Now that spring is here, more and more buyers are jumping back into the market, and competition is heating up.If you’re serious about landing a home you’ll love, you need more than just a wish list. You need a smart strategy – and that starts with working with a great agent who can help you put together a strong offer.Here are some top tips your agent will share with you that are helping buyers stand...

Some HighlightsThere’s a lot of talk about a recession lately and how the odds of one are rising. If you’re wondering what that means for the housing market, here’s what the data tells us.While you may remember the price crash in 2008, that’s not the norm. Looking back all the way to 1980, home prices usually rise and mortgage rates tend to fall. If you have questions about buying or selling a...

When you finally find the home you want to buy, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. You’ve toured the place, imagined your furniture in it, maybe even pictured your morning coffee on the porch. The last thing you want is to slow down the process with more steps or lose out to another buyer’s offer because they skipped their inspection.But here’s the thing. Buying a home is one of the...

Retirement isn’t just a milestone. It's the beginning of something really special. After years of hard work, it’s finally time to slow down, explore new passions, and live life on your own terms.But with this exciting chapter comes some big choices. And one of the biggest is this: does your current home still make sense for the lifestyle (and budget) you want in this next phase of life?That’s an...

Headlines are talking about the inventory of new homes and how we’re back at the levels not seen since 2009. And maybe you’re reading that and thinking: oh no, here we go again. That’s because you remember the housing crash of the late 2000s and you’re worried we’re repeating the same mistakes.But before you let fear take hold, remember: headlines are designed to be clickbait. And a lot of the...

If you’ve been frustrated by the lack of homes for sale over the past few years, here’s some good news. You have more options, so it may finally be time to kick off your home search again. As Daryl Fairweather, Chief Economist at Redfin, explains:“Now is the best time to buy in the last two years. Mortgage rates are comparable to what they were two years ago, and prices remain high. However, there is...

Some HighlightsOnce a lender has reviewed your finances as part of the homebuying process, you want to be as consistent as possible. Don’t make any big changes that could affect your mortgage application.Here are a few tips. Don’t change bank accounts or apply for new credit. And this one may surprise you, don’t buy appliances or furniture for your next home yet either.The best tip of all? Before you...

When you put your house on the market, you want to sell it quickly and for the best price possible; that's generally the goal. But too many sellers are shooting too high right now. They don’t realize the market has shifted as inventory has grown. The side effect? Price cuts are on the rise, but they really don’t have to be. Here’s why.According to data from Realtor.com, in February, price cuts were...

Buying your first home in today’s market can feel tough. Between high home prices and mortgage rates, affordability is still a big challenge. And some buyers are making one simple trade-off that’s getting them in the door faster: square footage.According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), 35% of buyers are willing to purchase something smaller to make homeownership happen. And one...

Recession talk is all over the news, and the odds of a recession are rising this year. And that leaves people wondering what would happen to the housing market if we do go into a recession.Let’s take a look at some historical data to show what’s happened in housing for each recession going all the way back to the 1980s.A Recession Doesn’t Mean Home Prices Will FallMany people think that if a...