Blog Posts

99% of Experts Agree: Home Prices Will Increase

By Rick Olsen | March 29, 2018

99% of Experts Agree: Home Prices Will Increase | Simplifying The MarketSome believe that the combined effects of the new tax code and rising mortgage rates will have an adverse impact on residential real estate prices in 2018. However, the clear majority of recently surveyed housing experts believe that home values will continue to rise this year. What is the Home Price Expectation Survey? Each quarter, […]

Be Thankful You Don’t Have to Pay Your Parents’ Interest Rate!

By Rick Olsen | March 28, 2018

Be Thankful You Don’t Have to Pay Your Parents’ Interest Rate! | Simplifying The MarketInterest rates hovered around 4% for the majority of 2017, which gave many buyers relief from rising home prices and helped with affordability. In the first quarter of 2018, rates have increased from 3.95% up to 4.45% and experts predict that rates will increase even more by the end of the year. The rate you […]

Buyer Demand Still Outpacing the Supply of Homes for Sale

By Rick Olsen | March 27, 2018

Buyer Demand Still Outpacing the Supply of Homes for Sale | Simplifying The MarketThe price of any item is determined by the supply of that item, as well as market demand. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) surveys “over 50,000 real estate practitioners about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions” for their monthly REALTORS Confidence Index. Their latest edition sheds some light on the relationship between Seller Traffic (supply) and Buyer Traffic […]

5 Reasons Why to Sell This Spring!

By Rick Olsen | March 26, 2018

5 Reasons Why to Sell This Spring! | Simplifying The MarketHere are five reasons listing your home for sale this spring makes sense. 1. Demand Is Strong The latest Buyer Traffic Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains very strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase…and are in the […]

20 Tips for Preparing Your House for Sale This Spring [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Rick Olsen | March 23, 2018

Highlights:

When listing your house for sale your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible!
There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens!
Your real estate agent will have a list of specific suggestion…

Freddie Mac: Rising Mortgage Rates DO NOT Lead to Falling Home Prices

By Rick Olsen | March 22, 2018

Freddie Mac: Rising Mortgage Rates DO NOT Lead to Falling Home Prices | Simplifying The MarketRecently, Freddie Mac published an Insight Report titled Nowhere to go but up? How increasing mortgage rates could affect housing. The report focused on the impact the projected rise in mortgage rates might have on the housing market this year. Many believe that an increase in mortgage rates will cause a slowdown in purchases which […]

Is a Major Home Renovation Worth It in the Long Run?

By Rick Olsen | March 21, 2018

Is a Major Home Renovation Worth It in the Long Run? | Simplifying The MarketLast week, we shared “7 Factors To Consider When Choosing A Home To Retire In.” For some homeowners, these seven factors can be taken into account with a home renovation, but is it worth it to remodel or change floor plans? Let’s look at this example. Let’s say you have a 4-bedroom colonial style home […]

Are You Aware of How Much Equity You Have in Your Home? You May Be Surprised!

By Rick Olsen | March 20, 2018

Are You Aware of How Much Equity You Have in Your Home? You May Be Surprised! | Simplifying The MarketCoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 675,000 US homeowners regained positive equity in their homes in 2017. This is great news for the country, as 95.1% of all mortgaged properties are now in a positive equity situation. “U.S homeowners with mortgages (roughly 63% of all the properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of $908.4 billion […]

Dreaming of a Luxury Home? Now’s the Time!

By Rick Olsen | March 19, 2018

Dreaming of a Luxury Home? Now's the Time! | Simplifying The MarketIf your house no longer fits your needs and you are planning on buying a luxury home, now is a great time to do so! Recently, the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing released its Luxury Market Report which showed that in today’s premium home market, buyers are in control. The inventory of homes for sale […]

The Cost of Waiting: Interest Rates Edition [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Rick Olsen | March 16, 2018

Some Highlights:

Interest rates are projected to increase steadily heading into 2019.
The higher your interest rate, the more money you end up paying for your home and the higher your monthly payment will be.
Rates are still low right now. Don’t wai…