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Updating Your Home: The Top Options

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Update Your Home Without RenovatingIf you want to improve your quality of life while also increasing the value of your home, you might be interested in updating it. You probably want to live in a home that is well-designed, and a prospective buyer wants the same thing. Unfortunately, performing a major renovation can be time-consuming and expensive, but there are more cost-effective ways to update your home. What are a few of the top ideas?

Paint Your House

One of the first ways you can update your home is to give it a fresh paint job. If you have an older home, a fresh coat of paint can go a long way toward making your home feel younger. Furthermore, there are still homes that have very outdated color schemes, and some of them even use wallpaper. Right now, neutral colors, such as grey, are very popular among homebuyers. In addition, neutral colors are very easy to match with furniture. 

Update Your Lighting

You can also update your home by improving the lighting system. If your lights are not that strong, certain rooms might feel small and cramped. On the other hand, a room that has plenty of natural light feels much more open and welcoming. Even something as simple as swapping out your light bulbs for LED bulbs can go a long way toward making your home feel more inviting. New light bulbs might also use less electricity, which can help you save money.

Swap Out The Handles And Cabinet Pulls

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so you should consider updating this room as well. You do not need to swap out all of the appliances and cabinets. Even something as simple as updating the handles and cabinet pulls can make your house look young and fresh. For example, stainless steel, aged copper, and brushed nickel are a few of the most popular materials for cabinet and drawer pulls. 

Get A Landscaper 

Finally, you can also update your home by hiring a landscaper. You may want to start by mowing your lawn, but you can also make your home look younger and more welcoming by planting a few flowers and bushes. This is also a great way to make your home more sustainable without breaking the bank.

 

Home Price Deceleration Doesn’t Mean Home Price Depreciation

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Home Price Deceleration Doesn’t Mean Home Price Depreciation | MyKCM

Experts in the real estate industry use a number of terms when they talk about what’s happening with home prices. And some of those words sound a bit similar but mean very different things. To help clarify what’s happening with home prices and where experts say they’re going, here’s a look at a few terms you may hear:

  • Appreciation is when home prices increase.
  • Depreciation is when home prices decrease.
  • Deceleration is when home prices continue to appreciate, but at a slower pace.

Where Home Prices Have Been in Recent Years

For starters, you’ve probably heard home prices have skyrocketed over the past two years, but homes were actually appreciating long before that. You might be surprised to learn that home prices have climbed for 122 consecutive months (see graph below):

Home Price Deceleration Doesn’t Mean Home Price Depreciation | MyKCM

As the graph shows, houses have gained value consistently over the past 10 consecutive years. But since 2020, the increase has been more dramatic as home price growth accelerated.

So why did home prices climb so much? It’s because there were more buyers than there were homes for sale. That imbalance put upward pressure on home prices because demand was high and supply was low.

Where Experts Say Home Prices Are Going

While this is helpful context, if you’re a buyer or seller in today’s market, you probably want to know what’s going to happen with home prices moving forward. Will they continue that same growth path or will home prices fall?

Experts are forecasting ongoing appreciation, just at a decelerated pace. In other words, prices will keep climbing, just not as fast as they have been. The graph below shows home price forecasts from seven industry leaders. None are calling for prices to fall (see graph below):

Home Price Deceleration Doesn’t Mean Home Price Depreciation | MyKCM

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, identifies a key reason why home prices won’t depreciate or drop:

“In today’s housing market, demand for homes continues to outpace supply, which is keeping the pressure on house prices, so don’t expect house prices to decline.”

And although housing supply is starting to tick up, it’s not enough to make home prices decline because there’s still a gap between the number of homes available for sale and the volume of buyers looking to make a purchase.

Terry Loebs, Founder of the research firm Pulsenomics, notes that most real estate experts and economists anticipate home prices will continue rising. As he puts it:

“With home values at record-high levels and a vast majority of experts projecting additional price increases this year and beyond, home prices and expectations remain buoyant.”

Bottom Line

Experts forecast price deceleration, not depreciation. That means home prices will continue to rise, just at a slower pace. Let’s connect so you can get the full picture of what’s happening with home prices in our local market and to discuss your buying and selling goals.

3 Reasons You Should Trust in a Mortgage Advisor Instead of Trying to Predict Rates

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3 Reasons You Should Trust in a Mortgage Advisor Instead of Trying to Predict RatesIf the time has come to purchase a home and you’ve been perusing the real estate market, it’s possible you’ve also been considering the mortgage options that might work best for you. In the event that you’re already spending a lot of time looking at homes and trying to sell your own, here are a few reasons you may want to leave your mortgage considerations to a professional.

Qualifications You Can Count On

If you’re new to the world of home purchasing and have concerns about learning the ropes on your own, a mortgage advisor can be a great way to navigate the market and get the information you need without having to do all of the legwork. Because a mortgage advisor has to have the necessary qualifications to give you advice, they’ll be able to guide you through available options so you can find the product that is best suited for your financial situation.

A Knowledgeable Expert on Your Side

Between putting in offers on a home and dealing with lenders, it can often feel like you’re between a rock and a hard place, and getting squeezed financially. However, the ideal mortgage advisor will be someone who is there solely to assist you and provide you with viable options. Instead of a very specific set of options provided by the bank, an advisor will be able to identify products your lender might not suggest, which means you’ll have more options and a representative who will be able to recommend the best ones for you.

The Inside Scoop On The Industry

It’s the job of a mortgage advisor to be on top of the market, have a comprehensive knowledge of the products out there and be familiar with the lenders, so this means less research and a lot more expertise for you when it comes to any final mortgage decisions. Not only will they have the know-how in the industry you’re heading into, they’ll be aware of the information the lender requires and may be able to score you a better deal when the time to make a decision comes.

Finding the ideal lender for your mortgage can be a struggle in times where there are so many small details to deal with, but a mortgage advisor can work to simplify the process. If you’ll soon be applying for a mortgage and are considering your lender options, you may want to contact one of your local mortgage professionals for more information.

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