Clark Smith

As large swathes of the U.S. economy shut down to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, the housing market faces its greatest challenge in over a decade. Freddie Mac Research TOP STORY: Home Maintenance Homeownership is an expensive proposition. Unfortunately, many homebuyers, especially first-timers, think once they have saved the downpayment and qualified for a mortgage they … Read more

Minimalism is definitely picking up steam. From tiny houses to the KonMari method, downsizing is definitely on the rise. Just remember that by focusing on the things you really enjoy, you’ll be more satisfied and happy. After all, you’re better off being wealthy than rich. thefinancetwins.com TOP STORY: Downsizing The decision to downsize one’s living … Read more

“The market is struggling with a large housing undersupply just as 4.8 million Millennials are reaching 30-years of age in 2020, a prime age for many to purchase their first home,” George Ratiu, Realtor.com . TOP STORY: _ Short Supply Home buyers seldom think there are enough listings on the market while there is always … Read more

Concerns about rising mortgage rates may be overblown. “We’ve seen so much elasticity, over the past few years; rates go up but then they just come down.” Mollie Carmichael, Meyers Research TOP STORY: Logjam Freddie Mac says there are three phases of homeownership. The first-time buyer who is saving up and shopping for a small … Read more

“While people make the choice to own or rent that suits them at a given point, maybe more young adults should take into account the long – term consequences of renting when homeowner- ship is an option”. Urban Institute TOP STORY: Restoring Old Homes There are a lot of reasons for buying a fixer-upper. Older … Read more

House prices are higher than before the housing market collapsed. But today “they don’t make the market vulnerable to such a downturn because these prices are mostly because of unmet demand caused by inadequate supply.” Urban Institute TOP STORY: Lessons Learned? It has been over 11 years since Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers failed and … Read more

recent survey found that 55% of U.S. homeowners with a child under age 18 said they considered their child’s opinion when they bought their home. Among Millennial parents 74% admitted their kids’ opinions were a factor in their choice.

“Fixed-rate mortgage rates have dropped 0.6% since November 2018 and today are lower than they were a year ago,” said CoreLogic Chief Economist Frank Nothaft. He predicts the slowdown in home prices will continue, estimating that home prices will increase by 3.4% in 2019, compared with 2018’s average of 5.8%. You may use our Mortgage … Read more