Here’s a breakdown of the California housing market for home buyers in February 2024: Positive Signs: Increased Sales Activity: Existing home sales in California surged in February compared to January, indicating a robust market [California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.)]. Inventory: While still tight, there might be a slight increase in available homes compared to the peak … Read More “California Housing Market Update for Home Buyers (February, 2024)” »
Category: Buying a Home
The national real estate market is currently in a bit of a transitional phase. Here’s a breakdown of some key trends: Prices: Home prices are still rising, but the rate of increase may be slowing down. Nationally, the median sales price reached $379,100 in January 2024, which is up from a year ago, but the … Read More “The State of the Real Estate Market Now (February 2024)” »
Everyone has a dream home. It could feature a farmhouse-style kitchen with modern appliances or a lounge with the latest television and beautiful hardwood floors. While everyone may have an idea in their head of how it should look and feel, how do you make your dream a reality? Remodeling contractors love helping clients achieve the home … Read More “How to Make Your Dream Home a Reality” »
Ever heard someone say everyone should buy a house? Or that renting is a lot like flushing a whole bunch of money down the toilet every month? Yeah, we’ve heard that stuff too. And it’s nonsense! The truth is, not everyone should buy a house. Because, if you sign the dotted line on a new home when … Read More “Am I Ready to Buy a House?” »
If you don’t have a pile of cash to buy a home, you’ll need a mortgage, and the first step to getting a home loan is a mortgage pre-approval. A mortgage preapproval shows sellers you can afford to buy a home and gives you an idea of how much you’ll pay monthly and at the … Read More “Mortgage Preapproval: Everything You Need to Know” »
Uncle Sam wants you to own your home. The tax code grants tax benefits that reduce your costs of buying, owning, fixing up, and selling a home. Here are brief descriptions of the tax benefits of owning a home — the deductions, the credits, and an exclusion that encourages homeownership. Tax benefits of buying a … Read More “Tax Benefits of Buying, Owning and Selling a Home” »
As mortgage rates slowly fall, more buyers and sellers will enter the market, but housing prices should stabilize. Over the next five years, although some trends accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to influence real estate and land use, other factors will also gain in importance. Among those are an aging population, the rising costs … Read More “2024-2028 Housing Market Predictions: A Gradual Thaw With Added Challenges” »
There was a point, not too long ago, when buying a house was fairly straightforward: You’d schedule some tours, make an offer, and boom, you’re in the house before you know it. Today, though, the housing market is a very different animal—fast, ferocious, and ever-changing. In such an environment, it’s no longer a given that … Read More “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Homebuyers Today” »
We’ll get new numbers today for sales of existing homes, but for the past few months, sales have been down, per data from the National Association of Realtors. Between high-interest rates and low inventory, it’s still a very tight housing market. That means sellers and buyers who want in — or out — sometimes have to … Read More “In a Tight Housing Market, Both Buyers and Sellers Are Getting Creative” »
Selling a house in California can be a complex process, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following these steps, you can maximize your chances of a smooth and successful sale: Find a top-rated California real estate agent. A good agent will have a deep understanding of the local market, be able to help … Read More “Selling a House in California” »