KWhomegirls Real Estate

Renting vs. Buying: The Net Worth Gap You Need To See

If you’re not sure if you should rent or buy, keep in mind that if you can make the numbers work, owning a home can really grow your wealth over time.
And if homeownership feels out of reach, let’s connect so we can explore programs that may make buying possible.

Renting vs. Buying: The Net Worth Gap You Need To See Trying to decide between renting or buying a home?

What To Look For From This Week’s Fed Meeting

While the Fed’s actions play a part, economic data and market conditions are what really drive mortgage rates. As we move through the rest of 2024 and 2025, expect rates to stabilize or decline gradually, offering more certainty in what has been a volatile market.

What To Look For From This Week’s Fed Meeting You may be hearing a lot of talk about the Federal Reserve (the Fed) and how their actions will impact the housing market right now. Here’s why.

Expect the Unexpected: Anticipating Volatility in Today’s Housing Market

The housing market may be experiencing some shifts, but don’t let it stop you from making your move. With the support of an experienced real estate agent and a trusted lender, you’ll be ready to navigate the changes and make the most of the opportunities that come your way.
Let’s turn any uncertainty into your advantage, helping you move forward with confidence.

Expect the Unexpected: Anticipating Volatility in Today’s Housing Market You’ve probably noticed one thing if you’re thinking about making a move: the housing market feels a bit unpredictable right now.

Is a Fixer Upper Right for You?

In today’s market, where the cost of homeownership can be intimidating, finding a move-in-ready home that fits your budget can feel like a real challenge. But if you’re open to putting in a little work, you can transform a fixer upper into your ideal home over time. Let’s explore what’s possible and find a place that'll work for you.

Is a Fixer Upper Right for You? Looking to buy a home but feeling like almost everything is out of reach?

Q&A: How Do Presidential Elections Impact the Housing Market?

Even if you’re not looking to move right away, you may have questions about how the election will impact the housing market. When we look at historical trends, combined with what’s happening right now, we can find your answers. Based on historical data, mortgage rates decrease in the months before and home prices and sales increase the year after the election. The facts show Presidential elections only have a small and temporary impact on the housing market.

Q&A: How Do Presidential Elections Impact the Housing Market? Even if you’re not looking to move right away, you may have questions about how the election will impact the housing market.

How Real Estate Agents Take the Fear Out of Moving

Feeling a bit unsure, or even afraid, to move with everything going on right now? The decision to move shouldn’t be scary, it should be exciting. And the best way to eliminate any fear is to work with a pro.
Here are just a few examples of why that expertise can give you so much peace of mind.
1. Explaining the Current Market
You may be seeing misleading headlines about a potential market crash, falling prices, and more. And when you’re not an expert yourself, it’s easy to get swept up in the clickbait and let that scare you. A real estate agent is there to help you separate fact from fiction and to debunk any headline that does more to terrify than clarify. With their deep understanding of local market trends, home values, inventory levels, and more, they’ll help you feel more confident in your decision.
2. Walking You Through the Process Step-by-Step
Is this your first time going through the...

How Real Estate Agents Take the Fear Out of Moving Feeling a bit unsure, or even afraid, to move with everything going on right now?

Avoid These Top Homebuyer Mistakes in Today’s Market

No one likes making mistakes, especially when they happen in what’s likely the biggest transaction of your life – buying a home.

That’s why partnering with a trusted agent is so important. Here’s a sneak peek at the most common missteps buyers are making in today’s market and how a great agent will help you steer clear of each one.

Trying To Time the Market

Many buyers are trying to time the market by waiting for home prices or mortgage rates to drop. This can be a really risky strategy because there’s so much at play that can have an impact on those things.

Buying More House Than You Can Afford

If you’re tempted to stretch your budget a bit further than you should, you’re not alone. A number of buyers are making this mistake right now.

Missing Out on Assistance Programs That Can Help

Saving up for the upfront costs of homeownership takes some careful planning. You’ve got to think about...

Avoid These Top Homebuyer Mistakes in Today’s Market No one likes making mistakes, especially when they happen in what’s likely the biggest transaction of your life – buying a home.

Why Home Sales Bounce Back After Presidential Elections

With the 2024 Presidential election fast approaching, you might be wondering what impact, if any, it’s having on the housing market. Let’s break it down.

Election Years Bring a Temporary Slowdown

In any given year, home sales slow down slightly in the fall. It’s a typical, seasonal trend. However, according to data from BTIG, in election years there’s usually a slightly larger dip in home sales in the month leading up to Election Day.

Home Sales Bounce Back After the Election

The good news is these delayed sales aren’t lost forever—they’re just postponed. History shows sales tend to rebound after the election is over. In fact, home sales have actually increased 82% of the time in the year after the election.

What To Expect in 2025

If history is any indicator, that means more homes will sell next year. And based on the latest forecasts, that’s exactly what you should expect. The housing...

Why Home Sales Bounce Back After Presidential Elections With the 2024 Presidential election fast approaching, you might be wondering what impact, if any, it’s having on the housing market.

Why Your House Will Shine in Today’s Market

Even though there are more homes available for sale than there were at this time last year, there are still more buyers than there are houses to choose from. So, know that if you’ve got moving on your mind, your house can really stand out.

What’s Causing the Shortage?

1. Underproduction of Homes

2. Rising Costs

3. Regional Imbalances

How Big Is the Problem?

According to estimates from Real Estate News, the U.S. is facing a housing shortfall of roughly 3.3 million homes, based on an average of several expert insights.

This shows there’s a significant number of homes that need to be built just to meet current demand from buyers. But what about future demand?

According to John Burns Research and Consulting (JBREC), over the next 10 years, the U.S. will need about 18 million new homes to meet projected demand, including homes for new households, second homes, and replacements for aging or unusable...

Why Your House Will Shine in Today’s Market Even though there are more homes available for sale than there were at this time last year, there are still more buyers than there are houses to choose from. 

Debunking Scary Myths About Buying a Home

There are a number of scary myths about homebuying in today’s market. Here’s what you need to know. Prices are not expected to crash, it is possible to buy even with student loan debt, and there are programs that can help you save for a down payment. Don’t let scary myths delay your homebuying plans. Let's connect so you have a pro to help you separate the facts from your fears.

Debunking Scary Myths About Buying a Home There are a number of scary myths about homebuying in today’s market. Here’s what you need to know.

Why Today’s Foreclosure Numbers Won’t Trigger a Crash

With everything feeling more expensive these days, it’s natural to worry about how rising costs might impact the housing market. Many people are concerned that high prices and tighter budgets could cause more homeowners to fall behind on their mortgage payments, leading to a wave of foreclosures.

But before you start worrying about a housing market crash, here’s a look at what’s really happening. And the good news is: the latest foreclosure data shows there’s no wave on the horizon.

How Today’s Market Is Different from 2008

Let’s ease those fears by looking at the bigger picture. There’s a big difference between what’s happening now, and what happened when the housing market crashed.
As an article from Bankrate explains: “In the years after the housing crash, millions of foreclosures flooded the housing market, depressing prices. That’s not the case now. Most homeowners have a comfortable...

Why Today’s Foreclosure Numbers Won’t Trigger a Crash With everything feeling more expensive these days, it’s natural to worry about how rising costs might impact the housing market.

How Long Will It Take To Sell Your House?

As you’re getting ready to sell your house, one of the first questions you’re probably asking is, “how long is this going to take?” And that makes sense—you want to know what to expect.

More Homes Are on the Market, and That’s Affecting How Long They Take To Sell

According to Realtor.com, the number of homes for sale has been going up this year. That means there are more options for buyers, which is great news for anyone looking to buy a home. But as a seller, it also means homes are staying on the market a bit longer now that buyers have more options to choose from.

But keep this in mind. While homes might not be selling as quickly as they did last year at this time, they’re still selling faster than they did in more normal years in the housing market, before the pandemic.

As NerdWallet explains: “Overall, though, demand still outpaces supply. This is hardly a mellow market: Good homes sell quickly . ...

How Long Will It Take To Sell Your House? As you’re getting ready to sell your house, one of the first questions you’re probably asking is, “how long is this going to take?” 

Planning To Sell Your House in 2025? Start Prepping Now

If your goal is to sell your house in 2025, now’s the time to start prepping. By starting your prep work early, you’ll give yourself plenty of time to get your house market-ready by the end of the year. But be sure to partner with a great agent before you get started, so you have expert insight into what repairs are worth it based on your local market.

Why Starting Early Is Key

To get the best price and sell quickly, it’s important that your home looks its best. And that means it’s up to you to make the necessary repairs, declutter, and even consider updates that could add value as part of getting your house ready to list.

By starting now, you can tackle things one task at a time. Because, if you wait to knock items off your list later on, they could quickly stack up and get overwhelming.

The Importance of Working with a Local Agent

And while that data gives you a starting point, it...

Planning To Sell Your House in 2025? Start Prepping Now If your goal is to sell your house in 2025, now’s the time to start prepping.

What To Expect from Mortgage Rates and Home Prices in 2025

Curious about where the housing market is headed in 2025? The good news is that experts are offering some promising forecasts, especially when it comes to two key factors that directly affect your decisions: mortgage rates and home prices.

Whether you're thinking of buying or selling, here’s a look at what the experts are saying and how it might impact your move.

Mortgage Rates Are Forecast To Come Down

One of the biggest factors likely affecting your plans is mortgage rates, and the forecast looks positive. After rising dramatically in recent years, experts project rates will ease slightly throughout the course of 2025.

While that decline won’t be a straight line down, the overall trend should continue over the next year. Expect a few bumps along the way.

Home Price Projections Show Modest Growth

While mortgage rates are expected to come down slightly, home prices are forecast to...

What To Expect from Mortgage Rates and Home Prices in 2025 Curious about where the housing market is headed in 2025?

Why Buying Now Is Worth It

You may be torn between buying a home now or waiting. But don’t forget to factor in the equity you’ll gain as prices rise. Experts forecast prices will climb over the next 5 years – and based on those forecasts, you could gain about $90k in equity in that time. So, you could wait, but you’ll miss out on a lot of equity if you do. If you’re ready and able to buy, let’s connect so you can start growing your wealth now.

Why Buying Now Is Worth It You may be torn between buying a home now or waiting. But don’t forget to factor in the equity you’ll gain as prices rise.

Why Did More People Decide To Sell Their Homes Recently?

This year, mortgage rates came down at the same time the number of homes on the market usually starts to decline. So, what happened? More homeowners decided to sell, so more homes came to the market.

The most recent data from Realtor.com reveals that in September, the number of homes put up for sale increased by 11.6% compared to this time last year.

Ralph McLaughlin, Senior Economist at Realtor.com, explains why there was an unseasonable rise: “This sharp increase is largely due to the decline in mortgage rates in mid-August, enticing homeowners to sell.”

So, as rates came down at the end of the summer, more people jumped into the market and decided to make their move.

What Does This Mean If You’re Looking To Buy a Home?

It means more fresh options to choose from than you’ve had in a while – not the ones that have been sitting around, unsold.

Why Buy Now, Rather Than Wait?

Whether...

Why Did More People Decide To Sell Their Homes Recently? Homeowners typically slow down their moving plans as the summer months wrap up, and as a result, fewer homes are listed for sale in the fall.

The Benefits of Using Your Equity To Make a Bigger Down Payment

Did you know? Homeowners are often able to put more money down when they buy their next home. That’s because, once they sell, they can use the equity they have in their current house toward their next down payment. And it’s why as home equity reaches a new height, the median down payment has too.

According to the latest data from Redfin, the typical down payment for U.S. homebuyers is $67,500—that’s nearly 15% more than last year, and the highest on record.

Here’s why equity makes this possible. Over the past five years, home prices have increased significantly, which has led to a big boost in equity for current homeowners like you. When you sell your house and move, you can take the equity that gives you and apply it toward a larger down payment on your new home. That’s a major opportunity.

Now, it’s important to remember you don’t have to make a big down payment to buy your next...

The Benefits of Using Your Equity To Make a Bigger Down Payment Did you know? Homeowners are often able to put more money down when they buy their next home.

Why an Agent Is Essential When Buying a Newly Built Home

For some buyers, there’s a misconception that newly built homes aren’t made to last or fall short of the quality you can find in older homes. Unfortunately, this is turning some buyers away from what may be one of their best options in today’s housing market.

So, is there any merit to the myth? Let’s break down the best way to make sure you feel good about looking into new home construction. That way, you’re not missing out on such a great option today.

Choosing the Right Builder

The key to making sure you get a quality newly built home is to choose a good builder. Reputable builders adhere to strict building codes and standards, use advanced construction techniques, and often offer warranties that cover structural issues for several years.

Beyond that, maybe they’ve even worked with other buyers who opted for a home in one of those neighborhoods. Here are just a few of the things your...

Why an Agent Is Essential When Buying a Newly Built Home For some buyers, there’s a misconception that newly built homes aren’t made to last or fall short of the quality you can find in older homes.