• Renting or Selling Your House: What's the Best Move?

    Renting or Selling Your House: What's the Best Move?,Monet Yarnell

    Renting or Selling Your House: What's the Best Move? If you’re a homeowner ready to make a move, you may be thinking about using your current house as a short-term rental property instead of selling it. A short-term rental (STR) is typically offered as an alternative to a hotel, and they’re an inves

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  • Momentum Is Building for New Home Construction

    Momentum Is Building for New Home Construction,Monet Yarnell

    If you’re in the process of looking for a home today, you know the supply of homes for sale is low because you’re feeling the impact of having a limited pool of options. And, if your biggest hurdle right now is that you’re having trouble finding something you like, don’t forget that a newly built ho

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  • Reasons Your Home May Not Be Selling

    Reasons Your Home May Not Be Selling,Monet Yarnell

    When it comes to selling your house, you want three things: to sell it for the most money you can, to do it in a certain amount of time, and to do all of that with the fewest hassles. And, while the current housing market is generally favorable to sellers due to today’s limited housing supply, there

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  • Today’s Housing Inventory Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers

    Today’s Housing Inventory Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers,Monet Yarnell

    One of the biggest challenges in the housing market right now is how few homes there are for sale compared to the number of people who want to buy them. To help emphasize just how limited housing inventory still is, let’s take a look at the latest information on active listings, or homes for sale in

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  • Two Questions To Ask Yourself if You’re Considering Buying a Home

    Two Questions To Ask Yourself if You’re Considering Buying a Home,Monet Yarnell

    If you’re thinking of buying a home, chances are you’re paying attention to just about everything you hear about the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, overhearing

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  • Americans Still View Homeownership as the American Dream

    Americans Still View Homeownership as the American Dream,Monet Yarnell

    Everyone’s interpretation of the American Dream is unique and personal. But, for many people, it’s tied to a sense of success, freedom, and prosperity. These are all things that owning a home can help provide. A recent survey from Bankrate asked respondents which achievements they feel most embody t

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  • Evaluating Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer Matters More Today

    Evaluating Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer Matters More Today,Monet Yarnell

    When it comes to buying a home, especially with today’s affordability challenges, you’ll want to be strategic. Mortgage rates impact how much it costs to borrow money for your home loan. And, to help offset the higher borrowing costs today, some homebuyers are taking a close look at their wish list

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  • Where Will You Go If You Sell? Newly Built Homes Might Be the Answer.

    Where Will You Go If You Sell? Newly Built Homes Might Be the Answer.,Monet Yarnell

    Do you want to sell your house, but hesitate because you’re worried you won’t be able to find your next home in today’s market? You're not alone, but there’s some good news that may ease your worries. New home construction is up and is becoming an increasingly significant part of the housing invento

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  • Lending Standards Are Not Like They Were Leading Up to the Crash

    Lending Standards Are Not Like They Were Leading Up to the Crash,Monet Yarnell

    You might be worried we’re heading for a housing crash, but there are many reasons why this housing market isn’t like the one we saw in 2008. One of which is how lending standards are different today. Here’s a look at the data to help prove it.  Every month, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) re

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  • Why Homeownership Wins in the Long Run

    Why Homeownership Wins in the Long Run,Monet Yarnell

    Today’s higher mortgage rates, inflationary pressures, and concerns about a potential recession have some people questioning: should I still buy a home this year? While it’s true this year has unique challenges for homebuyers, it’s important to think about the long-term benefits of homeownership whe

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  • The True Cost of Selling Your House on Your Own

    The True Cost of Selling Your House on Your Own,Monet Yarnell

    Selling your house is no simple task. While some homeowners opt to sell their homes on their own, known as a FSBO (For Sale by Owner), they often encounter various challenges without the guidance of a real estate agent. If you’re currently considering selling your house on your own, here’s what you

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  • What Homebuyers Need To Know About Credit Scores

    What Homebuyers Need To Know About Credit Scores,Monet Yarnell

    If you’re thinking about buying a home, you should know your credit score’s a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to qualifying for a home loan. Lenders review your credit to assess your ability to make payments on time, to pay back debts, and more. It’s also a factor that helps determine you

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  • Eco-Friendly, Energy-Efficient Homes Attract Buyers

    Eco-Friendly, Energy-Efficient Homes Attract Buyers,Monet Yarnell

    Are you planning to sell your house? If so, you may be surprised to hear just how much buyers value energy efficiency and eco-friendly features today. This is especially true as summer officially kicks off. In fact, the 2023 Realtors and Sustainability Report from the National Association of Realtor

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  • Why the Median Home Price Is Meaningless in Today’s Market

    Why the Median Home Price Is Meaningless in Today’s Market,Monet Yarnell

    The National Association of Realtors (NAR) will release its latest Existing Home Sales (EHS) report later this week. This monthly report provides information on the sales volume and price trend for previously owned homes. In the upcoming release, it’ll likely say home prices are down. This may feel

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  • Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Need To Know.

    Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Need To Know.,Monet Yarnell

    If you're planning to buy your first home, then you're probably focused on saving for all the costs involved in such a big purchase. One of the expenses that may be at the top of your mind is your down payment. If you’re intimidated by how much you need to save for that, it may be because you believ

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  • Why Buying or Selling a Home Helps the Economy and Your Community

    Why Buying or Selling a Home Helps the Economy and Your Community,Monet Yarnell

    If you're thinking about buying or selling a house, it's important to know that it doesn't just affect your life, but also your community. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales. The chart below illustrate

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  • A Drop in Equity Doesn’t Mean Low Equity

    A Drop in Equity Doesn’t Mean Low Equity,Monet Yarnell

    You may see media coverage talking about a drop in homeowner equity. What’s important to understand is that equity is tied closely to home values. So, when home prices appreciate, you can expect equity to grow. And when home prices decline, equity does too. Here’s how this has played out recently. 

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  • Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates

    Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates,Monet Yarnell

    Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates   If you’re thinking about selling your house right now, chances are it’s because something in your life has changed. And, while things like mortgage rates are a key part of your decision on what you’ll buy next, it’s important to not lose sight of

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  • Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…

    Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…,Monet Yarnell

    Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year

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  • This Real Estate Market Is the Strongest of Our Lifetime

    This Real Estate Market Is the Strongest of Our Lifetime,Monet Yarnell

    When you look at the numbers today, the one thing that stands out is the strength of this housing market. We can see this is one of the most foundationally strong housing markets of our lifetime – if not the strongest housing market of our lifetime. Here are two fundamentals that prove this point. 

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