Sylvia Albers's Blog

There are many young people debating whether they should renew the lease on their apartment or sign a contract to purchase their first home. As we have said before, mortgage interest rates are still near historic lows and rents continue to rise.Housing Cost & Net WorthWhether you rent or buy, you...

 Some Highlights: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently released their latestQuarterly Home Price Index report. In the report, home prices are compared both regionally and by state. Based on the latest numbers, waiting to move may end up costing you more!

Yesterday, we discussed the reasons why homeownership makes sense, financially. Today we wanted to touch on the emotional or ‘real’ reasons that many Americans strive to become homeowners.The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University performs a study every year surveying participants...

Some Highlights: Existing Home Sales rose to an annual rate of 5.47 million, representing an 11% increase year-over-year. Inventory levels remain below the 6-month supply needed for a normal market at a 4.0-month supply. Lawrence Yun, NAR's Chief Economist, warns: "The spring buying season is rig...

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their latest Quarterly Metro Home Price report earlier this month. The report revealed that home prices are not only continuing to rise but that the increases are accelerating. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR, discussed the impact of low in...

Some Highlights: Buying a home is often the biggest financial decision that any family will make. The average net worth of a homeowner is 45x greater than that of a renter. Homeownership puts your housing costs to work for you. Infographic was created in cooperation with Jensen & Co.

With spring right around the corner, you may be wondering if you should wait to enter the housing market. Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today instead of waiting.Prices Will Continue to RiseCoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index reports that home prices have appreciated by 6.3...

Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey.Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts and investment & market strategists about wh...

During the recession, many young adults graduating from college were forced to move back in with their parents. This caused new household formations to drop dramatically from the long term average of 1.2 million formations annually to half that number. However, this may be the year this turns bac...

Checkers is a simple game with a simple objective; eliminate the other player’s pieces. Even the process of doing so is simple, jump the other player’s pieces and start a collection. There is very little thought as to a defensive strategy and it is often more reactive than strategic.Even though t...