First – what is an appraisal gap? Quite simply, it’s the difference between “the fair market value determined by an appraiser and the amount you agreed to pay for the home.” It doesn’t mean that you have to cancel the sale, but it does mean some negotiations will probably be happening And, an appraisal gap […]
Sometimes, you want to wait for something to come down – a fever, a price on a video game system, etc. However, it might not be a good decision to wait until mortgage rates come down. Here’s the reason. If you’re decision to wait is correct, and the rates do come down by two percent, […]
Some homeowners decide to downsize – normally in their 60’s and 70’s – to smaller homes for reasons such as convenience, less maintenance, a change of lifestyle or even to just save money. Those homeowners are more likely to have large equities and don’t normally feel the same constraints as younger homeowners, including the substantial […]
August 14, 1935 – this date was the establishment of Social Security, which was a breakthrough movement in caring for our country’s elderly during their retirement years.Today, about 65 million or 1/6 of Americans collect benefits and the average monthly retirement amount received in January 2022 was $1,614 per month or about $19,370 per year. […]
There are some very difficult decisions which can tend to arise when you’re a homeowner. Sometimes, those decisions are what can make or break the idea of renting vs buying. If you think about it, the idea of an asset which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars can be slightly terrifying to some! Not […]
“It’s a fact that many households are impacted by higher mortgage rates as they no longer earn the qualifying income for the median-priced home.” Nadia Evangelou, NAR Economist. What this means is that the rapid rise in mortgage rates during 2022 is coupled with continued appreciation of home prices. This has limited the number of […]
I’m sure you’ve heard, but mortgage rates are still rising. It’s causing some would-be buyers to pause their decisions until they determine whether rates are going to come back down. It may be possible, but the probability is that prices are going to continue to increase. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate on December 23, […]
Normally, married couples own a home as joint tenant with rights of survivorship. When a spouse dies, the surviving spouse inherits the home and it does not trigger a taxable event. Unfortunately however, the capital gain exclusion is reduced to a single person’s share unless the survivor disposes of the property in the granted time. […]
There are so many things going on – every single day – all around each and every one of us. Just think, a global pandemic, supply chain issues, highest inflation in 40 years, the economic effects of a war in Ukraine, it can be overwhelming to think about when the right time is to buy […]
Been thinking of downsizing? This actually could be a good time to put those thoughts into gear. Especially right now, selling and buying a lower priced home in an “Up” market can be to your advantage. See, the advantage is to maximize the sales price on your existing home and replace it with a less expensive […]
