How Long Do Most Families Stay in Their Home?

By Jennifer Ruspini | August 7, 2017

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) keeps historical data on many aspects of homeownership. One of the data points that has changed dramatically is the median tenure of a family in a home, meaning how long a family stays in a home prior to moving. As the graph below shows, for over twenty years (1985-2008), the median […]

20 Tips for Preparing Your House for Sale [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Jennifer Ruspini | August 4, 2017

Some Highlights:

When listing your house for sale your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible!
There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens!
Your real estate agent will have a list of specific sugg…

Millennial Homeownership Rate Increases

By Jennifer Ruspini | August 3, 2017

Millennial Homeownership Rate Increases | Simplifying The MarketRecent headlines exclaimed the homeownership rate, as reported by the Census Bureau, rose again in the second quarter of 2017. What didn’t get much attention in the reports is that the homeownership rate for American households under the age of 35 increased a full percentage point from last quarter’s 34.3% to 35.3%. Millennials proved to […]

Do Your Future Plans Include a Move? What’s Stopping You from Listing Now?

By Jennifer Ruspini | August 2, 2017

Do Your Future Plans Include a Move? What's Stopping You from Listing Now? | Simplifying The MarketAre you an empty-nester? Do you want to retire where you are, or does a vacation destination sound more your style? Are you close to retirement and not ready to move yet, but living in a home that is too big in size and maintenance needs? How can you line up your current needs with […]

Be Careful Not to Get Caught in The Rental Trap!

By Jennifer Ruspini | August 1, 2017

Be Careful Not to Get Caught in The Rental Trap! | Simplifying The MarketThere are many benefits to homeownership. One of the top benefits is being able to protect yourself from rising rents by locking in your housing cost for the life of your mortgage. Don’t Become Trapped  A recent article by ConsumerAffairs addressed the continuous rise in rents, stating: “The cost of putting a roof over your […]

Buyer Demand Continues Outpacing the Supply of Homes for Sale

By Jennifer Ruspini | July 31, 2017

Buyer Demand Continues Outpacing the Supply of Homes for Sale | Simplifying The MarketThe price of any item is determined by the supply of that item, as well as the market demand. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) surveys “over 50,000 real estate practitioners about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions” for their monthly REALTORS Confidence Index. Their latest edition sheds some light on the relationship between Seller Traffic (supply) […]

Inventory Drops Again, Sales Slow [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Jennifer Ruspini | July 28, 2017

Highlights:

Existing Home Sales are now at an annual pace of 5.52 million.
Inventory of existing homes for sale dropped to a 4.3-month supply, marking the 25th month in a row of declines.
The median price of homes sold in June was $263,800. This is …

Americans Still Believe Real Estate is Best Long-Term Investment

By Jennifer Ruspini | July 27, 2017

Americans Still Believe Real Estate is Best Long-Term Investment | Simplifying The MarketAccording to Bankrate’s latest Financial Security Index Poll, Americans who have money to set aside for the next 10 years would rather invest in real estate than any other type of investment. Bankrate asked Americans to answer the following question: “What is the best way to invest money you wouldn’t need for 10 years or […]

A ‘Buyer’ in Hand is Worth Two in the Bush

By Jennifer Ruspini | July 26, 2017

A ‘Buyer’ in Hand is Worth Two in the Bush | Simplifying The MarketIn today’s highly competitive seller’s market where there are more buyers than there are homes for them to buy, some sellers may feel like the ball is in their court. And they would be right when it comes to choosing which offer to accept, the closing date, or even which improvements they are willing to make […]

Rising Home Prices Mean Great News for Homeowners

By Jennifer Ruspini | July 25, 2017

Rising Home Prices Mean Great News for Homeowners | Simplifying The MarketRecently there has been a lot of talk about home prices and if they are accelerating too quickly. As we mentioned before, in some areas of the country, seller supply (homes for sale) cannot keep up with the number of buyers who are out looking for homes, which has caused prices to rise. The great news […]