There has been a great amount written on millennials and their impact on the housing market to inventory. However, the headlines often contradict each other. Some claim this generation is becoming the largest share of first-time home buyers, while others claim millennials don’t want to own a home, blaming them for the dip in homeownership […]
Category Archives: Buyers
What to Look at Before You Make an Offer
Why Homeownership Matters Now More Than Ever
Study after study shows that no matter what generation Americans belong to, the vast majority believe that homeownership is an important part of their American Dream. The benefits of homeownership can be broken into two main categories: financial and non-financial (often referred to as emotional or social reasons.) For Americans approaching retirement age, one of […]
How to Get a Better Perspective on Affordability
Headlines spotlight the fact that buying a home is less affordable today than it was at any other time in more than a decade. Those headlines are accurate. Understandably, buying a home is more expensive now than immediately following one of the worst housing crashes in American history. Over the past decade, the market was […]
Buying A Home This Year? Here’s What to Watch
As we kick off the new year, many families have made resolutions to enter the housing market in 2019. Whether you are thinking of finally ditching your landlord and buying your first home or selling your starter house to move into your forever home, there are two pieces of the real estate puzzle you need […]
How to Make a Wants vs. Needs List for Your Home Search
6 Questions to Ask When Considering a Neighborhood with an HOA
Let’s say you have your heart set on buying a home in a Raleigh community with a swimming pool, a clubhouse, and maybe even a playground or trails. Having access to these amenities often means living in a community with a homeowners association, or HOA. Generally, an HOA is responsible for keeping the neighborhood looking […]
Are Lending Standards Propping Up Home Prices?
How do the current lending standards compare to just a couple years ago, or the housing crises in the early 2000’s? Are they a factor behind the current market’s prices? Back in 2005, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan described the dramatic increases in residential real estate values as a “froth in housing markets.” Greenspan went […]
Demand for Homes to Buy Continues to Climb
Across the United States, there is a severe mismatch between the low number of houses for sale and the high demand for those houses! First-time homebuyers are out in force and are being met with a highly competitive summer real estate market. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the inventory of homes for […]
Location, Location, Location: Tips for Choosing a Home in the Right Neighborhood
The term “location, location, location” has become something of a cliché phrase in the world of real estate. However, it’s a statement that still holds some weight for people in search of the perfect home. Looking beyond the home itself to the neighborhood can have a huge impact on your quality of life, and the […]