5 Things You Need to Be Pre-approved for a Mortgage
October 19, 2020
By MICHELE LERNER Shopping for a home may be exciting and fun, but serious homebuyers need to start the process in a lender's office, not at an open house. Most sellers expect buyers to have a pre-approval letter and will be more willing to negotiate with those who prove that they can obtain financing. Potential buyers need ...
Help your homebuyers find their perfect home online by shopping on the HUDHomestore.com
October 13, 2020
90% of home shoppers today are likely to start their research online. 89% of them use the internet to search for real estate agents. What does this mean for realtors? It means now is the best time to advertise HUD Homes to get buyer leads as long as you get approval from HUD and/or the listing agent. There are ...
Buying A Home The Most Affordable Since 2016: Low Mortgage Rates Give You Purchasing Power
September 17, 2020
Natalie Campisi On March 19, the average rate for the benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage spiked to 3.65%, nearly the highest level in a year. Since then, rates have steadily fallen—breaking records on their way down and making home loans cheaper. The drop in rates has been a boon to buyers who are facing rising home prices ...
Real estate during the election year...
September 08, 2020
As the 2020 election is rearing closer, presidential candidates are presenting their policies on housing. As of January 2020, the nationwide inventory has declined whereas the average listing price reached nearly $300,000. From the past 13 elections, a pattern has been developed displaying a drop in sales around the month of July as well as a significantly weaker ...
July’s new housing activity jumps back up amid increased demand
August 17, 2020
August 17, 2020, 9:00 am By Alex Roha Single-family housing authorizations rose 6.43% month-over-month in July – a sign that housing activity is advancing in the face of the ongoing pandemic, according to a report by Buildfax, a property condition data service provider.Despite the slight uptick last month, single-family authorizations are still down 5.25% year-over-year – ...
What is Home Warranty Insurance and What Does it Cover?
August 15, 2020
Post by: Nancy Braun, Showcase Realty When you buy a home in Charlotte or anywhere else in the U.S., one of the offers you’ll receive is a home warranty. Like buying a new appliance, there is also a warranty that comes in home buying.A home warranty is a product meant to protect the ...
Top Three Best Cities in South Carolina to Live and Raise a Family
August 10, 2020
Families have different priorities when it comes to relocating to different areas. Some would favor location with great amenities for the kids and the entire family to enjoy. While others will consider the size of the property and the number of rooms at the top of their must-have list. The moving season officially starts in April and ends ...
What Should I Ask a Potential Mortgage Lender?
August 01, 2020
Shopping for a mortgage can be stressful and time-consuming, especially when you know next to nothing about the process. Nobody wants to feel like they’re making a monumental decision while going in blind.With that in mind, here’s a list of questions to ask your mortgage lender, before you sign anything.1. WHAT TYPE OF LOANS DO ...
How to Increase Property Value for 2020: Top 10 Cost-Effective Home Renovations
August 01, 2020
1. Get Creative and Increase the Usable Square Footage of your Home Square footage has one of the largest impacts on the value of your home or condo. When buyers begin their search for a property, they generally have an idea of how many bedrooms, bathrooms and an approximate idea of the square footage they want.One of the ...
Does Your Home Have What Buyers Are Looking For?
July 14, 2020
There’s great opportunity for today’s homeowners to sell their houses and make a move, yet due to the impact of the ongoing health crisis, some sellers are taking their time coming back to the market. According to Javier Vivas, Director of Economic Research at realtor.com:“Sellers continue returning to the market at a cautious ...
Buying in a Seller’s Market: 9 Ways to Win
July 10, 2020
Lexi Klinkenberg What is a Seller’s Market?A seller’s market is when there are more homebuyers in a particular area looking to purchase a home than actual houses listed for sale. A seller’s market usually results in rising home prices and stiffer competition among homebuyers. Also, home sellers will have the upper hand when it comes ...
Is now a good time to buy a home? Over 60% of surveyed Americans say yes
July 07, 2020
That's a 9-point climb in Fannie Mae’s HPSI measurementFannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index, a composite index designed to track consumers’ housing-related attitudes, intentions and perceptions, increased nine points in June to 76.5. Although the HPSI is down 15 points year-over-year, June’s gain marked the second rise in HPSI since April’s almost record ...
Credit Requirements for FHA Loans
July 01, 2020
Good Credit History Makes it Easier to QualifyFHA loans provide great assistance to many first time home buyers by offering mortgage loans with lower down payments. While this is a benefit for many people, recent changes in policy may have put the loans just out of reach for some would-be homeowners with questionable credit history. For those interested ...
A Historic Rebound for the Housing Market
June 14, 2020
Pending Home Sales increased by 44.3% in May, registering the highest month-over-month gain in the index since the National Association of Realtors (NAR) started tracking this metric in January 2001. So, what exactly are pending home sales, and why is this rebound so important?According to NAR, the Pending Home Sales Index (PHS) is:“A leading indicator of ...
Selling your home during COVID-19: Is it a good time to sell?
June 05, 2020
The common question is "Is it a good time to sell a property given the current situation?"Homelight recommends listing your home as soon as possible if you are planning to sell your property within the next 24 months. If the economy comes to a significant decline, it will be more challenging to sell your home in ...
REPEAT HOMEBUYERS
June 01, 2020
You have a choice in a home loan. Make it a Great Choice.As a state agency, THDA created the Great Choice Home Loan program to make homeownership available and affordable for first-time homebuyers, but repeat homebuyers can participate if you meet any of the following qualifications:Have not lived in a home you own for at least three ...
Buying During the Virus By Sandra C Brown, Broker, GRI
May 15, 2020
Buying a home just got more difficult. By sandra C Brown, GRI Broker/Owner Dream Catcher RealtyOur office uses three main lenders for buyers. In the past 60 days we have talked with most of them 2 to 3 times a week. This is summary of some of our talks. 1) Just because you were ...
Spring homebuying season is all but canceled — but will it hurt home values?
May 01, 2020
The longest U.S. economic expansion in history is writing its final chapter as COVID-19 casts a long shadow on the economy, including what was a vigorous housing market just a few months ago, prior to the outbreak. ast year's active spring homebuying season was driven by robust house-buying power, a stark contrast from this season's ...
Buying a Home Right Now: Easy? No. Smart? Yes.
April 15, 2020
Through all the volatility in the economy right now, some have put their search for a home on hold, yet others have not. According to ShowingTime, the real estate industry’s leading showing management technology provider, buyers have started to reappear over the last several weeks. In the latest report, they revealed:“The March ShowingTime Showing Index® recorded the ...
Economic uncertainty due to virus makes for unusual mortgage rate landscape
April 14, 2020
Economic uncertainty due to virus makes for unusual mortgage rate landscapeMoreUncertainty is everywhere in the financial world these days as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, and that's translating into big swings in mortgage rates and challenges in how to navigate borrowing for a home.Given the lack of economic clarity, brokers says it's important to keep a close ...
How the Coronavirus Is Affecting Home Buyers and Sellers Right Now
April 01, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic, and resulting financial crisis, stock market crash, and growing number of layoffs, could make the already serious housing shortage even more severe.Amid widespread fear and unprecedented measures, including social distancing and "shelter in place" procedures in especially hard-hit cities, nearly 28% of Realtors® are seeing fewer homes on the market as a result of ...
Summertime is the perfect time for outdoor barbeques, beach, water adventures, lemonade, yard sales, traveling and of course purchasing a new family home!
March 09, 2020
For most people, moving from one home to another can be wearisome. Scheduling your move is one great way to make the experience a smoother and happier one for you and your entire family. When is the best time to move? Many people will say that summertime is the most ideal time to pack your bags and call ...
What Should I Ask a Potential Mortgage Lender?
March 01, 2020
Shopping for a mortgage can be stressful and time-consuming, especially when you know next to nothing about the process. Nobody wants to feel like they’re making a monumental decision while going in blind.With that in mind, here’s a list of questions to ask your mortgage lender, before you sign anything.1. What type of loans do ...
How the Housing Market Benefits with Uncertainty in the World
February 14, 2020
It’s hard to listen to today’s news without hearing about the uncertainty surrounding global markets, the spread of the coronavirus, and tensions in the Middle East, just to name a few. These concerns have caused some to question their investment plans going forward. As an example, in Vanguard’s Global Outlook for 2020, the fund explains,“...
You have a choice in a home loan. Make it a Great Choice - Active Duty Military & Veterans
February 03, 2020
You have a choice in a home loan. Make it a Great Choice - Choices for Active Duty Military & VeteransAs a state agency, THDA celebrates and honors the men and women who serve in our country’s military with the Homeownership for the Brave program.Homeownership for the Brave is a type of Great Choice Home Loan that ...
