Home Prices Are Climbing in These Top Cities Thinking about buying a home or selling your current one to find a better fit? If so, you might be wondering what’s going on with home prices these days. Here’s the scoop. The latest national data from Case-Shiller and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shows they’re going up (see graphs below): As you can see, home…

The Sun Is Shining on Sellers This Summer [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights If your needs have changed, now’s a great time to sell and get the features you want most. Many buyers are eager to move between the school years, so you may see a faster sale, multiple offers, a higher final sales price, and more. If you want to get your house ready…

How Buying or Selling a Home Benefits Your Community If you’re thinking of buying or selling a house, it’s important to know it doesn’t just impact you—it helps out the local economy and your community, too. Every year, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) puts out a report that breaks down the financial impact that comes from people buying and selling homes (see visual below): When a…

What’s Motivating Your Move? Thinking about selling your house? As you make your decision, consider what’s pushing you to think about moving. A recent survey from Realtor.com looked into why people want to sell their homes this year. Here are the top two reasons (see graphic below): Let’s take a closer look and see if they’re motivating you to make…

Is Renting-to-Own a Good Idea? Rent-to-own, or lease purchase, is a legal means of buying a home with a future closing date, usually one to five years from the date of the rent-to-own contract. Until then, the homebuyer rents the home before applying for a mortgage to buy the home. The concept can benefit both…

Boost Your Home Buying Fund with HYSAs As a first-time homebuyer, you may be racking your brains trying to figure out how to make more money quickly for a down payment to qualify for a mortgage loan. You need to have cash tucked away that’s hopefully building interest, yet it also needs to be accessible…

Should You Tap into Your Home Equity? When you put 20% down on a home using a mortgage loan, you own 20% and the lender owns 80%. As you make payments, most of the money goes to pay interest while some goes toward reducing your principal. Meanwhile, favorable market conditions may be increasing the market…

Essential Tips for Home Renovation Budgeting You’ve bought an older home that needs some work. How do you decide what needs redoing and how much money to spend?  The first rule of thumb is: don’t improve more than the best homes in your immediate neighborhood. A starter home, or a lot-value home, can be renovated…

The Perks of Buying over Renting Thinking about buying a home? While today’s mortgage rates might seem a bit intimidating, here are two solid reasons why, if you’re ready and able, it could still be a smart move to get your own place. 1. Home Values Typically Go Up Over Time There’s been some confusion over the past…

What More Listings Mean When You Sell Your House The number of homes for sale is playing a big role in today’s housing market. And, if you’re considering whether or not to list your house, today’s limited supply is one of the biggest advantages you have right now. That’s because your house stands out more when the inventory…