Beautiful Hampton Roads Homes Hosted by Liz Schuyler, REMAX Allegiance

09/25/2026

🏢 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲? 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Your credit and income aren’t the whole story. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱.

New 2026 financing changes involving 𝗛𝗢𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 could matter more than you think.

👉 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬?

📖 Read it here:
https://www.hamptonroadsrealestateramblings.com/2026/09/condo-financing-changes-in-2026-what.html

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼, 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿. 🔑

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac changed condo loan rules in 2026. What Hampton Roads buyers and sellers should know about reserves and insurance.

09/23/2026

🏡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆?

It’s not the monthly payment.

I talked with a first-time buyer this summer — hypothetical scenario, but the math comes up constantly.

She was renting a two-bedroom in Ghent for $1,850/month.

She figured buying had to be smarter.

But rent vs. buy isn’t really about comparing the monthly payment.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆.

Run the numbers over a 𝟮-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀, and renting can come out ahead.

Stretch that same scenario to 𝟱+ 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, and buying can start to pull ahead.

Why? Closing costs, interest, appreciation, equity growth, and the opportunity cost of the money you could have kept invested all change the math.

And there isn't one magic break-even point. Change the rate, purchase price, rent, or length of stay — and the answer changes.

That’s why I built a rent-vs-buy break-even calculator.
https://www.hamptonroadsrealestateramblings.com/2026/05/should-you-rent-or-buy-in-virginia.html -breakeven

If you’re sitting near that line, I’m happy to look at your numbers with you: calendly.com/liz-schuyler

Is it Better to Rent or buy in Virginia Beach. See MLS rents, true ownership costs, & the break‑even timeline that shows when buying actually wins.

09/21/2026

🌧️ 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲? 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗼 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸.

I hear this all the time around Hampton Roads:

“Flood insurance isn’t required here, so I don’t need to worry about flooding.”

Not quite.

FEMA’s flood zones determine where flood insurance may be required by a lender. They don’t determine where water can actually go during a heavy rain event.

Outside the high-risk AE or VE zones, you may be in Zone X — but Zone X does not mean zero flood risk.

Streets and properties in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and throughout Hampton Roads can still flood because of heavy rain, drainage issues, elevation and other local conditions.

So don’t look at the flood zone label alone.

Elevation + drainage + local flooding history matter.

Have you ever had water in your yard or street after a heavy rain—even though you’re outside a high-risk flood zone?

More here:
https://www.hamptonroadsrealestateramblings.com/2026/04/private-vs-nfip-flood-insurance-which.html

Compare NFIP & private flood insurance for Hampton Roads homeowners. Learn how CRS discounts, coverage limits, & flood zones affect your best options.

09/21/2026

🔑 𝗧𝗵𝗲 $𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀

Imagine two identical homes in Hampton Roads.

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗔 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 $𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬.
S𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗕 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 $𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀.

Most buyers automatically chase the price cut. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽.

A $5,000 price drop lowers your monthly mortgage payment by roughly $33 a month (if rates are 7%). But a $5,000 credit directly reduces the cash you have to wire at the closing table. For most first-time buyers navigating today's market, liquidity is the real bottleneck—not the monthly payment.

👇 Drop a comment below: Would you rather take the $5,000 price cut or the closing cost credit?

Ready to run the numbers for your specific price point before you find your house and write your next offer? Let's map it out together: https://calendly.com/liz-schuyler

09/20/2026

🌟 Your Hampton Roads Home Buyer Roadmap Is Here
Buying a home doesn’t have to feel confusing or overwhelming — especially when you can see the entire journey laid out for you. https://buyerpath.hamptonroadshomes.us/buy

09/18/2026

🏦 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁.

The Fed raised its rate a quarter point this week to 𝟯.𝟳𝟱%–4.𝟬𝟬%.

But here’s the part that often gets missed: 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲. Much of an expected Fed move is already priced into the market.

What matters more is what the Fed signals about what comes next — and that can move mortgage rates.

So what does that mean here in Hampton Roads?

📊 REIN’s August numbers showed just 𝟮.𝟴𝟲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆. That’s still a relatively tight market, even as higher rates put pressure on affordability.

National mortgage trends matter. But your local market matters, too.

Has this week’s Fed decision changed your buying timeline — or does Hampton Roads still feel just as tight as it did last month?

I break down the 𝗯𝘂𝘆-𝗻𝗼𝘄-𝘃𝘀.-𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗵 here:

https://www.hamptonroadsrealestateramblings.com/2026/03/should-you-buy-home-in-virginia-beach.html

09/17/2026

🏡 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: $𝟯𝟬𝟬𝗞–$𝟰𝟬𝟬𝗞 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁.

REIN’s August report shows this price range accounted for 27% of all settled sales—more than 1 in 4 closings.

That means lots of choices, but also lots of comparable homes competing for your attention.

My takeaway: buyers should compare carefully, and sellers need to get the price right from the start.

Thinking about buying in this range? Let’s look at what your money can buy in today’s Hampton Roads market. https://calendly.com/liz-schuyler

📊 Read the REIN August report: https://www.reinmls.com/news/august-takeaway-more-choices-steady-supply-stronger-prices

09/16/2026

🏡 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝘆” 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲—b𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵.

Realtor.com says 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟳–O𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯 could be the best time nationally to buy a home in 2026. It also says our local Virginia Beach metro market tends to peak a week earlier, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬–2𝟲.

But broad predictions don’t tell the whole story.

Hampton Roads is made up of different local markets, and inventory, pricing, and negotiating conditions can vary significantly from one area to another.

If you’re thinking about buying this fall, let’s look at the numbers for the specific area you’re considering.

Read the article here:
https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/best-time-to-buy-week-of-september-27-2026/

So the real question isn't simply “Is now a good time to buy?”

It’s “Where—and on what terms—can you get the best opportunity?”
https://calendly.com/liz-schuyler

09/15/2026

📈 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗱'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

The 10-year Treasury — one of the most important benchmarks for mortgage rates — just hit 5% on Monday, its highest level since 2023.

Economists now put 85% odds on a Fed rate hike. But here's the important part:

The hike itself may not move mortgage rates much. It's already largely priced in.

What matters is the Fed's 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦. 🏦

If the Fed signals this is a one-time move, longer-term rates could ease. If it signals more hikes are coming, the 10-year could climb even higher — putting more pressure on mortgage rates. 📈

So Wednesday's headline may not tell you where mortgage rates are going.

Wednesday's tone might.

🏠 Thinking about buying in Virginia Beach? That's exactly what the Buy Now vs. Wait Framework helps you evaluate:

👉 Should You Buy a Home in Virginia Beach Now, or Wait?

Thinking about buying a home in Virginia Beach? Here’s whether you should buy now or wait until 2027—based on inventory, mortgage rates, and trends.

09/14/2026

🏡 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝘀. 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀: 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲?

January–August 2026 data shows the new-construction premium varies dramatically by city—from about $80K in Portsmouth to $302K in Virginia Beach.

And the sticker price isn't the whole story.

Builder incentives, rate buydowns, seller concessions, repair costs—and even 1–5-year-old resale homes—can completely change the math.

👉Check out the refreshed post:
https://www.hamptonroadsrealestateramblings.com/2025/06/new-construction-vs-existing-homes.html