Are you thinking about buying a home in the near future? Do you need a mortgage loan to finance your purchase? Here's a trend you should know about. This week, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan rose to its highest level since 2013. This is based on the weekly industry survey conducted by Freddie Mac.Mortgage Rates Hit 4-Year High in April 2018On April 26, 2018, Freddie Mac published the latest results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS). This survey has bee...
A recent report showed that homes across the U.S. sold faster than ever during 2017. And experts believe that 2018 could be an even hotter real estate market, due to a chronically low level of homes for sale. So buyers should be prepared for competition.A Fast-Moving Real Estate Market in 2018Here's the big message for home buyers and house hunters in 2018: Be prepared to move quickly when you find a house you want to buy. Nationwide, homes sold at their fastest pace on record last year. And t...
Home buying activity tends to pick up in the spring, as more and more buyers shake off the winter chills and prepare to enter the real estate market. This year, the spring home-buying "season" will be marked by low inventory across much of the country. And that will keep things competitive for home buyers seeking a property to purchase.42: Number of Months Inventory Has DeclinedInventory has been the big housing headline for the last couple of years. And real estate markets nationwide continue...
Seller's market conditions persist in cities across the country, as inventory continues to fall short of demand. Under these kinds of conditions, sellers typically enjoy competing offers from buyers. But that doesn't mean sellers should skimp on the home staging. By staging your house for buyers, you can increase the chance for a quick sale and a full-price offer. And those are good things!What Is Home Staging?Home staging is when you take proactive steps to make your house more appealing t...
Home buyers who are planning to enter the real estate market can benefit from having their financing arranged ahead of time. What does that mean exactly, and why is it so important in the current real estate market? Here's what you need to know. Many real estate markets across the country are highly competitive right now due to a lack of supply. There are plenty of people in the market looking to buy a home, but there's not enough inventory to go around. This supply and demand imbalance put...
The home buying market in Spirit Lake, IA does fluctuate with the rise and fall of interest rates. Homes for sale here and the surrounding communities like Okoboji, IA and Milford, IA are affected by the mortgage rates.
Should I buy a home now, or wait until later in the year? Will I pay more if I postpone my purchase?These are perennial questions from home buyers nationwide. And a recent upsurge in mortgage rates has some buyers rushing to close on their loans, out of concern that rates could...
Spring is almost here in the Lakes Region of NW Iowa. So is the spring selling season. So when you are thinking about selling a home in Spirit Lake, IA or the surrounding areas think about this.....
When you put your home up for sale, one of the best ways to determine the asking price is to look at comparable sales. There’s rarely a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, so a pricing decision often relies on comparisons to several recent sales in the area. Here are five criteria to look for in...
