• What's Motivating Your Move?,David Johnson

    What's Motivating Your Move?

    Thinking about selling your house? As you make your decision, consider what's pushing you to think about moving. A recent survey from Realtor.com looked into why people want to sell their homes this year. Here are the top two reasons (see graphic below): Let's take a closer look and see if they’re motivating you to make a change too. 1. To Make a Profit If you’re thinking about selling your house, you probably have a lot of questions on your mind. Well, here's some good news – the latest data shows most sellers get a great return on their investment when they sell. ATTOM, a property data provider, explains: “. . . home sellers made a $121,000 profit on the typical sale in 2023, generating a 56.5 percent return on investment.” That’s significant. And here’s one contributing factor. During the pandemic, home prices skyrocketed. There was way more buyer demand than homes available for sale and that combination pushed prices up. Now, home prices are still rising, just not as fast. That ongoing appreciation is good news for your bottom line. Any profit you make can help offset some of today’s affordability challenges when you buy your next home. If you want to know how much your house is worth now and what's going on with prices in your area, talk to a local real estate agent. 2. For Family Reasons Maybe you want to be near relatives to help take care of older family members or to have more support nearby. Or maybe you’re just eager to spend time together on special occasions like birthdays and holidays. Selling a house and moving closer to the people who matter the most to you helps keep you connected. If the distance is making you miss out on some big milestones in their lives, it might be time to talk to a local real estate agent to find a place close by. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says: “A great real estate agent will guide you through the home search with an unbiased eye, helping you meet your buying objectives while staying within your budget.” Bottom Line If you're thinking about selling your house, there’s probably a good reason for it. Let’s talk so you have help making the right move to reach your goals this year. Check out our Beautiful Listings at https://davesalaskahomes.com/featured-listingSearch for homes easily at https://davesalaskahomes.com/listingGet your home’s estimated value instantly at https://davesalaskahomes.com/evaluation If you or anyone you know has ANY thoughts of buying or selling real estate, lets connect to talk about the opportunities available in our market and how to reach your goals. LET US BE YOUR TRUSTED GUIDE Call or text Dave now at 907-863-7289Call or text Travis now at 907-575-6779 davesalaskahomes@gmail.com http://www.DavesAlaskaHomes. com

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  • Should I Move with Today’s Mortgage Rates?,David Johnson

    Should I Move with Today’s Mortgage Rates?

    When mortgage rates spiked up over the last few years, some homeowners put their plans to move on pause. Maybe you did too because you didn’t want to sell and take on a higher mortgage rate for your next home. But is that still the right strategy for you? In today’s market, data shows more homeowners are getting used to where rates are and thinking it may be time to move. As Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics, explains: “Listings are up a bit as life events and job changes are putting increasing pressure on locked-in homeowners to sell their homes. Homeowners may also be slowly coming to the realization that mortgage rates aren’t going back anywhere near the rate on their existing mortgage.” A recent study from Bank of America sheds light on some of the things homeowners say would make them sell, even with rates where they are right now (see visual below): What Would Motivate You To Move? Now that you know why other people would move, take a minute to think about what would make a move worth it for you. Is it time to take a chance and go for your dream job, even though it’s not local? Are you looking for a neighborhood that has more to offer and a close-knit sense of community? Maybe you just need more space, you’re looking for your next great adventure, or you want a house that opens up rental opportunities to pad your income. And here’s something else to consider. Mortgage rates are still expected to go down over the course of the year. And once that happens, there’s going to be a big rush of buyers jumping back into the market. While you could delay your plans until rates drop, you’ll only have more competition with those buyers if you do. So, does that mean it’s worth it to move now, even with rates where they are? The answer is: that it depends. You'll want to consider today’s mortgage rates, where they’re expected to go from here, and what would prompt you to want to make a change as you decide on your next steps. An expert can help with that.  Bottom Line Other homeowners are getting used to rates and deciding to move. Let’s chat to go over what matters most to you and if it’s time for you to jump back into the market too.  Check out our Beautiful Listings at https://davesalaskahomes.com/featured-listingSearch for homes easily at https://davesalaskahomes.com/listingGet your home’s estimated value instantly at https://davesalaskahomes.com/evaluation If you or anyone you know has ANY thoughts of buying or selling real estate, lets connect to talk about the opportunities available in our market and how to reach your goals. LET US BE YOUR TRUSTED GUIDE Call or text Dave now at 907-863-7289Call or text Travis now at 907-575-6779 davesalaskahomes@gmail.com http://www.DavesAlaskaHomes. com  

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  • Is It Easier To Find a Home To Buy Now?,David Johnson

    Is It Easier To Find a Home To Buy Now?

    One of the biggest hurdles buyers have faced over the past few years has been a lack of homes available for sale. But that’s starting to change. The graph below uses the latest data from Realtor.com to show there are more homes on the market in 2024 than there have been in any of the past several years (2021-2023): Does That Mean Finding a Home Is Easier? The answer is yes, and no. As an article from Realtor.com says: “There were nearly 15% more homes for sale in February than a year earlier . . . That alone could jolt the housing market a bit if more “For Sale” signs continue to appear. However, the nation is still suffering from a housing shortage even with all of that new inventory.” Context is important. On the one hand, inventory is up over the past few years. That means you’ll likely have more options to choose from as you search for your next home. But, at the same time, the graph above also shows there are still significantly fewer homes for sale than there would usually be in a more normal, pre-pandemic market. And that deficit isn’t going to be reversed overnight. What Does This Mean for You? You might find a few more choices now than in recent years, but you shouldn’t expect a ton of options. To help you explore the growing list of choices you have now, team up with a local real estate agent you trust. They can really help you understand the inventory situation where you want to buy. That’s because real estate is local. An experienced agent can share some smart tips they’ve used to help other buyers in your area deal with ongoing low housing supply. Bottom Line If you’re thinking about buying a home, let’s team up. That way, you’ll be up to date on everything that could affect your move, including how many homes are for sale right now. Check out our Beautiful Listings at https://davesalaskahomes.com/featured-listingSearch for homes easily at https://davesalaskahomes.com/listingGet your home’s estimated value instantly at https://davesalaskahomes.com/evaluation If you or anyone you know has ANY thoughts of buying or selling real estate, lets connect to talk about the opportunities available in our market and how to reach your goals. LET US BE YOUR TRUSTED GUIDE Call or text Dave now at 907-863-7289Call or text Travis now at 907-575-6779 davesalaskahomes@gmail.com http://www.DavesAlaskaHomes. com

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