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  • Home
  • About
    • Meet the Team
    • Testimonials
  • Sellers
    • Staging That Sells
    • Photography That Sells
    • Video That Sells
  • Buyers
    • Property Search
    • Featured Listings
    • Land for Sale
    • Let Us Find What You Are Looking For
    • Get Pre-Qualified!
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buying and selling doesn't have to be hard.

35 Money-Saving Household Habits

2/26/2021

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  • 35 Money-Saving Household Habits

    Adopt a few of these home tips to find a bit more cash each month. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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5 Questions To Ask When Buying A House

2/22/2021

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  • 5 Questions To Ask When Buying A House

    There are no dumb questions to ask a real estate agent. Read

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© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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The Tip I Learned While House Hunting That Changed Everything

2/19/2021

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  • The Tip I Learned While House Hunting That Changed Everything

    Nope, we weren’t ready to buy a fixer upper. Here’s how we figured that out. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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How to Disinfect Your Home in the Time of Coronavirus

2/15/2021

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  • How to Disinfect Your Home in the Time of Coronavirus

    A bleach solution or rubbing alcohol is your best bet for keeping your home sanitized. Read

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© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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Why Right Now May Be the Time to Sell Your House

2/12/2021

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Why Right Now May Be the Time to Sell Your House​

The housing market made an incredible recovery in 2020 and is now positioned for an even stronger year in 2021. Record-low mortgage interest rates are a driving factor in this continued momentum, with average rates hovering at historic all-time lows.
According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), buyer demand across the country is incredibly strong. That’s not the case, however, on the supply side. Seller traffic is simply not keeping up. Here’s a breakdown by state:As the maps show, buyer traffic is high, but seller traffic is low. With so few homes for sale right now, record-low inventory is creating a mismatch between supply and demand.
NAR also just reported that the actual number of homes currently for sale stands at 1.28 million, down 22% from one year ago (1.64 million). Additionally, inventory is at an all-time low with 2.3 months supply available at the current sales pace. In a normal market, that number would be 6.0 months of inventory – significantly higher than it is today.
What does this mean for buyers and sellers?Buyers need to remain patient in the search process. At the same time, they must be ready to act immediately once they find the right home since bidding wars are more common when so few houses are available for sale.
Sellers may not want to wait until spring to put their houses on the market, though. With such high buyer demand and such a low supply, now is the perfect time to sell a house on optimal terms.
Bottom LineThe real estate market is entering the year like a lion. There’s no indication it will lose that roar, assuming inventory continues to come to market.
​
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Coronavirus Mortgage Relief: What You Need To Know

2/8/2021

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  • Coronavirus Mortgage Relief: What You Need To Know

    It’s a confusing time, but lenders are putting remedies, like forbearance, in place to help homeowners. Read

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© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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Thank You for Making Me Your Trusted Advisor

2/6/2021

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Home Buying and Selling During the Pandemic: What You Need to Know

2/5/2021

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  • Home Buying and Selling During the Pandemic: What You Need to Know

    Resources to help you navigate the new real estate normal. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

  • Home Buying and Selling During the Pandemic: What You Need to Know

    Resources to help you navigate the new real estate normal. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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Four Expert Views on the 2021 Housing Market

1/29/2021

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Four Expert Views on the 2021 Housing Market

The housing market was a shining star in 2020, fueling the economic turnaround throughout the country. As we look forward to 2021, can we expect real estate to continue showing such promise? Here’s what four experts have to say about the year ahead.
Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors (NAR)“In 2021, I think rates will be similar or modestly higher, maybe 3%...So, mortgage rates will continue to be historically favorable.”

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist, realtor.com“We expect sales to grow 7 percent and prices to rise another 5.7 percent on top of 2020’s already high levels.”

Robert Dietz, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)“With home builder confidence near record highs, we expect continued gains for single-family construction, albeit at a lower growth rate than in 2019. Some slowing of new home sales growth will occur due to the fact that a growing share of sales has come from homes that have not started construction. Nonetheless, buyer traffic will remain strong given favorable demographics, a shifting geography of housing demand to lower-density markets and historically low interest rates.”

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist, First American
“Mortgage rates are expected to remain low for the foreseeable future and millennials will continue forming households, keeping demand robust, even if income growth moderates. Despite the best intentions of home builders to provide more housing supply, the big short in housing supply will continue into 2021 and likely keep house price appreciation flying high.”

Bottom Line
Whether you’re ready to buy or sell a home in 2021, if you’re planning to take advantage of the market this winter, let’s connect to talk about the opportunities available in our local market.
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Organize Your Home in a Month in Less Than an Hour a Day

1/26/2021

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  • Organize Your Home in a Month in Less Than an Hour a Day

    A super-easy plan for getting organized without adding to your home-is-school, home-is-work, home-is-everything time burden. Read

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© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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35 Money-Saving Household Habits

1/22/2021

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  • 35 Money-Saving Household Habits

    Adopt a few of these home tips to find a bit more cash each month. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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The Economic Impact of Buying a Home

1/19/2021

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The Importance of Home Equity in Building Wealth

1/15/2021

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The Importance of Home Equity in Building Wealth

Homeownership has always been the first rung on the ladder leading to household wealth. As Freddie Mac recently posted:
“Homeownership has cemented its role as part of the American Dream, providing families with a place that is their own and an avenue for building wealth over time. This ‘wealth’ is built, in large part, through the creation of equity…Building equity through your monthly principal payments and appreciation is a critical part of homeownership that can help you create financial stability.”
Home equity is the difference between the current market value of your house and the amount you currently owe on your mortgage. To estimate your equity, subtract your mortgage balance from the market value of your home.
You can find what you owe on your mortgage by looking at your last monthly statement or by contacting your lender. If you need help determining the current market value of your home, contact a local real estate professional.
Is homeownership truly a better path to wealth than renting?Some argue that renting eliminates the cost of property taxes and home repairs. Every potential renter must realize that all the expenses the landlord incurs (property taxes, repairs, insurance, etc.) are already baked into the rent payment – along with a profit margin. You don’t save money by renting.
As proof of this, First American broke down the net worth of homeowners and renters by income categories. Here are their findings:Only one income category ($127-192K) has a higher net worth for renters over homeowners. Every other category shows that being a homeowner leads to greater accumulated wealth.
According to the latest Homeowner Equity Insights Report from CoreLogic, the average homeowner gained $17,000 in equity in just the last year. Here’s a breakdown of the year-over-year equity gain by state:
When can you cash in on your housing wealth?Your home equity is part of your total wealth as a homeowner. The two most common ways homeowners can leverage their wealth are:
  • Selling
  • Refinancing
Selling: When you decide to sell your home, the equity you’ve built over time will come back to you in the sale. For example, if you paid off your $200,000 mortgage and sold your home for $350,000, you would receive $150,000 after closing.
Refinancing: You can refinance your current mortgage and take out some of the equity you have accumulated. With today’s historically low mortgage rates, you may be able to take out substantial cash and keep your monthly payment the same. Thankfully, homeowners today are doing this responsibly and not repeating the same mistakes made in 2006-2008 when some cashed out their entire equity to purchase luxury items like new cars, lavish vacations, etc.
How can these options help homeowners?During these difficult times, many households are struggling with their housing expenses. Homeowners, because of their equity, have better alternatives. Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist at First American, recently explained that homeowners financially impacted by the pandemic will not necessarily be faced with foreclosure:
“The foreclosure process is based on two steps. First, the homeowner suffers an adverse economic shock…leading to the homeowner becoming delinquent on their mortgage. However, delinquency by itself is not enough to send a mortgage into foreclosure. With enough equity, a homeowner has the option of selling their home, or tapping into their equity through a refinance, to help weather the economic shock.”

What might the future bring?Most experts are calling for home prices to continue appreciating going forward. The Home Price Expectation Survey, a survey of a national panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts, and investment & market strategists, indicates appreciation will continue for at least the next five years. Using their annual projections, the graph below shows the equity build-up a purchaser would potentially earn by buying a $300,000 home this January:
Bottom LineHome equity, for most Americans, is the quickest way to build household wealth. That wealth gives homeowners more options during good times and in difficult situations.
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The Tip I Learned While House Hunting That Changed Everything

1/12/2021

0 Comments

 
  • The Tip I Learned While House Hunting That Changed Everything

    Nope, we weren’t ready to buy a fixer upper. Here’s how we figured that out. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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5 Relationship-Saving Strategies For Any Couple Buying a House

1/8/2021

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  • 5 Relationship-Saving Strategies For Any Couple Buying a House

    Buying a house is exciting. Arguing while buying a house? Not so much. Here’s how to keep the peace while house hunting. Read

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© Copyright 2021 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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Are Home Values Really Overinflated

1/6/2021

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A New Way to Shop for Homes in a Virtual World

12/26/2020

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A New Way to Shop for Homes in a Virtual World | MyKCM In a year when we’re learning to do so much remotely, homebuying is no exception. From going to work to attending school, grocery shopping, and even seeing our doctors online, digital practices have changed the way we live. This year, rather than delaying their home purchases, buyers – alongside their trusted real estate professionals – turned to the Internet to do more than just a typical home search. In some cases, they bought homes without even stepping foot inside. Jessica Lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says: “People really didn’t buy houses sight-unseen, traditionally. It’s still not a huge number, but it has gone up, and we have definitely seen that trend accelerate.” According to NAR, throughout the coronavirus pandemic, one in every 20 homebuyers purchased a house sight-unseen. How Your Real Estate Agent Will Pave the Way Today, real estate professionals are using digital practices to help homebuyers and sellers walk through many steps in the process virtually. While following the regulations set forth by the CDC and all local guidelines, this year, agents quickly empowered buyers and sellers with virtual tours, 3D floor plans, high-quality photos, videos, online open houses, and more. For those who had homebuying and selling needs in 2020, trusted advisors made it possible in many markets. Here’s a graph showing some of the digital options buyers found most helpful in their searches this year, as noted by NAR in the 2020 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers:A New Way to Shop for Homes in a Virtual World | MyKCMThe report also mentions that buyers this year generally searched for eight weeks. Throughout that search, they viewed a median of 9 homes, but not all of them were seen in-person. Yahoo Finance notes: “Buyers viewed five homes online and four homes in-person during the pandemic, compared to nine homes in-person in 2019, according to NAR. This was the first year NAR asked buyers to specify the number of homes toured virtually.” In true 2020 fashion, virtual practices helped buyers safely narrow down their top choices, so they didn’t have to unnecessarily walk into more homes than they needed to see throughout the process. Here’s the breakdown by region:A New Way to Shop for Homes in a Virtual World | MyKCMAt a time when health and safety are top priorities, current technology is making it possible for buyers and sellers to move their real estate plans forward at their own comfort levels, even through a worldwide pandemic. For many, this means buyers no longer have to physically tour every home they want to see, and sellers don’t need to open their doors over and over again throughout the process. Safety can come first, and trusted real estate professionals are here to help. Bottom Line If you’re ready to make a move, you may not have to press pause on your plans this season. Let’s connect to determine the safe and effective options to buy or sell a home in our area or wherever you’re looking to move.
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5 Reasons to Sell Your House This Holiday Season

12/23/2020

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What Is the Best Time to Buy a House?

12/19/2020

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  • Illustration of buying house

    What Is the Best Time to Buy a House?

    Sure, you can consider market conditions. But when to buy a house is really all about you. Read

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© Copyright 2020 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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5 Questions To Ask When Buying A House

12/16/2020

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  • 5 Questions To Ask When Buying A House

    There are no dumb questions to ask a real estate agent. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

© Copyright 2020 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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    With the correct person by your side, the buying and selling process doesn't have to be full of stress, doubt and anxiety - it can actually be FUN! Contact Jacquelyn Duke today to learn more.

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    1Jacquelyn Duke, Realtor®
    Licensed to Sell in the State of Iowa


    Jacquelyn@SellingCentralIowa.com
    (515) 240-7483
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    Re/Max Concepts
    1360 SW Park Square Dr Ste 106
    Ankeny, IA 50023

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