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#ForSellers #Pricing #MarketUpdates Pricing Your House Right Still Matters Today: While this isn’t the frenzied market we saw during the ‘unicorn’ years, homes that are priced right are still selling quickly and seeing multiple offers right now. http://dlvr.it/SsznxQ http://dlvr.it/SszpSD

While this isn’t the frenzied market we saw during the ‘unicorn’ years, homes that are priced right are still selling quickly and seeing multiple offers right now. http://dlvr.it/Ssznwp

Right now, there are more buyers looking to make a purchase than there are homes available for sale. That’s why the market favors sellers and why homeowners are still seeing multiple offers today. DM me so we can start the process of selling your house before the end of the year. #sellersmarket #buyerdemand www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/Sssn76

If you’re considering buying or selling a home, you’ll want to know what’s happening in the housing market. http://dlvr.it/SssBNQ

While the wild ride that was the ‘unicorn’ years of housing is behind us, today’s market is still competitive in many areas because the supply of homes for sale is still low. http://dlvr.it/SslX5r

If you’re thinking about buying a home soon, one thing you can do to help you get ready is focus on your credit score. Higher scores can help you get a lower mortgage rate and better loan terms. A loan officer can provide even more strategies to help you improve your credit score. If you're ready to buy now, DM me for other valuable tips on the homebuying process. #creditscores #firsttimehomebuyers www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/Ssc2T9

ICYMI: Real Estate Continues To Be the Best Investment [INFOGRAPHIC] According to a recent Gallup poll, real estate has been voted the best long-term investment for 11 years in a row, beating gold, stocks, bonds, and more. Owning real estate means more than just having a home—it’s an investment in your future. That’s because it’s typically a stable and secure asset that tends to increase in value as time goes on. DM me if you’re ready to buy a home and invest in your future. #firsttimehomebuyer #opportunity www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsZH1W

Home Prices Are Rebounding If you’re following the news today, you may feel a bit unsure about what’s happening with home prices and fear whether or not the worst is yet to come. That’s because today’s headlines are painting an unnecessarily negative picture. If we take a year-over-year view, home prices did drop some, but that’s because we’re comparing to a ‘unicorn’ year when prices peaked well beyond the norm. To avoid an unfair comparison to that previous peak, we need to look at monthly data. And that tells a very different and much more positive story. While local home price trends still vary by market, here’s what the national data tells us. We can see the past year in the housing market can be divided into two parts. In the first half of 2022, home prices were going up, and fast. However, starting in July, prices began to go down. By around August or September, the trend started to stabilize. But, looking at the most recent data for early 2023, prices are going up again. Th

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Real Estate Continues To Be the Best Investment [INFOGRAPHIC] According to a recent Gallup poll, real estate has been voted the best long-term investment for 11 years in a row, beating gold, stocks, bonds, and more. Owning real estate means more than just having a home—it’s an investment in your future. That’s because it’s typically a stable and secure asset that tends to increase in value as time goes on. DM me if you’re ready to buy a home and invest in your future. #firsttimehomebuyer #opportunity www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsX0Zq

ICYMI: Owning Your Home Helps You Build Wealth You may have heard some people say it’s better to rent than buy a home right now. But, even today, there are lots of good reasons to become a homeowner. One of them is that owning a home is typically viewed as a good long-term investment that helps your net worth grow over time. Homeownership Builds Wealth Regardless of Income Level You may be surprised to learn homeowners across various income levels have a much higher net worth than renters who make the same amount. What makes wealth so much higher for homeowners? A recent article from Realtor.com says: “Homeownership has long been tied to building wealth—and for good reason. Instead of throwing rent money out the window each month, owning a home allows you to build home equity. And over time, equity can turn your mortgage debt into a sizeable asset.” Basically, the wealth you accumulate when you own a home has a lot to do with equity. As a homeowner, equity is built up as you pay

Almost everyone has said it or heard it: Existing Home Sales are in the toilet because there's no inventory and there's no inventory because no one wants to give up their 3% mortgage when rates are 7%.   "There are simply not enough homes for sale," according to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "The market can easily absorb a doubling of inventory." To be sure, more inventory would be a good thing in almost every regard.  A doubling of inventory would likely keep prices in check or push them slightly lower, but it might not conjure up as much buying demand as you might assume.  Two separate stats in today's Existing Home Sales data illustrate the point.  The first is for inventory in terms of UNITS. This chart makes it seem as if inventory is in line with all time lows and not building as quickly as it normally does at this time of year.  But the takeaway changes a bit when we look at inventory in terms of "months of supply." Since it's no

Watching the bond market in real time can be stressful if you work in a highly rate-sensitive industry.  There's a tendency to get caught up in the intraday movement on any given day as if it had a big impact on the bigger picture.  That said, it usually doesn't.  Take this morning for instance.  Seemingly out of nowhere, 10yr yields are 10bps higher.  It's the biggest sell off in--what?  Only 2 weeks?  And there have been 5 other days with similar losses in the past 3 weeks? And bonds are still in the same old trading range--one that is quite narrow in the bigger picture.   http://dlvr.it/SsTYsS

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Ever see the movie “Cocoon”? Is there an X-rated version? Seven of the 10 fastest-growing metro areas over the past year are in Florida. The Census Bureau tells us there was population growth for about two-thirds of U.S. metro areas during this time, but The Villages, Florida, had the greatest percent increase at 7.5 percent. (Yes, as in the “STD Capital of America” Villages!) The metro area of Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-North Carolina came in second and saw population climb by 5.0 percent. The metro area of Dallas experienced the largest numerical population increase, seeing its population climb by 170,396 or by 2.2 percent from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022. The metro area of Houma, Louisiana, had the greatest percent decline over this time range, and two other metro areas in Louisiana were among the 10 fastest-shrinking metros. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Richey May, a recognized leader in providing specialized advis

Owning Your Home Helps You Build Wealth You may have heard some people say it’s better to rent than buy a home right now. But, even today, there are lots of good reasons to become a homeowner. One of them is that owning a home is typically viewed as a good long-term investment that helps your net worth grow over time. Homeownership Builds Wealth Regardless of Income Level You may be surprised to learn homeowners across various income levels have a much higher net worth than renters who make the same amount. What makes wealth so much higher for homeowners? A recent article from Realtor.com says: “Homeownership has long been tied to building wealth—and for good reason. Instead of throwing rent money out the window each month, owning a home allows you to build home equity. And over time, equity can turn your mortgage debt into a sizeable asset.” Basically, the wealth you accumulate when you own a home has a lot to do with equity. As a homeowner, equity is built up as you pay down y

These 10 states are America's strongest housing markets, offering buyers the best value http://dlvr.it/SsR54r

After bonds rallied hard last week, EU bonds began to rally harder.  This was most noticeable in the current week where 10yr Bund yields fell all the way back to their late June lows on the heels of favorable inflation data and conciliatory ECB speeches.  Along with the Fed next week, the ECB is seen hiking once more and then "waiting and seeing."  This represents a starker shift from the prevailing stance for the ECB than for the Fed.  As of this morning, that trading theme seems to have run its course. US bonds were already pushing back (or at least refusing to participate in as much of the rally).  Now that EU bonds are selling at their quickest pace since late June, US bonds are free to continue confirming the bottom of the range. http://dlvr.it/SsQlbf

Think mortgage math is complicated? Many in the nation are focused on air conditioning. Why is it measured in tons? It harkens back to the days of using ice, and a “ton” measures how much heat, removed by the system, would be needed to melt 2,000 pounds, or one ton, of ice in a 24-hour period. The result is then expressed in BTUs per hour. It takes 288,000 BTUs to melt a ton of ice in 24 hours, or 12,000 BTUs per hour. 1 BTU/hr. = 0.00029307107 kWh. And the average residential electricity rate in the U.S. is about 23 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). When you see your utility bill in the mail, don’t think about me. Maybe the math in a company acquisition is more straightforward. I mention this since ICE and Black Knight have agreed to sell Optimal Blue to Constellation Software in an effort to get regulatory approval for their merger. Constellation Software is already buying Empower and will purchase OB for $700 million paid for in $200 MM cash and a $500MM promissory note. Meanwhile, ple

Applications for refinancing rebounded last week from the previous week’s holiday-related slowdown but purchase applications slid lower. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of application volume, increased 1.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 27.0 percent compared with the previous week which was adjusted to account for Independence Day. The Refinance Index was up 7.0 percent from the previous week and was 32.0 percent lower than the same week in 2022. Applications for refinancing accounted for 28.4 percent of total activity compared to 26.8 percent the previous week. [refiappschart] The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index dipped 1.0 percent week-over-week and was 2 percent higher on an unadjusted basis. The Index was 21 percent lower than the same week one year ago. [purchaseappschart] “Mortgage rates declined last week, as markets responded positively to incoming data

ICYMI: #ForSellers #InterestRates #HousingMarketUpdates #SellingMyths Homebuyers Are Getting Used to the New Normal: Before you decide to sell your house, it’s important to know what you can expect in the current housing market. http://dlvr.it/SsM0LV http://dlvr.it/SsPpH9

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There’s a definite shift going on in banks as continued layoff rumors in jumbo and portfolio divisions are rampant. At the other end of the job chain, people’s circumstances about how they entered our business are often fortuitous, or interesting. A good conversation topic at mortgage gatherings is how someone got into the business. Santa Rosa’s Brian Goulding, for example, has a solid accounting background which morphed into being a loan officer. I was a food science major. Another good conversation topic is how LOs use rent, and rent increases, to prompt buyers. Since 2009 rent prices have grown by 60 percent or more in seven U.S. cities: San Jose (85 percent), Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Nashville, and Austin (60 percent). Rent prices are also rising faster than incomes, which forces tenants to shell out a greater share of their wages on rent. At 28.5 percent, Miami has the highest rent-to-income ratio of the 50 largest U.S. cities, while Cincinnati has the lowest at 1

Builder confidence in the market for newly constructed homes rose another point in July according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) hit 56 in its seventh straight month of improvement. This is a 25-point gain since its December 2022 low and its highest level since June of last year. NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz said the low inventory of pre-owned homes is shoring up demand for new homes and is pushing builder confidence up, “even as the industry continues to grapple with rising mortgage rates, elevated construction costs and limited lot availability.” “The lack of resale inventory means prospective home buyers who have not been priced out of the market continue to seek out new construction in greater numbers. At the same time, builders are troubled over rising mortgage rates approaching 7 percent and continue to grapple with supply-side challenges, including ongoing scarcity of electrical transformer equipment and

ICYMI: #ForBuyers #ForSellers #Pricing #BuyingMyths #SellingMyths Home Prices Are Rebounding: If you’re following the news today, you may feel a bit unsure about what’s happening with home prices and fear whether or not the worst is yet to come. http://dlvr.it/SsJ96J http://dlvr.it/SsM0yL

#ForSellers #InterestRates #HousingMarketUpdates #SellingMyths Homebuyers Are Getting Used to the New Normal: Before you decide to sell your house, it’s important to know what you can expect in the current housing market. http://dlvr.it/SsM0LV http://dlvr.it/SsM0k3

While home prices did fall a bit this year, the worst is already behind us. Nationally, prices have already rebounded and they’re expected to continue to tick up. That means if you buy a home now, it should grow in value. But if you wait, that same home is going to cost you more later. DM me if you’re ready to take the first step toward buying your next home. #homeprices #equity #expertanswers www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsJnT5

I am often asked about the jumbo segment of our business. Frankly, aside from the coasts and a couple cities in-between, much of the nation is not overly concerned with it. Paying $1 million or more for a house may seem excessive to most Americans, although that doesn’t mean million-dollar homes aren’t prevalent in some parts of the U.S. Per LendingTree, only an average of 6.68 percent of owner-occupied homes in the nation’s 50 largest metros in 2021 were valued at $1 million or more. The share of million-dollar homes has grown: That’s up from an average of just 4.71 percent of owner-occupied homes in the nation’s 50 largest metros in 2020. San Jose (66.3 percent) and San Francisco, CA (52.9 percent) have the largest share of million-dollar homes, the only two cities where most homes are worth at least $1 million. Including San Jose and San Francisco, the four metros with the highest percentage of million-dollar homes are in California. Only four metros (Buffalo, NY, Cleveland, Pittsbu

ICYMI: Newly listed homes are down across the country. If you’re looking to move this summer, selling while the number of homes coming onto the market is so low means your house will be in the spotlight for eager buyers who have limited options. DM me today so we can discuss why now is a great time to sell, if you’re ready. #newlylistedhomes #sellersmarket www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsJYxh

#ForBuyers #ForSellers #Pricing #BuyingMyths #SellingMyths Home Prices Are Rebounding: If you’re following the news today, you may feel a bit unsure about what’s happening with home prices and fear whether or not the worst is yet to come. http://dlvr.it/SsJ96J http://dlvr.it/SsJ9Nl

If you’re following the news today, you may feel a bit unsure about what’s happening with home prices and fear whether or not the worst is yet to come. http://dlvr.it/SsJ936

Newly listed homes are down across the country. If you’re looking to move this summer, selling while the number of homes coming onto the market is so low means your house will be in the spotlight for eager buyers who have limited options. DM me today so we can discuss why now is a great time to sell, if you’re ready. #newlylistedhomes #sellersmarket www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsGCZp

Newly listed homes are down across the country. If you’re looking to move this summer, selling while the number of homes coming onto the market is so low means your house will be in the spotlight for eager buyers who have limited options. DM me today so we can discuss why now is a great time to sell, if you’re ready. #newlylistedhomes #sellersmarket www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsGCVt

ICYMI: Are you a seller worried buyer demand has disappeared because of today’s mortgage rates? Know this: homebuyers are adjusting to the new normal and are still active today. If you’ve been on the fence about selling your home, let’s connect to chat about how your house could still sell quickly in today’s market. #mortgagerates #sellyourhouse www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsGCLC

Are you a seller worried buyer demand has disappeared because of today’s mortgage rates? Know this: homebuyers are adjusting to the new normal and are still active today. If you’ve been on the fence about selling your home, let’s connect to chat about how your house could still sell quickly in today’s market. #mortgagerates #sellyourhouse www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/SsDBl9

#ForBuyers #InterestRates How Remote Work Expands Your Homebuying Horizons: Even as some companies transition back into the office, remote work remains a popular choice for many professionals. http://dlvr.it/Ss6XCM http://dlvr.it/Ss6Xs3

Even as some companies transition back into the office, remote work remains a popular choice for many professionals. http://dlvr.it/Ss6XDr

“The world is going to come to an end tonight at midnight. Tune in tomorrow to see if it did!” Sensationalist headlines or bad predictions are tiresome at best, misinformation at worst. There is actual news, however. For example, thank you to the Knowledge Coop’s Ken Perry who sent along the latest in the Matter of ICE and Black Knight. LOs and underwriters know that the Supreme Court overturned the Biden administration’s student-debt forgiveness plan which would have wiped off $430B in loans from the government's books, and people who worked hard to pay off their debt cheered. Although there are already some alternatives that are in the making, this carries huge implications for inflation, consumer discretionary spending, and the distribution of wealth in the U.S. In other news, the latest update on inflation in the U.S. is this week with June’s Consumer Price Index report. Economists forecast headline inflation to fall to 3.0 percent from 4.0 percent in May and core inflation to

#ForSellers #Pricing Reasons Your Home May Not Be Selling: When it comes to selling your house, you want three things: to sell it for the most money you can, to do it in a certain amount of time, and to do all of that with the fewest hassles. http://dlvr.it/Srxx8m http://dlvr.it/Srxxmy

When it comes to selling your house, you want three things: to sell it for the most money you can, to do it in a certain amount of time, and to do all of that with the fewest hassles. http://dlvr.it/Srxx8S

ICYMI: The Benefits of Downsizing for Homeowners [INFOGRAPHIC] Downsizing is a popular choice for homeowners when they retire or when their needs change, but with inflation still high, it’s also a way to reduce costs. Downsizing could help cut down on your expenses and your equity can fuel your move. If you’re thinking about moving to a smaller home, DM me to go over your housing goals and look at your options on our local market. #expertanswers #stayinformed www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/Srvw9q

The Benefits of Downsizing for Homeowners [INFOGRAPHIC] Downsizing is a popular choice for homeowners when they retire or when their needs change, but with inflation still high, it’s also a way to reduce costs. Downsizing could help cut down on your expenses and your equity can fuel your move. If you’re thinking about moving to a smaller home, DM me to go over your housing goals and look at your options on our local market. #expertanswers #stayinformed www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/Srt0KR

The Benefits of Downsizing for Homeowners [INFOGRAPHIC] Downsizing is a popular choice for homeowners when they retire or when their needs change, but with inflation still high, it’s also a way to reduce costs. Downsizing could help cut down on your expenses and your equity can fuel your move. If you’re thinking about moving to a smaller home, DM me to go over your housing goals and look at your options on our local market. #expertanswers #stayinformed www.DanFreshley.com http://dlvr.it/Srt00l

ICYMI: Americans Still View Homeownership as the American Dream Everyone’s interpretation of the American Dream is unique and personal. But, for many people it’s tied to a sense of success, freedom, and prosperity. These are all things that owning a home can help provide. A recent survey from Bankrate asked respondents which achievements they feel most embody the American Dream. The responses prove owning a home is still important to so many Americans today as homeownership ranks above other significant milestones, including retirement, having a successful career, and earning a college degree. A recent report from MYND helps shed light on why so many people value homeownership. It finds, “. . . nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) see homeownership as a means of building intergenerational wealth.” To further drive home the difference homeownership can make in your life, a report from Fannie Mae says, “Most consumers (87%) believe owning a home is important to ‘live the good life.’

ICYMI: #ForBuyers #FirstTimeHomeBuyers #HousingMarketUpdates Americans Still View Homeownership as the American Dream: Everyone’s interpretation of the American Dream is unique and personal. http://dlvr.it/SrfVdw http://dlvr.it/SrjCCS

#ForBuyers #Pricing #FirstTimeHomeBuyers #InterestRates Two Questions To Ask Yourself if You’re Considering Buying a Home: If you’re thinking of buying a home, chances are you’re paying attention to just about everything you hear about the housing market. http://dlvr.it/Srj9t8 http://dlvr.it/SrjBR8

If you’re thinking of buying a home, chances are you’re paying attention to just about everything you hear about the housing market. http://dlvr.it/Srj9wM

Americans Still View Homeownership as the American Dream Everyone’s interpretation of the American Dream is unique and personal. But, for many people it’s tied to a sense of success, freedom, and prosperity. These are all things that owning a home can help provide. A recent survey from Bankrate asked respondents which achievements they feel most embody the American Dream. The responses prove owning a home is still important to so many Americans today as homeownership ranks above other significant milestones, including retirement, having a successful career, and earning a college degree. A recent report from MYND helps shed light on why so many people value homeownership. It finds, “. . . nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) see homeownership as a means of building intergenerational wealth.” To further drive home the difference homeownership can make in your life, a report from Fannie Mae says, “Most consumers (87%) believe owning a home is important to ‘live the good life.’ . . . N

#ForBuyers #FirstTimeHomeBuyers #HousingMarketUpdates Americans Still View Homeownership as the American Dream: Everyone’s interpretation of the American Dream is unique and personal. http://dlvr.it/SrfVdw http://dlvr.it/SrfW7X