Are you interested in purchasing a house? If so, you probably know that the market is more competitive today than it has ever been in the past. There are a lot of people who are interested in purchasing a home, and you need to take a few extra steps if you want to make your offer as competitive as possible. What do you need to do if you want to maximize the chances of having your offer accepted? Make An Offer Early If you want to increase your chances of getting your offer accepted, you need to make an offer as early as possible. If you know there is a property coming on the market that … [Read More...]
Last week’s economic scheduled economic news included readings on sales of previously-owned homes, housing starts, and building permits issued. Readings on the Consumer Price Index, which tracks inflation, were also released along with weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Sales of previously-owned homes fall in November The National Association of Realtors® reported fewer sales of previously-owned homes in November than in October. 4.09 million previously-owned homes were sold year-over-year in November as compared to 4.43 million sales reported in October. … [Read More...]
December’s National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index reported slipping builder confidence in U.S. housing markets. The Housing Market Index readings fell every month in 2022. Recently rising mortgage rates, materials costs, and inclement winter weather contributed to builder skepticism about current housing market conditions. December’s National Housing Market Index reading of 31 was the lowest since mid-2012 not including readings published during the pandemic. By comparison, the Housing Market Index reading for December 2021 was 84. The three indices … [Read More...]
If you are interested in selling your house, you need to make sure you get as much money for it as possible. There is never a second chance to make a first impression, and every detail matters when you want to get an offer on the table. That means you need to pay attention to the color of your paint as well. Even though this might sound like a relatively minor detail, the color of your paint does matter. What do you need to know about paint color and its impact on your home’s value? The First Impression First, the color of your walls matters because it is responsible for the first … [Read More...]
Last week’s economic reporting included readings on inflation, retail sales, and the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Fed Chair Jerome Powell held his scheduled post-meeting press conference and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released.
Federal Reserve Raises Target Interest Rate Range
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee announced its decision to raise the Fed’s target interest rate range to 4.25 to 4.50 percent from its previous range of 3.75 to 4.00 percent.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell … [Read More...]
Did you recently receive your annual notice that the rent is going up? If so, you're not alone. Millions of renters are seeing more and more of their income drained away due to higher rents. To make matters worse, every dollar in rent is one that you are not saving, investing or using to build your net worth. If you're feeling the pinch of higher rents, it might be time to buy your first starter home. Comparing Rent With A Mortgage Have you ever done the math to understand how close your monthly rent might be to a mortgage payment? Here's a quick and easy exercise. Multiply your monthly rent … [Read More...]
