Categories for Buyer Advice

Commission Changes Part 1

Recently, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reached a significant settlement in a commission lawsuit, raising questions and discussions within the real estate industry. Background: The lawsuit against NAR centered on allegations of anticompetitive practices related to buyer agent commissions. Critics argued that NAR’s rules restricted competition and transparency, ultimately ...

Continue Reading

No Crash and Prices Are Up

Why We Aren’t Headed for a Housing Crash If you’re holding out hope that the housing market is going to crash and bring home prices back down, here’s a look at what the data shows. And spoiler alert: that’s not in the cards. Instead, experts say home prices are going to keep going up. ...

Continue Reading

Do You Need Title Insurance?

Title insurance is a type of insurance policy that protects property owners and lenders from financial loss due to defects in a property’s title or ownership rights. When a property is bought or refinanced, a title search is conducted to uncover any potential issues with the title, such as unpaid ...

Continue Reading

Mortgage Rates Predicted Under 6%

Some Experts Say Mortgage Rates May Fall Below 6% Later This Year There’s a lot of confusion in the market about what’s happening with day-to-day movement in mortgage rates right now, but here’s what you really need to know: compared to the near 8% peak last fall, mortgage rates have trended down overall. ...

Continue Reading

Video Your Home Inventory

Let’s start with why you should document your spaces. As homeowners, we cherish our spaces and the belongings within them. But have you ever considered the importance of documenting what you own? Enter the video inventory—a simple yet powerful tool that offers peace of mind and practical benefits in various ...

Continue Reading

Mortgage Rate Influencers

2 of the Factors That Impact Mortgage Rates If you’re looking to buy a home, you’ve probably been paying close attention to mortgage rates. Over the last couple of years, they hit record lows, rose dramatically, and are now dropping back down a bit. Ever wonder why? The answer is complicated because ...

Continue Reading

Lower Rates = Buying Power

What Lower Mortgage Rates Mean for Your Purchasing Power If you want to buy a home, it’s important to know how mortgage rates impact what you can afford and how much you’ll pay each month. Fortunately, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have come down significantly since the end of October and are currently ...

Continue Reading

There’s Hope For 2024

Expert Quotes on the 2024 Housing Market Forecast If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the housing market in 2024. In 2023, higher mortgage rates, confusion over home price headlines, and a lack of homes for sale created some challenges for buyers and sellers looking ...

Continue Reading

Oct 2023 Market Update

Here are the numbers from the Dulles Area Association of REALTORS® for October. Price growth has moderated in some parts of the county and continues to climb in others. The countywide median price was $665,000 in Loudoun County in October, inching up just 1.5% from the previous year, a $10,000 ...

Continue Reading