Blog | Real Estate News & Market Trends

You’ll find our blog to be a wealth of information, covering everything from local market statistics and home values to community happenings. That’s because we care about the community and want to help you find your place in it. Please reach out if you have any questions at all. We’d love to talk with you!

Sept. 18, 2024

The Latest Builder Trend: Smaller, Less Expensive Homes

The Latest Builder Trend: Smaller, Less Expensive Homes




Even though affordability is improving, buying a home can still feel tough right now. But here’s some good news: builders are focusing their efforts on building smaller homes, and they’re offering key incentives to buyers. And both of these things can be a big help if you're worried about finding a home that’s right for your budget. 

Builders Are Building Smaller Homes 

During the pandemic, homebuyers were looking for larger homes—and many could afford them. Builders responded to that demand and created bigger spaces to help people with things like working from home, setting up home gyms, and having extra rooms for virtual school.

Now, with affordability as tight as it is, builders are turning their focus to smaller single-family homes. Data from the Census shows how significant this trend toward smaller new homes has been over the last couple of years (see graph below):

No Caption ReceivedBut why would builders want to build smaller homes right now? At the end of the day, builders are going to focus on building homes that meet current market demand – because they want to build what they know will sell. And the number one thing homebuyers are looking for right now is better affordability. Since smaller homes typically come with smaller price tags, both buyers and builders have shifted their focus to homes with less square footage. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports:

 “. . . home buyers are looking for homes around 2,070 square feet, compared to 2,260 20 years ago.” 

And according to Orphe Divounguy, Senior Economist at Zillow:

“Not only are cash-strapped buyers continually seeking out lower-cost options, but developers are changing what type and size of home they're producing to try and meet that need." 

How a Newly Built Home Can Help You Achieve Your Homebuying Goals

So, if you’re having a hard time finding something in your budget, it may be time to look at brand-new homes that have a smaller footprint. When you do, you may get a few other fringe benefits that can help on the affordability front – like price reductions or mortgage rate buy-downs.

According to the most recent data from Zondamore than half of builders are offering incentives, some of which are mortgage rate buydowns. And those perks could help lower your future monthly housing payment too. John Burns, CEO of John Burns Research & Consultingshares:

The monthly payment matters more than anything else and builders have responded with smaller, more efficient homes.”

Not to mention, with new home construction, you’ll also get brand new everything, have fewer maintenance needs, and get some of the latest features available. That’s worth looking into, right?

Bottom Line

With builders focusing on smaller homes, you may have more budget-friendly options when it matters most. If you're thinking about buying a home soon, let’s connect and see what’s available where you want to live.

Posted in Helpful Tips
Sept. 9, 2024

The Surprising Amount of Home Equity You’ve Gained over the Years

The Surprising Amount of Home Equity You’ve Gained over the Years




There are a number of reasons you may be thinking about selling your house. And as you weigh your options, you may find you’re unsure how you’re going to deal with one thing about today’s housing market – and that’s affordability. If that’s your biggest concern, understanding how much equity you have in your house could help make your decision that much easier. Here are two key factors that have a big impact on your equity.

How Long You’ve Been in Your Home

First up is homeowner tenure. That’s how long homeowners live in a house, on average, before selling or choosing to move. From 1985 to 2009, the average length of time homeowners stayed put was roughly six years. 

But according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), that number has been climbing. Now, the average tenure is 10 years (see graph below):

No Caption ReceivedHere’s why that’s such a big deal. You gain equity as you pay down your home loan and as home prices climb. And when you combine all of your mortgage payments with how much prices have gone up over the span of 10 years, that adds up. So, if you’ve lived in your house for a while now, you may be sitting on a pile of equity.

How Home Prices Appreciate over Time

To help show how much the price appreciation piece adds up, take a look at this data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) (see graph below): 

No Caption ReceivedHere’s what this means for you. While home prices vary by area, the typical homeowner who’s been in their house for five years saw it increase in value by nearly 60%. And the average homeowner who’s owned their home for 30 years saw it more than triple in value in that time.

Whether you’re looking to downsize, relocate to a dream destination, or move so you can live closer to friends or loved ones, your equity can be a game changer.

Bottom Line

If you want to find out how much equity you’ve built up over the years and how you can use it to buy your next home, let’s connect.

Posted in Helpful Tips
Aug. 30, 2024

How To Avoid Today's Top Seller Mistakes

Posted in Helpful Tips
Aug. 19, 2024

How Mortgage Rate Changes Impact Your Homebuying Power

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, you’ve probably got mortgage rates on your mind. That’s because you’ve likely heard that mortgage rates impact how much you can afford in your monthly mortgage payment, and you want to factor that into your planning. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s Happening with Mortgage Rates?

Mortgage rates have been trending down recently. While that’s good news for your homebuying plans, it’s important to know that rates can be unpredictable because they’re affected by many factors.

Things like the economy, job market, inflation, and decisions made by the Federal Reserve all play a part. So, even as rates go down, they can still bounce around a bit based on new economic data. As Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist at First American, says:

“The ongoing deceleration in inflation, coupled with the Federal Reserve’s recent indication of potential rate cuts [in 2024], suggests an environment supportive of modest declines in mortgage rates. Barring any unforeseen circumstances and resurgence in inflation, lower mortgage rates could be on the horizon, but the journey towards them might be slow and bumpy.

How Do These Changes Affect You?

When mortgage rates change, it affects how much you pay each month for your home loan. Even a small rate change can make a big difference to your monthly bill.

Take a look at the chart below to see how different mortgage rates impact your house payment each month for various loan amounts. Imagine you can afford a monthly payment of $2,600 for your home loan. The green part in the chart shows payments in that range or lower based on varying mortgage rates (see chart below):