Claudia Assell Real Estate Services- Home Avenue

06/01/2023

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The True Value of Homeownership

Buying and owning your home can make a big difference in your life by bringing you joy and a sense of belonging. And with June being National Homeownership Month, it’s the perfect time to think about all the benefits homeownership provides.

Here are three ways owning your home can give you a sense of accomplishment, happiness, and pride.

>>You May Feel Happier and More Fulfilled

Owning a home is associated with better mental health and well-being. According to the experts, owning a home can improve your psychological wellness by making you feel happier and more accomplished.

>>You Can Engage in Your Neighborhood and Grow Your Sense of Community

Your home connects you to your community. Homeowners tend to stay in their homes longer than renters, and that can help you feel more connected to your community because you have more time to build meaningfu...

Buying and owning your home can make a big difference in your life by bringing you joy and a sense of belonging.

05/30/2023

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Today’s Real Estate Market: The ‘Unicorns’ Have Galloped Off

Comparing real estate metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market. That’s due to possible variability in the market making the comparison less meaningful or accurate. Unpredictable events can have a significant impact on the circumstances and outcomes being compared.

Comparing this year’s numbers to the two ‘unicorn’ years we just experienced is almost worthless. By ‘unicorn,’ this is the less common definition of the word: “Something that is greatly desired but difficult or impossible to find.”

The pandemic profoundly changed real estate over the last few years. The demand for a home of our own skyrocketed, and people needed a home office and big backyard.

>>Waves of first-time and second-home buyers entered the market.
>>Already low mortgage rates were driven to historic low...

Comparing real estate metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market.

05/29/2023

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Remember and Honor Those Who Gave All

We remember and honor those who gave all.

05/28/2023

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Owning a Home Helps Protect Against Inflation

You’re probably feeling the impact of high inflation every day as prices have gone up on groceries, gas, and more. If you’re a renter, you’re likely experiencing it a lot as your rent continues to rise. Between all of those elevated costs and uncertainty about a potential recession, you may be wondering if it still makes sense to buy a home today. The short answer is – it does. Here’s why.

Homeownership actually shields you from the rising costs inflation brings.

Freddie Mac explains how: “Not only will buying today help you begin to build equity, a fixed-rate mortgage can stabilize your monthly housing costs for the long-term even while other life expenses continue to rise – as has been the case the past few years.”
Unlike rents, which tend to rise with time, a fixed-rate mortgage payment is predictable over the life of the mortg...

You’re probably feeling the impact of high inflation every day as prices have gone up on groceries, gas, and more.

05/26/2023

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Moving Now Can Give Your House Its Day in the Sun [INFOGRAPHIC]

If you want to sell your house, consider doing it this summer. The days are longer, the weather is warmer, and it’s a great time for sellers. If your needs have changed, now’s the time to capitalize on the low inventory and multiple offers in today’s sellers’ market. Let’s connect today if you’re ready to sell your house and move to a home that meets your changing needs.

If you want to sell your house, consider doing it this summer.

05/25/2023

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The Benefits of Selling Now, According to Experts

If you’re trying to decide if now’s the time to sell your house, here’s what you should know. The limited number of homes available right now gives you a big advantage. That’s because there are more buyers out there than there are homes for sale. And, with so few homes on the market, buyers will have fewer options, so you set yourself up to get the most eyes possible on your house.

Here’s what industry experts are saying about why selling now has its benefits:

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR: “Inventory levels are still at historic lows. Consequently, multiple offers are returning on a good number of properties.”

Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic: “We have not seen the traditional uptick in new listings from existing homeowners, so undersupply of housing will continue to heighten market competition and put pressure on prices...

If you’re trying to decide if now’s the time to sell your house, here’s what you should know.

05/23/2023

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Why Buying a Vacation Home Beats Renting One This Summer

For many of us, visiting the same vacation spot every year is a summer tradition that’s fun, relaxing, and restful. If that sounds like you, now’s the time to think about your plans and determine if buying a vacation home this year makes more sense than renting one again. According to Forbes, “. . . if the idea of vacationing at the same place every year makes you feel instantaneously relaxed, buying a vacation home might be a wise move.”

To help you decide if making a move like this is right for you, let’s explore why you may want to consider purchasing a vacation home today.

Benefits of Owning Your Vacation Home

>>You don’t have to worry about finding a place to stay.
>>It’s an investment.
>>Vacation homes may provide tax benefits.
>>It could potentially turn into a retirement location.

How a Pro Can Help You Find Your...

For many of us, visiting the same vacation spot every year is a summer tradition that’s fun, relaxing, and restful.

05/22/2023

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Why Buyers Need an Expert Agent by Their Side

The process of buying a home can feel a bit intimidating, even under normal circumstances. Here are just a few of the ways a real estate expert makes a big difference:

>>Experience
>>Education
>>Negotiations
>>Contracts
>>Pricing

All of these reasons combined may be why 86% of recent buyers used an agent according to the latest from NAR. NAR also has this to say about why an agent is so essential today: “A great real estate agent will guide you through the home search with an unbiased eye, helping you meet your buying objectives while staying within your budget. Agents are also a great source when you have questions about local amenities, utilities, zoning rules, contractors, and more.”

What’s the Key To Choosing the Right Expert?

It starts with trust. You’ll want to know you can trust the advice they’re giving you, so you need to make...

The process of buying a home can feel a bit intimidating, even under normal circumstances.

05/21/2023

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What You Need To Know About Home Price News

NAR will release its latest Existing Home Sales Report tomorrow. The information it contains on home prices may cause some confusion and could even generate some troubling headlines. This all stems from the fact that NAR will report the median sales price, while other home price indices report repeat sales prices. The vast majority of the repeat sales indices show prices are starting to appreciate again. But the median price reported on Thursday may tell a different story.

Here’s why using the median home price as a gauge of what’s happening with home values isn’t ideal right now. According to the Center for Real Studies at Wichita State University, “The median sale price measures the ‘middle’ price of homes that sold, meaning that half of the homes sold for a higher price and half sold for less. While this is a good measure of the typical sa...

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) will release its latest Existing Home Sales Report tomorrow.

05/19/2023

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The Impact of Changing Mortgage Rates [INFOGRAPHIC]

If you’re looking to buy a home, you should know even a small change in mortgage rates has an impact on your purchasing power. These charts show how rates generally affect your monthly payment. The best way to navigate changing mortgage rates and make an informed buying decision is to rely on the expertise of a local real estate professional and mortgage lender.

If you’re looking to buy a home, you should know even a small change in mortgage rates has an impact on your purchasing power.

05/18/2023

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Powerful Job Market Fuels Homebuyer Demand

The spring housing market has been surprisingly active this year. Even with affordability challenges and a limited number of homes for sale, buyer demand is strong, and getting stronger.

One way we know there are interested buyers right now is because showing traffic from ShowingTime is up. And though there’s less traffic than the buyer frenzy of the past couple years, we’re not far off that pace. There are a lot of interested buyers checking out available homes right now.

But why are buyers so active at a time when mortgage rates are higher than they were just last year?

>>The Job Market Is Growing at a Stronger-Than-Expected Pace
It might surprise you just how strong today’s job market is. What might be even more surprising is the fact that it appears to be getting stronger. 88,000 more jobs were created in April than in March. In fact, the...

The spring housing market has been surprisingly active this year.

05/16/2023

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The Worst Home Price Declines Are Behind Us

If you’re following the news today, you may feel a bit unsure about what’s happening with home prices and fear whether or not the worst is yet to come. That’s because today’s headlines are painting an unnecessarily negative picture. Contrary to those headlines, home prices aren’t in a freefall. The latest data tells a very different and much more positive story. Local home price trends still vary by market, but here’s what the national data tells us.

If we take a year-over-year view, home prices stayed positive – they just appreciated more slowly than they did at the peak of the pandemic. To get a more detailed picture of some of the trends in the market, we need to look at monthly data.

In the first half of 2022, home prices were climbing, and they peaked in June. Then, in July, they started to decline. And by roughly August or Sept...

If you’re following the news today, you may feel a bit unsure about what’s happening with home prices and fear whether or not the worst is yet to come.