Category: For Buyers

Want to Sell Your House Faster? Don’t Forget to Stage! [INFOGRAPHIC]

For Buyers, For Sellers, Infographics, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
Some Highlights: The National Association of Realtors surveyed their members & released the findings of their Profile of Home Staging. 62% of seller’s agents say that staging a home decreases the amount of time a home spends on the market. 50% of staged homes saw a 1-10% increase in dollar-value offers from buyers. 77% of buyer’s agents said staging made it easier for buyers to visualize the home as their own. The top rooms to stage in order to attract more buyers are the living room, master bedroom, kitchen, and dining room. Source: Keeping Current Matters Chrysti TovaniChrysti Tovani is…

Rising Interest Rates Have Not Dampened Demand

First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Interest Rates, Millennials, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Print Since the beginning of the year, mortgage interest rates have risen over a half of a percentage point (from 3.95% to 4.52%), according to Freddie Mac. Even a small rise in interest rates can greatly impact a buyer’s monthly mortgage payment. First American recently released the results of their quarterly Real Estate Sentiment Index (RESI), in which they surveyed title and real estate agents across the country about the impact of rising rates on first-time homebuyers. Real estate professionals around the country have not noticed a slowdown in demand for housing among young buyers;…

How Long Do Most Families Live in a House?

For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Keeping Current Matters, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) keeps historical data on many aspects of homeownership. One of their data points, which has changed dramatically, is the median tenure of a family in a home, meaning how long a family stays in a home prior to moving. As the graph below shows, over the last twenty years (1985-2008), the median tenure averaged exactly six years. However, since 2014, that average is almost ten years – an increase of almost 50%. Why the dramatic increase? The reasons for this change are plentiful! The fall in home prices during the housing crisis left many homeowners in a negative equity…

The #1 Reason to List Your House for Sale NOW!

For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Move Up Buyers, Sacramento Housing MarketChrysti Tovani
If you are debating whether or not to list your house for sale this year, here is the #1 reason not to wait! Buyer Demand Continues to Outpace the Supply of Homes for Sale The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun recently commented on the current lack of inventory: “Inventory coming onto the market during this year’s spring buying season – as evidenced again by last month’s weak reading – was not even close to being enough to satisfy demand.  That is why home prices keep outpacing incomes and listings are going under contract in less than a month –…

Cost Across Time [INFOGRAPHIC]

First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Infographics, Interest RatesChrysti Tovani
Some Highlights: With interest rates still around 4.5%, now is a great time to look back at where rates have been over the last 40 years. Rates are projected to climb to 5.1% by this time next year according to Freddie Mac. The impact your interest rate makes on your monthly mortgage cost is significant! Lock in a low rate now while you can! 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…

Homes More Affordable Today than 1985-2000

First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Pricing, Sacramento Housing MarketChrysti Tovani
  Rising home prices have many concerned that the average family will no longer be able to afford the most precious piece of the American Dream – their own home. However, it is not just the price of a home that determines its affordability. The monthly cost of a home is determined by the price and the interest rate on the mortgage used to purchase it. Today, mortgage interest rates stand at about 4.5%. The average annual mortgage interest rate from 1985 to 2000 was almost double that number, at 8.92%. When comparing affordability of homeownership over the decades, we…

VA Loans: Making a Home for the Brave Possible

First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
Since the creation of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loans Program, over 22 million veterans have achieved the American Dream of homeownership. Many veterans do not know the details of the program and therefore do not take advantage of the benefits available to them. If you are a veteran or you know someone who is, here is a breakdown of the VA Home Loan benefits that can be used to achieve the American Dream! Top 5 Benefits of a VA Home Loan The greatest benefit of a VA Loan is that borrowers can buy a home with a 0% down…

Why Should You Use A Professional to Sell Your Home?

For Sellers, Keeping Current Matters, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
When homeowners decide to sell their houses, they obviously want to get the best possible price for their home with the least amount of hassles along the way. However, for the vast majority of sellers, the most important result is actually getting their homes sold. In order to accomplish all three goals, a seller should realize the importance of using a real estate professional. We realize that technology has changed a buyer’s behavior during the home buying process. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2018 Home Buyer & Seller Generational Trends Report, the first step that “42% of recent buyers took in the…

Top 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t FSBO

Buying Myths, For Sellers, FSBOs, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
In today’s market, with home prices rising and a lack of inventory, some homeowners may consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons why this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers. Here are the top five reasons: 1. Exposure to Prospective Buyers According to the 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from NAR, last year 95% of buyers search online for a home. That is in comparison to only 15% looking at print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents…

Homeowners & Appraisers See the Most Eye-to-Eye on Price in 3 Years

First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
In today’s housing market, where supply is very low and demand is very high, home values are increasing rapidly. Many experts are projecting that home values could appreciate by another 5% (or more) over the next twelve months. One major challenge in such a market is the bank appraisal. When prices are surging, it is difficult for appraisers to find adequate, comparable sales (similar houses in the same neighborhood that recently closed) to defend the selling price when performing the appraisal for the bank. Every month in their Home Price Perception Index (HPPI), Quicken Loans measures the disparity between what…

Don’t Wait to Sell Your House! Buyers Are Out Now

For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
Recently released data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) suggests that now is a great time to sell your home. The concept of ‘supply & demand’ reveals that the best price for an item is realized when the supply of that item is low and the demand for that item is high. Let’s see how this applies to the current residential real estate market. SUPPLY It is no secret that the supply of homes for sale has been far below the number needed to sustain a normal market for over a year at this point. A normal market requires six…

Home Inspections: What to Expect

First Time Buyers, For Buyers, Move Up BuyersChrysti Tovani
So you made an offer, it was accepted, and now your next task is to have the home inspected prior to closing. Oftentimes, agents make your offer contingent on a clean home inspection. This contingency allows you to renegotiate the price you paid for the home, ask the sellers to cover repairs, or even, in some cases, walk away. Your agent can advise you on the best course of action once the report is filed. How to Choose an Inspector Your agent will most likely have a short list of inspectors that they have worked with in the past that they…
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