Coldwell Banker American Homes Blog
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4
Interest Rate Rise Shelved until December
Interest rates will rise, but not until December at the earliest, the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday, confirming a long-held view that the Fed would not raise rates ahead of the presidential election. The benchmark interest rate determines the movement of mortgage rates, which currently linger around 3.5 percent.
"The Committee judges that the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has continued to strengthen but decided, for the time being, to wait for some further evidence of continued progress toward its objectives," according to a statement released by the Fed.
The announcement comes following a divided vote in September that resulted in the decision to hold steady on rates. "Our decision does not reflect a lack of confidence in the economy," Fed Chair Janet Yellen said at the t...
21
Why Fall Is Time to Buy—or Sell—a Home
October is one of the better months to buy, or sell.
Homebuyers, according to RealtyTrac®, tend to get the best deals in October, based on an analysis of more than 30 million single-family home and condominium sales that happened over the last 15 years—of the 2.7 million sales closed in October over that period, the average sale price was 2.6 percent below average estimated full market value.
Why the downtrend? One of the main causes is lesser demand, which results in lower prices. Another cause could be the presence of "spring leftovers"—the homes that didn't sell in the spring or summer placed back on the market, at a reduced price, in fall.
Historically, fall has been an ideal season for homebuyers—it lacks the pace of peak real estate season, which can be intimidating (especially to newcomers), and it offers time to b...
14
Buying a New Home? 4 Reasons Why Location Is Essential
Buyers are so hyper-focused on the home that they often cast aside surroundings. "Surroundings" do not equal trees, fences or landscape. The home's surroundings are the houses around the home and the residents occupying them. Surroundings also include the neighborhood, the passersby and the city. Surroundings are the home's location and it bears equal importance. Here's why location is essential to any future real estate decision.
Safety
Is the perfect home near a busy driving area consisting of drug houses, screaming kids and problematic neighbors? If so, stop reading; plenty of communities exist for you. For the rest of us, this isn't an ideal neighborhood. Pay extra for a safer neighborhood. They're packed with stores, shops, restaurants, and banks nearby; a rarely noisy community is surely waiting for you. A...
7
5 Tips for Saving Money on Your Next New Home
The process of buying a new home is stressful, even if you've already done it before. Looking at properties, researching areas, processing paperwork, etc., can all take a toll on your schedule and daily life. With all this going on, the last thing you should have to worry about is saving money when it actually comes time to buy the property. Use the following five tips for saving money on your next new home:
Always Use a Real Estate Agent
One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to purchase a home without a licensed real estate agent. Not only can an agent help with paperwork, but they'll also know how to negotiate the price using fair market value, the actual condition of the home and other various factors.
Try Not to Pay PMI
Also known as private mortgage insurance, this is tacked...
29
Is a Fixer-Upper Worth It?
Fixer-upper homes tend to be less expensive than top-to-bottom remodels, but the markdown may not equal the cost of a basic renovation, according to a recently released report by Zillow Digs®. The report's findings show median fixer-uppers list for 8 percent less than market value, which allows for a reno budget of just $11,000.
"Fixer-uppers can be a great deal, and they allow buyers to incorporate their personal style into a home while renovating, but it's still a good idea to do the math before making the leap," explains Svenja Gudell, Zillow's chief economist. "While an 8-percent discount or $11,000 in upfront savings on a fixer-upper is certainly a good chunk of change, it likely won't be enough to cover a kitchen remodel, let alone structural updates like a new roof or plumbing, which many of these properties require."
Th...