buyers Two Reasons Why Waiting a Year To Buy Could Cost You If you’re a renter with a desire to become a homeowner, or a homeowner who’s decided your current house no longer fits your needs, you may be hoping that waiting a year might mean better market conditions to purchase a home. To determine if you should buy now or wait, you need to ask yourself […]
market news Gardner Report for Oregon and SW Washington Q2 2021 The following analysis of the Oregon and Southwest Washington real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. We hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact your Windermere Real Estate […]
Uncategorized Surprising Shift Favors Homeowners: Buyers Now Prefer Existing Homes In April, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) posted an article, Home Buyers’ Preferences Shift Towards New Construction, which reported: “60% of people who were looking to buy a home in 2020 said they’d prefer new construction to an existing home.” However, it seems buyers are now shifting their preferences back to existing homes. The latest Consumer Confidence Survey reveals […]
Uncategorized 3 Charts That Show This Isn’t a Housing Bubble With home prices continuing to deliver double-digit increases, some are concerned we’re in a housing bubble like the one in 2006. However, a closer look at the market data indicates this is nothing like 2006 for three major reasons. 1. The housing market isn’t driven by risky mortgage loans. Back in 2006, nearly everyone could […]
market news Diving Deep into Today’s Biggest Buyer Concerns Last week, Fannie Mae released their Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI). Though the survey showed 77% of respondents believe it’s a “good time to sell,” it also confirms what many are sensing: an increasing number of Americans believe it’s a “bad time to buy” a home. The percentage of those surveyed saying it’s a “bad time to buy” hit […]
market news What Do Experts See on the Horizon for the Second Half of the Year? As we move into the latter half of the year, questions about what’s to come are top of mind for buyers and sellers. Near record-low mortgage rates coupled with rising home price appreciation kicked off a robust housing market in the first half of 2021, but what does the forecast tell us about what’s on […]
market news 6 Reasons to Celebrate National Homeownership Month Our homes are so much more than the houses we live in. For many, they’ve also become our workplaces, schools for our children, and safe harbors in which we’ve weathered the toughest moments of a global pandemic. Today, 65.6% of Americans call their homes their own, a rate that has risen to its highest point in 8 […]
Uncategorized How Misunderstandings about Affordability Could Cost You There’s a lot of discussion about affordability as home prices continue to appreciate rapidly. Even though the most recent index on affordability from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows homes are more affordable today than the historical average, some still have concerns about whether or not it’s truly affordable to buy a home right now. When addressing […]
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neighborhoods Portland is Growing Food Portland is unique in many ways.  We have so much nature—the views of Mt. Hood and the Willamette River are spectacular in many parts of the city.   Much of our year is consumed with clouds, but Oregonians are not afraid to go out in the rain—most don’t even own an umbrella.  We have a great […]
market news Is Home Price Appreciation Accelerating Again? At the beginning of the year, industry forecasts called for home price appreciation to slow to about half of the double-digit increase we saw last year. The thinking was that inventory would increase from record-low levels and put an end to the bidding wars that have driven home prices up over the past twelve months. However, that […]
market news Don’t Be Fooled by Remarkable Real Estate Headlines Don’t be impressed by the headlines reporting year-over-year housing numbers for the next several months (data covering March, April, May, and June). The data will most likely show eye-popping one-year increases. While the year-over-year jumps will certainly be striking, consumers should take these numbers with a grain of salt, as the situation highlights a short-term […]
Sellers Don’t Sell on Your Own Just Because It’s a Sellers’ Market In a sellers’ market, some homeowners might be tempted to try to sell their house on their own (known as For Sale By Owner, or FSBO) instead of working with a trusted real estate professional. When the inventory of homes for sale is as low as it is today, buyers are eager to snatch up virtually any house that comes to market. […]
Uncategorized To Renovate or Not To Renovate Before You Sell When thinking about selling, homeowners often feel they need to get their house ready with some remodeling to make it more appealing to buyers. However, with so many buyers competing for available homes right now, renovations may not be as vital as they would be in a more normal market. Here are two things to keep in […]
buyers How Upset Should You Be about 3% Mortgage Rates? Last Thursday, Freddie Mac announced that their 30-year fixed mortgage rate was over 3% (3.02%) for the first time since last July. That news dominated real estate headlines that day and the next. Articles talked about the “negative impact” it may have on the housing market. However, we should realize two things: 1. The bump-up in rate should […]
Bene's Blog Is It a Good Time to Sell My House? Last year, many homeowners thought twice about selling their houses due to the onset of the health crisis. This year, however, homeowners are beginning to regain their confidence when it comes to selling safely. The latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) by Fannie Mae shows that 57% of consumers believe now is a good time to sell. Doug Duncan, Vice President and […]
market news Will Low Mortgage Rates Continue through 2021? With mortgage interest rates hitting record lows so many times recently, some are wondering if we’ll see low rates continue throughout 2021, or if they’ll start to rise. Recently, Freddie Mac released their quarterly forecast, noting: “The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a record low over a dozen times in 2020 and the low interest rate environment is projected to continue […]
buyers Involving Children in the Home Buying Process One of my clients recently asked me how much consideration she should be giving to her child’s desires when buying a house.  Since I was an elementary school teacher for 15 years before becoming an agent, she thought I would have an opinion.  I suppose I do, but it is complicated. Buying a house is […]
market news Owning a Home Is Still More Affordable Than Renting One If spending more time at home over the past year is making you really think hard about buying a home instead of renting one, you’re not alone. You may be wondering, however, if the dollars and cents add up in your favor as home prices continue to rise. According to the experts, in many cases, it’s still more affordable […]
buyers The Importance of Home Equity in Building Wealth Homeownership has always been the first rung on the ladder leading to household wealth. As Freddie Mac recently posted: “Homeownership has cemented its role as part of the American Dream, providing families with a place that is their own and an avenue for building wealth over time. This ‘wealth’ is built, in large part, through the creation of […]
Things to do in Portland Nature Walks in the City Photo of views from Mt. Tabor by Sarah Ardin If you have followed my blog, you know that I love to walk in my neighborhood—or really in any Portland neighborhood.  But occasionally I will drive to walk elsewhere.  There are a couple of urban walks I like to do, but often if I am going […]