Jenn Pfeiffer Realtor Tag
From our friends at the kcm blog
If buying a home is on your radar, you’ve probably been keeping an eye on mortgage rates and home prices. But don’t forget about homeowners insurance.
Homeowners insurance has always been part of owning a home. But over the past few years, it’s become a larger expense for many homeowners – something that’s especially frustrating when affordability already feels tight.
The good news? While premiums are still rising, the latest data shows those increases are beginning to slow. Here’s what buyers should know.
Home Insurance Costs Have Gone Up
You’ve probably heard stories from friends or family about their premiums going up. And that’s not really a surprise when...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
Remember how exciting it was to buy your first place? It felt like crossing a long-awaited finish line. It gave you a place to build your life. Maybe it’s where you lived when you got married. Or where you welcomed a child or a pet into the family.
But that was just the beginning.
For most people, your first house was never meant to be your forever home. It’s a stepping stone for what comes next.
And if your life looks different today than it did when you got the keys, you’re not stuck. Moving may be more realistic than you think.
Starter Home Inventory...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
If you’ve been thinking about selling, you’ve probably seen plenty of headlines suggesting buyers have just about disappeared. But there’s a big difference between a slow market and a stalled one.
Yes, mortgage rates are still higher than most people would like. Homes aren’t selling as fast as they were. And every week seems to bring another headline about buyers sitting on the sidelines. But here’s what you haven’t heard.
Despite everything going on, buyer demand has been remarkably resilient.
In fact, more sellers are getting to put up the “pending sale” sign now than during the last two years. What’s even more surprising is...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of buying a home. And with affordability as tight as it’s been lately, it’s fair to wonder how anyone manages it right now. Here’s something you may not have seen coming.
Some people are getting their foot in the door with a smaller down payment.
According to Realtor.com, the typical buyer put down about $23,400 in early 2026 – that’s around $5,000 below what was typical the year before (a 19% drop year over year). That’s the lowest down payments have been since 2021 (see graph below):
So why are buyers putting less money down, and how can you put...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
When your house doesn’t sell, it’s not just disappointing. It messes with your timing. Your plans. Your confidence. You start second-guessing everything, including the decision to move in the first place. And that raises 2 big questions:
Do you try again?
Is that even worth it?
Here’s the secret to getting a better outcome the second time around.
Different Agent. Different Results.
Most sellers who re-list and ultimately sell don’t wait for market to magically change. They change their approach. And there’s data to back that up.
Research from REDX shows homeowners who put their house back on the market with a different agent are more likely to sell than homeowners who...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
One of the biggest reasons buyers are still sitting on the sidelines is because they think home prices are going to come down.
Some believe a crash is coming and they’ll get a better deal if they hold off.
Others worry they’ll buy now and watch their home’s value fall later.
And nobody wants to overpay or buy right before values drop. But here’s the question worth asking:
What if the crash you’re waiting for isn’t actually coming?
Because that’s what the latest data suggests.
Experts Are Not Calling for a Crash
If you’ve spent any time online lately, you’ve seen posts claiming home prices are...
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Homes.com|By Caroline Broderick
Mike Carson of Inspired Closets Chicago sees rising demand as clutter grows
Key takeaways
Mike Carson of Inspired Closets Chicago has been in the organization business for almost 40 years and sees the industry expanding.
Whole-home organization is growing in demand as more consumers accumulate items.
Homeowners with custom closets are drawn to specialty lighting and two-tone cabinets.
Mike Carson is president of Inspired Closets Chicago and has been in the organization business for nearly 40 years. (Inspired Closets Chicago)
The closet organization industry is in its teenage years and growing, as Michael Carson, president of Inspired Closets Chicago, describes it. “We’re on the upswing right now with awareness,”...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
You may have seen the headlines lately about mortgage debt in America hitting a record high. And maybe your brother-in-law brought it up at the dinner table like he’s been waiting all week to spark a debate.
Here’s the thing. He’s not wrong. But he only has half the story. And the half he’s missing? It changes everything.
Spoiler: homeowners are on stronger footing than the headlines suggest, and the housing market has more going for it than most people realize.
The Headline Number Is Real, But It’s Missing Context
Yes, according to the Federal Reserve, there is currently about $14 trillion in mortgage debt in the United States....
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From our friends at the kcm blog
When you put your house on the market, you don’t just want it to sell. You want it to sell fast. But the thing is, nationally, it’s taking a little longer to sell lately. And that slowdown can feel frustrating if you want a fast process. Here’s what you need to realize.
In every market right now, there’s one clear exception:
Well-priced, well-presented homes are still selling, and it’s often faster than you’d expect.
If you can tap into that, you can still set yourself up to move quickly, too. Here’s how to get it done.
How Long It Takes To Sell Today
According to Realtor.com, homes are...
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From our friends at the kcm blog
At some point, as you start thinking about the years ahead, this question tends to come up:
“Could I stay here long-term… or would it make more sense to move?”
It’s not always urgent. It often shows up in small moments, like going up and down the stairs, keeping up with the maintenance, or just thinking about what the next chapter of your life might look like in this home.
And for most people, the answer is simple. They want to stay.
The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology found about 90% of adults over 65 prefer to stay in their homes as they get older (see below):
But even if staying...
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