Right now, the housing market is full of outstanding opportunities for both buyers and sellers. Whether you’re thinking of buying your first home, moving up to a bigger one, or selling so you can downsize this spring, there are perks today that are powering big moves for people across the country. Here are the top two to keep on the radar this season.

The Biggest Perk for Buyers: Low Mortgage Rates

 Today’s most compelling buyer incentive is low mortgage interest rates. The 30-year fixed-rate is now averaging just over 3%. While that’s slightly higher than the record-lows from 2020 and earlier this year, it’s still way lower than historic norms, making purchasing a home an ongoing perk for hopeful buyers (See graph below):

This is a huge…

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According to data from the most recent Origination Insight Report by Ellie Mae, the average FICO® score on closed loans reached 753 in February. As lending standards have tightened recently, many are concerned over whether or not their credit score is strong enough to qualify for a mortgage. While stricter lending standards could be a challenge for some, many buyers may be surprised by the options that are still available for borrowers with lower credit scores.

The fact that the average American has seen their credit score go up in recent years is a great sign of financial health. As someone’s score rises, they’re building toward a stronger financial future. As more Americans with strong credit enter the housing market, we see a natural…

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Are we in a housing market bubble here in Boca Raton? And if so, when's this bubble gonna burst? When are prices gonna come down?

Hey, it's Andy with the Mandel Team at RE/MAX. And if this is your first time to the channel, this is where we go over everything there is to know about the South Florida lifestyle. Eating, living, sleeping, playing and being a South Floridian. So if that interests you, make sure you subscribe to our channel and hit that bell icon so you get notified every time we do a new video.

We get so many calls, texts and emails from people who are relocating here to South Florida from across the country and across the world, and we absolutely love it. So if you were thinking about making a move to South Florida, give us a…

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When thinking about selling, homeowners often feel they need to get their house ready with some remodeling to make it more appealing to buyers. However, with so many buyers competing for available homes right now, renovations may not be as vital as they would be in a more normal market. Here are two things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of selling this season.

1. There aren’t enough homes for sale right now.

A normal market has a 6-month supply of houses for sale, but today’s housing inventory sits far below that benchmark. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), there’s only a 1.9-month supply of homes available today. As a result, buyer competition is high and homes are only on the market for about 21 days, during which…

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Today’s homebuyers are faced with a strong sellers’ market, which means there are a lot of active buyers competing for a relatively low number of available homes. As a result, it’s essential to understand how to make a confident and competitive offer on your dream home. Here are five tips for success in this critical stage of the homebuying process.

1. Listen to Your Real Estate Advisor

An article from Freddie Mac gives direction on making an offer on a home. From the start, it emphasizes how trusted professionals can help you stay focused on the most important things, especially at times when this process can get emotional for buyers:

“Remember to let your homebuying team guide you on your journey, not your emotions. Their support and…

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Are you thinking about getting a mortgage, and you need to figure out, are you gonna get your mortgage with a big bank, or are you going to go to a direct mortgage lender?

Well, in this video, I'm gonna answer the question that we get all the time, which one's better, what's the difference, and what do we recommend, and why? So when you think of banks, you probably think about the big names that you hear all the time, Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, companies like that, and there are a lot of other smaller banks as well. But the point remains, the constant over all of these companies, the mortgage division in these companies really is not the profit driver for the company. These companies are making billions and billions of dollars a year.…

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Last year, many homeowners thought twice about selling their houses due to the onset of the health crisis. This year, however, homeowners are beginning to regain their confidence when it comes to selling safely. The latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) by Fannie Mae shows that 57% of consumers believe now is a good time to sell.

Doug Duncan, Vice President and Chief Economist at Fannie Mae, explains:

“Overall, the index’s monthly increase was driven largely by a substantial jump in the share of consumers reporting that it’s a good time to sell a home, with many citing favorable mortgage rates, high home prices, and low housing inventory as their primary rationale.”

Normally, spring is the busiest season in the housing market –…

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When selling a house, most homeowners hope for a quick and profitable transaction that puts them in a position to make a great move. If you’re waiting for the best time to win as a seller, the market is calling your name this spring. Here are five reasons why this is the perfect time to sell your house if you’re ready.

1. There’s high demand from homebuyers.

Buyer demand is strong right now, and buyers are active in the market. ShowingTime, which tracks the average number of buyer showings on residential properties, recently announced that buyer showings are up 51.5% compared to this time last year. Daniil Cherkasskiy, Chief Analytics Officer at ShowingTime, notes:

“As anticipated, demand for real estate remains elevated and continues to…

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You're thinking about getting a mortgage and you wanna know should I go to a mortgage broker or to a direct lender, and really, what's the difference? Well, in this video today we're gonna answer that question for you.

The first option is a mortgage broker think of it like an independent contractor. They don't work directly for any one bank. Their job is to gather the information from the borrower, and then shop that loan, you know, your package, around to a bunch of different banks or mortgage companies to try to get you as the borrower the best rate and the best terms. Now in an ideal world that sounds great, but what ends up really happening is that person that you're dealing with, that mortgage broker, He's just the middle man. His job is…

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Whether you’re buying your first home or selling your current house, if your needs are changing and you think you need to move, the decision can be complicated. You may have to take personal or professional considerations into account, and only you can judge what impact those factors should have on your desire to move.

However, there’s one category that provides a simple answer. When deciding to buy now or wait until next year, the financial aspect of the purchase is easy to evaluate. You just need to ask yourself two questions:

  1. Do I think home values will be higher a year from now?
  2. Do I think mortgage rates will be higher a year from now?

From a purely financial standpoint, if the answer is ‘yes’ to either question, you should…

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