Real Estate Decoded

An improving economy and steady job market signals an improving housing market. In the natural order of real estate, one stimulates a rise in the others. This factual phenomenon will remain virtually unchanged by the most recent rate increase for the foreseeable near future. How does this impact housing prices?  Well, if the average home price is $225k, this would mean on a 30-year fixed rate loan, the increase would reflect a predicted drift to a $26 a month increase on buyers. This is clearly not enough to stop people from buying a home when home values are on the rise. Interest rates increasing is actually a sign that the economy is improving and showing no signs of slowing.  When the Federal Government raises interest rates, the masses will always shudder. Here is the reality: #1. Interest rates are still low -- even after this raise. #2. Buying a home still makes sense in America. #3. The dollar is strong. #4. Buying property is still one of the safest ways to diver

We all want to get the best deal. The only time we settle for less is when we do not care about the thing we are trying to buy. These are the things we consider both low in price and low value Items that fall into the high price and high value category are ones that we think through before we buy them. Not only because of the higher price, but also the long term value justifying the cost. Here is an example: You are traveling to a foreign Country for a business meeting. You decided to leave your tooth brush at home because it is a $200 dollar Sonicare. You advised your spouse you will buy a cheap one when you go to the hotel. Before arriving at the hotel you ate an onion bagel. Now that you have realized you are behind schedule, you are in a panic! You think... “Why didn’t I just pack that tooth brush?!” You look at your watch and you have five minutes until you meet the CEO of a company that can potentially offer you the best deal of your life. In this moment y

What is buyer's remorse?   To me  and my closest colleagues, it is the most logical instance of experiencing doubt in the world. Here is what I mean... We second-guess ourselves when deciding if we want whipped cream or a splash of vanilla flavoring in our daily coffee. Doubt happens every day. It is as human as  breathing. In my position as a Realtor, I have always found it interesting when I hear other Realtors say they see buyers feeling ashamed or reluctant to admit they are experiencing buyer's remorse. I am of the opinion that if you the buyer feel ashamed about remorse, it is a failure of your Realtor for not preparing you to likely feel that emotion. Buying a home and picking the one for you and your family is a major decision.  When you purchase a home you’re not only physically uprooting your family and putting them in a different location...  You are also putting a major chunk of money behind the decision.  I think the only rare reaction to

The rules of competition turn  grey  when the competition gets  personal . Competition works best when people compete to receive a fair deal for both sides. A win-win result both can live with. The goal should always be to create a win-win situation. Showing the opposing party a clear win-win option by being fair and picking a Realtor partner will give you the best odds of getting “picked”. With that in mind, the parties to a deal need to constantly gauge what is going on in a situation to determine what tactics should be implemented to ensure this happens. The question should always be: “what tactics should I use in this situation to be picked?” In other words, what makes my offer the most reasonable and attractive. Is it better to be cooperative or competitive when entering the market? The answer: It usually boils down to the facts concerning resources and demand for those resources. The fewer the resources, the more cooperation you want to display. The more abundant