Where is the Housing Market Headed in 2019?

Some Highlights:

• ­Interest rates are projected to increase steadily throughout 2019, but buyers will still be able to lock in a rate lower than their parents or grandparents did when they bought their homes!

• Home prices will rise at a rate of 4.8% over the course of 2019 according to CoreLogic.

• All four major reporting agencies believe that home sales will outpace 2018!

Thinking of selling and/or moving to Brookings, Volga, or any surrounding areas? Got questions? I’m here to help! Visit BrookingsHomeTeam.com for more details! 

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#72 Monday Morning Mortgage Tip: Barb Adelaine with Bank Star

Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Barb Adelaine from BankStar. Listen as she explains whether or not you should pay off your house in lieu of other loans.  You can reach Barb at 605.696.8562 or barb.adelaine@bankstar.com.  Her office is located at 1301 6th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.ebankstar.com 

Should You Pay off Your Home Loan if You Have Other Loans?

- Hi good morning everybody, Shane here from the Brookings Home Team powered by Century 21. And it's a cold, cold Monday mornin' but that didn't start…

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Why It Makes No Sense to Wait for Spring to Sell

The price of any item (including residential real estate) is determined by the theory of ‘supply and demand.’ If many people are looking to buy an item and the supply of that item is limited, the price of that item increases.

The supply of homes for sale dramatically increases every spring, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). As an example, here is what happened to housing inventory at the beginning of 2018:

Putting your home on the market now, rather than waiting for increased competition in the spring, might make a lot of sense.

Bottom Line

Buyers in the market during the winter are truly motivated purchasers and they want to buy now. With limited inventory currently available in most markets, sellers are…

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Selling Your Brookings Home? Make Sure the Price is Right!

If you’ve ever watched “The Price is Right,” you know that the only way to win is to be the one to correctly guess the price of the item you want without going over! That means your guess must be just slightly under the retail price.

In today’s shifting real estate market, where more inventory is coming to market and home values are projected to appreciate at lower rates, homeowners will not be able to price their homes as aggressively as they were able to just last year.

They will have to employ the same strategy: be the closest without going over!

As we have explained before, pricing your home at or slightly below market value actually increases the number of buyers who will see your home in their search!

Over the last six…

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Online Home Shopping? Here's What You Should Know.

It's easy. You sit in front of your computer or smartphone and see all the homes on the market as you scroll through a website. A picture is worth a thousand words online, but it might be hiding a thousand words as well. 

Good sellers will stage their home properly and show off all of its finer features. But what you might not see while window shopping online is the actual location of the property in relation to schools or busy roads. Pictures might be hiding the less attractive parts of the home, such as plumbing, that would be good to see before falling in love with the place. Also, just because it's still listed online doesn't mean it hasn't already been sold. 

So, browse through these tips before you dive headfirst into the interwebs and…

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#71 Monday Morning Mortgage Tip: Justin Froiland with Fairway Mortgage

Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Justin Froiland from Fairway Mortgage. Justin explained why not having a credit score can be just as detrimental as having a poor credit score.  You can reach Justin at 605.695.1429 or justin.froiland@fairwaymc.com.  His office is located at 412 5th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.BrookingsMortgage.com 

 Can I Get a Mortgage if I Don't Have a Credit Score?

- Good morning, everybody. Shane here from Brookings Home Team, powered by Century 21. I've got Justin here this morning. Yes, it…

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The Difference Having a Professional on Your Side Makes

In today’s fast-paced world, where answers are a Google search away, there are some who may wonder what the benefits of hiring a real estate professional to help them in their home search are. The truth is, with the addition of more information, comes more confusion.

Shows like Property Brothers, Fixer Upper and the dozens more on HGTV have given many a false sense of what it’s like to buy and sell a home.

Now more than ever, you need an expert on your side who is going to guide you toward your dreams and not let anything get in the way of achieving them. Buying and/or selling a home is definitely not something you want to DIY (Do It Yourself)!

Here are just some of the reasons you need a real estate professional in…

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The Heat Stopped Working - Now What?

Today we're going to discuss something you hope NEVER happens! But, in this climate, you should always be prepared. So, what should you do if your homes' heat stops working?

It might be the unit itself or it might be the city power is out in your entire neighborhood. Heavy ice, snow and high winds can cause trouble in sub-zero temperatures whether it is knocking down powerlines or freezing up electrical boxes. No matter what causes it, a prolonged power outage in the dead cold of winter can be a serious issue. It can be even worse if it takes days to repair. 

Here are a few tips for power outages in the cold weather of South Dakota:

1. Prepare now! It's always better to be at least a little bit prepared for an emergency. Look for resources,…

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#70 Monday Morning Mortgage Tip: Andrew Jallo with Dacotah Bank

Every Monday Morning at 8:15am, join me on my Facebook page as I sit down with a local lender, and do a live interview and talk about a Mortgage Tip that may help YOU with your next Real Estate Purchase. 

This morning I sat down with Andrew Jallo from Dacotah Bank. Listen as he explains the importance of comparing rates between lenders.  You can reach Andrew at 605.692.8600 or Andrew.Jallo@dacotahbank.com.  His office is located at 1441 6th St., Brookings SD 57006 or on the web at www.dacotahbank.com.

Transparency between Lenders and the Importance of Comparing Rates

- Hey guys, it's Shane here from the Brookings Home Team, powered by Century 21. 8:15 on the dot, Monday morning. Got this guy right beside me here from Dakota Bank.…

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Ceiling fans: Which way should they turn in the winter?

It may sound counterintuitive, but your ceiling fan can actually help you warm up your home in the winter time. The trick is to make sure it's spinning in the right direction. Today, I'll tell you a little bit more about ceiling fans and their efficiency.

But first, your ceiling fan's blades should rotate clockwise in the winter and at a lower speed to prevent the 'wind' movement from creating a chill in your house. This rotation will push warm air near your ceiling back down to where you are sitting or standing. 

Of course, when summer rolls back around - you know, in about 5 months - just change the direction of your fan's rotation to counter-clockwise and give it some more speed for breezy comfort. 

Now, for more tips on ceiling fans:

…

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