In todays sellers market, standing out as a buyer is critical. Multi-offer scenarios and bidding wars are the norm due to the low supply of houses for sale and high buyer demand. If you're buying this fall, you'll want every advantage, especially when you've found the home of your dreams.Below are five things to keep in mind when its time to make an offer.1. Know Your BudgetKnowing your budget and what you can afford is critical to your success as a homebuyer. The best way to understand your numbers is to work with a lender so you can get pre-approved for a loan. As Freddie Mac puts it:This pre-approval allows you to look for a home with greater confidence and demonstrates to the seller that you are a serious buyer.Showing sellers you're serious can give you a competitive edge. It enabl... 09/20/2021

Day to day life has a lot of moving parts. Unfortunately, this sometimes makes it a little too easy to misplace some of those things that we use every day. This can be a real hassle, causing you to spend time looking for the various things you need instead of using them. Most smartphones come with a “find my phone” feature, so wouldn’t it be great if everything else had a similar function?With the advent of smart tags, this is actually possible. These tags make it easy to locate lost items around the home and can even provide extra security against theft or loss while you’re out and about. The specific features and functions depend on the brand of smart tags that you use, but regardless of brand you’ll find that there are some features that are universal.How Do Smart Tags Work? Smart ta... 09/15/2021

Even though experts agree there's no chance of a large-scale foreclosure crisis, there are a number of homeowners who may be coming face-to-face with foreclosure as a possibility. And while the overall percentage of homeowners at risk is decreasing with time (see graph below), that's little comfort to those individuals who are facing challenges today.If you haven't taken advantage of the forbearance period, it may be time to research and understand your options. It starts with knowing what foreclosure is. Investopedia defines it like this:Foreclosure is the legal process by which a lender attempts to recover the amount owed on a defaulted loan by taking ownership of and selling the mortgaged property. Typically, default is triggered when a borrower misses a specific number of monthly pa... 09/14/2021

One of the major story lines over the last year is how well the residential real estate market performed. One key metric in the spotlight is home price appreciation. According to the latest indices, home prices are skyrocketing this year.Here are the latest percentages showing the year-over-year increase in home price appreciation: The House Price Index (HPI) from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA): 18.8% The S. National Home Price Index from S&P Case-Shiller: 18.6% The Home Price Insights Report from CoreLogic: 18% The dramatic increases are seen at every price point and in all regions of the country.Increases Are Across Every Price PointAccording to the latest Home Price Index from CoreLogic, each price range is seeing at least a 19% increase year-over-year:Increases Are Across... 09/13/2021

As rent prices continue to soar, many renters want to know what they can do to get ready to buy their first home. According to recent data from ApartmentList.com:The first half of 2021 has seen the fastest growth in rent prices since the start of our estimates in 2017. Our national rent index has increased by 11.4 percent since January . . . .Those rising rental costs may make it seem impossible to prepare for homeownership if you're a renter. But the truth is, there are ways you can and should prepare to purchase your first home. Here's some expert advice on what to do if you're ready to learn more about how to escape rising rents.Start Saving Even Small Amounts NowExperts agree, setting aside what you can even smaller amounts of money into a dedicated savings account is a great starti... 09/08/2021

There are many headlines about how housing affordability is declining. The headlines are correct: its less affordable to purchase a home today than it was a year ago. However, its important to give this trend context. Is it less expensive to buy a house today than it was in 2005? What about 1995? What happens if we go all the way back to 1985? Or even 1975?Obviously, the price of a home has appreciated dramatically over the last 45 years. So have the prices of milk, bread, and just about every other consumable. Prices rise over time we know it as inflation.However, when we look at housing, price is just one component that makes up the monthly cost of the home. Another key factor is the mortgage rate at the time of purchase.Lets look back at the cost of a home over the last five decades ... 08/18/2021

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 the percentage of Americans planning to buy a home in the next six months is virtually the same as it was back in March. However, the percentage that plan to buy a newly constructed home is lower for that same period.NAHB confirms this sentiment in their latest Housing Trends Report. The organization explains that existing homes are now the top preference among todays buyers. Here's a breakdown of those fi... 08/10/2021

Some veterans are finding it difficult to obtain a home in todays market. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):Conventional conforming mortgages (mortgages that conform to guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), accounted for 74% of mortgages obtained by homebuyers in May 2021, an increase from about 65% during 2018 through 2019The share of VA-guaranteed loans has also decreased to 7% in May 2021 from about 10% in past years.Recent data in the latest Origination Insight Report from Ellie Mae sheds light on the continuation of this trend. Below, we can see just how small of a share of total financing VA loans made up in June of 2021, according to that Ellie Mae report:The drop in VA loan usage can be attributed to the difficulties veterans continue to face when ... 08/03/2021

Over the past year, many homeowners realized what they need in a home is changing, especially with the rise in remote work. If you're longing for a dedicated home office or a change in scenery, now may be the time to find the home that addresses your evolving needs.Working from Home Isn't a Passing FadBefore the pandemic, only 21% of individuals worked from home. However, if you've recently discovered remote work is your new normal, you're not alone.A survey of hiring managers conducted by Statista and Upwork projects 37.5%of U.S. workers will work remotely in some capacity over the next 5 years (see chart below):Working from Home Gives You More Flexibility and More OptionsIf you fall in that category, working from home may provide you with opportunities you didn't realize you had. The ... 07/27/2021

Skylights can be a great way to add natural light to your home. This can be especially useful for rooms that lack windows or that are otherwise blocked from getting much natural light. Unfortunately, skylights sometimes fall victim to the ravages of time and climate. This may leave you wondering whether you should upgrade or replace those skylights that have been in place for years. In some cases, this can be a pretty big undertaking, so here are a few things to consider before jumping into a skylight upgrade.  Reasons to Upgrade a Skylight There are a number of issues that can arise with skylights that might prompt an upgrade or replacement. The most obvious is some damage occurring to the skylight from severe weather or other natural events. Even without external damage, though, skyli... 06/30/2021

The major challenge in todays housing market is that there are more buyers looking to purchase than there are homes available to buy. Simply put, supply cant keep up with demand. A normal market has a 6-month supply of homes for sale. Anything over that indicates its a buyers market, but an inventory level below that threshold means were in a sellers market. Todays inventory level sits far below the norm.According to the Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR):Total housing inventory at the end of April amounted to 1.16 million units, up 10.5% from March’s inventory and down 20.5% from one year ago (1.46 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 2.4-month supply at the current sales pace, slightly up from March’s 2.1-month supply and down from the 4.0-month... 06/22/2021

During the Great Recession, just over a decade ago, the financial systems the world depended on started to collapse. It created a panic that drove some large companies out of business (ex. Lehman Brothers) and many more into bankruptcy.The financial crisis that accompanied the current pandemic caused hardship to certain industries and hurt many small businesses. However, it hasn't rattled the world economy. It seems that a year later, things are slowly getting back to normal for many companies.Why is there a drastic difference between 2008 and now? In a post from RealtyTrac, they explain:We changed the rules. We told banks they needed more reserves and that they could no longer underwrite toxic mortgages. It turns out that regulation properly done can help us navigate financial minefiel... 06/11/2021

This year, Americans are moving for a variety of reasons. The health crisis has truly reshaped our lifestyles and our needs. Spending so much more time in our current homes has driven many people to reconsider what homeownership means and what they find most valuable in their living spaces.According to the 2020 Annual National Movers Study:For customers who cited COVID-19 as an influence on their move in 2020, the top reasons associated with COVID-19 were concerns for personal and family health and wellbeing (60%); desires to be closer to family (59%); 57% moved due to changes in employment status or work arrangement (including the ability to work remotely); and 53% desired a lifestyle change or improvement of quality of life.With a new perspective on homeownership, here are some of the... 06/07/2021

Veteran’s Home Loans for Missouri City Texas!!If you are reading this, you or a family member have likely served in our military.  First off, we would like to say a sincere “Thank You” for your service!  We recognize that not only do our Veterans sacrifice by serving, but their families do as well-, and we owe you all a debt of gratitude!One of the best benefits Veterans and their families receive due to their service to our great country is the VA home loan benefits.  We are going to outline just a few of these significant benefits in this article for you.Here are some of the major benefits you may receive by using your VA home loan benefits:*100% financing available- one of the very few loans available with no down payment!*Lower rates available than most loan programs- which saves yo... 04/20/2021

Crestmont Place Real Estate Homes For Sale, Rent & Price TrendsShayne Stone "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" that helps Home Sellers make a Profit and Home Buyers Equity in Crestmont Place neighborhood / subdivision / community which is located in Missouri City Texas 77489 in Fort Bend County. Crestmont Place has 90 single family properties with a median build year of 2012 and a median size of 2,279 Sqft., these home values range between $159 - $214 K. The sqft. price change data is available through 1998. The median sold price/sqft is $91.71 while the median appraised value is $ 83.02/ sqft. View homes for sale or rent in Crestmont Place and see new homes, trending properties, Foreclosures and much more.Sometimes there's nothing listed For Sale in Crestmont Place - Bookmark the page an... 03/15/2021

Mustang Trails Real Estate Homes For Sale, Rent & Price Trends Shayne Stone "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" that helps Home Sellers make a Profit and Home Buyers Equity in Mustang Trails more info to come soon! Missouri City Texas 77459 Find Your Home Value in Mustang Trails Houses / Land / Lots / Single Family Homes / Acreage For Sale in Mustang Trails Houses / Land / Lots / Single Family Homes / Acreage For Rent in Mustang Trails Foreclosure Houses / Land / Lots / Single Family Homes / Acreage in Mustang Trails     Can't FIND what you are looking for, ASK ME - I CAN HELP!   For more info on Mustang Trails of Missouri City Texas or any of the other Communities within the Fort Bend County area CLICK HERE or Text / Call 832-449-6060   Your #LocalRealtor #ShayneStone of #ChampionsRealEs... 03/08/2021

Crestmont Place Real Estate Homes For Sale, Rent & Price TrendsShayne Stone "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" that helps Home Sellers make a Profit and Home Buyers Equity in Crestmont Place neighborhood / subdivision / community which is located in Missouri City Texas 77489 in Fort Bend County. Crestmont Place has 90 single family properties with a median build year of 2012 and a median size of 2,279 Sqft., these home values range between $159 - $214 K. The sqft. price change data is available through 1998. The median sold price/sqft is $91.71 while the median appraised value is $ 83.02/ sqft. View homes for sale or rent in Crestmont Place and see new homes, trending properties, Foreclosures and much more.Sometimes there's nothing listed For Sale in Crestmont Place - Bookmark the page an... 03/06/2021

Craven Village Real Estate Homes For Sale, Rent & Price TrendsShayne Stone "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" that helps Home Sellers make a Profit and Home Buyers Equity in Craven Village neighborhood / subdivision / community which is located in Missouri City Texas 77489 in Fort Bend County. Craven Village has 43 single family properties with a median build year of 1969 and a median size of 1,986 Sqft., these home values range between $144 - $191 K. The sqft. price change data is available through 1998. The median appraised value is $ 84.62/ sqft. View homes for sale or rent in Craven Village and see new homes, trending properties, Foreclosures and much more.Sometimes there's nothing listed For Sale in Craven Village - Bookmark the page and check back often or create your own Listing Al... 03/06/2021

Covenant Crest Real Estate Homes For Sale, Rent & Price TrendsShayne Stone "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" that helps Home Sellers make a Profit and Home Buyers Equity in Covenant Crest neighborhood / subdivision / community which is located in Missouri City Texas 77489 in Fort Bend County. Covenant Crest has 126 single family properties with a median build year of 2012 and a median size of 2,157 Sqft., these home values range between $115 - $165 K. The sqft. price change data is available through 1998. The median sold price/sqft is $75.00 while the median appraised value is $ 73.28/ sqft. View homes for sale or rent in Covenant Crest and see new homes, trending properties, Foreclosures and much more.Sometimes there's nothing listed For Sale in Covenant Crest - Bookmark the page and ch... 03/05/2021

Colony Crossing Village Of Talbots Mill Real Estate Homes For Sale, Rent & Price TrendsShayne Stone "Your Rock Solid Choice Realtor" that helps Home Sellers make a Profit and Home Buyers Equity in Colony Crossing Village Of Talbots Mill neighborhood / subdivision / community which is located in Missouri City Texas 77489 in Fort Bend County. Colony Crossing Village Of Talbots Mill has 18 single family properties with a median build year of 1994 and a median size of 2,716 Sqft., these home values range between $213 - $259 K. The sqft. price change data is available through 1998. The median appraised value is $ 83.30/ sqft. View homes for sale or rent in Colony Crossing Village Of Talbots Mill and see new homes, trending properties, Foreclosures and much more.Sometimes there's nothing list... 03/04/2021