Crystal Saves The Deal

  What Experts Are Saying About the 2023 Housing Market If you’re thinking about  buying or selling  a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the  housing market  this year. In 2022, the market underwent a major shift as economic uncertainty and higher mortgage rates reduced buyer demand, slowed the pace of home sales, and moderated home prices. But what about  2023 ? An article from  HousingWire   offers  this perspective: “The red-hot housing market of the past 2 ½ years was characterized by sub-three percent mortgage rates, fast-paced bidding wars and record-low inventory. But more recently, market conditions have done an about-face. . . . now is the opportunity for everyone to become re-educated about what a ‘typical’ housing market looks like.” This year, experts agree we may see the return of greater stability and predictability in the housing market if inflation continues to ease and  mortgage rates  st...

  Tips To Reach Your Homebuying Goals in 2023 [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights If you’re planning to  buy a home  in 2023, here are a few things to focus on. Work on  your credit  and save for a  down payment . If saving feels like a challenge, there’s  help available . Then, get  pre-approved , create a list of desired features, and  prioritize  them. Let’s connect so you have expert advice on how to reach your  homebuying goals  this year.

  Since winterizing your home is a must-do for the cold-weather season, we’ve compiled a quick list of five steps you can quickly take to prepare your home for winter weather: Check for Drafts Though you may be preparing to welcome family and friends to your home this holiday season, you’ll want to keep Jack Frost out. So, inspect your door and window frames for possible drafts. If you find that cold air is seeping in, simply caulk or install weather-stripping around the frames. Adding a draft guard to your doors is a simple fix that will also keep cold air from coming inside. Inspect Heating Systems The last major home system you want to have problems with during the winter is your heating system. Before the weather outside gets too frightful, have a professional make sure that your heating system is running efficiently. On your end, make sure to replace your furnace filters. During the cold season, it is a good idea to do this once a month. If you have and regularly use a firepla...

 Buying a home is an exciting process, from searching for homes to picking up your new keys on closing day . Many first-time homebuyers also benefit from advice from family members or friends who’ve already gone through the process. While it is certainly good to hear a few different perspectives while you’re buying a home, buyers should also know to take home-buying advice with a grain of salt. First of all, every buyer’s experience is different. Secondly, there are a lot of myths that circulate about buying a home. Today, we’re debunking some of the most popular home-buying myths. Here are five fallacies that first-time home-buyers can ignore: 1. You’ll save money if you don’t use a real estate agent. Of course, this myth is one that we take personally. And why not? It is simply not true. Even if you think you’re prepared to search for a home, schedule all of your showings, complete the proper paperwork and take yourself through closing (all incredibly good reasons to have a real ...

  Avoid the Rental Trap in 2023 If you’re a renter, you likely face an important decision every year: renew your current lease, start a new one, or buy a home. This year is no different. But before you dive too deeply into your options, it helps to understand the true costs of renting moving forward. In the past year, both current renters and new renters have seen their rent go up based on information from  realtor.com : “ Three out of four renters (74.2%) who have moved in the past 12 months  reported seeing their rent increase. The strain from recent rent hikes isn’t exclusive to renters who have recently moved.  Nearly two-thirds of renters (63.2%) who have lived in their current rental between 12 and 24 months , and likely renewed their lease, have also reported increases in their rent.” And if you look back at historical data, that shouldn’t come as surprise. That’s because, according to the  Census , rents have been rising fairly consistently since 1988 ( ...

  Today’s home searches do not begin by simply driving by a “for sale” sign and stopping in to view a home. In many cases, buyers begin searching for their next properties from the comforts of their current homes. In fact, online home searches have become such a reality for today’s home buyers that listing photos have become an integral part of curb appeal. If you’re planning to start your new home search online, how can you be sure you’re finding a home that will match your needs? Here are five tips to help you get your online home search started: 1. Know your needs and wants list. One major difference between searching for homes online and scouring local neighborhoods for available homes is the sheer number of homes available. If you don’t have a clear idea of the features you want to find in a home, you might spend a lot of time sorting through available inventory online to find even a couple homes that meet your desired criteria. Spend some time before you begin your search and...