Real Estate

If you’re thinking about buying a home, chances are you’ve got mortgage
rates on your mind. You’ve heard about how they impact how much you can
afford in your monthly mortgage payment, and you want to make sure you’re
factoring that in as you plan your move.

According to recent data from Fannie Mae, almost 1 in 4 people still think
home prices are going to come down. If you’re one of the people worried
about that, here’s what you need to know.

So, why the shift to less square footage? It’s simple. Builders want to
build what they know will sell. Basically, they focus on where the demand
is strongest. And once mortgage rates started climbing and consumers felt
the challenges of affordability creeping in, it became clear there was (and
is) a very real need for smaller homes. As the National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB) explains:

With a flourishing housing market, discover why the status of your garage
will impact your home’s selling price and the best improvements to conduct.

If you’re about to retire, or just did, downsizing can be a good way to try
to cut down on some of your expenses.

* Smaller homes typically have lower energy and maintenance costs.
Plus, you may have enough equity built up to fuel your move.

* If you’re thinking about moving to a smaller home, let’s go over your
goals and look at your options in our local market.

Have you been saving up to buy a home this year? If so, you know there are
a number of expenses involved – from your down payment to closing costs.
But did you also know your tax refund can help you pay for some of these
expenses? As Credit Karma explains:

If you’ve got a move on your mind, you may be wondering whether you should
wait to sell until mortgage rates come down before you spring into action.
Here’s some information that could help answer that question for you.

Renting a storage unit is a convenient option for people who need extra
space for their extra possessions, for a variety of reasons. Maybe you just
want to store seasonal items, moving to a new home, downsizing, or
undergoing renovations – regardless of your reason or need, here are some
things to consider before deciding to rent a self-storage unit.

You may have seen reports in the news recently saying it’s more affordable
to rent right now than it is to buy a home. And while that may be true in
some markets if you just look at typical monthly payments, there’s one
thing that the numbers aren’t factoring in: and that’s home equity. Here’s
a look at how big of an impact equity can have and why it’s worth
considering as you make your decision.

Over the past year or so, a lot of people have been talking about how tough
it is to buy a home. And while there’s no arguing affordability is still
tight, there are signs it’s starting to get a bit better and may improve
even more throughout the year. Elijah de la Campa, Senior Economist at
Redfin, says: