Keith Bailey Realtor Florida Real Estate Blog

  How VA Loans Can Help You Buy a Home For over 80 years, Veterans Affairs (VA) home loans have helped millions of veterans buy their own  homes . If you or someone you know has served in the military, it's important to learn about this program and its benefits. Here are some key things to know about VA loans before  buying a home . Top Benefits of VA Home Loans VA home loans make it easier for veterans to buy a home, and they're a great perk for those who qualify.  According  to the  Department of Veteran Affairs,  some benefits include: Options for No Down Payment:  Qualified borrowers can often purchase a home with no down payment. That’s a huge weight lifted when you’re trying to save for a home.  The Associated Press   says : “. . . about 90% of VA loans are used to purchase a home with no money down.” Don’t Require Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI):  Many other loans with down payments under 20% require PMI. VA loans do not, wh...

  The Perks of Buying over Renting Thinking about buying a home? While today’s  mortgage rates  might seem a bit intimidating, here are two solid reasons why, if you’re ready and able, it could still be a smart move to get  your own place . 1. Home Values Typically Go Up Over Time There’s been some confusion over the past year or so about which way  home prices  are headed. Make no mistake, nationally they’re still going up. In fact, over the long-term,  home prices  almost always go up ( see graph below ): Using  data  from the  Federal Reserve  (the Fed), you can see the overall trend is home prices have climbed steadily for the past 60 years. There was an exception during the 2008 housing crash when prices didn’t follow the normal pattern, but generally, home values kept rising. This is a big reason why  buying a home  can be better than  renting . As prices go up and you pay down your mortgage, you build...

  Why Overpricing Your House Can Cost You If you’re trying to  sell your house , you may be looking at this spring season as the  sweet spot  – and you’re not wrong. We’re still in a  seller’s market  because there are so few  homes for sale  right now. And historically, this is the  time of year  when more buyers move, and competition ticks up. That makes this an exciting time to put up that for sale sign. But while conditions are great for sellers like you, you’ll still want to be strategic when it comes time to set your asking price. That’s because pricing your house too high may actually cost you in the long run. The Downside of Overpricing Your House The asking price for your house sends a message to potential buyers. From the moment they see your listing, the price and the photos are what’s going to make the biggest first impression. And, if it’s priced too high, you may turn people away. As an article from  U.S. News Rea...

  Homeowners Today Have Options To Avoid Foreclosure Even with the latest data coming in, the experts agree there’s no chance of a large-scale  foreclosure crisis  like the one we saw back in 2008. While headlines may be calling attention to a slight uptick in foreclosure filings recently, the  bigger picture  is that we’re still well below the number we’d see in a more normal year for the housing market. As a report from  BlackKnight   explains : “The prospect of any kind of near-term surge in foreclosure activity remains low, with start volumes still nearly 40% below pre-pandemic levels.” That’s good news. It means the number of homeowners at risk is very low compared to the norm. But, there’s a small percentage who may be coming face to face with foreclosure as a possibility. That’s because some homeowners may have an unexpected hardship in their life, which unfortunately can happen in any market. For those homeowners, there are still options that c...

  Your Home Is a Powerful Investment Going into 2023, there was a lot of talk about a possible  recession  that would cause the housing market to crash. Some in the media were even forecasting home prices would drop by as much as 10-20%—and that might have made you feel a bit unsure about  buying a home . But here’s what actually happened:  home prices  went up more than usual. Brian D. Luke, Head of Commodities at  S&P Dow Jones Indices ,  explains : “Looking back at the year, 2023 appears to have exceeded average annual home price gains over the past 35 years.” To put last year’s growth into context, the graph below uses  data  from  Freddie Mac  on how home prices have changed each year going back to 1980. The dotted line shows the long-term average for appreciation: The big takeaway?   Home prices almost always go up. As an article from  Forbes   says : “. . . the U.S. real estate market has a long and re...