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Common Home Buyer Questions | Biggs Realty Blog

Tuesday, May 9, 2023   /   by Kenneth Brands

Buyer Activity Is Up Despite Higher Mortgage Rates

If you’re a homeowner thinking about making a move, you may wonder if it’s still a good time to sell your house. Here’s the good news. Even with higher mortgage rates, buyer traffic is actually picking up speed.
Data from the latest ShowingTime Showing Index, which is a measure of buyers actively touring homes, helps paint the picture of how much buyer demand has increased in recent months (see graph below):

As the graph shows, the first two months of 2023 saw a noticeable increase in buyer traffic. That’s likely because the limited number of homes for sale kept shoppers looking for homes even during colder months.
To help tell the story of why the latest report is significant, let’s compare foot traffic this February with each February for the last six years (see graph below). It shows this was one of the best Februarys for buyer activity we’ve seen in recent memory.

In the last six years, we saw the most February buyer traffic in 2021 . ...

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Tuesday, February 7, 2023   /   by Kenneth Brands

Experts Forecast a Turnaround in the Housing Market in 2023

The housing market has gone through a lot of change recently, and much of that was a result of how quickly mortgage rates rose last year.

Now, as we move through 2023, there are signs things are finally going to turn around. Home price appreciation is slowing from the recent frenzy, mortgage rates are coming down, inflation is easing, and overall market activity is starting to pick up. All of that’s great news for the housing market this year. Here’s what experts are saying.
Cristian deRitis, Deputy Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics:

“The current state of the housing market is that it is certainly in transition.”
Susan Wachter, Professor of Real Estate and Finance, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School:

“Housing is going to ease up. I think 2023 will be a turnaround year.”
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors (NAR):

“Mortgage ...

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Monday, December 12, 2022   /   by Kenneth Brands

What’s Going on with Home Prices?

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home this year, you may have questions about what’s happening with home prices today as the market cools. In the simplest sense, nationally, experts don’t expect prices to come crashing down, but the level of home price moderation will depend on factors like supply and demand in each local market. That means, moving forward, home price appreciation will continue to vary by location, with more significant changes happening in overheated areas.
What Are The Experts Saying?
Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com, says: “The major question on the minds of homeowners and aspiring buyers alike is what will happen to home prices. . . Soaring prices were propelled by all-time low mortgage rates which are a thing of the past. As a result, home price growth is expected to continue slowing, dipping below its pre-pandemic average to 5.4% for 2023, as a whole.”
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Friday, October 14, 2022   /   by Kenneth Brands

Two Questions Every Homebuyer Should Ask Themselves Right Now

Rising interest rates have begun to slow an overheated housing market as monthly mortgage payments have risen dramatically since the beginning of the year. This is leaving some people who want to purchase a home priced out of the market and others wondering if now is the time to buy one. But this rise in borrowing cost shows no signs of letting up soon.
Economic uncertainty and the volatility of the financial markets are causing mortgage rates to rise. George Ratiu, Senior Economist and Manager of Economic Research at realtor.com, says this:
“While even two months ago rates above 7% may have seemed unthinkable, at the current pace, we can expect rates to surpass that level in the next three months.”
So, is now the right time to buy a home? Anyone thinking about buying a home today should ask themselves two questions:
1. Where Do I Think Home Prices Are Heading?
There are two places to turn to answer this question. First is the conse ...

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Monday, October 10, 2022   /   by Kenneth Brands

10 Most Common Home Buyer Questions

     Buying a new home can be exciting and confusing. There are a lot of steps to buying a home, and people have questions. These are the most common questions home buyers have, and the answers.
1. How do I get started? – The first step is to speak with a lender and get a pre-approval. This will tell you, and potential sellers, how much you can afford.
2. How long does it take to close on a home? – Typically, it takes about 30-45 days once contracts are signed to complete the lending, appraisal, and inspection processes.
3. What does my agent do? – A buyer’s agent will negotiate terms and manage the closing process from start to finish.
4. How much do I pay for a buyer’s agent? – Nothing. The seller’s agent gives the buyer’s agent a portion of their commission from the seller.
5. What credit score do I need to qualify? – A 620 FICO score or higher is required for most home loan programs. Talk to a lender f. ...

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