Nothing, not even a coronavirus pandemic, can stop Black Friday from arriving—in fact, many of this year's hottest bargains rolled out weeks before Thanksgiving, rather than adhering to the tradition of waiting until the day after. And for first-time home buyers, this is truly a prime opportunity to stock up on all the essentials you need to keep your house in good shape without draining your wallet. Eager to snag a bargain but not sure what to get? For some help sussing out the best ... read more

Tomorrow, Americans will decide our President for the next four years. That decision will have a major impact on many aspects of life in this country, but the residential real estate market will not be one of them. Analysts will try to measure the impact feasible changes in regulations might have on housing, the effect of a possible first-time buyer program, and any number of other situations based on who wins.  The housing market, however, will remain strong for four reasons:   1.    Deman... read more

Homeowners ready to make a move are definitely in a great position to sell today. Housing inventory is incredibly low, driving up buyer competition. This gives homeowners leverage to sell for the best possible terms, and it’s fueling a steady rise in home prices. In such a hot market, houses are selling quickly. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes are typically on the market for just 18 short days. Despite the speed and opportunity for sellers, there are still st... read more

Talk of a housing bubble is beginning to crop up as home prices have appreciated at a rapid pace this year. This is understandable since the appreciation of residential real estate is well above historic annual averages. According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), annual appreciation since 1991 has averaged 3.8%. Here are the latest 2020 appreciation numbers from three reliable sources: ·        FHFA: 7.8% ·     &nb... read more

Savvy home buyers know that winter is typically a good time to embark on a house hunt, since much of their competition stays holed up at home until spring. But this winter, buyers might notice that despite the cold and the holidays, they've got company. Lots of it, in fact. "Normally winter is a good time for buyers," says realtor.com® chief economist Danielle Hale. However, since the coronavirus kept buyers on lockdown for much of spring, many are making up for lost time by home shopping hard ri... read more