What Experts Project for Home Prices Over the Next 5 Years

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 12, 2023. Posted in Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re planning to buy a home, one thing to consider is what experts project home prices will do in the future and how that might affect your investment. While you may have seen negative news over the past year about home prices, they’re doing far better than expected and are rising across the country. And data shows, experts forecast home prices will keep appreciating. Experts Project Ongoing Appreciation Pulsenomics polled over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts in the latest quarterly Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES). The results show what the...

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Equity Is a Game Changer for Homeowners Looking To Sell

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on August 15, 2023. Posted in For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, Selling Myths.

If you’re a homeowner, you might be torn on whether or not to sell your house right now. Maybe that’s because you don’t want to take on a higher mortgage rate on your next home. If that’s your biggest hurdle, understanding your equity may be exactly what you need to help you feel more comfortable making your move. What Equity Is and How It Works Equity is the current value of your home minus what you owe on the loan. And recently, that equity has been growing far faster than you may expect. Over the last few years, home prices rose dramatically, and that gave your equity a big boost very quickly....

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Four Ways You Can Use Your Home Equity

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on August 7, 2023. Posted in Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Foreclosures, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re a homeowner, odds are your equity has grown significantly over the last few years. Equity builds over time as home values grow and as you pay down your home loan. And, since home prices skyrocketed during the ‘unicorn’ years, you’ve likely gained more than you think. According to the latest Equity Insights Report from CoreLogic, the average homeowner has more than $274,000 in equity right now. That much equity can help you achieve certain goals. In a recent article, Bankrate elaborates: “While the pandemic created serious challenges, the silver lining for anyone who owned a home...

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How Inflation Affects Mortgage Rates

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on August 3, 2023. Posted in Buying Myths, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

When you read about the housing market in the news, you might see something about a recent decision made by the Federal Reserve (the Fed). But how does this decision affect you and your plans to buy a home? Here’s what you need to know. The Fed is trying hard to reduce inflation. And even though there’s been 12 straight months where inflation has cooled (see graph below), the most recent data shows it’s still higher than the Fed’s target of 2%: While you may have been hoping the Fed would stop their hikes since they’re making progress on their goal of bringing down inflation, they don’t...

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Real Estate Continues To Be the Best Investment [INFOGRAPHIC]

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on July 21, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Infographics, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

Some Highlights According to a recent Gallup poll, real estate has been voted the best long-term investment for 11 years in a row, beating gold, stocks, bonds, and more. Owning real estate means more than just having a home—it’s an investment in your future. That’s because it’s typically a stable and secure asset that tends to increase in value as time goes on. Connect with a local real estate agent if you’re ready to buy a home and invest in your future.

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Two Questions To Ask Yourself if You’re Considering Buying a Home

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on July 5, 2023. Posted in Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Interest Rates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

If you’re thinking of buying a home, chances are you’re paying attention to just about everything you hear about the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, overhearing someone chatting at the local supermarket, the list goes on and on. Most likely, home prices and mortgage rates are coming up a lot. To help cut through the noise and give you the information you need most, take a look at what the data says. Here are the top two questions you need to ask yourself...

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Evaluating Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer Matters More Today

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on July 3, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

When it comes to buying a home, especially with today’s affordability challenges, you’ll want to be strategic. Mortgage rates impact how much it costs to borrow money for your home loan. And, to help offset the higher borrowing costs today, some homebuyers are taking a close look at their wish list and re-evaluating what features they really need in their next home to avoid overextending. As a recent NerdWallet article says: “A pool, for example, may be nice to have, but it may not provide as much day-to-day value as a garage or a space for a home office . . .” While that pool may be appealing,...

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Where Will You Go If You Sell? Newly Built Homes Might Be the Answer.

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 29, 2023. Posted in For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, New Construction.

Do you want to sell your house, but hesitate because you’re worried you won’t be able to find your next home in today’s market? You’re not alone, but there’s some good news that may ease your worries. New home construction is up and is becoming an increasingly significant part of the housing inventory. That means when you go to put your house on the market this summer, considering newly built homes is crucial for expanding the options you’ll have for your next move. Near-Record Percentage of New Home Inventory Newly built homes today make up a near-record percentage of the total number...

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What Homebuyers Need To Know About Credit Scores

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 22, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you should know your credit score’s a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to qualifying for a home loan. Lenders review your credit to assess your ability to make payments on time, to pay back debts, and more. It’s also a factor that helps determine your mortgage rate. An article from Bankrate explains: “Your credit score is one of the most important factors lenders consider when you apply for a mortgage. Not just to qualify for the loan itself, but for the conditions: Typically, the higher your score, the lower the interest rates and better terms...

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Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Need To Know.

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 19, 2023. Posted in Down Payments, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re planning to buy your first home, then you’re probably focused on saving for all the costs involved in such a big purchase. One of the expenses that may be at the top of your mind is your down payment. If you’re intimidated by how much you need to save for that, it may be because you believe you must put 20% down. That doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) notes: “One of the biggest misconceptions among housing consumers is what the typical down payment is and what amount is needed to enter homeownership.” And a recent Freddie...

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How Owning a Home Grows Your Wealth with Time [INFOGRAPHIC]

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 16, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Infographics, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

Some Highlights If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, be sure to factor in the long-term benefits of homeownership. Over time, homeownership allows you to build equity. On average, nationwide home prices appreciated by 290.2% over the last 32 years. That means your net worth can grow significantly in the long term when you own a home. Reach out to a real estate professional so you can start your homebuying journey today.

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A Drop in Equity Doesn’t Mean Low Equity

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 14, 2023. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

You may see media coverage talking about a drop in homeowner equity. What’s important to understand is that equity is tied closely to home values. So, when home prices appreciate, you can expect equity to grow. And when home prices decline, equity does too. Here’s how this has played out recently. Home prices rose rapidly during the ‘unicorn’ years. That gave homeowners a considerable equity boost. But those ‘unicorn’ years couldn’t last forever. The market had to moderate at some point, and that’s what we saw last fall and winter. As home prices dropped slightly in the back half of 2022,...

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Your Needs Matter More Than Today’s Mortgage Rates

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 13, 2023. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Interest Rates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re thinking about selling your house right now, chances are it’s because something in your life has changed. And, while things like mortgage rates are a key part of your decision on what you’ll buy next, it’s important to not lose sight of the reason you want to make a change in the first place. It’s true mortgage rates have climbed from the record lows we saw in recent years, and that has an impact on affordability. With rates where they are right now, some homeowners are deciding they’ll wait to sell because they don’t want to move and have a higher mortgage rate on their next home....

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Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 13, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M). Here’s an explanation of each. Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y): This comparison measures the change in home prices from the same month or quarter in the previous year. For example, if you’re comparing Y-O-Y home prices for April 2023, you would compare...

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Real Estate Is Still Considered the Best Long-Term Investment

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on June 6, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

With all the headlines circulating about home prices and rising mortgage rates, you may wonder if it still makes sense to invest in homeownership right now. A recent poll from Gallup shows the answer is yes. In fact, real estate was voted the best long-term investment for the 11th consecutive year, consistently beating other investment types like gold, stocks, and bonds (see graph below): If you’re thinking about purchasing a home, let this poll reassure you. Even with everything happening today, Americans recognize owning a home is a powerful financial decision. Why Do Americans Still Feel...

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Why Buyers Need an Expert Agent by Their Side

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on May 22, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

The process of buying a home can feel a bit intimidating, even under normal circumstances. But today’s market is still anything but normal. There continues to be a very limited number of homes for sale, and that’s creating bidding wars and driving home prices back up as buyers compete over the available homes. Navigating all of this can be daunting if you’re trying to do it alone. That’s why having a skilled expert to guide you through the homebuying process is essential, especially today. Bankrate shares this perspective: “Advice and guidance from a professional real estate agent...

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Homeowners Have Incredible Equity To Leverage Right Now

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on May 15, 2023. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market Updates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

Even though home prices have moderated over the last year, many homeowners still have an incredible amount of equity. But what is equity? In the simplest terms, equity is the difference between the market value of your home and the amount you owe on your mortgage. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) explains how your equity grows over time: “Housing wealth (home equity or net worth) gains are built up through price appreciation and by paying off the mortgage.” How Your Equity Can Help You Achieve Your Goals The equity you build up over the years can be used to your advantage when you...

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Ways To Overcome Affordability Challenges in Today’s Housing Market [INFOGRAPHIC]

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on April 28, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Infographics, Interest Rates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

Some Highlights With so few homes on the market right now, widening the scope of your search to include nearby areas could help you find more options in your budget. You can also work with a trusted lender to consider alternative financing options and search for down payment assistance. If you’ve been searching for a home but are concerned about rising costs, make sure you have a team of trusted real estate professionals for expert advice.

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The Three Factors Affecting Home Affordability Today

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on April 26, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

There’s been a lot of focus on higher mortgage rates and how they’re creating affordability challenges for today’s homebuyers. It’s true that rates climbed dramatically since the record-low we saw during the pandemic. But home affordability is based on more than just mortgage rates – it’s determined by a combination of mortgage rates, home prices, and wages. Considering how each one of these factors is changing gives you the full picture of home affordability today. Here’s the latest. 1. Mortgage Rates While mortgage rates are higher than they were a year ago, they’ve hovered primarily between...

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The Power of Pre-Approval

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on April 24, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

If you’re buying a home this spring, today’s housing market can feel like a challenge. With so few homes on the market right now, plus higher mortgage rates, it’s essential to have a firm grasp on your homebuying budget. You’ll also need a sense of determination to find the right house and act quickly when you go to put in an offer. One thing you can do to help you prepare is to get pre-approved. To understand why it’s such an important step, you need to know what pre-approval is. As part of the process, a lender looks at your finances to determine what they’d be willing to loan you. From there,...

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Why You May Want an Energy-Efficient Home [INFOGRAPHIC]

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on April 21, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Infographics, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up Buyers.

Some Highlights Since inflation is increasing the cost of goods and services, it may make sense to look for an energy-efficient home. Energy prices have increased over the last year, so look for energy-efficient features in your home search. If you’re looking to buy a home this year, work with a real estate expert so you have a partner to help you consider which features are most important to you.

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Think Twice Before Waiting for Lower Home Prices

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on April 17, 2023. Posted in First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Millennials, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing.

As the housing market continues to change, you may be wondering where it’ll go from here. One factor you’re probably thinking about is home prices, which have come down a bit since they peaked last June. And you’ve likely heard something in the news or on social media about a price crash on the horizon. As a result, you may be holding off on buying a home until prices drop significantly. But that’s not the best strategy. A recent survey from Zonda shows 53% of millennials are still renting right now because they’re waiting for home prices to come down. But here’s the thing: the most recent...

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Category: Move-Up Buyers