Category: For Buyers

Home Buying Myths Slayed [INFOGRAPHIC]

Buying Myths, Down Payment, For Buyers, Infographics, Interest Rates, Move Up Buyers, Rent vs BuyChrysti Tovani
Some Highlights: The average down payment for first-time homebuyers is only 6%! Despite mortgage interest rates being over 4%, rates are still below historic numbers. 88% of property managers raised their rents in the last 12 months! Chrysti TovaniChrysti Tovani is a REALTOR® based in Fair Oaks, CA, serving the greater Sacramento area—including Orangevale, Carmichael, and nearby neighborhoods. She’s also a multimedia journalist and founder of I Love Fair Oaks, a local media platform spotlighting the people, places, and businesses that make Fair Oaks feel like home. With a background in real estate, mortgages, and marketing, Chrysti helps clients move…

Are Lending Standards Propping Up Home Prices?

For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market UpdatesChrysti Tovani
Back in 2005, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan described the dramatic increases in residential real estate values as a “froth in housing markets.” Greenspan went on to say: “The increase in the prevalence of interest-only loans and the introduction of more-exotic forms of adjustable-rate mortgages are developments of particular concern…some households may be employing these instruments to purchase homes that would otherwise be unaffordable, and consequently their use could be adding to pressures in the housing market.” Greenspan was warning that the loosening of lending standards could lead to disaster. And it did. With home prices again appreciating at percentages…

Buying Is Now 26.3% Cheaper Than Renting in the US

Buying Myths, Featured Posts, First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
The results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting, with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage, in 98 of the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. In the six years that Trulia has conducted this study, this is the first time that it was cheaper to rent than buy in any of the metropolitan areas. It’s no surprise, however, that those two metros are San Jose and San Francisco, CA, where median home prices have jumped to over $1 million dollars this year. Home values in San Jose have risen 29% in…

You Need an Agent Who Will Always Put You First

For Buyers, For Sellers, FSBOsChrysti Tovani
Whether you are a rookie homebuyer or have gone through the process many times, having a local real estate expert who is well versed in the neighborhood you are looking to move to, as well as the trends of that area, should be your goal while home shopping. One great example of an agent who is in your corner and is always looking out for your best interests is one of the main characters on ABC’s Modern Family, Phil Dunphy. For those who aren’t familiar with the character, Phil is a REALTOR® with a huge heart who always strives to do…

The #1 Reason to Put Your House on The Market TODAY!

For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released the results of their latest Existing Home Sales Report which revealed that home sales declined 0.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.38 million in June from 5.41 million in May, and are 2.2% below a year ago. Some may look at these numbers and think that now is a bad time to sell their house, but in fact, the opposite is true. The national slowdown in sales is directly tied to a lack of inventory available for the buyers who are out in the market looking for their dream homes! In fact, the inventory of…

Americans Rank Real Estate Best Investment for 5 Years Running! [INFOGRAPHIC]

Baby Boomers, First Time Buyers, Generation X, Millennials, Rent vs BuyChrysti Tovani
Some Highlights: Real estate has outranked stocks/mutual funds, gold, savings accounts/CDs, and bonds as the best long-term investment among Americans for the last 5 years! The generations agree! Real estate is the best investment! Generation X leads the way with 37% believing in real estate as the top investment. Source: Keeping Current Matters Chrysti TovaniChrysti Tovani is a REALTOR® based in Fair Oaks, CA, serving the greater Sacramento area—including Orangevale, Carmichael, and nearby neighborhoods. She’s also a multimedia journalist and founder of I Love Fair Oaks, a local media platform spotlighting the people, places, and businesses that make Fair Oaks…

4 Reasons Why We Are Not Heading Toward Another Housing Bubble

For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market UpdatesChrysti Tovani
With home prices continuing to appreciate above historic levels, some are concerned that we may be heading for another housing ‘boom & bust.’ It is important to remember, however, that today’s market is quite different than the bubble market of twelve years ago. Here are four key metrics that will explain why: Home Prices Mortgage Standards Foreclosure Rates Housing Affordability 1. HOME PRICES There is no doubt that home prices have reached 2006 levels in many markets across the country. However, after more than a decade, home prices should be much higher based on inflation alone. Last week, CoreLogic reported…

What You Need to Know About the Mortgage Process [INFOGRAPHIC]

For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Infographics, Interest Rates, Keeping Current Matters, Sacramento Housing Market, Sacramento Real EstateChrysti Tovani
  Some Highlights: Many buyers are purchasing a home with a down payment as little as 3%. You may already qualify for a loan, even if you don’t have perfect credit. Take advantage of the knowledge of your local professionals who are there to help you determine how much you can afford. Source: Keeping Current Matters Chrysti TovaniChrysti Tovani is a REALTOR® based in Fair Oaks, CA, serving the greater Sacramento area—including Orangevale, Carmichael, and nearby neighborhoods. She’s also a multimedia journalist and founder of I Love Fair Oaks, a local media platform spotlighting the people, places, and businesses that make…

Housing Will Not Fall Victim to Next Economic Storm

For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Keeping Current MattersChrysti Tovani
Some experts are calling for a slowdown in the economy later this year and most economists have predicted that the next recession could only be eighteen months away. The question is, what impact will a recession have on the housing market? Here are the opinions of several experts on the subject: Ivy Zelman in her latest “Z Report”: “While economic activity appears to have accelerated so far in 2018, some prominent economic forecasters have become more cautious about growth prospects for 2019 and 2020… All told, while solid long-term demographic underpinnings support our positive fundamental outlook for housing, in the…

Demand for Homes to Buy Continues to Climb

For Buyers, For Sellers, Keeping Current Matters, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
Across the United States, there is a severe mismatch between the low number of houses for sale and the high demand for those houses! First-time homebuyers are out in force and are being met with a highly competitive summer real estate market. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the inventory of homes for sale “has fallen year-over-year for 36 consecutive months,” and now stands at a 4.1-month supply. A 6-month supply of inventory is necessary for a balanced market and has not been seen since August of 2012. NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun had this to say, “Inventory…

4 REAL Reasons Why We Buy A Home!

For Buyers, Keeping Current Matters, Move Up Buyers, Rent vs BuyChrysti Tovani
We often talk about why it makes financial sense to buy a home, but more often than not, the emotional reasons are the more powerful or compelling ones. No matter what shape or size your living space is, the concept and feeling of home can mean different things to different people. Whether it’s a certain scent or a favorite chair, the emotional reasons why we choose to buy our own homes are typically more important to us than the financial ones. 1. Owning your home offers you the stability to start and raise a family Between the best neighborhoods and…

First-Time Home Buyers Continue to Put Down Less Than 6%!

Buying Myths, Down Payment, First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Keeping Current Matters, Rent vs BuyChrysti Tovani
According to the Realtors Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors, 61% of first-time homebuyers purchased their homes with down payments below 6% in 2017. Many potential homebuyers believe that a 20% down payment is necessary to buy a home and have disqualified themselves without even trying, but in March, 71% of first-time buyers and 54% of all buyers put less than 20% down. Ralph McLaughlin, Chief Economist and Founder of Veritas Urbis Economics, recently shed light on why buyer demand has remained strong, “The fact that we now have four consecutive quarters where owner households increased while renters…
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