Markets go up, markets go down. Sometimes we see it coming, sometimes we don’t. It all depends on what both consumers and businesses are buying, and when. How can we tell if and when real estate will recover? We need to ignore short-term fluctuations, like the spike in home sales last November, when buyers thought [...]
First time buyers! Are you excited to find a good deal? Or are you afraid of overextending yourself, and or confused by all the conflicting reports about real estate? Well, that might describe any or all of our buyers right now, but those making their very first purchase may feel elevated levels of all these [...]
Selling your home in anything other than an active market can seem challenging, but what do you do when yours is only one of many homes in your neighborhood with For Sale signs? Surprisingly, there are actually some advantages to marketing your home in this situation. More buyers are drawn to neighborhoods where they can [...]
It’s the best news in real estate since last year’s First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit: an estimated $22 billion will pump into our economy as a result of the government not only extending the tax credit, but including current homeowners, too. The existing $8,000 maximum credit stays in place for first-time buyers. A “first-time” [...]
With markets so rapidly changing, it’s easy to imagine how property appraisers might sit in a darkened room, waving their hands over a crystal ball, and producing the mysterious and all-powerful document of a home’s value. Let’s dispel the notion of magical figures and look more carefully at the process. When comparing against similar properties, [...]
You don’t need a crystal ball to try to predict the future of the real estate market. Every time there is a downturn, an upwad trend always follows. The best course of action is to look at the causes, and make decisions based on unbiased facts and incontestable history. As the choice of loan options [...]
An article appeared recently in the New York Times that beautifully illustrates the opportunities today’s real estate market offers. A mother working two jobs saved up for a downpayment and managed to buy a large home with a pool for $187,000. Three years ago, that same home had sold for $370,000! While sellers are still [...]
If you’re under pressure to sell your home quickly in a challenging market, you may have to swallow a large dose of reality and take some radical steps to increase your home’s visibility. While making concessions can seem difficult, please consider the following proven suggestions to produce a quick sale. Remember that there are myriad [...]
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