Blog Posts

Selling Your House on Your Own Could Cost You

By Rick Olsen | May 24, 2018

Selling Your House on Your Own Could Cost You | Simplifying The MarketIn this extremely hot real estate market, some homeowners might consider selling their homes on their own which is known as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). They rationalize that they don’t need a real estate agent and believe that they can save the fee for the services a real estate agent offers. However, a […]

Why Have Interest Rates Jumped to a 7-Year High?

By Rick Olsen | May 23, 2018

Why Have Interest Rates Jumped to a 7-Year High? | Simplifying The MarketInterest rates for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage have climbed from 3.95% in the first week of January up to 4.61% last week, which marks a 7-year high according to Freddie Mac. The current pace of acceleration has been fueled by many factors. Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist, had this to say: “Healthy consumer […]

How Current Interest Rates Can Have a High Impact on Your Purchasing Power

By Rick Olsen | May 22, 2018

How Current Interest Rates Can Have a High Impact on Your Purchasing Power | Simplifying The MarketAccording to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, interest rates for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage are currently at 4.61%, which is still near record lows in comparison to recent history! The interest rate you secure when buying a home not only greatly impacts your monthly housing costs, but also impacts your purchasing power. Purchasing power, simply put, is […]

Don’t Wait to Sell Your House! Buyers Are Out Now

By Rick Olsen | May 21, 2018

Don’t Wait to Sell Your House! Buyers Are Out Now | Simplifying The MarketRecently released data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) suggests that a now is a great time to sell your home. The concept of ‘supply & demand’ reveals that the best price for an item is realized when the supply of that item is low and the demand for that item is high. Let’s see […]

Is Your First Home Within Your Grasp Now? [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Rick Olsen | May 18, 2018

Some Highlights:

According to the US Census Bureau, ‘millennials’ are defined as 18-36-year-olds.
According to NAR’s latest Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, the median age of all first-time home buyers is 32.
More and more ‘old millennials’ (25…

Moving Up to Your Dream Home? Don’t Wait!

By Rick Olsen | May 17, 2018

Moving Up to Your Dream Home? Don’t Wait! | Simplifying The MarketMortgage interest rates have risen by more than half of a point since the beginning of the year, and many assume that if mortgage rates rise, home values will fall. History, however, has shown this not to be true. Where are home values today compared to the beginning of the year? While rates have been […]

Renters Under 50 Want to Buy a Home!

By Rick Olsen | May 16, 2018

Renters Under 50 Want to Buy a Home! | Simplifying The MarketEvery year, the New York Federal Reserve publishes the results of their Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE). Each survey covers a wide range of topics including inflation, labor market, household finance, credit access and housing. One of the many questions asked in the housing section of the survey was: Assuming you had the financial resources […]

Access: An Important Factor in Getting Your House SOLD!

By Rick Olsen | May 15, 2018

Access: An Important Factor in Getting Your House SOLD! | Simplifying The MarketSo, you’ve decided to sell your house. You’ve hired a real estate professional to help you through the entire process, and they have asked you what level of access you want to provide to your potential buyers. There are four elements to a quality listing. At the top of the list is Access, followed by […]

Homeownership: “A Man Is Not a Complete Man, Unless He Owns a House”

By Rick Olsen | May 14, 2018

Homeownership: "A Man Is Not a Complete Man, Unless He Owns a House" | Simplifying The MarketThe famous quote by Walt Whitman, “A man is not a whole and complete man, unless he owns a house and the ground it stands on,” can be used to describe homeownership in America today. The Census revealed that the percentage of homeowners in America has been steadily climbing back up since hitting a 50-year low in 2016. […]

3 Tips for Making Your Dream of Owning a Home a Reality [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Rick Olsen | May 11, 2018

Some Highlights:

Setting up an automatic savings plan that saves a small amount of every check is one of the best ways to save without thinking much about it.
Living within a budget right now will help you save money for down payments while also pay…