Home Buyers | Kristin Graziano Group

City Living Poised To Make A Comeback in 2021

January 20, 2021 By admin

When COVID-19 hit, the way people work and live immediately changed. Stay-at-home orders kept people at home more than ever before. Workers who previously had to report to an office were given the green light to work from home indefinitely. And as a result of these changes, many large cities saw huge portions of their populations say goodbye to city life (where even small apartments can be costly), in favor of more affordable, spacious dwellings in suburban or rural areas.

But it looks like the ‘burbs weren’t the right fit for everyone—and there are signs that the exodus is reversing.

According to data outlined in a recent article from REALTOR® Magazine, people are starting to move back to cities across the country. For example, sales of single-family homes and condos in Boston hit their highest level on record in October—while home sales in Chicago were up 39 percent year-over-year the same month. And with vaccine distribution underway—which will (hopefully) make city living safer—the increased popularity in city living is only going to increase into 2021.

The Takeaway:

So, what does that mean for you? People may have left city-living behind in response to COVID, but that’s starting to change—so if buying a home in a city feels like the right fit for you, now is a great time to make a move.

Buying A Home? Make Sure You Understand What Home Insurance Does—And Doesn’t—Cover

November 30, 2020 By admin

Getting homeowners insurance when you purchase a house is a non-negotiable. But while standard home insurance policies provide a high level of coverage and protection, they don’t cover everything—and in order to protect your home (and your investment), it’s important to understand what potential issues might fall outside your home insurance umbrella.

A recent article from realtor.com outlined the surprising things home insurance doesn’t cover, including:

Floods. While home insurance typically covers water issues like burst pipes, if your home is flooded due to a hurricane or excessive rain, most standard home insurance policies won’t cover the damage. In order to get coverage, you’ll need to purchase additional flood insurance.
Earthquakes. Similar to floods, most standard home insurance policies don’t cover earthquakes—so if you want coverage, you’ll need to buy a separate earthquake insurance policy.
Renovation damage. If you’re doing major renovations on your home—like gutting the interior or replacing the roof—most home insurance policies won’t cover the damage. If you want to protect yourself in the case of damage caused by the contractor, you’ll need to purchase a renovation policy.

The Takeaway:

So, what does this mean for you? If you’re thinking about buying a home, it’s important to understand the limits of your home insurance policy—and that you purchase additional coverage when necessary to protect your home.

Multiple Offers! Now What?

October 5, 2020 By admin

We have seen it time and time again – the first open house and the doors are steady with buyers! An hour goes by and the offers start arriving. It’s normal for Sellers to feel anxious and excited – and ready to accept an offer the moment it comes in! As your agents, we’ll go over each offer together and help you make the best possible decision. It’s more than top-dollar when reviewing offers. Whether you are entertaining two offers or 12 offers, the concept of how to decide is the same.

Together we will discuss each offer, and we’ll provide our professional guidance throughout the decision process.

Offer Strength – How close to the asking price? What is the amount down?
Financial Terms – What are their financing needs? Is it all cash?
Contingencies – Does the buyer need to sell their home first?
Closing Terms – Does it match your closing date desire?

Unique circumstances are bound to happen in every real estate transaction. We’re ready to advocate for you. We’re ready to work with the other agent on your behalf. We are ready to help you complete your home purchase or sale. Are you ready to take the next step?

To start your home search or learn your home’s value Give us a call and let’s get you going in the right direction!

Median Listing Price In The US Hits All-Time High

September 26, 2020 By admin

Most people want to list their home for the highest price possible when they sell their house. While a seller can always decide to list their house for as much as they want, ultimately, the market dictates how much it will actually fetch from a ready, willing, and able buyer.

Well, it looks like it’s a great time for any seller who wants to try and list their house for the highest price possible.

According to realtor.com’s August 2020 Monthly Housing Trends Report, the median listing price in the US increased 10.1 percent year-over-year in August. That’s a substantial increase from the 8.5 percent year-over-year growth seen in July—and the first time that listing prices have seen double-digit growth since 2017. And that 10.1 percent growth took the median listing price to $350,000—the highest on record.

The Takeaway:

So, what does this mean for you? With listing prices at an all-time high (and buyer demand at a high to go along with it), it’s an incredible market for sellers—so if you’ve been thinking about selling your home, now is a great time to make a move.

Waiting For Mortgage Rates To Go Lower? That’s Unlikely, Says Freddie Mac

September 26, 2020 By admin

Mortgage rates have continued to drop in recent months, hitting new all-time lows seemingly every week. And while the average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is currently (for the week ending September 3, 2020) under 3 percent, the consistent downward trend could have buyers holding out, waiting for rates to drop even lower.

But according to Freddie Mac, mortgage rates are unlikely to drop much further. “Mortgage rates have remained effectively flat or at near record lows for the last month,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist, said ,” in a recent press release. “However, there are some interesting compositional shifts as the 10-year Treasury rate has increased modestly over the past month while mortgage spreads have declined. Spreads may decline even further but the rise in Treasury rates will make it difficult for mortgage rates to fall much more over the next few weeks.”

The Takeaway:

So, what does this mean for you? If you’ve been holding off on buying a home in hopes that mortgage rates will drop even lower, it looks like that’s unlikely—so now is a great time to make a move and lock in a mortgage at these historically low rates.

Sellers Pocketing Significant Profits Despite COVID-19

August 11, 2020 By admin

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, there were a lot of concerns about how it would impact the housing market—including whether it would spark a decrease in home values.

But, as it turns out, the opposite is true—and sellers are netting significantly more profit when they sell their home than anticipated.

According to a recent report from ATTOM Data Solutions, during Q2 of 2020, home sellers netted a median $75,491 when they sold their home—up from $65,620 from Q2 2019. Q2’s profit represents a 36.3 percent return on investment compared to original purchase price—the highest ROI for sellers since the Great Recession.

The Takeaway:

So, what does this mean for you? If you’re thinking about selling, now is a great time to make a move, fetch top dollar for your home, and walk away from the sale with a healthy profit.

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