Interest Rates
What Are the Real Reasons You Want To Move Right Now?
If you’re considering selling your house right now, it’s likely because something in your life has changed. And while things like mortgage rates play a big role in your decision, you don’t want that to overshadow why you thought about making a move in the first place. It’s true mortgage rates are higher right now,…
Read MoreAre Higher Mortgage Rates Here To Stay?
Mortgage rates have been back on the rise recently and that’s getting a lot of attention from the press. If you’ve been following the headlines, you may have even seen rates recently reached their highest level in over two decades (see graph below): That can feel like a little bit of a gut punch if…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Benefits of Owning Your First Home
Are you considering buying your first home? If so, it can be helpful to know what led other people to make that decision. According to a recent survey of first-time homebuyers by PulteGroup: “When asked why they purchased their first home recently, the answer was simple: because they wanted to. Either the desire to stop…
Read MoreYour Home Equity Can Offset Affordability Challenges
Are you thinking about selling your house? If so, today’s mortgage rates may be making you wonder if that’s the right decision. Some homeowners are reluctant to sell and take on a higher mortgage rate on their next home. If you’re worried about this too, know that even though rates are high right now, so…
Read MoreWhy Is Housing Inventory So Low?
One question that’s top of mind if you’re thinking about making a move today is: Why is it so hard to find a house to buy? And while it may be tempting to wait it out until you have more options, that’s probably not the best strategy. Here’s why. There aren’t enough homes available for…
Read MoreMortgage Rates: Past, Present, and Possible Future
If you’re hoping to buy a home this year, you’re probably paying close attention to mortgage rates. Since mortgage rates impact what you can afford when you take out a home loan – and affordability is a challenge today – it’s a good time to look at the big picture of where mortgage rates have…
Read MoreHow Inflation Affects the Housing Market
Have you ever wondered how inflation impacts the housing market? Believe it or not, they’re connected. Whenever there are changes to one, both are affected. Here’s a high-level overview of the connection between the two. The Relationship Between Housing Inflation and Overall Inflation Shelter inflation is the measure of price growth specific to housing. It…
Read MoreWhy You Don’t Need To Fear the Return of Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
If you remember the housing crash back in 2008, you may recall just how popular adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) were back then. And after years of being virtually nonexistent, more people are once again using ARMs when buying a home. Let’s break down why that’s happening and why this isn’t cause for concern. Why ARMs Have…
Read MoreDon’t Expect a Wave of Foreclosures [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights With ongoing high inflation pushing up everyday costs, some people are worried that’ll create a flood of foreclosures. Here’s why that’s unlikely. Fewer people are seriously behind on mortgage payments right now. If foreclosures were going to rise a lot, more people would need to be late on their payments. Since most are…
Read MorePeople Want Less Expensive Homes – And Builders Are Responding
In today’s housing market, there are two main affordability challenges impacting buyers: mortgage rates that are higher than they’ve been the past couple of years, and rising home prices caused by low inventory. To overcome those challenges, many people are working with their agents to find less expensive homes. And with newly built homes making…
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