ChadNagel.Realtor

03/25/2024

What Every Homebuyer Should Know About Closing Costs

Before making the decision to buy a home, it's important to plan for all the costs you’ll be responsible for.

What Are Closing Costs?

A recent article from Bankrate explains: “Closing costs are the fees and expenses you must pay before becoming the legal owner of a house, condo or townhome . . . Closing costs vary depending on the purchase price of the home and how it’s being financed . . .”
Simply put, your closing costs are the additional fees and payments you have to make at closing.

How Much Are Closing Costs?

According to Freddie Mac, they’re typically between 2% and 5% of the total purchase price of your home. With that in mind, here’s how you can get an idea of what you’ll need to budget.
Let’s say you find a home you want to purchase at today’s median price of $384,500. Based on the 2-5% Freddie Mac estimate, your closing fees could be between roughly...

Before making the decision to buy a home, it's important to plan for all the costs you’ll be responsible for.

03/22/2024

3 Helpful Tips for First-Time Homebuyers [INFOGRAPHIC]

Trying to buy your first home? If you’re worried about affordability today or the limited number of homes for sale, these tips can help. Look into homebuyer programs, expand your search area, and consider a multi-generational home. DM me so you have an expert on your side to help you make your dream a reality.

Trying to buy your first home? If you’re worried about affordability today or the limited number of homes for sale, these tips can help.

03/20/2024

Does It Make Sense To Buy a Home Right Now?

Thinking about buying a home? If so, you're probably wondering: should I buy now or wait? Nobody can make that decision for you, but here's some information that can help you decide.

What’s Next for Home Prices?

Each quarter, Fannie Mae and Pulsenomics publish the results of the Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES). It asks more than 100 experts—economists, real estate professionals, and investment and market strategists—what they think will happen with home prices.

In the latest survey, those experts say home prices are going to keep going up for the next five years. They’re not expecting any price declines. Instead, they’re saying we’ll see a 3-4% rise each year.

And even though home prices aren’t expected to climb by as much in 2025 as they are 2024, keep in mind these increases can really add up over time. It works like this. If these experts are right and your...

Thinking about buying a home?

03/19/2024

While we’re not headed for a wave of foreclosures, if things are tough for you right now, there might be a solution that can help you move on.

You may have built up enough equity in your house to sell it and use the money to pay off what you owe on your mortgage.

Reach out to me. We can figure out how much equity you have and talk about how you might be able to avoid foreclosure.

03/18/2024

Thinking about buying or selling a home? If so, it's important to know what's happening in the housing market. Right now, the supply of homes for sale is growing, prices are on the rise, and homes are selling fast. Wanna know what this means for your plans? Let's chat about what's happening in our area.

03/15/2024

Are you thinking about whether to buy a home or not? Well, spring is the peak homebuying season, and experts say there will be more available homes than last year. That means you'll have more choices for your search. DM me and let’s get out and explore your options together.

03/14/2024

Why Today’s Seller’s Market Is Good for Your Bottom Line

Thinking about selling your house and wondering if now’s a good time to do it? Here’s what you need to know. Even though the number of homes for sale has been growing this year, there still aren’t enough homes on the market for all the buyers who want to buy.

So, what does that mean for you? To keep it simple, it means it’s still a seller’s market. Here’s how it works:

• A neutral market is when supply and demand is balanced. Basically, there are enough homes to meet buyer demand based on the current sales pace, and home prices hold fairly steady.

• A buyer’s market is when there are more homes for sale than there are buyers.

• In a seller’s market, it’s just the opposite. When the supply of homes for sale is as low as it is right now, it’s much harder for buyers to find homes to purchase. That creates increased competition among purchasers which can...

Thinking about selling your house and wondering if now’s a good time to do it?

03/13/2024

It’s still a seller’s market. Although there are a few more listings popping up compared to last year, the overall number of homes for sale is still really low. That means if you're thinking about selling, you've got an advantage. Ready to get your house on the market? Let's chat.

03/12/2024

Finding Your Perfect Home in a Fixer Upper

If you’re trying to buy a home and are having a hard time finding one you can afford, it may be time to consider a fixer-upper.
Sometimes the perfect home is the one you perfect after buying it.

Here’s some information that can help you pinpoint what you truly need so you can be strategic in your home search. First, make a list of all the features you want in a home. From there, work to break those features into categories like this:
• Must-Haves - If a house doesn’t have these features, it won’t work for you and your lifestyle.

• Nice-To-Haves - These are features you’d love to have but can live without. Nice-to-haves aren’t dealbreakers, but if you find a home that hits all the must-haves and some of these, it’s a contender.

• Dream State - This is where you can really think big. Again, these aren’t features you’ll need, but if you find a home in your budget that has...

If you’re trying to buy a home and are having a hard time finding one you can afford, it may be time to consider a fixer-upper.

03/11/2024

Today’s affordability challenges combined with a lack of available homes means you need to be strategic in order to find one that meets your needs and fits your budget. Opting for a fixer-upper might be the answer. Let’s chat to see if this is a good option for you and explore what’s on the market in our area.

03/08/2024

The Spring Market Is a Sweet Spot if You’re Looking To Sell [INFOGRAPHIC]

Wondering if now’s a good time to sell your house? Based on how many homes are on the market, there are two big reasons why this spring is looking so good for sellers. Thanks to an uptick in inventory over last year, you’ve got more options for your next home. But there are still fewer homes for sale than there’d normally be, meaning your house should stand out and get a lot of attention from buyers. If you want to sell your house, this spring is the sweet spot. When you’re ready, let’s chat to get the ball rolling.

Wondering if now’s a good time to sell your house?

03/06/2024

Why There Won’t Be a Recession That Tanks the Housing Market

There’s been a lot of recession talk over the past couple of years. And that may leave you worried we’re headed for a repeat of what we saw back in 2008. Here’s a look at the latest expert projections to show you why that isn’t going to happen.

According to Jacob Channel, Senior Economist at LendingTree, the economy’s pretty strong: “At least right now, the fundamentals of the economy, despite some hiccups, are doing pretty good. While things are far from perfect, the economy is probably doing better than people want to give it credit for.”

Most experts believe there won’t be a recession in the next 12 months. One reason why is the current unemployment rate. The unemployment rate today is still very low.

But will the unemployment rate go up? Economists don’t expect the unemployment rate to even come close to the long-term average over the next three years – much less the 8.3% we saw...

There’s been a lot of recession talk over the past couple of years.