by douglindstrom | Oct 20, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
The September Jobs Report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate dropped to 7.9%. Though that percentage is well below what experts projected earlier this year, it still means millions of people are without work. There’s no way to...
by douglindstrom | Oct 19, 2020 | Interest Rates & Mortgage Data, Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
The 2020 housing market has surpassed all expectations and continues to drive the nation’s economic recovery. The question is, will this positive trend continue throughout the rest of the year, especially given the uncertainty around the current health crisis, the...
by douglindstrom | Oct 14, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, Tips & Tools for Home Sellers
Many industries have been devastated by the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 virus. Real estate is not one of them. Mark Fleming, Chief Economist for First American, just reported: “Since hitting a low point during the initial stages of the pandemic, the only...
by douglindstrom | Oct 5, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, No Brainer Listing, Our Services, Your Advantage
In today’s real estate market, setting the right price for your house is one of the most valuable things you can do. According to the U.S. Economic Outlook by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), existing home prices nationwide are forecasted to increase 4.7%...
by douglindstrom | Oct 1, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, Tips & Tools for Home Buyers
A year ago, additional space and extra amenities had a very different feel for homebuyers. Today, the health crisis has brought to light how valuable more square footage and carefully designed floorplans can be. Home offices, multi-purpose rooms, gyms, and theaters...
by douglindstrom | Sep 30, 2020 | Interest Rates & Mortgage Data, Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, No Brainer Listing, Our Services, Your Advantage, Tips & Tools for Home Sellers
If you’re thinking about moving, selling your house this fall might be the way to go. Here are four highlights in the housing market that may make your decision to sell this fall an easy one. 1. Buyers Are Actively in the Market ShowingTime, a leading real estate...
by douglindstrom | Sep 29, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, Tips & Tools for Home Buyers, Tips & Tools for Home Sellers
As shelter-in-place orders were implemented earlier this year, many questioned what the shutdown would mean to the real estate market. Specifically, there was concern about home values. After years of rising home prices, would 2020 be the year this appreciation trend...
by douglindstrom | Sep 28, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
Back in March, as the nation’s economy was shut down because of the coronavirus, many were predicting the real estate market would face a major collapse. Some forecasts called for a 15-20% decline in transactions. However, six months later, it seems as though the...
by douglindstrom | Sep 22, 2020 | Interest Rates & Mortgage Data, Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, Tips & Tools for Home Buyers, Tips & Tools for Home Sellers
Housing inventory is at an all-time low. There are 39% fewer homes for sale today than at this time last year, and buyer demand continues to set records. Zillow recently reported: “Newly pending sales are up 25.5% compared to the same week last year, the highest...
by douglindstrom | Sep 18, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
Some Highlights Buyers are actively searching for and purchasing homes at a record-breaking pace. According to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in July, 68% of homes were on the market for less than a month. With homes moving from...
by douglindstrom | Sep 17, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
Real estate continues to be called the ‘bright spot’ in the current economy, but there’s one thing that may hold the housing market back from achieving its full potential this year: the lack of homes for sale. Buyers are actively searching for and purchasing homes,...
by douglindstrom | Sep 16, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
Earlier this year, realtor.com announced the release of the Housing Recovery Index, a weekly guide showing how the pandemic has impacted the residential real estate market. The index leverages a weighted average of four key components of the housing industry by...
by douglindstrom | Aug 26, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, Tips & Tools for Home Buyers
Finding the right home to purchase today is one of the biggest challenges for potential buyers. With so few homes for sale and construction of newly built homes ramping up, you may be wondering if you should consider new construction in your search process. It’s a...
by douglindstrom | Aug 25, 2020 | Interest Rates & Mortgage Data, Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
When shelter-in-place orders brought the economy to a screeching halt earlier this year, many believed the residential housing market would follow suit. Countless analysts predicted buyer demand would disappear and home values would depreciate for the first time in...
by douglindstrom | Aug 24, 2020 | Interest Rates & Mortgage Data, Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, Tips & Tools for Home Buyers, Tips & Tools for Home Sellers
Today, Americans are moving for a variety of different reasons. The current health crisis has truly re-shaped our lifestyles and our needs. Spending extra time where we currently live is enabling many families to re-evaluate what homeownership means and what they find...
by douglindstrom | Aug 20, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
Originally, some housing industry analysts were concerned that the mortgage forbearance program (which allows families to delay payments to a later date) could lead to an increase in foreclosures when forbearances end. Some even worried that we might relive the...
by douglindstrom | Aug 19, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
The residential real estate market has definitely been the shining light in this country’s current economic situation. All-time low mortgage rates coupled with a new appreciation of what a home truly means has caused the housing market to push forward through this...
by douglindstrom | Aug 17, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
The news these days seems to have a mix of highs and lows. We may hear that an economic recovery is starting, but we’ve also seen some of the worst economic data in the history of our country. The challenge today is to understand exactly what’s going on and what it...
by douglindstrom | Aug 13, 2020 | Interest Rates & Mortgage Data, Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings, Tips & Tools for Home Buyers
Today, home prices are appreciating. When we hear prices are going up, it’s normal to think a home will cost more as the trend continues. The way the housing market is positioned today, however, low mortgage rates are actually making homes more affordable, even as...
by douglindstrom | Aug 12, 2020 | Market Statistics, Musings & Ramblings
With the strength of the current housing market growing every day and more Americans returning to work, a faster-than-expected recovery in the housing sector is already well underway. Regardless, many are still asking the question: will we see a wave of foreclosures...