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First Time Homebuyers | Biggs Realty Blog

Monday, August 28, 2023   /   by Kenneth Brands

Homebuyers Are Still More Active Than Usual

Even though the housing market is no longer experiencing the frenzy that was so characteristic of the last couple of years, it doesn’t mean today’s market is at a standstill. In actuality, buyer traffic is still strong today.
The ShowingTime Showing Index is a measure of how much buyers are touring homes. The graph below uses that index to illustrate buyer activity trends over time to help put today into the proper perspective.

It shows there’s seasonality in real estate. If you look at the last normal years in the market (shown in gray), there was a consistent pattern as buyer activity peaked in the first half of each year (during the peak homebuying season in the spring) and slowed as each year came to a close.
When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, that trend was disrupted as the market responded to the resulting uncertainty (shown in blue in the middle). From there, we entered the ‘unicorn’ years of housing (sho. ...

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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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Thursday, March 9, 2023   /   by Kenneth Brands

5 Tips For Buying A Home In North Texas

Are you looking to purchase a home but not sure where to start? The process of finding a house can be overwhelming, but there are a few tips that will help make the journey smoother.




Know What You Can Afford– Before you can even begin your search for the perfect home, you should have an accurate idea of how much house you can realistically afford. It's important to consider factors such as your monthly income, down payment, closing costs, and other expenses before making any decisions. Any real estate agent at Biggs Realty can introduce you to several trusted local mortgage experts and help you get pre-approved.

Consider Your Needs– When searching for a home, it's important to look at what your needs are before deciding on any particular property. Ask yourself questions like: How much space do I need? Do I want a large yard or outdoor space? Do I need extra bedrooms or office space? What kind of amenities am I looking for? Answering these questions will help nar ...

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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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Saturday, December 24, 2022   /   by Kenneth Brands

What To Expect From the Housing Market in 2023

The 2022 housing market has been defined by two key things: inflation and rapidly rising mortgage rates. And in many ways, it's put the market into a reset position.
As the Federal Reserve (the Fed) made moves this year to try to lower inflation, mortgage rates more than doubled – something that’s never happened before in a calendar year. This had a cascading impact on buyer activity, the balance between supply and demand, and ultimately home prices. And as all those things changed, some buyers and sellers put their plans on hold and decided to wait until the market felt a bit more predictable.
But what does that mean for next year? What everyone really wants is more stability in the market in 2023. For that to happen we’ll need to see the Fed bring inflation down even more and keep it there. Here’s what housing market experts say we can expect next year.
What’s Ahead for Mortgage Rates in 2023?
Moving forward, experts a ...

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