The National Association of REALTORS® just released the Market Recovery Survey of a random sampling to close to 100,000 members conducted June 24-26, 2020. The following statements are the members’ opinion on various aspects of the recovery to the Covid-19 pandemic as it relates to real estate. In response to the safety of buyers, sellers …
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Who Decides Value?
The seller can put a price on the home but the value is ultimately, determined by the buyer. Individually, a buyer could pay over market value because they love the location, or the elevation of the home or the proximity to something that is important to them. The shortage of available homes resulting in increased …
Good Decision for a Second Opinion
You’ve done your homework, contacted a mortgage company and believe you are pre-approved. That part of the process is finished and you can concentrate of finding a home and moving…or can you? Pre-qualified and pre-approved are two different things but some people, including some in the business, use the terms interchangeably. Pre-qualified is an opinion …
Prepaying Your Mortgage
Paying off your mortgage can provide peace of mind and is a worthy goal but is it the best thing for you to do at this time. Do you have higher interest rate debt currently? If you have credit card debt with double-digit rates or personal, car or student loans, you’ll probably save more money …
Lower Your Cost of Housing
Homeowners still have considerable advantages from the amortization of the mortgage and the appreciation enjoyed by most homes even with taking the standard deduction instead of itemizing to take the interest and property tax deduction. There is an adage, “Rent or buy, you pay for the house you occupy.” You either pay for it yourself …
Annual Advisory
Homeownership is a privilege and a responsibility. Even after decades of owning a home, you may still need some help to handle some of its challenges by focusing on the three “M”s of homeownership: maintenance, minimizing expenses and managing debt and risk. While many people recognize the benefits of annual wellness, financial, vehicle and equipment …
Why homebuying begins with the agent
It takes a team of professionals to buy a home like the lender, the appraiser, the inspector, the property insurance agent, the title officer, and others but the real estate professional may play the most critical role. Baking bread seems so simple. There are only four ingredients: flour, salt, yeast, and water; yet, there are …
Why Keep Track of Home Improvements
Homeowners receive a generous exclusion on the gain of their principal residence up to $250,000 for single taxpayers and $500,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly. Most people probably consider the gain or profit in a home to be the difference between the purchase price and the sales price. IRS allows a taxpayer to lower the …
Rethinking Home
The last two months of the new normal stay at home has led many homeowners to rethink the way they live in their home. It has now become an office for working at home; a school for children; a gym to stay in shape; and a place for recreation. The repurposing has people evaluating whether …
Mortgage Forgiveness
During the mortgage meltdown that caused the Great Recession a decade ago, some homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure or constructed a short sale to get out from under the debt. In most of the cases, the lenders forgave all or part of the debt owed them. Similarly, in the early 90’s after the failure …