Sales in February 2023 were up 14.5% month over month and still down 22.6% year over year according to the NAR Housing Snapshot. The median sales price dipped 0.2% to $363,000 and there are 2.6 months supply of homes on the market compared to 1.7 months a year ago. "Inventory levels are still at historic …
Author Archives: Jancovech Real Estate
A New Perspective on the Housing Market
The housing market in 2021 and part of 2022 was anything but normal. Mortgage rates were at all time lows and may never reach those levels again. Double-digit appreciation drove prices to new heights. Low inventories fueled by high buyer demand made multiple offers a normal expectation. As we look at the market snapshots provided …
Rethinking Backup Offers
Like with any professional, there are tools and techniques available to help with particular situations. They might be more popular at certain times and might even be put aside or forgotten at others. For real estate professionals, one of those is the backup offer. In a situation where there are multiple offers, the seller can …
Playing Monopoly Is Good Homework
If you’ve ever been in a Monopoly game after most of the properties have been purchased and developed, it can be a relief to land on Free Parking, knowing the dice must rotate to the next player giving you a respite from paying rent. Like the game, in real life, it would be nice to …
Getting Comfortable with the New Normal Mortgage Rates
The biggest shock to homebuyers is the soaring mortgage rates of 2022 that doubled in one year resulting in approximately 15 million mortgage ready buyers displaced from the market due to affordability issues. As of February 23, 2023, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage was at 6.5%. While that is twice as high as it was …
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When do you lock your mortgage rate?
Locking your interest rate protects you from increases due to market conditions. Locking early safeguards your budgeted payment. By locking the rate, if the market goes up, you get the lower rate; if it goes down after the lock, you may be able to pay a fee and lower the rate. Knowing when to take …
Get the Buyer Incentives to Act Now
Sellers, who last year, were not willing to make any concessions, are much more likely to do so this year due to the softening of the market because of inflation and higher mortgage rates affecting affordability for buyers. Concessions can take place in different forms. A seller could offer to pay the buyer’s closing costs …
Compare Before Deciding on the Standard Deduction
The TCJA of 2019 dramatically increased the standard deduction so that many homeowners benefit from taking that rather than itemizing their deductions. Taking the standard deduction may result in a larger deduction even if you have no expenses that qualify for claiming itemized deductions. Another thing reinforcing taking the standard deduction was low rates at …
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Negotiate a Buydown to Get into a Home Now
If you are a prospective homebuyer, things have changed in the past year. Most notably, mortgage rates have more than doubled which has created an affordability gap that has taken approximately 15 million buyers out of the market. Inventories are growing but it isn’t because more people are deciding to sell their homes; it is …
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If you’re on the sidelines, at least get ready…
If you’re on the sidelines to buy a home, there are things you can do to be ready when you do get back in the game. Improve your credit score to qualify for the best mortgage rate available which are reserved for those with the highest scores. Get a copy of your current credit reports …
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Jancovech Real Estate | Austin Texas | Broker | Realtor 