Suzanne's Blog
5 terrible reasons to refinance your mortgage — that have nothing to do with today’s rising rates
After years of record-setting low mortgage rates, the days of easy loans are long gone. But even with rates on the rise, there are plenty of excellent reasons to refinance your mortgage — like changing the length of your loan, switching from a variable to a fixed rate or tapping into your home’s equity. Americans are facing a […]
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How to Move Past Student Debt — and Into a Home
You want to buy a house. But you’re worried you won’t qualify for a mortgage because of your student loan debt. You’re not alone. Half of non-homeowners (51%) say student loan debt is delaying them from buying a home, according to a survey from the National Association of REALTORS®. That number jumps to 60% for […]
Read More7 Most Popular Bathroom Upgrades
Homeowners are spending more money to spruce up their bathrooms as the pandemic-fueled home renovation boom continues. The national median spend for bathroom renovations jumped nearly 13% year over year to $9,000, according to the 2022 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, a survey of more than 2,500 homeowners who are planning or recently completed a bathroom […]
Read MoreChasing The Ball Down The Road In Real Estate
Sellers have been chasing the ball down the road. What I mean is prices have been going down lately, and sellers are trying to find the market through price reductions. I can’t speak for the entire country, but I’d like to talk about what’s happening locally. I’m not writing as a housing bull or bear […]
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US Home-Price Growth Slowed in June
Home-price growth in the US decelerated in June as the sales slowdown gripped the market. A national measure of prices rose 18% year-over-year, smaller than the 19.9% climb in May, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index showed Tuesday. The housing market has quickly slowed from its pandemic-era frenzy, with the Case-Shiller figures reflecting the start of […]
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Economists Have a Strange New Buzzword for the Housing Market That Will Shock Buyers and Sellers
The housing market has been called plenty of things this summer: red-hot, insane, brutal. But the latest word du jour to describe the state of real estate today is almost shocking in its tepidness: balanced. This term cropped up most recently in an analysis by Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu, who notes, “Our weekly data suggests that the U.S. housing market keeps progressing toward a more […]
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Amid Good News, There’s a Crucial Housing Market Detail We’re All Overlooking
Recent real estate headlines are bursting with promising news for homebuyers, heralding a bright new housing market that’s more “balanced” and “buyer-friendly.” But what this exuberant outlook seems to be missing is a bit more balance itself. Yes, homebuyers have it a little bit better, in some places. But for others, it’s still a war zone—or, at […]
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Fences and Other Shared Costs With Neighbors: Who Is Responsible?
When it comes to figuring out who is responsible for fences and other shared costs between neighbors, sometimes the legal responsibility depends on your state of residence and its local regulations. Here’s how to determine if a homeowner or neighbor should assume partial or full responsibility for situations where there is a shared outdoor-related expense. Review Local […]
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