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The Benefits of Downsizing When You Retire

The Benefits of Downsizing When You Retire If you’re taking a look at your expenses as you retire, saving money where you can has a lot of appeal. One long-standing, popular way to do that is by downsizing to a smaller home. When you think about cutting down on your spending, odds are you think of frequent purchases, like groceries and other goods. But when you downsize your house, you often end up downsizing the bills that come with ...

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Why There Won’t Be a Recession That Tanks the Housing Market

Why There Won’t Be a Recession That Tanks the Housing Market There’s been a lot of recession talk over the past couple of years. And that may leave you worried we’re headed for a repeat of what we saw back in 2008. Here’s a look at the latest expert projections to show you why that isn’t going to happen. According to Jacob Channel, Senior Economist at LendingTree, the economy’s pretty strong: “At least right now, the fundamen...

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Why Today’s Housing Supply Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers

Why Today’s Housing Supply Is a Sweet Spot for Sellers Wondering if it still makes sense to sell your house right now? The short answer is, yes. And if you look at the current number of homes for sale, you’ll see two reasons why. An article from Calculated Risk shows there are 15.6% more homes for sale now compared to the same week last year. That tells us inventory has grown. But going back to 2019, the last normal year in the housin...

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Expert Home Price Forecasts for 2024 Revised Up

Expert Home Price Forecasts for 2024 Revised Up Over the past few months, experts have revised their 2024 home price forecasts based on the latest data and market signals, and they’re even more confident prices will rise, not fall. So, let’s see exactly how experts’ thinking has shifted – and what’s caused the change. 2024 Home Price Forecasts: Then and Now The chart below shows what seven expert organizations think will hap...

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What’s Really Happening with Mortgage Rates?

What’s Really Happening with Mortgage Rates? Are you feeling a bit unsure about what’s really happening with mortgage rates? That might be because you’ve heard someone say they’re coming down. But then you read somewhere else that they’re up again. And that may leave you scratching your head and wondering what’s true. The simplest answer is: that what you read or hear will vary based on the time frame they’re looking at. Here�...

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Why Pre-Approval Is Even More Important This Year

Why Pre-Approval Is Even More Important This Year On the road to becoming a homeowner? If so, you may have heard the term pre-approval get tossed around. Let’s break down what it is and why it’s important if you’re looking to buy a home in 2024. What Pre-Approval Is As part of the homebuying process, your lender will look at your finances to figure out what they’re willing to loan you. According to Investopedia, this include...

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Foreclosure Activity Is Still Lower than the Norm

Foreclosure Activity Is Still Lower than the Norm Have you seen headlines talking about the increase in foreclosures in today’s housing market? If so, they may leave you feeling a bit uneasy about what’s ahead. But remember, these clickbait titles don’t always give you the full story. The truth is, if you compare the current numbers with what usually happens in the market, you’ll see there’s no need to worry. Putting the Headlines...

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3 Key Factors Affecting Home Affordability

3 Key Factors Affecting Home Affordability Over the past year, a lot of people have been talking about housing affordability and how tight it’s gotten. But just recently, there’s been a little bit of relief on that front. Mortgage rates have gone down since their most recent peak in October. But there’s more to being able to afford a home than just mortgage rates. To really understand home affordability, you need to look at the comb...

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2 Reasons Why Today’s Mortgage Rate Trend Is Good for Sellers

2 Reasons Why Today’s Mortgage Rate Trend Is Good for Sellers If you’ve been holding off on selling your house to make a move because you felt mortgage rates were too high, their recent downward trend is exciting news for you. Mortgage rates have descended since last October when they hit 7.79%. In fact, they’ve been below 7% for over a month now (see graph below): And while they’re not going back to the 3% we saw during the ...

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3 Keys To Hitting Your Homeownership Goals in 2024

3 Keys To Hitting Your Homeownership Goals in 2024 If buying or selling a home is your goal for 2024, it’s important to understand today’s housing market, know your why, and work with industry experts to bring your homeownership vision for the new year into focus. Over the last year, the economy had a big impact on the housing market, and likely on your wallet too. That’s why it’s critical to have a clear picture of not just the m...

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