Is it a good time to buy a home? The answer is a bit more complicated than yes or no, but I give you a few insights into the answer that fits you in this video. Watch it and let us know at the Brookings Home Team if we can help answer this question with you to fit your best interests.
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As the new year approaches, the idea of buying a home might be on your mind. It’s an exciting goal to set, and it's never too early to start laying the groundwork. One crucial step to prepare for homeownership is building a solid credit score.
Lenders review your credit to assess your ability to make payments on time, pay back debts, and more. It’s also a factor that helps determine your mortgage rate. An article from CNBC explains:
“When it comes to mortgages, a higher credit score can save you thousands of dollars in the long run. This is because your credit score directly impacts your mortgage rate, which determines the amount of interest you’ll pay over the life of the loan.”This means your credit score may feel even more important…
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Are you dreaming of buying your own home and wondering about how you’ll save for a down payment? You're not alone. Some people think about tapping into their 401(k) savings to make it happen. But before you decide to dip into your retirement to buy a home, be sure to consider all possible alternatives and talk with a financial expert. Here’s why.
The data shows many Americans have saved a considerable amount for retirement (see chart below):
It can be really tempting when you have a lot of money saved up in your 401(k) and you see your dream home on the horizon. But remember, dipping into your retirement savings for a home could cost you a penalty and affect your finances later on. That's why it's…
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How far are people moving to spend time with their loved ones? More than 100 miles! It’s all about being able to spend time with family and friends. Are you looking to do the same? Give us a call and we’ll see if we can make that happen for YOU! We are the Brookings Home Team, how can we serve YOU?
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What’s the latest news in real estate? The housing supply is actually up over the past month, but it’s a small increase. Learn more in this video about what you can expect when house hunting.
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Home appreciation has increased 147% total since 2003 and the average since 2003 is a 4.5% increase. So, what does this mean? Learn about it in this video and think twice before you put your home-buying plans on hold. Give us a call at the Brookings Home Team and we’ll explain it all.
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Would you rather pay tens of thousands of dollars over asking price to win a “bidding war” for a home with a lower interest rate or would you rather pay just a few thousand over asking at a slightly higher interest rate? The answer is … So, if you find a home you like today, make a solid offer and refinance when you can. Because you could be waiting a long time for it to be the right time to buy a home!
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Even though the housing market is no longer experiencing the frenzy that was so characteristic of the last couple of years, it doesn’t mean today’s market is at a standstill. In actuality, buyer traffic is still strong today.
The ShowingTime Showing Index is a measure of how much buyers are touring homes. The graph below uses that index to illustrate buyer activity trends over time to help put today into the proper perspective.
It shows there’s seasonality in real estate. If you look at the last normal years in the market (shown in gray), there was a consistent pattern as buyer activity peaked in the first half of each year (during the peak homebuying season in the spring) and slowed as each year came to a close.
When the pandemic hit…
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Are the buyers still out there? The easy answer is YES! Actually, there are more today than in previous years. To hear the details, check out this video. Then, let us know here at the Brookings Home Team how we can help YOU!
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If you’re following mortgage rates because you know they impact your borrowing costs, you may be wondering what the future holds for them. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to answer that question because mortgage rates are notoriously hard to forecast.
But, there’s one thing that’s historically a good indicator of what’ll happen with rates, and that’s the relationship between the 30-Year Mortgage Rate and the 10-Year Treasury Yield. Here’s a graph showing those two metrics since Freddie Mac started keeping mortgage rate records in 1972:
As the graph shows, historically, the average spread between the two over the last 50 years was 1.72 percentage points (also commonly referred to as 172 basis points). If you look at the trend line…
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