What If I Wait Until Next Year to Buy a Home?

By Jennifer Ruspini | May 7, 2018

What If I Wait Until Next Year to Buy a Home? | Simplifying The MarketWe recently shared that national home prices have increased by 6.7% year-over-year. Over that same time period, interest rates have remained historically low which has allowed many buyers to enter the market. As a seller, you will likely be most concerned about ‘short-term price’ – where home values are headed over the next six months. As a buyer, […]

50% of Homes Sold in 30 Days in March [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Jennifer Ruspini | May 4, 2018

Some Highlights:

The National Association of REALTORS® recently surveyed their members for their Confidence Index.
The REALTORS® Confidence Index is a key indicator of housing market strength based on a monthly survey sent to over 50,000 real estat…

4 Reasons Why Today’s Housing Market is NOT 2006 All Over Again

By Jennifer Ruspini | May 3, 2018

4 Reasons Why Today’s Housing Market is NOT 2006 All Over Again | Simplifying The MarketWith home prices rising again this year, some are concerned that we may be repeating the 2006 housing bubble that caused families so much pain when it collapsed. Today’s market is quite different than the bubble market of twelve years ago. There are four key metrics that explain why: Home Prices Mortgage Standards Mortgage Debt […]

This Just In: Data Says May is the Best Month to Sell Your Home

By Jennifer Ruspini | May 2, 2018

According to a newly released study by ATTOM Data Solutions, selling your home in the month of May will net you an average of 5.9% above estimated market value for your home. For the study, ATTOM performed an “analysis of 14.7 million home sales from 2011 to 2017” and found the average seller premium achieved […]

How Much Has Your Home Increased in Value Over the Last Year?

By Jennifer Ruspini | May 1, 2018

How Much Has Your Home Increased in Value Over the Last Year? | Simplifying The MarketHome values have risen dramatically over the last twelve months. In CoreLogic’s most recent Home Price Index Report, they revealed that national home prices have increased by 6.7% year-over-year. CoreLogic broke down appreciation even further into four price ranges, giving us a more detailed view than if we had simply looked at the year-over-year increases in national median […]

Why Home Prices Are Increasing

By Jennifer Ruspini | April 30, 2018

Why Home Prices Are Increasing | Simplifying The MarketThere are many unsubstantiated theories as to why home values are continuing to increase. From those who are worried that lending standards are again becoming too lenient (data shows this is untrue), to those who are concerned that prices are again approaching boom peaks because of “irrational exuberance” (this is also untrue as prices are not at peak […]

Existing Home Sales Grow Despite Low Inventory [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Jennifer Ruspini | April 27, 2018

Some Highlights:

According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors, sales grew 1.1% in March to an annual pace of 5.60 million.
This is the strongest pace since November of 2017.
Inventory levels dropped ye…

“Short of a war or stock market crash…”

By Jennifer Ruspini | April 26, 2018

“Short of a war or stock market crash…” | Simplifying The MarketThis month, Arch Mortgage Insurance released their spring Housing and Mortgage Market Review. The report explained that an increase in mortgage rates and/or home prices would impact monthly payments this way: A 5% increase in home prices increases payments by roughly 5% A 1% rise in interest rates increases payments by roughly 13% or 14% […]

New Study Shows ‘Best States for Millennials’

By Jennifer Ruspini | April 25, 2018

New Study Shows ‘Best States for Millennials’ | Simplifying The MarketA new study by WalletHub used “30 key metrics, ranging from share of millennials to millennial unemployment rate to millennial voter-turnout rate” to find out which states are the ‘Best States for Millennials.’ The Top 5 Best States for Millennials are: Washington, D.C. (also ranks highest in percentage of millennials already living there!) North Dakota […]

Thinking of Selling Your Home? Why You Need A Pro in Your Corner

By Jennifer Ruspini | April 24, 2018

Thinking of Selling Your Home? Why You Need A Pro in Your Corner | Simplifying The MarketWith home prices on the rise and buyer demand strong, some sellers may be tempted to try and sell their homes on their own (FSBO) without using the services of a real estate professional. Real estate agents are trained and experienced in negotiation and, in most cases, the seller is not. Sellers must realize that […]