Monday, January 22, 2024 / by Melanie Curley.
Why the Price of Your House Matters When Selling
The asking price for your house can greatly affect your bottom line and how fast your house sells. Let’s connect so we can find the right price for your house. If you are thinking of selling, let me help you navigate the tricky territory of pricing.
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Thursday, January 11, 2024 / by Melanie Curley.
If you're trying to decide whether to rent or buy a home this year, here's a powerful insight that could give you the clarity and confidence you need to make your decision.
Every three years, the Federal Reserve releases the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), which compares net worth for homeowners and renters. The latest report shows the average homeowner’s net worth is almost 40X greater than a renter’s (see graph below):
One reason a wealth gap exists between renters and homeowners is because when you’re a homeowner, your equity grows as your home appreciates in value and you make your mortgage payment each month. When you own a home, your monthly mortgage payment acts like a form of forced savings, which eventually pays off when you decide to sell. As a renter, you’ll never see a financial return on the money you pay out in rent every month. Ksenia Potapov, Economist at First American. ...
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Wednesday, January 10, 2024 / by Melanie Curley.
If you’ve owned your house for at least a couple of years, there’s something you’re going to want to know more about – and that’s home equity. If you’re not familiar with that term, Freddie Mac defines it like this:
“. . . your home’s equity is the difference between how much your home is worth and how much you owe on your mortgage.”
That means your equity grows as you pay down your home loan over time and as home values climb. While it’s true home prices dipped slightly last year, they rebounded and have been climbing in many areas since then. Here’s why that price growth is good news for you.
In the latest Equity Insights Report, Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains:
“With price gains continuing to help homeowners build wealth, equity has reached a new high and regained losses that resulted from declines last year. And while the ave ...
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Tuesday, January 2, 2024 / by Melanie Curley.
If your listing has expired and your house didn’t sell, it's completely normal to feel a mix of frustration and disappointment. Understandably, you're probably wondering what may have gone wrong. Here are three questions to think about as you figure out what to do next.
Did You Limit Access to Your House?
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when selling your house is restricting the days and times when potential buyers can tour it. Being flexible with your schedule is important, even though it might feel a bit stressful to drop everything and leave when buyers want to see it. After all, minimal access means minimal exposure to buyers. ShowingTime advises:
“. . . do your best to be as flexible as possible when granting access to your house for showings.”
Sometimes, the most determined buyers might come from far away. Since they’re traveling to see your house, they may not be able to change their plans easily if you only. ...
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Tuesday, April 4, 2023 / by Melanie Curley.
Wondering if you should sell your house this year? As you make your decision, think about what’s motivating you to consider moving. A recent survey from realtor.com asked why homeowners are thinking about selling their houses this year. Here are the top two reasons (see graphic below):
Let’s break those reasons down and explore how they might resonate with you.
1. I Want To Take Advantage of the Current Market and Make a Profit
When you decide to sell your house, how much you’ll make from the sale will likely be top of mind. So, here’s some good news: according to the latest data, the average seller can expect a strong return on their investment when they make a move. ATTOM explains:
“The $112,000 profit on median-priced home sales in 2022 represented a 51.4% return on investment compared to the original purchase price, up from 44.6% last year and from 32.8% in 2020.”
Even though home prices ha ...
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