Crystal Saves The Deal

  Why You Can Rely on Expertise in Today's Dynamic Housing Market Greetings, I'm Crystal Swearingen, a licensed Realtor with 16 years of experience, proudly serving as the broker-owner of Crystal Clear Realty. With my extensive knowledge and expertise, I'm here to skillfully guide you through the intricate landscape of the housing market. In these swiftly changing times, having a dependable real estate partner is more crucial than ever. Whether you're embarking on your first home-buying journey or returning to the market as a seller, teaming up with an expert is paramount. The reality is, not all agents operate with the same level of proficiency. To make confident and informed decisions as you navigate the process of buying or selling a home, you deserve a real estate specialist who can leverage their insights into current home prices, housing supply dynamics, industry projections, and more, all to provide you with the best counsel possible. As Jay Thompson, a notable R...

  There’s a lot to consider when buying a home. You’ve probably asked yourself a million questions already. What’s in my budget? What will my annual tax bill look like? How far am I willing to commute? How are the schools? Of course, that’s all incredibly important. Particularly if you think it might be your forever home. The next question most people will ask, or should be asking, is what kind of home is right for me? Single family? Condominium? Townhouse? Chateau in the French countryside? So many questions! Over the next few paragraphs, we’ll examine what types of residences, including the most common architectural styles, are available right now to you, the homebuyer. First, let’s tackle single-family homes. Single-family homes are usually defined as free standing or detached residential structures. There’s some leeway there where properties can be seemingly attached but separated by a wall that extends the full vertical height of the home, roof excluded. As one can imagine, th...

  If you took a peek at a new homeowner’s search history, you’d likely find key terms like, “Home renovations on a budget,” “How much does it cost on average to do A, B, C,” or “Cheap hacks to fix blah, blah, blah…” New homeowner or not, it’s safe to say that anyone who’s has taken a trip to their local Lowes or Home Depot as of late, has had to pick their jaw up off the floor when faced with the monumental price increases of everything from lumber to plumbing and even the snack size can of Pringles you have to have while standing in line for the self-checkout. “I can store nails or something in the can afterward,” you tell yourself. Yeah, sure... So, is renovating on a budget even possible these days? Well, yes. After all, a budget is going to vary from person to person. Even in a general sense, there are decisions you can make to cut corners and save cash without compromising the quality or safety of your project. DIY If you can do it, save money by foregoing professional inst...

  How Inflation Affects the Housing Market Have you ever wondered how  inflation  impacts the  housing market ? Believe it or not, they’re connected. Whenever there are changes to one, both are affected. Here’s a high-level overview of the connection between the two. The Relationship Between Housing Inflation and Overall Inflation Shelter inflation is the measure of price growth specific to housing. It comes from a  survey  of renters and homeowners that’s done by the  Bureau of Labor Statistics  (BLS). The survey asks renters how much they’re paying in rent, and homeowners how much they’d rent their homes for, if they weren’t living in them. Much like overall inflation measures the cost of everyday items, shelter inflation measures the cost of housing. And for four consecutive months, based on that survey, shelter inflation has been  coming down  ( see graph below ): Why does this matter? Well, shelter inflation makes up about one-third...