While the wild ride that was the ‘unicorn’ years of housing is behind us, today’s market is still competitive in many areas because the supply of homes for sale is still low. If you’re looking to buy a home this season, know that the peak frenzy of bidding wars is in the rearview mirror, but you may still come up against some multiple-offer scenarios.Here are a few things to consider to help you put your best foot forward when making an offer on a home.1. Lean on a Real Estate ProfessionalRely on an agent who can support your goals and help you understand what’s happening in today’s housing...
If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, one of the biggest questions you have right now is probably: what’s happening with home prices? And it’s no surprise you don’t have the clarity you need on that topic. Part of the issue is how headlines are talking about prices.They’re basing their negative news by comparing current stats to the last few years. But you can’t compare this year to the ‘unicorn’ years (when home prices reached record highs that were unsustainable). And as prices begin to normalize now, they’re talking about it like it’s a bad thing and making people fear what’s next....
If you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, you’ve probably come across headlines talking about the increase in foreclosures in today’s housing market. This may have left you with some uncertainty, especially if you’re considering buying a home. It’s important to understand the context of these reports to know the truth about what’s happening today.According to a recent report from ATTOM, a property data provider, foreclosure filings are up 2% compared to the previous quarter and 8% since one year ago. While media headlines are drawing attention to this increase, reporting...
Some HighlightsAccording to a recent Gallup poll, real estate has been voted the best long-term investment for 11 years in a row, beating gold, stocks, bonds, and more.Owning real estate means more than just having a home—it’s an investment in your future. That’s because it’s typically a stable and secure asset that tends to increase in value as time goes on.Connect with a local real estate agent if you’re ready to buy a home and invest in your future.
Written by Kristen Schmutz
Belden Communications News
Carnival Cruise Line, widely recognized as the cruise line with the highest number of military service members aboard its ships, has committed to honoring the armed forces by introducing a full Military Appreciation Day on all sailings in North America. Starting from the week of July 24, 2023, Carnival’s Military Appreciation Day will be celebrated on each ship, paying tribute to the brave men and women who have served their country.
“At Carnival, where we’re proudly known as America’s Cruise Line, we’re...
You may have heard some people say it’s better to rent than buy a home right now. But, even today, there are lots of good reasons to become a homeowner. One of them is that owning a home is typically viewed as a good long-term investment that helps your net worth grow over time.Homeownership Builds Wealth Regardless of Income LevelYou may be surprised to learn homeowners across various income levels have a much higher net worth than renters who make the same amount. Data from First American helps illustrate this point (see graph below):What makes wealth so much higher for homeowners? A recent...
If you’re following mortgage rates because you know they impact your borrowing costs, you may be wondering what the future holds for them. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to answer that question because mortgage rates are notoriously hard to forecast. But, there’s one thing that’s historically a good indicator of what’ll happen with rates, and that’s the relationship between the 30-Year Mortgage Rate and the 10-Year Treasury Yield. Here’s a graph showing those two metrics since Freddie Mac started keeping mortgage rate records in 1972:As the graph shows, historically, the average spread...
Written by Kristen Schmutz
Belden Communications News
Amidst the bustling summer travel season, Carnival Cruise Line is revolutionizing the cruise industry by expanding facial biometric technology to streamline the debarkation process for its guests. The cruise line’s partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has proven successful, significantly enhancing the experience for over three million Carnival guests.
Nine out of Carnival’s 14 U.S. homeports have adopted this cutting-edge, secure technology, with major ports like Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Jacksonville,...
Before you decide to sell your house, it’s important to know what you can expect in the current housing market. One positive trend right now is homebuyers are adapting to today’s mortgage rates and getting used to them as the new normal.To better understand what’s been happening with mortgage rates lately, the graph below shows the trend for the 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Freddie Mac since last October. As you can see, rates have been between 6% and 7% pretty consistently for the past nine months:According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR),...
If you’re following the news today, you may feel a bit unsure about what’s happening with home prices and fear whether or not the worst is yet to come. That’s because today’s headlines are painting an unnecessarily negative picture. If we take a year-over-year view, home prices did drop some, but that’s because we’re comparing to a ‘unicorn’ year when prices peaked well beyond the norm.To avoid an unfair comparison to that previous peak, we need to look at monthly data. And that tells a very different and much more positive story. While local home price trends still vary by market, here’s what...