Top Questions About Selling Your Home This Winter


There’s no denying the housing market is undergoing a shift this season, and that may leave you with some questions about whether it still makes sense to sell your house. Here are three of the top questions you may be asking – and the data that helps answer them – so you can make a confident decision.

1. Should I Wait To Sell?

Even though the supply of homes for sale has increased in 2022, inventory is still low overall. That means it’s still a sellers’ market. The graph below helps put the inventory growth into perspective. Using data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), it shows just how far off we are from flipping to a buyers’ market:


While buyers have regained some negotiation power as inventory has grown, you haven’t missed your window to sell. Your house could still stand out since inventory is low, especially if you list now ...

What’s Ahead for Mortgage Rates and Home Prices?


Now that the end of 2022 is within sight, you may be wondering what’s going to happen in the housing market next year and what that may mean if you’re thinking about buying a home. Here’s a look at the latest expert insights on both mortgage rates and home prices so you can make your best move possible.

Mortgage Rates Will Continue To Respond to Inflation

There’s no doubt mortgage rates have skyrocketed this year as the market responded to high inflation. The increases we’ve seen were fast and dramatic, and the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate even surpassed 7% at the end of last month. In fact, it’s the first time they’ve risen this high in over 20 years (see graph below):


In their latest quarterly report, Freddie Mac explains just how fast the climb in rates has been:


“Just one year ago, rates were under 3%. T ...

Taking the Fear out of Saving for a Home


If you’re planning to buy a home, knowing what to budget for and how to save may sound scary at first. But it doesn’t have to be. One way to take the fear out of budgeting is understanding some of the costs you might encounter.  And to do that, turn to trusted real estate professionals. They can help you plan your finances and prepare your budget.

Here are just a few costs experts say you can expect.

1. Down Payment

Saving for your down payment is likely top of mind as you set out to buy a home. But do you know how much you’ll need to save? While each situation is different, there’s a common misconception that putting 20% down toward your purchase is required. An article from the Mortgage Reports explains why that’s not always the case:


“The idea that you have to put 20% down on a house is a myth. . . . The right amount depends on your current sav ...

Overpricing Your Home: 3 Consequences You Might Not Expect

When it comes to selling your home, you obviously want to get the best price possible. But what happens if you get too greedy and price your home too high? Surely there's no harm in starting high and coming down, right? Wrong. There are a few consequences of overpricing your home that you might not expect. Here are three of them.


1. Your home will sit on the market longer. 
The longer your home sits on the market, the more likely it is to become stale. Buyers will start to wonder what's wrong with it and why it hasn't sold yet. This can lead them to lowball you when they do make an offer, which brings us to the next consequence...

2. You'll probably end up selling for less than you would have if you'd priced it correctly from the start. 
If buyers think your home has been on the market for too long, they'll assume there must be something wrong with it—even if there isn't. They'll also know that you'. ...

What Happens to Housing when There’s a Recession?


Since the 2008 housing bubble burst, the word recession strikes a stronger emotional chord than it ever did before. And while there’s some debate around whether we’re officially in a recession right now, the good news is experts say a recession today would likely be mild and the economy would rebound quickly. As the 2022 CEO Outlook from KPMG says:

“Global CEOs see a ‘mild and short’ recession, yet optimistic about global economy over 3-year horizon . . .
 More than 8 out of 10 anticipate a recession over the next 12 months, with more than half expecting it to be mild and short.”

To add to that sentiment, housing is typically one of the first sectors to rebound during a slowdown. As Ali Wolf, Chief Economist at Zonda, explains:

“Housing is traditionally one of the first sectors to slow as the economy shifts but is also one of the first to reboun ...