Marguerite Apostolas Team

How Much Leverage Do Today's House Sellers Have? The housing market has been scorching hot over the last twelve months. Buyers and their high demand have far outnumbered sellers and a short supply of houses. According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sales are up 23.7% from the same time last year while the inventory of homes available for sale is down 25.7%. There are 360,000 fewer single-family homes for sale today than there were at this time last year. This increase in demand coupled with such limited supply is leading to more bidding wars throughout the... Feel free to message us with any questions.

Where Have All the Houses Gone? In today’s housing market, it seems harder than ever to find a home to buy. Before the health crisis hit us a year ago, there was already a shortage of homes for sale. When many homeowners delayed their plans to sell at the same time that more buyers aimed to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates and purchase a home, housing inventory dropped even further. Experts consider this to be the biggest challenge facing an otherwise hot market wh...ile buyers continue to compete for homes. As Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com, explains: With buyers active in the market and... Feel free to message us with any questions.

Homeowners Today Have Tremendous Equity You may have more home equity today than you realize. Let's connect to plan how you can leverage that equity in your next move. Feel free to message us with any questions.

Will Low Mortgage Rates Continue through 2021? With mortgage interest rates hitting record lows so many times recently, some are wondering if we’ll see low rates continue throughout 2021, or if they’ll start to rise. Recently, Freddie Mac released their quarterly forecast, noting: The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a record low over a dozen times in 2020 and the low interest rate environment is projected to continue through this year. We expect interest rates to ave...rage below 3% through the end of 2021. While this is a modest rise from 2020 averages, the recent vote by the Federal Reserve to keep... Feel free to message us with any questions.

Why Right Now May Be the Time to Sell Your House The housing market made an incredible recovery in 2020 and is now positioned for an even stronger year in 2021. Record-low mortgage interest rates are a driving factor in this continued momentum, with average rates hovering at historic all-time lows. According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), buyer demand across the country is incredibly strong. That’s not the case,... however, on the supply side. Seller traffic is simply not keeping up. Here’s a breakdown by state:As the maps show, buyer traffic is... Feel free to message us with any questions.

3 Ways Home Equity Can Have a Major Impact on Your Life There have been a lot of headlines reporting on how homeowner equity (the difference between the current market value of your home and the amount you owe on your mortgage) has dramatically increased over the past few years. CoreLogic indicated that equity increased for the average homeowner by $17,000 in the last year alone. ATTOM Data Solutions, in their latest U.S. Home Equity Report, revealed that 30.2% of the 59 million mortgaged homes in the United States have at least 50% equity. That doesn’t even include the 38% of homes that are owned free and clear... Feel free to message us with any questions.

Will Forbearance Plans Lead to a Tsunami of Foreclosures? At the onset of the economic disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic, the government quickly put into place forbearance plans to allow homeowners to remain in their homes without making their monthly mortgage payments. Today, almost three million households are actively in a forbearance plan. Though 29.4% of those in forbearance have continued to stay current on their payments, many have not. Yanling Mayer, Principal ...Economist at CoreLogic, recently revealed: A distributional analysis of forborne loans’ payment status reveals that more than one third... Feel free to message us with any questions.

Three Reasons to Buy a Home in 2021 2021 will be a great year to buy a home. Let's connect to make sure you're ready for success in today's housing market. Feel free to message us with any questions.

Reasons to Hire a Real Estate Professional [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights Choosing the right real estate professional to work with is one of the most important decisions you can make in your homebuying or selling process.... The right agent can explain current market conditions and break down exactly what they mean for you. If you’re considering buying or selling a home this year, let’s connect so you can work with someone who has the experience to answer all of your questions about pricing, contracts, negotiations, and more. Feel free to message us with any questions.

Is This the Year to Sell My House? If one of the questions you’re asking yourself is, Should I sell my house this year? consumer sentiment about selling today should boost your confidence in the right direction. Even with the current health crisis that continues to challenge our nation, Americans still feel good about selling a house. Here’s why. According to the latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index from Fannie Mae, 57% of consumer respondents to their survey indicate now i...s a good time to buy a home, while 59% feel it’s a good time to sell one: The percentage of respondents who say it is a good time... Feel free to message us with any questions.

The Importance of Home Equity in Building Wealth Homeownership has always been the first rung on the ladder leading to household wealth. As Freddie Mac recently posted: Homeownership has cemented its role as part of the American Dream, providing families with a place that is their own and an avenue for building wealth over time. This ‘wealth’ is built, in large part, through the creation of equityBuilding equity through your monthly principal payments and appreciation is a ...critical part of homeownership that can help you create financial stability. Home equity is the difference between the current market... Feel free to message us with any questions.