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Selling

2nd Free Webinar: What to Expect After Listing Your Home

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listing a home for sale

Part II of our series for home sellers continues with an inside look at what happens, from the time you sign a listing agreement, including how homeowners can maximize the potential of their home sale. A fun, no pressure way to become more informed and ask questions, especially in the unusual market we are in right now in West Central Minnesota. Karen Zell of Homes and Lakeshore / Keller Williams Realty Professionals is the upbeat presenter for this new online series to demystify both the selling and buying process. Includes free local Moving Guide with registration.

Free Online Webinar Provides Home Selling Tips

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Are you looking for an easy way to become more informed about the home selling process in West Central Minnesota? Karen Zell of Homes and Lakeshore / Keller Williams Realty Professionals has a new online series to demystify both the selling and buying process.

Take Care of These Top 6 Tasks Before Selling

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home maintenance

To get top dollar when selling your home, there’s no question a well-kept home will sell better, even if you have moved out. Be sure to address small fixes (broken doorbells or leaky faucets) so buyers aren’t left to wonder if there are bigger problems you are trying to hide. Here are six more often-overlooked areas that should be corrected.

Buying a Home While Selling

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buying a home while selling

It can be exiting to buy a new home. However, if you are trying to sell a home at the same time as buying it can be stressful, especially if money from your current home’s sale is needed to put toward your next home. However, with a little planning and working with a savvy real estate agent can ease the process for both of these transactions.

To keep your sanity intact, here are some tips to help you manage the process.

Should You Downsize Your Home?

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downsizing

Many people find themselves downsizing, motivated by debt, an empty nest or retirement. However, determining how much smaller to go can be tricky.

Finance guru Dave Ramsey says the average family in America has “plenty of room to downsize their home without cramping their style.” According to the United States Census Bureau, Ramsey elaborates that in the 1950s, middle-income Americans homes were around 1,000 square feet or less, as opposed to today’s typically 2,600 square feet plus – new single-family home.

Where Are Mortgage Rates Headed in 2021?

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Mortgage Rates

2020 was an odd year for the mortgage industry. Instead of a market crash due to the pandemic and economic turmoil, home prices and sales actually rose. At the beginning, low-interest rates, low unemployment, and rising rents drove the housing market up. As the pandemic wore on, people fleeing urban areas, or looking for more space to work from home, plus historically low interest rates kept demand for housing high. The important question is, where will interest rates go now?

Industry experts expect mortgage rates to rise in 2021. If you are not planning to buy or sell in the coming year, then hopefully you have refinanced, or will soon. We strongly encourage those thinking about selling to list now. There are still many people looking to buy, but the market will be changing. No one can predict with certainty how high mortgage interest rates will go or when, but four top experts weighing in with their thoughts and rationale, giving us a pretty good glimpse of where we are headed in 2021.

Housing Market Crash or Rise in 2021?

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housing future

Instead of just relying a crystal ball, there are some facts that help predict what will happen to home buying and selling in the coming year.

Throughout the pandemic, residential real estate markets across the country have remained steady, and most have even seen growth. While we feel for those that are truly suffering due to COVID-19 related losses, there are positive economic indicators for the future. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data released a consumer survey of responses in September 2020 entitled Survey of Consumer Expectations showing less pessimistic views about personal financials in the year ahead due to improvements in the labor market and spending expectations.

Buying or Selling Over Winter? This Year is Different

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winter real estate

If you think nobody buys or sells a home in the winter, this year may surprise you. If you check the numbers, you’d find that a good chunk of home purchases are done during the coldest months of the year. This year, because of low inventory and record low interest rates, homes are still getting bought and sold despite icy roads and snow-covered roofs.

In fact, if you are a numbers guy or gal, almost a million homes were sold in the U.S. last winter between December 2018 and February 2019. This year, industry experts expect winter home sales to be even greater. Sure, more homes are sold in the summer months. But, if you’re wondering if you should put off buying or selling a home until spring, why wait? You may be surprised to learn that there are actually advantages to buying or selling while Jack Frost is nipping at your nose.

What are the advantages? You’re about to find out!

Should You Buy or Sell a Home During Covid-19?

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family looking at computer

We often receive questions about whether this is the right time to buy, considering COVID-19 has hung around longer than expected. It’s understandable—both buyers and sellers are worried about making a move right now. However, for those in a good position to buy or sell, the timing is very good. Here’s why.

How to Be Less Stressed When Moving Cross Country

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moving cross country

Moving to a totally different environment from what you are used to opens up a wealth of opportunities for new experiences and growth. But if the actual moving cross-country part has got you a little anxious, there is some smart preparation that will help the transition go smoothly.

Here are 5 things you can do to prepare for a big move so that the experience is uplifting, with perhaps a bit less heavy lifting.