Real Estate

Frustrations of the Home Buying Process

Many people in my industry have been experiencing something that isn’t necessarily new but seems to be getting folks a little more riled up than it used too. I am referring to stress from the mortgage process. Part of our job as realtors is to make things go as smoothly as possible, but there are some parts of a transaction that we can’t control. And one of those parts is the LOAN UNDERWRITING!

The 3 Main REASONS we are NOt in a housing Bubble

Home values appreciated by about ten percent in 2020, and they’re forecast to appreciate by about five percent this year. This has some voicing concern that we may be in another housing bubble like the one we experienced a little over a decade ago. Here are three reasons why this market is totally different.

Real Estate Is a Driving Force in the Economy

As the economy recovers from this year’s health crisis, the housing market is playing a leading role in the turnaround. It’s safe to say that what we call “home” is taking on a new meaning, causing many of us to consider buying or selling sooner rather than later. Housing, therefore, has thrived in an otherwise down year.

Housing Market on Track to Beat Last Year’s Success

Since hitting a low point during the initial stages of the pandemic, the only major industry to display immunity to the economic impacts of the coronavirus is the housing market. Housing has experienced a strong V-shaped recovery and is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

The Latest Unemployment Rate Fell to 8.4%

Last Friday, the Bureau for Labor Statistics released their Employment Report for August 2020. The big surprise was that the unemployment rate fell to 8.4%, a full percent lower than what many analysts had forecasted

Why Foreclosures Won’t Crush the Housing Market Next Year

Why Foreclosures Won’t Crush the Housing Market Next Year With the strength of the current housing market growing every day and more Americans returning to work, a faster-than-expected recovery in the housing sector is already well underway. Regardless, many are still asking the question: will we see a wave of foreclosures as a result of the current crisis? Thankfully, research shows … Read More

Experts Weigh-In on the Remarkable Strength of the Housing Market

Experts Weigh-In on the Remarkable Strength of the Housing Market America has faced its share of challenges in 2020. A once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, a financial crisis leaving millions still unemployed, and an upcoming presidential election that may prove to be one of the most contentious in our nation’s history all continue to test this country in … Read More

Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows for Three Consecutive Weeks

Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows for Three Consecutive Weeks Over the past several weeks, Freddie Mac has reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropping to record lows, all the way down to 3.03%. Last week’s reported rate reached the lowest point in the history of the survey, which dates back to 1971 (See graph below): What does this … Read More

Impacts of Covid-19 on Athens Real Estate: The Good and The Bad

This area of the market has performed very well as I noted above. May and June were ahead of 2019 by 30% in pending home sales, and overall values appreciated by an average of 4% from 2019. Most of this gain was seen in homes under $600,000. In some cases, properties over $700,000 have seen a small drop in listing price, but those reduced prices are still in line with values from 2019. We have seen a pent-up demand drive a lot of this activity. Home buyers came out of the gates strong in May and so far the activity remains strong.

LATEST UNEMPLOYMENT REPORT: GREAT NEWS…FOR THE MOST PART

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their latest Employment Situation Summary last Thursday, and it again beat analysts’ expectations in a big way. The consensus was for 3,074,000 jobs to be added in June. The report revealed that 4,800,000 jobs were added. The unemployment rate fell to 11.1% from 13.3% last month. Again, excellent news as the … Read More