The Helm Team / Better Properties

06/19/2023

Saving for a Down Payment? Here’s What You Need To Know.

If you're planning to buy your first home, then you're probably focused on saving for all the costs involved in such a big purchase. One of the expenses that may be at the top of your mind is your down payment. If you’re intimidated by how much you need to save for that, it may be because you believe you must put 20% down. That doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. As NAR notes, “One of the biggest misconceptions among housing consumers is what the typical down payment is and what amount is needed to enter homeownership.”

And a recent Freddie Mac survey finds, “. . . nearly a third of prospective homebuyers think they need a down payment of 20% or more to buy a home. This myth remains one of the largest perceived barriers to achieving homeownership.”

Here’s the good news. Unless specified by your loan type or lender, it’s typically not required to put 20% down....

If you're planning to buy your first home, then you're probably focused on saving for all the costs involved in such a big purchase.

06/16/2023

How Owning a Home Grows Your Wealth with Time [INFOGRAPHIC]

If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, be sure to factor in the long-term benefits of homeownership. Over time, homeownership allows you to build equity. On average, nationwide home prices appreciated by 290.2% over the last 32 years. That means your net worth can grow significantly in the long-term when you own a home. DM me so you can start your homebuying journey today.

If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, be sure to factor in the long-term benefits of homeownership.

06/16/2023

Things To Avoid After Applying for a Mortgage

Make sure you’re in the best position when you get to the closing table. Let’s connect so you can learn more about the homebuying process.

06/15/2023

Why Buying or Selling a Home Helps the Economy and Your Community

If you're thinking about buying or selling a house, it's important to know that it doesn't just affect your life, but also your community. NAR releases a report every year to show how much economic activity is generated by home sales.

When a house is sold, it can make a big difference in the local economy. The impact comes largely from the workers required to build, update, and buy and sell homes.

Housing being a major job creator makes sense when you consider there are many different industries involved in the process. A recent article from Fortune notes housing activity could have a more robust impact than you think due to the many ways it’s tied to the economy.

When you buy or sell a home, you work with a team of professionals, including contractors, specialists, lawyers, and city officials. Each person plays a role in making the transaction...

If you're thinking about buying or selling a house, it's important to know that it doesn't just affect your life, but also your community.

06/14/2023

Equity is the difference between the market value of your home and how much you owe on your mortgage. Your equity gets a boost when home prices appreciate. Today, 85% of sellers couldn’t be happier with how much equity they have. DM me to learn more about your home’s equity and how it can be leveraged in your next move.

06/14/2023

A Drop in Equity Doesn’t Mean Low Equity

Home prices rose rapidly during the ‘unicorn’ years. That gave homeowners a considerable equity boost. But those ‘unicorn’ years couldn’t last forever. The market had to moderate at some point, and that’s what we saw last fall and winter.

As home prices dropped slightly in the back half of 2022, equity was impacted. Based on the most recent report from CoreLogic, there was a 0.7% dip in homeowner equity over the last year. However, the headlines reporting on that change aren’t painting the whole picture. The reality is, while home price depreciation during the second half of last year caused equity to drop, the data shows homeowners still have near record amounts of equity.

Consider the total amount of tappable equity in this country going all the way back to 2005. Tappable equity is the amount of equity available for homeowners to access before hitting a maximum 80% lo...

You may see media coverage talking about a drop in homeowner equity.

06/13/2023

If you’re thinking of buying a home, it may help you find the stability, feeling of community, and comfort you’ve been dreaming of. Let’s connect today to discuss your goals and all homeownership has to offer.

06/13/2023

The Summer Buyer and Seller Guides Give You the Facts

Do all those confusing headlines about the housing market leave you with more questions than answers? Let’s connect so you can get your free guides and the knowledge you deserve.

06/12/2023

Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…

Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M).

Why Is This Distinction So Important Right Now?

We’re about to enter a few months when home prices could possibly be lower than they were the same month last year. April, May, and June of 2022 were three of the best months for home prices in the history of the American housing market. Those same months this year might not measure up. That means, the Y-O-Y comparison will probably show values are depreciating. The numbers for April seem to suggest that’s what we’ll see in the months ahead. That’ll generate troubling headlines that say home va...

Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing.

06/12/2023

Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…

Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M).

Why Is This Distinction So Important Right Now?

We’re about to enter a few months when home prices could possibly be lower than they were the same month last year. April, May, and June of 2022 were three of the best months for home prices in the history of the American housing market. Those same months this year might not measure up. That means, the Y-O-Y comparison will probably show values are depreciating. The numbers for April seem to suggest that’s what we’ll see in the months ahead. That’ll generate troubling headlines that say home va...