KCM Before making the decision to buy a home, it’s important to plan for all the costs you’ll be responsible for. While you’re busy saving for the down payment, don’t forget you’ll want to prep for closing costs too. Here’s some helpful information on what those costs are and how much you should budget for them. What Are Closing Costs? A recent article from Bankrate explains: “Closing costs are the fees and expenses you must pay before becoming the legal owner of a house, condo or townhome . . . Closing costs vary depending on the purchase price of the home and how it’s being financed . . .” Simply put, your closing costs are...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

March 21, 2024

Buying, Selling

What Are Experts Saying About the Spring Housing Market?

From our friends in KCM If you’re planning to move soon, you might be wondering if there’ll be more homes to choose from, where prices and mortgage rates are headed, and how to navigate today’s market. If so, here’s what the professionals are saying about what’s in store for this season. Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist, First American: “. . . it seems our general expectation for the spring is that we will see a pickup in inventory. In fact, that already seems to be happening. But it won’t necessarily be enough to satiate demand.” Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist, Bright MLS: “There is still strong demand, as the large millennial population remains in the prime first-time homebuying range.” Danielle Hale, Chief...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

March 19, 2024

Buying, Selling

Housing Starts Rebound in February by Largest Amount in Nine Months

By Greg Robb | Realtor.com The numbers: Construction of new U.S. homes rebounded 10.7% in February to an annual pace of 1.52 million units, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That is the biggest gain in nine months. Despite the increase, starts are still below December’s level. Economists on Wall Street were expecting a 7.4% rise in housing starts in February to 1.43 million. All numbers are seasonally adjusted. The number of housing starts in January was revised slightly higher, to a drop of 12.3% to 1.37 million, from an initial reading of a 14.8% drop to 1.33 million. It is still the biggest drop since May 2022. Building permits, a sign of future construction, rose...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

March 18, 2024

Selling

4 Tips To Make Your Strongest Offer on a Home

From our friends in KCM Are you thinking about buying a home soon? If so, you should know today’s market is competitive in many areas because the number of homes for sale is still low – and that’s leading to multiple-offer scenarios. And moving into the peak homebuying season this spring, this is only expected to ramp up more. Remember these four tips to make your best offer. 1. Partner with a Real Estate Agent Rely on a real estate agent who can support your goals. As PODS notes: “Making an offer on a home without an agent is certainly possible, but having a pro by your side gives you a massive advantage in figuring out what to offer...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

March 13, 2024

Living, Selling

Your Home Is a Powerful Investment

From our friends at the KCM blog Going into 2023, there was a lot of talk about a possible recession that would cause the housing market to crash. Some in the media were even forecasting home prices would drop by as much as 10-20%—and that might have made you feel a bit unsure about buying a home. But here’s what actually happened: home prices went up more than usual. Brian D. Luke, Head of Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices, explains: “Looking back at the year, 2023 appears to have exceeded average annual home price gains over the past 35 years.” To put last year’s growth into context, the graph below uses data from Freddie Mac on how home prices have changed...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

March 7, 2024

Selling

The Benefits of Downsizing When You Retire

From our friends in KCM If you’re taking a look at your expenses as you retire, saving money where you can has a lot of appeal. One long-standing, popular way to do that is by downsizing to a smaller home. When you think about cutting down on your spending, odds are you think of frequent purchases, like groceries and other goods. But when you downsize your house, you often end up downsizing the bills that come with it, like your mortgage payment, energy costs, and maintenance requirements. Realtor.com shares: “A smaller home typically means lower bills and less upkeep. Then there’s the potential windfall that comes from selling your larger home and buying something...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

February 28, 2024

Selling

Pet-Friendly Features That Could Help Your Home Sell Faster

By Kristine Gill | Better Homes & Gardens Pets are a top factor in today's home purchases, and these pet-related upgrades could help sell your home. For many Americans, a pet makes a house a home. In fact, studies show that many homebuyers report prioritizing pets’ needs when shopping for a new home. It would stand to reason then that certain pet-friendly features can not only enhance the value of your home but also help it sell faster. “As our furry friends become ever more integrated into our families, their needs are increasingly factored into home-buying decisions,” says Scott Beaudry, broker and owner with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Universal. We’ll take...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

February 27, 2024

Selling

Why Today’s Housing Supply Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers

From our friends in KCM Wondering if it still makes sense to sell your house right now? The short answer is, yes. And if you look at the current number of homes for sale, you’ll see two reasons why. An article from Calculated Risk shows there are 15.6% more homes for sale now compared to the same week last year. That tells us inventory has grown. But going back to 2019, the last normal year in the housing market, there are nearly 40% fewer homes available now: Here’s a breakdown of how this benefits you when you sell. 1. You Have More Options for Your Move Are you thinking about selling because your current house is too big,...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

Soaring Insurance Costs Could Force House Prices To Fall—and Some Homeowners To Forgo Coverage

Why Overpricing Your House Can Cost You

What Every Homebuyer Should Know About Closing Costs

What Are Experts Saying About the Spring Housing Market?

Housing Starts Rebound in February by Largest Amount in Nine Months

4 Tips To Make Your Strongest Offer on a Home

Your Home Is a Powerful Investment

The Benefits of Downsizing When You Retire

Pet-Friendly Features That Could Help Your Home Sell Faster

Why Today’s Housing Supply Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers

Connect

Locate

Follow

Subscribe to my Mailing List

Selling

Connect

Locate

Follow