First-Time Buyers
More Homes, Better Prices: A Buyer’s Summer
If you’ve thought about buying a home in the past few years, you may have run into two frustrations: asking prices that kept climbing and too few homes to choose from. In many places, both sticking points are letting up this summer, with lower asking prices and more homes for sale. Let’s look at the…
Read More14 Years Running: Why Real Estate Is Still America’s Favorite Investment
Quick gut reaction. Which investment do Americans trust more than stocks, gold, savings accounts, and bonds? The answer hasn’t changed in 14 years. It’s real estate. And this year, that answer comes with even more conviction behind it. New data shows people aren’t just saying homeownership is a smart move, they’re feeling better about it…
Read MoreStudent Loans Are Back in the News. Don’t Let It Put Your Homeownership Plans on Hold.
Student loans are back in the spotlight. And whether you’ve been following the headlines closely or just catching bits and pieces here and there, there’s a good chance they’ve been on your mind lately. And if you’re questioning whether you have to hit pause on your plans to buy a home, here’s the thing you…
Read MoreDown Payments Are Smaller Than They’ve Been Since 2021
Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of buying a home. And with affordability as tight as it’s been lately, it’s fair to wonder how anyone manages it right now. Here’s something you may not have seen coming. Some people are getting their foot in the door with a smaller down…
Read MoreWhen I think about people saving to buy their first house
When I think about people saving to buy their first house, it brings me back to my early working years. My husband and I used a plain old savings account to accumulate our down payment. Today, young people are devising fresh options, including two ideas that happened to converge in our Tech Tuesday newsletter—an app that incentivizes…
Read MoreThat House That’s Been Sitting Could Be Your Best Shot at a Deal
Open up a home search and you’ll see them. Listings that have been on the market for two months. Three. Some longer. Most buyers scroll right past them, assuming something’s wrong with the house. But that instinct could be costing you, since the longer a home sits, the more motivated the seller usually gets. Where…
Read MoreCould Moving a Bit Further Out Change Everything About Your Budget?
Whether you’re dreaming about buying your first home or wondering if it’s time to move on from the one you’re in, affordability is probably weighing on your mind. Home prices are still high in many markets, and even though things have improved a bit over the past year, making the numbers work can still feel…
Read MoreLess House, More Home: Why Smaller Homes Are Paying Off for Today’s Buyers
You started shopping with a specific mental image of your future home in your mind. Then the houses in your budget came in smaller than you pictured. That’s the reality for a lot of buyers right now. Affordability is tight. But don’t let that discourage you. Going smaller might actually be a smart play in…
Read MoreNewly Built Home Prices Hit a 5-Year Low
If you’ve always assumed a newly built home is just not in your budget, you should know the math just got a little friendlier. The median sale price of a newly built home is now at its lowest level since 2021, according to the latest data from the Census. And on top of that, builders…
Read MoreAre Home Prices Going To Fall?
It’s one of the biggest hold ups some buyers have right now: “What if I buy, and home prices go down?” With everything in the news, that concern makes some sense. No one wants to make a big financial decision at the wrong time. But here’s what’s important to know. You don’t want to get…
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