Selling your home can be a significant endeavor, requiring careful preparation and attention to detail. Often, homeowners neglect certain repairs that may not bother them but could dissuade potential buyers or raise concerns during home inspections. To ensure you fetch the top dollar for your property and avoid unexpected last-minute repairs, follow these essential steps […]

Americans have amassed plenty of housing wealth in recent years — but millions of homeowners are finding they’re effectively locked out of accessing it, a new study found. Higher interest rates and debt levels, along with pandemic-led disruptions to jobs and incomes, have made it more difficult for many US property owners to tap home […]

In a shift that underscores changing dynamics in the housing market, baby boomers now make up the largest generational group of home buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors®.   NAR’s 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, which examines the similarities and differences among recent home buyers and sellers across generations1, found that the […]

Bigger Down Payments Continue in Q4 2024 The typical down payment in the fourth quarter was $30,250, according to a new report from Realtor.com®, ever-so-slightly below the third quarter’s level but roughly $3,000 higher than one year prior. Last year saw the highest down payments in the data’s history, both as a dollar amount and as a share of […]

As housing affordability remains a critical challenge across the country, mortgage rates continue to play a central role in shaping homebuying power. Mortgage rates stayed elevated throughout 2023 and early 2024. Recent data, however, shows a slight decline in mortgage rates. Even modest declines can have a significant impact on housing affordability, pricing more households back into […]

Zillow projects that U.S. home prices will rise just 0.8% between February 2025 and February 2026. On Tuesday, Zillow economists published their updated forecast model, projecting that U.S. home prices, as measured by the Zillow Home Value Index, will rise 0.8% between February 2025 and February 2026. That’s another downward revision. Last month, their 12-month forecast […]

Home Depot’s chief financial officer said people are “moving on” from today’s high mortgage rates and have started investing more in their homes. The home improvement company reported strong fourth-quarter results, although CEO Ted Decker said consumers are still reluctant to make larger investments like a kitchen remodel. Experts say people may start to view today’s […]

Artificial intelligence is making its way into one of life’s biggest financial decisions. About 1-in-3 prospective homebuyers (32%) are using AI tools as part of their homebuying journey, according to a recent survey released today by Veterans United Home Loans, the nation’s largest VA lender. The nationwide survey of nearly 900 prospective buyers found that searching for and […]

While Western Washington is relatively well protected from risk of wildfire, the recent devastating fires around the country have served as a wake-up call for all of us. While we can’t control the weather, we can take proactive steps to protect our homes. Creating defensible space around your property is crucial, and focusing on the exterior is […]

Back in September 2024, the Federal Reserve finally began to lower interest rates and continued the cuts at its November and December meetings. HELOC rates have fallen in response. In fact, borrowing against your home’s value hasn’t been this affordable in about a year.  People are paying attention. Mortgage holders collectively withdrew about $48 billion of their home […]