What do rising house prices mean to a buyer?

Housing inventory remains low, and buyer demand is beginning to rise.  A diminished supply will lead to increasing home prices.  Thinking of buying?  You may want to purchase sooner than later!

What is the true cost of waiting?

Economists, real estate experts and strategists are forecasting that 2015 may be the year of home appreciation.  What does that mean?  As a buyer - it means that your buying power may shrink.  As a seller - it may mean that your appeal to a buyer will be stronger earlier in the year, when the buyer can get more for their money.  Coupled with the prospect of higher interest rates on mortgages, and a buyer may be considerably impacted.  To see how much, click here.

Rent Increases Expected to Continue through 2015

Need a few more reasons why you should upgrade now?

Home prices are still down.  Interest rates are hovering under 5%.  You want a larger home, but have been waiting for the market to stabilize.  There are signs that the market is starting to hold it’s own.  Every now and then, a drop in inventory and a spike in buying activity brings a glimmer of hope to us all – hope that the market is rebounding.  And, the market appears to be making baby steps to leveling out.  If you have been contemplating selling your home in order to buy a larger one, now may be the time to finally take action.  While you may be able to sell your home at a higher price in the future, the delay will cost you money.  The selling price on the home you buy, as well as the interest rate on your new mortgage, will be higher as well.  Still not convinced?  Take a look at the graph here

Want a higher net worth? Start by...

buying a home!

Most housing markets saw a crash in home values around 2008.  That has left some people questioning whether they should buy a home, or rent instead.  Here is a pretty good reason to buy - the average homeowners' net worth is over 30 times greater than that of the average renter.   Who doesn't want to be on the winning side of that statistic?

Homeownership's Impact on Net Worth

Wondering if you should sell your home this spring? Here are 3 reasons you should...

Ask anyone when the best time to sell a house is, and most people will respond "spring" without hesitation.  Yet this year, a delayed spring season, following a brutal winter, has caused sellers hold off on listing their homes.  Some are debating whether they want to sell, others are waiting for conditions to change, evaluating if the timing is right.  KCM has put together a quick list of some of the reasons why now is a good time to sell...

 

 3 reasons to sell your home this spring

Exactly why are new homes bigger?

Remember the "McMansions" of the 1990's?  Well they are back!  Large homes become increasingly popular in the late 90's and early 2000's.  Smaller homes become more popular in the mid 2000's, as the economy suffered and the national real estate market tanked in many areas.  Larger homes equal greater living expenses - furnishing, landscaping, maintenance, utilities, insurance...you get the idea.  As home values decreased, and jobs suffered, home buyers turned to a more conservative approach, and focused on smaller houses.  That trend appears to be changing, as the average square footage of a home is on the rise - as well as the amenities found in larger homes:  more bedroom, baths, multiple car garages.  And the buyer composition is changing as well.  Buyers with higher credit scores typically manage their money well, and can handle the expenses that are associated with larger homes.

So, it looks like the Jones' aren't off the hook yet.

Exactly why are new homes bigger? http://ow.ly/u1tMu

housing market recovery in motion...

Homes.com, a leading online real estate destination and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has released its November Local Market Index, a price performance summary of repeat sales of U.S. properties. Utilizing home pricing data, the Index shows year-over-year gains for single-family properties in all 300 top U.S. markets.

To provide insight into local sector housing trends across the country, Homes.com publishes the Local Market Index for the Top 100 markets and the companion Midsize Markets Report for defined areas ranked from 101-300. Month-over-month increases in index values were seen in 235 of the top 300 markets, down from 253 the previous month. This downtrend is likely due to both seasonal trends and the state of recovery for these markets.

As a complement to the Local Market Index, Homes.com publishes an exclusive Rebound Report, highlighting how the housing recovery process is unfolding across the country. It measures each market’s peak-to-trough decline in index value, which had been attributed to the bursting of the U.S. housing bubble.

Recovery Hits Eighth Consecutive Month.aspx