What’s Going On In Our Marketplace?

Today I’ll address what’s happening in our market currently and what that means for home sellers.

The big question I’ve been hearing is, “What is the outlook for our market? What going to happen in 2019?” Here are some of my thoughts about the market for you to consider:

1. Interest rates are still amazingly low. When I bought my houses, interest rates were at 12.75%, which really puts into perspective how great our current 5% rate actually is. Compared to last year, however, rates are a whole point higher.

2. Houses are more expensive. Not only have interest rates risen, but home prices have gone up, as well. This is good news for sellers, but less so for buyers.

So what does the combination of these two factors mean to you as a seller? It means that if you price your property correctly according to the market and allow a good agent (like myself) to give it the proper exposure, it’s going to sell for top dollar.

If you have any questions or would like more information about how I can help you sell your home for as much as possible, please reach out to me. I would love to hear from you.

How Is Our Summer Market in North Atlanta Doing?

What is happening in our North Atlanta real estate market? Let’s take a look at three key factors.

What is going on in the market? For one thing, interest rates are on the rise and are now sitting at
between 4.5% to 4.8%. Yet, historically speaking, these rates are still very low. When I started working
in real estate back in 1985, my first deal had an interest rate of 14.75%. 

Additionally, inventory is still low and prices remain high, as well. Those who are thinking of selling 
should know that now is a great time to do so. To see my full message, watch this short video.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Don’t Be Fooled by Discount Brokers

Discount brokers may offer more money on the sale of your house, but they’re not nearly as effective in getting it sold as full-service brokers.

Buying an Atlanta Home? Search all homes for sale

Selling an Atlanta Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report

You’ve probably heard that there are real estate companies out there that offer huge discounts on being able to sell your house. There aren’t many of them, but they exist. Why would anybody hire a discount broker over a full-service broker? 

The obvious answer is the idea that at the end of the closing, you’d end up with a little bit more money if you chose the discount broker. How can they deliver that, though? Well, they can’t! That’s why they haven’t overtaken the business. The public has spoken. However, a few discount brokers manage to survive and complete deals here and there.

In choosing between a discount broker and a full-service broker, you need to interview each type and ask them what they’re going to do to sell your house. Most discount brokers are not going to do very much at all, but in their defense, they don’t promise to do very much.

Working with a discount broker is a bit of a crapshoot.

In this way, working with a discount broker is a bit of a crapshoot. That’s mostly how they work. In fact, that’s the only way they work. In the process of interviewing both the discount brokers and the full-service brokers, you’ll be able to know which one is better for you.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or email me. I look forward to hearing from you!

How Does Supply and Demand Affect Real Estate?

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Selling an Atlanta Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report

Hey there again, thanks for joining me today. Our topic this time is supply and demand.

When we talk about supply and demand, we are talking about the number of homes available for sale relative to the number of buyers out there in the market. As buyers purchase homes, demand for them decreases. Conversely, if we don't have a fresh supply of buyers, the market slows down and homes sit there, stagnant. When homes come off the market, unless we have a fresh supply, things get a little lopsided.

Finally, what actually controls both supply and demand is interest rates. Interest rates demand that either you buy or don't buy. If they are low enough, buyers are going to buy no matter what. I'm not quite sure exactly where we are in the cycle at the moment, but the market is still strong right now.

If you are thinking of buying or selling, or know somebody who is, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking with you!

What NOT To Do Once Your Loan Is Approved!

There are many great Atlanta area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (678) 488-8927 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

When you get a mortgage to buy a home, there are a few things you need to know. We've put together a list to help you make sure you're able to obtain a loan. If your loan has been approved:

• DON'T make any major purchases or apply for any new loans. That new car or investment property can wait until after you have the keys to your new home. 
• DON'T pay off any charges unless your loan officer says to.
• DON'T change accounts. If you are switching banks, or opening a new account at your current bank, wait until after the loan has gone through to make those changes.
• DON'T make any unusual deposits. If you just received a huge inheritance check, wait to deposit it until after your loan has been approved.

You can do all these things when applying for a loan and still get a mortgage. However, the loan will have to be underwritten all over again, which can take anywhere from two to four weeks. Bottom line: if you want to close on time, you need to follow those four points.

As always, if you have any questions about this or any other topic, don't hesitate to give us a call. We would love to hear from you!

Can We Help You Buy a Home After You've Sold?

There are many great Atlanta area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (678) 488-8927 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

It can be difficult to time the selling of your home so that you can move into your new home once the selling process is over. One thing we recommend to our sellers is that they get their credit score checked before putting their home on the market. We once had a homeowner who sold their home but was unable to buy another one because their credit was so low. You don't want this to happen to you.

Checking your score will only lower it 2-4 points and you can check it a couple weeks later without your score being further affected. If you find a mistake with your score, you can have the loan officer remove it and you can move forward with the process. If there isn't a mistake, you have time to start getting your credit score to where it needs to be.

We want to make your buying process exciting in the best possible way. To avoid unpleasant surprises, give us a call or shoot us an email. We can help you prepare so you can buy a home as soon as you've sold your current one!

Attention Homeowners - Now Might be the Right Time to Upgrade!

There are many great Atlanta area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (678) 488-8927 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today we're going to address the question of whether now is the time to upgrade to a bigger home. Here are 3 reasons you may want to consider making an upgrade soon:

1. Today's homes are 500 square feet larger than they were 20 years ago. 
2. Interest rates are still at historic lows, between 3.75% and 4.25%. 
3. Home prices are rising.

What does all this mean? First, there is a broad selection of larger homes available. Second, financing your home has never been cheaper. And lastly, home prices are rising - the longer you wait, the less affordable a new home will be. That's why it's important to act now. If you are adding to your family or have relatives moving into your home, now is the time to take advantage of current conditions and get a bigger home at an affordable price.

If you are interested in making that upgrade you've always wanted, give me a call or shoot me an email. We would love to help you out!

4 reasons why you shouldn't worry about another housing bubble

There are many great Atlanta area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (678) 488-8927 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Are We Heading Towards Another Housing Bubble?
A lot of buyers have been asking me if we are headed towards another housing bubble here in Atlanta. In short, the answer is NO, but let me explain why I say this.
 

1. Interest Rates: Interest rates are remaining low. Last time there was a bubble the rates were low, and then they got very high and became too expensive. This time, the rates have stayed low to help with a recovery.
2.  Lending Practices: Loans are now fully documented and lenders are being much more responsible in choosing who to lend their money to. If you're not qualified, then you're not going to get the loan.
3. Inventory / Number of Sales: We are not seeing a huge build up of inventory here in Atlanta. Actually, inventory is pretty low throughout the rest of the country. Massive build-ups of inventory are not happening because our sales and amount of inventory are right at pace with one another.
4. Price Increases: Prices are increasing, but they are not blowing through the roof. They are rising moderately in most parts of the country, especially here in Atlanta. In fact, some neighborhoods in Atlanta are experiencing far different markets than others. It really depends on what neighborhood you live in.

Hopefully this has erased any of your fears that we are heading towards another housing bubble. From what I can see and the data that I have combed over, we are not even close to a housing bubble. Even if we were close to one, we would be much more prepared for it than we were just a few years earlier.

If you have any further questions or would like assistance with Atlanta real estate, then please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always willing to lend a hand. You can reach me by phone or by email.