Scotty Mills Housing Industry Consultant Washington State NMLS 1829237

21/05/2024

https://youtu.be/C7mlwX02rRM?si=uEA-LyWomvZvKCGF
Thank you Marty Crow for recruiting me to be part of a wonderful organization habitat for humanity Mason county. Miss you my friend so much 🩵

VIDEO- Scotty Mills from Keller-Williams and Marty Crow came on Daybreak to talk about the real estate market and Scotty being one of the newest members of t...

08/02/2024

https://youtu.be/PKqDe2XzeOQ?feature=shared

22/12/2023

Get Your House Ready To Sell This Winter [INFOGRAPHIC]

As you get ready to sell your house, there are a few things you should add to your to-do list to make it inviting and boost curb appeal. To name just a couple, it’s a good idea to declutter, take down personal photos and items, touch up any scuffs on the walls, and tidy up your landscaping. Connect with a trusted real estate professional for advice on what else you may want to do to get your house ready to sell this season.

As you get ready to sell your house, there are a few things you should add to your to-do list to make it inviting and boost curb appeal.

21/12/2023

Sell Smarter: Why Working with a Real Estate Agent May Beat Going Solo

If you're thinking about selling your house on your own, called “For Sale by Owner” or FSBO, there are some important things to consider. Going this route means taking on a lot of responsibilities by yourself – and that can be a bit of a headache.

A recent report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found two of the most difficult tasks for people who sell their house on their own are getting the price right and understanding and performing paperwork.

Getting the Price Right

Setting the right price for your house is important when you're trying to sell it. If you're selling your house on your own, two common issues can happen. For starters, you might ask for too much money (overpricing). Alternatively, you might not ask for enough (underpricing). Either can make it hard to sell your house. To avoid these problems, it's a good idea to team up with a real estate...

If you're thinking about selling your house on your own, called “For Sale by Owner” or FSBO, there are some important things to consider.

20/12/2023

Why Mortgage Rates Could Continue To Decline

When you read about the housing market, you’ll probably come across some information about inflation or recent decisions made by the Federal Reserve (the Fed). But how do those two things impact you and your homebuying plans? Here's what you need to know.

The Federal Funds Rate Hikes Have Stalled

One of the Fed’s primary goals is to lower inflation. In order to do that, they started raising the Federal Funds Rate to slow down the economy. Even though this doesn’t directly dictate what happens with mortgage rates, it does have an impact.

Recently inflation has started to cool, a signal those increases worked and are bringing inflation back down. As a result, the Fed’s hikes have gotten smaller and less frequent. In fact, there haven’t been any increases since July.

This indicates the Fed thinks the economy and inflation are improving. Why does that matter to you and your plans to buy a home? It could end...

19/12/2023

Expert Quotes on the 2024 Housing Market Forecast

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the housing market in 2024.

Mortgage Rates Expected To Ease

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, explains how they may continue to drop: “Mortgage rates have already retreated from recent peaks near 8 percent and may fall further once the Fed signals clearly that monetary tightening is over.”

The Supply of Homes for Sale May Grow

Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist at Bright MLS, says: “Supply will loosen up in 2024. Even homeowners who have been characterized as being ‘locked in’ to low rates will increasingly find that changing family and financial circumstances will lead to more moves and more new listings over the course of the year, particularly as rates move closer to 6.5%.”

Home Price Growth Should Moderate

As the Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES) from Fannie Mae, a survey...

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the housing market in 2024.

18/12/2023

Why Now Is Still a Great Time To Sell Your House

If you were worried buyer demand disappeared when mortgage rates went up, the data shows there are plenty of interested buyers still out there. The housing market isn't as frenzied as it was during the ‘unicorn’ years when buyer demand was through the roof, mortgage rates were historically low, and home values rose like we’ve never seen before. But that doesn’t mean the market is at a standstill.

Nationally, demand is still high compared to the last normal years in the housing market and plenty of buyers are making moves right now. Here’s the data to prove it.

Sellers Are Still Seeing Multiple Offers

According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sellers are receiving an average of 2.5 offers on their houses.

It’s true that’s fewer than the number of offers sellers were receiving during the ‘unicorn’ years. But compared to last year, the number is up slightly. And...

If you were worried buyer demand disappeared when mortgage rates went up, the data shows there are plenty of interested buyers still out there.

15/12/2023

What You Need To Know About Down Payments [INFOGRAPHIC]

If you want to buy a home, you may not need as much for your down payment as you think. There are various loan options for qualified buyers with down payments as low as 3.5% or even no down payment requirement. There are also thousands of programs available to help homebuyers with their down payments. With the right resources, your down payment may be more within reach than you realize. To learn more about your options, let’s connect.

If you want to buy a home, you may not need as much for your down payment as you think.

14/12/2023

If Your House Hasn’t Sold Yet, It May Be Overpriced

Has your house been sitting on the market a while without selling? If so, you should know that’s pretty unusual, especially right now. That’s because the supply of homes available for sale is still far lower than what we’d see in a normal year. That means buyers have fewer options than they usually would, so your house should be an oasis in an inventory desert.

So, if homebuyers have limited choices and your house still hasn’t sold, there’s a reason why. Let’s break one potential sticking point that may be turning buyers away: your asking price.

Why Setting the Right Price Matters

While you want to maximize the return on your investment when you sell your house, you also need to be realistic based on current market conditions. The simple truth is your house is only going to sell for what people are willing to pay right now.

This can be a hard thing to accept. After all, you may have lived in...

Has your house been sitting on the market a while without selling?

13/12/2023

The Surprising Trend in the Number of Homes Coming onto the Market

If you're thinking about moving, it's important to know what's happening in the housing market. Here's an update on the supply of homes currently for sale. Whether you're buying or selling, the number of homes in your area is something you should pay attention to.

In the housing market, there are regular patterns that happen every year, called seasonality. Spring is the peak homebuying season and also when the most homes are typically listed for sale (homes coming onto the market are known in the industry as new listings). In the second half of each year, the number of new listings typically decreases as the pace of sales slows down.

What Does This Mean for You?

• For buyers, new listings stabilizing is a positive sign. It means you have a more steady stream of options coming onto the market and more choices for your next home than you would have at the same time last year. This...

12/12/2023

Down Payment Assistance Programs Can Help Pave the Way to Homeownership

If you’re looking to buy a home, your down payment doesn’t have to be a big hurdle. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 38% of first-time homebuyers find saving for a down payment the most challenging step. But the reality is, you probably don’t need to put down as much as you think.

Data from NAR shows the median down payment hasn’t been over 20% since 2005. In fact, the median down payment for all homebuyers today is only 15%. And it’s even lower for first-time homebuyers at 8%. But just because that’s the median, it doesn’t mean you have to put that much down. Some qualified buyers put down even less.

First-Time and Repeat Buyers Are Often Eligible

According to Down Payment Resource, there are thousands of programs available for homebuyers – and 75% of these are down payment assistance programs.

And it’s not just first-time homebuyers that are...

11/12/2023

The Perfect Home Could Be the One You Perfect After Buying

There’s no denying mortgage rates and home prices are higher now than they were last year and that’s impacting what you can afford. At the same time, there are still fewer homes available for sale than the norm. These are two of the biggest hurdles buyers are facing today. But there are ways to overcome these things and still make your dream of homeownership a reality.

As you set out to make a purchase this season, you’ll want to be strategic. Here’s a great way to organize your list:

• 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...

There’s no denying mortgage rates and home prices are higher now than they were last year and that’s impacting what you can afford.