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A pre-approval letter is a document from a lender based on certain assumptions, stating the maximum the lender is willing to lend to purchase a home. When applying for a mortgage pre-approval, the lender typically requires information about your credit, employment, income, debts, and assets to determine your creditworthiness. Documents Needed for Mortgage Pre-Approval Here…

As you prepare to purchase a new home, you’ll hear the terms “pre-qualified” and “pre-approved.” These are key steps in the mortgage application process. However, there are important differences in the two terms that every homebuyer needs to understand. Briefly, being pre-qualified is a first step in the mortgage process that gives you an idea…

Staging a home will help it sell faster and for a higher price. However, home staging is more than just cleaning, straightening, and rearranging the furniture. Home staging is a way to showcase your home’s best assets to make it appealing to the broadest range of potential buyers. Think of staging as dressing your home…

Is new construction the right way to go when you can’t find the “perfect” home? Finding an existing home can be a frustrating experience, especially when you discover that the “perfect” home just sold. According to Zillow, homes are selling faster than in previous years. In 2020, homes spent an average of 25 days on…

According to the real estate brokerage firm Redfin, the average homeowner stays in their home longer than they used to. In 2010 a typical homeowner stayed eight years in a home. In 2019, the average was 13 years. Longer homeownership helps drive increased homeowner equity. It is one of the bright spots of the 2020 real estate…

Working remotely has changed how Americans spend their time at home. The home office has taken on new meaning, and homeowners are no longer looking for a house with a room like the kitchen or den that can double as a home office. Spending extra time at home and the desire for more space, both…

Highlights The March national median listing home price was over $400,000, an all-time high and an increase of 13.5% over March 2021 prices. Rising interest rates are moderating the demand for homes. As a result, mortgage applications are down 40% from March 2021. Home sellers are seeing a softening market. The share of homes for…

One reason for a delay in the closing of a home sale is a problem with the appraisal. Issues with the appraisal result in 18% of home sale delays and are the second most common reason to hold up a home sale (obtaining financing is number one). Appraisal problems can not only delay the closing,…

Nationally, the number of homes listed in January was 326,312, down an average of 9.1% compared to January 2021. However, homes continue to sell at a rapid pace. The typical home spent 61 days on the market in January, ten days less than in January 2021, and more quickly than any January going back to…

The December national indicators showed improving overall housing market activity. Looming interest rate hikes prompted homebuyers to lock in mortgage rates during a typically slower time of the year. The total number of unsold homes nationwide is down 16.1% from December 2020. This is a minor improvement from November’s 16.2% decline as the inventory share…