Atlanta Condos For Sale

Pre-Approval in 2023: What You Need To Know

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Pre-Approval in 2023: What You Need To Know

Pre-Approval in 2023: What You Need To Know | MyKCM

One of the first steps in your homebuying journey is getting pre-approved.  To understand why it’s such an important step, you need to understand what pre-approval is and what it does for you. Business Insider explains:

“In a preapproval [sic], the lender tells you which types of loans you may be eligible to take out, how much you may be approved to borrow, and what your rate could be.”

Basically, pre-approval gives you critical information about the homebuying process that’ll help you understand your options and what you may be able to borrow.

How does it work? As part of the pre-approval process, a lender will look at your finances to determine what they’d be willing to loan you. From there, your lender will give you a pre-approval letter to help you understand how much money you can borrow. That can make it easier when you set out to search for homes because you’ll know your overall numbers. And with higher mortgage rates impacting affordability for many buyers today, a solid understanding of your numbers is even more important.

Pre-Approval Helps Show You’re a Serious Buyer

Another added benefit is pre-approval can help a seller feel more confident in your offer because it shows you’re serious about buying their house. A recent article from Forbes notes:

“From the seller’s perspective, a preapproval [sic] letter from a reputable local lender often can make the difference between accepting and rejecting an offer.”

This goes to show, even though you may not face the intense bidding wars you saw if you tried to buy during the pandemic, pre-approval is still an important part of making a strong offer. In fact, Christy Bieber, Personal Finance Writer at The Motley Fool explains it may be the most important part of making an offer:

“Pre-approval maximizes the chances you’ll be able to actually close the deal – and sellers want to see that.

The fact that a pre-approval gives you a better chance of getting your offer accepted is undoubtedly the most important reason to complete this step . . .”

Bottom Line

Getting pre-approved is an important first step towards buying a home. It lets you know what you can borrow, shows sellers you’re serious about purchasing their home, and last but not least, it helps ME know what to be looking for as we search for a home.  We have a great team of Lenders to help you get that important pre-approval! Check them out at YOUR TEAM Page here on the site.

Your House Could Be the #1 Item on a Homebuyer’s Wish List During the Holidays

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Your House Could Be the #1 Item on a Homebuyer’s Wish List During the Holidays

Your House Could Be the #1 Item on a Homebuyer’s Wish List During the Holidays | MyKCM

Each year, homeowners planning to make a move are faced with a decision: sell their house during the holidays or wait. And others who have already listed their homes may think about removing their listings and waiting until the new year to go back on the market.

The truth is many buyers want to purchase a home for the holidays, and your house might be just what they’re looking for. Here are five great reasons you shouldn’t wait to sell your house.

1. While the supply of homes for sale has increased this year, there still aren’t enough homes on the market to keep up with buyer demand. As Nadia Evangelou, Senior Economist & Director of Forecasting at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains:

“There’s still this gap between demand and supply because we were underbuilding for many years. . . . So now we see demand is slowing, but it still outpaces supply.”

2. Serious homebuyers are out looking right now. Millennials are driving homebuying demand today, and many are eager to make a purchase. Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, explains:

“While not the frenzy of 2021, the largest living generation, the Millennials, will continue to age into their prime home-buying years, creating a demographic tailwind for the housing market.”

3. The desire to own a home doesn’t stop during the holidays. In fact, homes decorated for the holidays appeal to many buyers. Plus, purchasers who look for homes during the holidays are ready to buy.

4. You can restrict the showings in your house to days and times that are most convenient for you. That can help you minimize disruptions, which is especially important this time of year.

5. Rents have skyrocketed in recent years. And, many buyers are looking to escape rising rents and avoid falling into the rental trap for another year. As an article from Zillow says:

“Over the next 12 months, rents are expected to grow more than inflation, the stock market and home values.”

Your home could be their ticket to leaving renting behind for good.

Your House Could Be the #1 Item on a Homebuyer’s Wish List During the Holidays!!

Bottom Line

There are still many reasons it makes sense to list your house during the holiday season. Let’s connect to determine if selling now is your best move.

Why Is My Home Not Being Shown Multiple Times Per Week?

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Why Is My Home Not Being Shown Multiple Times Per Week?

As I have daily conversations with my Seller’s, as well as speak with other real estate professionals, and it is a continuing education class for Seller’s in the current market. Long gone are the multiple offers, offers over list price and no contingencies. In fact, gone are multiple showings in a day!

When Seller’s ask me, “Why is my home not being shown multiple times per week?” I have to remind and educate them that the real estate market in Atlanta (and pretty much every city from people I talk to) has made a dramatic shift. It’s not that Buyer’s don’t want to buy a home…it’s that many Buyers have been priced out of the market completely by the sharp rise in interest rates. 

This dramatic rise in interest rates can do a number of things to a buyer: 1) They can no longer afford the mortgage payment on the price point they were looking; 2) They are having to look at less expensive homes to meet their mortgage budget (hence not looking at yours?) or; 3) have left the market completely.  Other buyers, while they may still be able to afford the payment at a higher interest rate, have chosen to move to the sidelines while they see what happens to the economy.

The increase in interest rates is directly related to the number of times your home is being shown. And unless you have priced it below market value….yes…I said BELOW market value, it may be on the market for sometime before it sells. While we certainly have not shifted 100% from a crazy Seller’s market where we were last year or even at the beginning of this year, Buyers are looking for homes that the Seller is showing their willingness to price it such that it is a great value to the buyer.

As a listing agent, I can work to market your home in numerous ways. If your home is vacant, we can increase the amount of virtual staging we do in each room to help show the home in a better way. We reach out to agents in our marketplace that we know list and sell homes in the area to confirm they have seen your listing, and if they have any buyers that might be interested. But even with these efforts, when you have a reduced buyer pool to draw from, it’s going to take more than 3 days to sell your home. It is now quite common to see homes on the market for 60-90 days and even longer. 

Some Seller’s are showing their frustration by taking their home off the market. I had one Seller say, ” I’ll put it back on after the holidays when the market has improved.” Well, I don’t have THAT crystal ball, but if there are buyers out during the holidays, they most likely are strong buyers that ARE qualified, and you could miss that opportunity. 

I can talk to you and tell you about the market, but numbers don’t lie….as this statement about the volume of mortgages clearly says:

 

 

Don’t Be Afraid of Today’s Housing Market

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Don’t be afraid of Today’s housing market! Just think, there is a good potential that interest rates may go even higher than they currently are! So buying now, you could lock in a lower rate than might be around in say, 3 or 4 months. And with the equity that you have in buying a home (let’s make sure you don’t overpay…and that market has cooled enough to help us with THAT goal) you can look to refinance your mortgage when interest rates come down in the future. 

Of course, every person’s situation is different. We might even tell you that it does not make sense for you to buy a home right now. But, let’s sit down and talk and see what your options may be!!

 

 

If you would like to know more about the home buying process ….perhaps you are new to Georgia and the real estate buying process DOES differ from state to state …. check out our Atlanta Real Estate Buyers Guide. And if you still have questions….well that’s what we are here for! 

Should You Still Buy a Home with the Latest News About Inflation?

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Should You Still Buy a Home with the Latest News About Inflation?

Should You Still Buy a Home with the Latest News About Inflation? | MyKCM

While the Federal Reserve is working hard to bring down inflation, the latest data shows the inflation rate is still high, remaining around 8%. This news impacted the stock market and added fuel to the fire for conversations about a recession.

You’re likely feeling the impact in your day-to-day life as you watch the cost of goods and services climb. The pinch it’s creating on your wallet and the looming economic uncertainty may leave you wondering: “should I still buy a home right now?” If that question is top of mind for you, here’s what you need to know.

Homeownership Is Historically a Great Hedge Against Inflation

In an inflationary economy, prices rise across the board. Historically, homeownership is a great hedge against those rising costs because you can lock in what’s likely your largest monthly payment (your mortgage) for the duration of your loan. That helps stabilize some of your monthly expenses. James Royal, Senior Wealth Management Reporter at Bankrate, explains:

“A fixed-rate mortgage allows you to maintain the biggest portion of housing expenses at the same payment. Sure, property taxes will rise and other expenses may creep up, but your monthly housing payment remains the same.”

And with rents being as high as they are, the ability to stabilize your monthly payments and protect yourself from future rent hikes may be even more important. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains what happened to rents in the latest inflation report:

“Inflation refuses to budge. In September, consumer prices rose by 8.2%. Rents rose by 7.2%, the highest pace in 40 years.”

When you rent, your monthly payment is determined by your lease, which typically renews on an annual basis. With inflation high, your landlord may be more likely to increase your payments to offset the impact of inflation. That may be part of the reason why a survey from realtor.com shows 72% of landlords said they plan to raise the rent on one or more of their properties in the next year.

Becoming a homeowner, if you’re ready and able to do so, can provide lasting stability and a reliable shelter in times of economic uncertainty.

If you are new to the home buying process, check out our Intown Atlanta Real Estate Buyers Guide!

Bottom Line

The best hedge against inflation is a fixed housing cost. If you’re ready to learn more and start your journey to homeownership, let’s connect.

Buyers: You May Face Less Competition as Bidding Wars Ease

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Buyers: You May Face Less Competition as Bidding Wars Ease

Buyers: You May Face Less Competition as Bidding Wars Ease | MyKCM

Buyers, you may face less competition as bidding wars ease, and we also see an increase in inventory in various locations in Atlanta! One of the top stories in recent real estate headlines was the intensity and frequency of bidding wars. With so many buyers looking to purchase a home and so few of them available for sale, fiercely competitive bidding wars became the norm during the pandemic – and it drove home prices up. If you tried to buy a house over the past two years, you probably experienced this firsthand and may have been outbid on several homes along the way.

But here’s the news you’ve been waiting for: data shows clear signs bidding wars are easing this year.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average number of offers on recently sold homes has declined considerably over the past few months (see graph below):

Buyers: You May Face Less Competition as Bidding Wars Ease | MyKCM

The graph shows homes were seeing a high of around five offers earlier this year. But the latest data shows that average was down to just shy of three offers per recently sold home. This shift is happening largely because rising mortgage rates moderated buyer demand and slowed home sales, resulting in a growing supply of homes on the market. Essentially, more choices for buyers. These stats are on a national level…locally in Atlanta, we are still seeing multiple offers on choice properties, but we are also seeing the return of financing contingencies, due diligence periods and even Seller paid closing costs. 

What This Means for You

If you put your home search on pause because you were outbid last year or because you didn’t want to deal with the peak intensity of bidding wars, you can breathe a welcome sigh of relief. While it’s still a sellers’ market, an uptick in inventory gives you a window of opportunity to jump back in. You may still be competing with some buyers, but it likely won’t be anything like it was just a few short months ago.

Bottom Line

If you put your plans on pause because of intense bidding wars in recent years (or months), it may be time to kick off your home search. Today, bidding wars are easing and that may mean less competition for you as a buyer. If you’re serious about buying a home or making a move, let’s connect to get started today.

If you are a first-time home buyer, we are ready to help you! Check out our Buyer’s Guide…a series of articles that will walk you through the home buying process. And of course, we will be there every step of the way with you! Give us a call and let’s talk about your home buying needs! 

Thom Abbott

Associate Broker, REALTOR(R)
905 Juniper Street, NE Suite 110
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
770.713.1505 Direct
404.876.4901 Office

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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