Whether You Rent or Buy: Either Way You’re Paying a Mortgage

There are some renters who have not yet purchased a home because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that, unless you are living with your parents rent free, you are paying a mortgage - either yours or your landlord’s.

As an owner, your mortgage payment is a form of ‘forced savings’ that allows you to build equity in your home that you can tap into later in life. As a renter, you guarantee your landlord is the person with that equity.

Are you ready to put your housing cost to work for you?

Christina Boyle, Senior Vice President and Head of Single-Family Sales & Relationship Management at Freddie Mac, explains another benefit of securing a mortgage vs. paying rent:

“With a…

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Existing Home Sales Surge Through The Holidays

Some Highlights:

• November’s Existing Home Sales report revealed that sales are now at an annual pace of 5.61 million which is “now the highest since February 2007 (5.79 million) and is 15.4% higher than a year ago (4.86 million).”
• Total housing inventory (or the inventory of homes for sale) fell 8.0% from last month and is now 9.3% lower than November 2015.
• Inventory has dropped year-over-year for the last 18 months.
• The median price for all home sales in November was $234,900, up 6.8% from last year and marks the 57th consecutive month of year-over-year gains.

If your are interested in buying a home or selling your home this year call/text me directly at 512-791-7473 or send me an email at eric@koparealestate.com.

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Why You Shouldn’t Take Your House Off the Market During the Holidays

If you are one of the many homeowners who is debating taking your home off the market for the next few weeks, don’t! You will miss the great opportunity you have right now!

The latest Existing Home Sales Report from The National Association of Realtors (NAR), revealed that the inventory of homes for sale has dropped to a 4.3-month supply.

Historically, a 6-month supply is necessary for a ‘normal’ market, explained below:

There are more buyers that are ready, willing, and able to buy now than there have been in years! The supply of homes for sale is not keeping up with the demand of these buyers.

Bottom Line

Home prices are appreciating in this seller’s market. Making your home available over the next few weeks will give you…

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Will Increasing Mortgage Rates Impact Home Prices?

There are some who are calling for a decrease in home prices should mortgage interest rates begin to rise rapidly. Intuitively, this makes sense as the cost of a home is determined by the price of the home, plus the cost of financing that home. If mortgage interest rates increase, fewer people will be able to buy, and logic says prices will fall if demand decreases.

However, history shows us that this has not been the case the last four times mortgage interest rates dramatically increased.

Here is a graph showing what actually happened:

Last week, in an article titled “Higher Rates Don’t Mean Lower House Prices After All,”the Wall Street Journal revealed that a recent study by John Burns Real Estate Consulting Inc. found that:

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2 Tips to Ensure You Get the Most Money When Selling Your House

Every homeowner wants to make sure they get the best price when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house? Here are two keys to ensuring you get the highest price possible.

1. Price it a LITTLE LOW 

This may seem counterintuitive. However, let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their home a little OVER market value will leave them room for negotiation. In actuality, this just dramatically lessens the demand for your house (see chart below).

Instead of the seller trying to ‘win’ the negotiation with one buyer, they should price it so that demand for the home is maximized. By doing this, the seller will not be fighting with a buyer over the price, but…

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Americans Are on The Move

Some Highlights:

• For the 4th year in a row, the Northeast saw a concentration of High Outbound activity.
• Oregon held on to the top stop of High Inbound states for the 3rd year in a row.
• Much of this Outbound activity can be attributed to Boomers relocating to warmer climates after retiring.

If your are interested in buying a home or selling your home this year call/text me directly at 512-791-7473 or send me an email at eric@koparealestate.com.

Have a Question?

Contact Us Now!

*Your information will never be shared with any third party.

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Avery Ranch Home Selling Seminar

How To Sell Your Home With Less Stress & For Top Dollar In 2017

You will learn inside secrets from the Realtor who has sold 4 times more listings in Avery Ranch than any other agent in 2016.

• How to reduce stress and sell your home quickly
• Current Avery Ranch market conditions and trends
• What improvements add value in Avery Ranch
• Preparing your home to attract Avery Ranch buyers

Saturday January 21st
10 AM – 11:30 AM
Main Amenity Center

For more details and to register please call 512-657-9402 or email at joyce@koparealestate.com

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Austin Area Builder Close Outs!

This is the one time of the year when great deals can be found on new homes. Many of the home builders end their fiscal year December 31.

That means they become motivated to sell existing inventory before the end of the year. Homes need to close by the end of the year and with typical closing times being 30-45 days that means you need to act fast.

If you have been thinking about making a move or buying an investment property by the end of the year call/text anytime to 512-791-7473 or email at eric@koparealestate.com and we can help!

Have a Question?

Contact Us Now!

*Your information will never be shared with any third party.

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Home Check Up

It's hard to believe 2017 is almost here.

If your plans for next year include selling your home or you're just curious about the value of your home give us a call at 512-791-7473 or email at eric@koparealestate.com.

The spring selling season starts in January in our area so it's not too early to begin getting your home ready for the market. Let's talk about what you should or shouldn't do to add value to your home.

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5 Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional When Buying & Selling!

Whether you are buying or selling a home, it can be quite an adventurous journey; you need an experienced Real Estate Professional to lead you to your ultimate goal. In this world of instant gratification and internet searches, many sellers think that they can For Sale by Owner or FSBO.

The 5 Reasons You NEED a Real Estate Professional in your corner haven’t changed, but rather have been strengthened, due to the projections of higher mortgage interest rates & home prices as the market continues to pick up steam. 

1. What do you do with all this paperwork?

Each state has different regulations regarding the contracts required for a successful sale, and these regulations are constantly changing. A true Real Estate Professional is an…

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