For the first time since 2020, housing affordability improved year over year. This is largely due to a drop in mortgage rates, which have dipped from 7.07% to 6.09% over the past year. While this is undoubtedly great news for home buyers, affordability remains a challenge for many. According to recent data, U.S. buyers now need to earn around $115,000 annually to afford the typical home, down 1.4% from last year. Yet, the average U.S. […]
Read More
Buying a home is a major milestone, but it’s not always the right time for everyone. It’s important to remember that a home purchase is a long-term investment, and making this decision without proper financial planning can lead to significant stress. For more insights on the long-term benefits of real estate investment, check out our last blog. The truth is, knowing when not to buy a home is just as crucial as knowing when to […]
Read More
Let’s get real. Do you have to use a real estate agent when buying or selling a home? The answer, of course, is no. You can absolutely go it alone, and there are people who opt to do so every year. After all, with the internet at your fingertips, you can search for homes, look up property values, and even negotiate deals on your own. Yet, even with all that info, 89% of people choose […]
Read More
A little backstory: Back in March, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) agreed to a settlement deal. The organization agreed to both a monetary settlement as well as real estate practice changes aimed at providing more transparency regarding how real estate agents are paid. But how exactly does that change things for you? There are two main differences you may be hearing about: Headlines might make these changes seem overwhelming. And while some of the […]
Read More