real estate news - The Jenn Pfeiffer Team

June 2, 2025

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

0 Comments

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

0 Comments

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

0 Comments

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

0 Comments

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

0 Comments

March 11, 2025

Selling

Why a Pre-Listing Inspection May Be Worth It in Today’s Market

From our friends at the kcm blog Selling a house comes with a lot of moving pieces, and the last thing you want is a deal falling apart over unexpected repairs uncovered during the buyer’s inspection. That’s why it pays to anticipate potential issues before buyers ever step through the door. And one way to do that is with a pre-listing inspection. What Is a Pre-Listing Inspection? A pre-listing inspection is essentially a professional home inspection you schedule before putting your house on the market. Just like the inspections your buyer will do after making an offer, this process identifies any issues with the condition of your house that could...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

March 4, 2025

Selling

Do You Know How Much Your Home Is Worth?

From our friends at the kcm blog Over the past few years, you’ve probably seen a whole lot of headlines about how home prices keep going up. But have you ever stopped to think about what that actually means for your home? Home prices have risen dramatically over the past five years — far more than usual. And if selling has been on your mind, this could mean a bigger-than-expected payday when you list. So, how much has your home’s value really changed? Let’s break it down. The Rapid Rise of the Past 5 Years Typically, home prices go up by about 2-5% a year. But in 2021-2022, there were double-digit...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

February 26, 2025

Buying

How To Buy a Home Without Waiting for Lower Rates

From our friends at the kcm blog Many people are hoping mortgage rates will come down before they buy a home. But will that actually happen? According to the latest forecasts, experts say rates will decline, but not by as much as a lot of people want. The good news? Even if they don’t drop substantially, there are still ways to make buying a home more affordable. How Much Will Rates Drop? A few months ago, experts were forecasting mortgage rates could dip below 6% by the end of the year. But recent projections suggest that may not happen after all. While mortgage rates are still expected to decline some later this...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

February 20, 2025

Selling

Seller Concessions: A Smart Strategy To Get Your House Sold

From our friends at the kcm blog For the past few years, it’s been mostly a seller’s market. But dynamics are shifting as the number of homes for sale grows. And that means that the market is balancing out a bit. As a result, some sellers are finding they need to be more flexible to close a deal. One strategy that can help? Offering concessions. As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explains: “As home inventory begins to grow and buyers regain some advantage in the market, sellers may consider offering more in negotiations to make the deal more attractive and get to the closing table.” What Are Seller Concessions? Concessions are homebuying costs that...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

February 13, 2025

Selling

The Secret To Selling This Spring: Start the Prep Work Now

From our friends at the kcm blog Spring is the busiest season in the housing market. It’s the time of year when buyers are most active – that means it’s when homes sell faster and for top dollar. If you’ve already got a move on your mind, why not list this spring and take advantage of the added buyer demand? Since spring is just around the corner, now’s the time to start getting your house market-ready. You’ve got just over a month to do the prep work. And while that may sound like a decent amount of time, it’s going to go by quickly. And you won’t want to rush...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

0 Comments

real estate news Tag

What Buyers Need To Know About Homeowners Association Fees

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

The 20% Down Payment Myth, Debunked

Does Your Current Home Fit Your Retirement Plans?

4 Things To Expect from the Spring Housing Market

Why a Pre-Listing Inspection May Be Worth It in Today’s Market

Do You Know How Much Your Home Is Worth?

How To Buy a Home Without Waiting for Lower Rates

Seller Concessions: A Smart Strategy To Get Your House Sold

The Secret To Selling This Spring: Start the Prep Work Now

Connect

Locate

Follow

Subscribe to my Mailing List

real estate news Tag

Connect

Locate

Follow