Blog Posts

Moving up Is MORE Affordable Now Than Almost Any Other Time in 40 Years

By Rick Olsen | March 15, 2018

Moving up Is MORE Affordable Now Than Almost Any Other Time in 40 Years | Simplifying The MarketIf you are considering selling your current home, to either move up to a larger home or into a home in an area that better suits your current family needs, great news was just revealed. Last week, Trulia posted a blog, Not Your Father’s Housing Market, which examined home affordability over the last 40+ years […]

7 Factors to Consider When Choosing A Home to Retire In

By Rick Olsen | March 14, 2018

7 Factors to Consider When Choosing A Home to Retire In | Simplifying The MarketAs more and more baby boomers enter retirement age, the question of whether or not to sell their homes and move will become a hot topic. In today’s housing market climate, with low available inventory in the starter and trade-up home categories, it makes sense to evaluate your home’s ability to adapt to your needs […]

You Can Save for a Down Payment Faster Than You Think!

By Rick Olsen | March 13, 2018

You Can Save for a Down Payment Faster Than You Think! | Simplifying The MarketSaving for a down payment is often the biggest hurdle for a first-time homebuyer. Depending on where you live, median income, median rents, and home prices all vary. So, we set out to find out how long it would take to save for a down payment in each state. Using data from the United States […]

4 Reasons Spring is a Great Time to Buy a Home!

By Rick Olsen | March 12, 2018

4 Reasons Spring is a Great Time to Buy a Home! | Simplifying The MarketHere are four great reasons to consider buying a home today instead of waiting. Prices Will Continue to Rise CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index reports that home prices have appreciated by 6.6% over the last 12 months. The same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of 4.3% over the next year. The bottom […]

The Difference an Hour Will Make This Spring [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Rick Olsen | March 9, 2018

Some Highlights:

Don’t forget to set your clocks forward this Sunday, March 11th at 2:00 AM EST in observance of Daylight Saving Time.
Unless of course, you are a resident of Arizona or Hawaii!
Every hour in the United States: 614 homes are sold, 81…

A New Housing Bubble Forming…Not Before 2024!

By Rick Olsen | March 8, 2018

A New Housing Bubble Forming…Not Before 2024! | Simplifying The MarketA recent report by CoreLogic revealed that U.S. home values appreciated by more than 37% over the last five years. Some are concerned that this is evidence we may be on the verge of another housing “boom & bust” like the one we experienced from 2006-2008. Recently, several housing experts weighed in on the subject […]

Home Prices: The Difference 5 Years Makes

By Rick Olsen | March 7, 2018

Home Prices: The Difference 5 Years Makes | Simplifying The MarketThe economists at CoreLogic recently released a special report entitled, Evaluating the Housing Market Since the Great Recession. The goal of the report was to look at economic recovery since the Great Recession of December 2007 through June 2009. One of the key indicators used in the report to determine the health of the housing […]

Competition is Coming, Are You Thinking of Selling Your Home?

By Rick Olsen | March 6, 2018

Competition is Coming, Are You Thinking of Selling Your Home? | Simplifying The MarketThe number of building permits issued for single-family homes is the best indicator of how many newly built homes will rise over the next few months. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Residential Sales Report, the number of these permits were up 7.4% over last year. […]

Housing Market Expected To “Spring Forward” This Year

By Rick Olsen | March 5, 2018

Housing Market Expected To "Spring Forward" This Year | Simplifying The MarketJust like our clocks this weekend in the majority of the country, the housing market will soon “spring forward!” Similar to tension in a spring, the lack of inventory available for sale in the market right now is what is holding back the market. Many potential sellers believe that waiting until Spring is in their best interest, […]

4 Reasons to Sell This Spring [INFOGRAPHIC]

By Rick Olsen | March 2, 2018

Some Highlights:

Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale which means that buyers are often competing with one another for the few listings that are available!
Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply needed to sust…