For Buyers

Whether it is your first time or your fifth, it is always important to know all the facts when it comes to buying a home. With the large number of mortgage programs available that allow buyers to purchase homes with down payments below 20%, you can never have too much information about Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). What is PMI? Freddie Mac defines PMI as: “An insurance policy that...

In today’s fast-paced world where answers are a Google search away, there are some who may wonder what the benefits of hiring a real estate professional to help them in their home search are. The truth is, the addition of more information causes more confusion. Shows like Property Brothers, Fixer Upper, and dozens more on HGTV have given many a false sense of what it’s like to buy and...

Young buyers (Millennials & Gen Z) have waited longer than previous generations to enter the housing market for their first home. However, this hasn’t stopped them from dreaming about the home they will eventually buy. Many spend hours searching listings and building Pinterest boards of their favorite home features. According to a survey from Open Listings, 70% of single renters are more...

Some Highlights: Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale. This means that buyers are often competing with one another for the few listings that are available. Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply needed to sustain a normal housing market. Now may be the time for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire! You might also enjoy reading......

In many markets across the country, the number of buyers searching for their dream homes outnumbers the number of homes for sale. This has led to a competitive marketplace where buyers often need to stand out. One way to show that you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search. Even if you are not in an incredibly...

Our orlando Property Management Team at Morgan Property Solutions recently reviewed the Modern Homebuyer Survey from ValueInsured, 58 percent of homeowners think there will be a “housing bubble and price correction” within the next 2 years. After what transpired ten years ago during the Real Estate recession, understand the concerns Americans have about the current increase in home prices....

So, you’ve been searching for that perfect house to call a ‘home,’ and you finally found one! The price is right, and in such a competitive market, you want to make sure that you make a good offer so that you can guarantee that your dream of making this house yours comes true!Freddie Mac covered “4 Tips for Making an Offer” in their latest Executive Perspective. Here are the 4 tips they...

Owning a home has great financial benefits, yet many continue renting! Today, let’s look at the financial reasons why owning a home of your own has been a part of the American Dream for as long as America has existed.Zillow recently reported that:“With Rents continuing to climb and interest rates staying low, many renters find themselves gazing over the homeownership fence and wondering if the grass...

Some Highlights:Many buyers are purchasing a home with a down payment as little as 3%.You may already qualify for a loan, even if you don't have perfect credit.Take advantage of the knowledge of your local professionals who are there to help you determine how much you can afford. Source: Keeping Current...

With housing prices appreciating at levels that far exceed historical norms, some are fearful that the market is heading for another bubble. To alleviate that fear, we just need to look back at the reasons that caused the bubble ten years ago.Last decade, demand for housing was artificially propped up because mortgage lending standards were way too lenient. People that were not qualified to purchase were...

Every year, Gallupsurveys Americans to determine their choice for the best long-term investment. Respondents are given a choice between real estate, stocks/mutual funds, gold, savings accounts/CDs, or bonds.For the fourth year in a row, Real Estate has come out on top as the best long-term investment! This year’s results showed that 34% of Americans chose real estate, followed by stocks at 26%. The full...

The real estate market is moving more and more into a complete recovery. Home values are up. Home sales are up. Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) have fallen dramatically. It seems that 2017 will be the year that the housing market races forward again.However, there is one thing that may cause the industry to tap the brakes: a lack of housing inventory. While buyer demand looks like it will...

If you are considering moving up to your dream home, it may be better to do it earlier in the year than later. The two components of your monthly mortgage payment (home prices and interest rates) are both projected to increase as the year moves forward, and interest rates may increase rather dramatically. Here are some predictions on where rates will be by the end of the year:Freddie Mac“While full...

Some Highlights: The “Cost of Waiting to Buy” is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices and interest rates were to increase over a period of time.Freddie Mac predicts that interest rates will increase to 4.8% by this time next year, while home prices are predicted to appreciate by 4.9% according to CoreLogic.Waiting until next year to buy could cost you thousands of...

There are some experts questioning whether the current pace of residential home sales is maintainable. Are too many people buying homes like in 2004-2006? Are we headed for another housing crisis? Actually, if we look closely at the numbers, we can see that we are looking at a very healthy real estate market.Why the concern?Some are looking at the last four years of home sales and comparing them to the...

This time of year, many people eagerly check their mailboxes looking for their tax return check from the IRS. But, what do most people plan to do with the money? GO Banking Rates recently surveyed Americans and asked the question - “What do you plan on doing with your tax refund?”The results of the survey were interesting. Here is what they plan to do with their money:41% - Put it into savings38% - Pay...

Real Estate mogul, Sean Conlon, host of The Deed: Chicago on CNBC, was recently asked the question, should you buy? Or should you rent a house?Conlon responded:“I am a true believer that you save every penny and you buy your first house… and that is still the fastest path to wealth in this country.”Conlon went on to suggest that first-time buyers put down 10-20% “if they can make it work,” and to...

Saving for a down payment is often the biggest hurdle for a first-time homebuyer. Depending on where you live, median income, median rents, and home prices all vary. So, we set out to find out how long it would take you to save for a down payment in each state.Using data from the United States Census Bureau and Zillow, we determined how long it would take, nationwide, for a first-time buyer to save enough...

Some Highlights: Interest rates are still below historic numbers. 88% of property managers raised their rent in the last 12 months! The credit score requirements for mortgage approval continue to fall. Source: Keeping Current...

Many Americans got some depressing news last week; either their tax return was not as large as they had hoped or, in some cases, they were told they owed additional money to either the Federal or State government or both. One way to save on taxes is to own your own home.According to the Tax Policy Center’s Briefing Book -“A citizen's guide to the fascinating (though often complex) elements of the...

Mortgage interest rates, as reported by Freddie Mac, have increased over the last several weeks. Freddie Mac, along with Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors, is calling for mortgage rates to continue to rise over the next four quarters. This has caused some purchasers to lament the fact they may no longer be able to get a rate below 4%....

Some Highlights:Don’t forget to set your clocks forward this Sunday, March 12th at 2:00 AM EST in observance of Daylight Savings Time.Unless of course, you are a resident of Arizona or Hawaii!Every hour in the United States: 649 homes are sold, 177 homes regain equity (meaning they are no longer underwater on their mortgage), and the median home price rises $1.86! Source: Keeping Current...

In many areas of the country, there are not enough homes for sale to satisfy the number of buyers looking to purchase their dream homes. Experts have long proposed that a ramp-up in new, single-family home construction would be one of the many ways to overcome this inventory shortage.According to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo, housing market...

As a REALTOR and property manager in Orlando, Devinee Overton-Morgan has dealt with many types of clients from the first time homebuyer to the savvy real estate investor. The key to helping people, she says, is finding out their why and then guiding them along the right path. During all this, putting the client first is vital. When it comes to buying a home, whether you are a rookie homebuyer or...

Wouldn't you like to grow your wealth in a relatively easy and passive way? Orlando property management company Morgan Property Solutions recommends purchasing real estate in central Florida.   The Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances every three years in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The latest survey, which includes data from 2010-2013,...