Sylvia Albers's Blog

The housing crisis is finally in the rear view mirror as the real estate market moves down the road to a complete recovery. Home values are up. Home sales are up. Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales) have fallen dramatically. It seems that 2016 will be the year that the housing market ...

  People often ask whether or not now is a good time to buy a home. No one ever asks when a good time to rent is. However, we want to make certain that everyone understands that today is NOT a good time to rent.The Census Bureau recently released their third quarter median rent numbers. Here is a...

If you are debating purchasing a home right now, you are probably getting a lot of advice. Though your friends and family will have your best interest at heart, they may not be fully aware of your needs and what is currently happening in the real estate market.Answering the following 3 questions ...

 Yesterday, we discussed the belief Americans have in homeownership and their desire to partake in this piece of the American Dream. We also discussed some of the obstacles preventing them from attaining that goal. However, studies have shown that many of the obstacles mentioned are perceived, no...

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released the first edition of theirHousing Opportunities and Market Experience Survey (H.O.M.E.). NAR explained that the report covers:“…core topics that will be tracked on a monthly basis such as views on housing as a good financial investment, whe...

A survey by The Joint Center of Housing Studies at Harvard University reveals that when a family is buying a home they consider the financial benefits of homeownership along with the social benefits. The survey mentions things like: Paying rent does not make sense Homeownership provides a good fi...

If you are debating listing your house for sale this year, here is the #1 reason not to wait!Buyer Demand Continues to Outpace the Supply of Homes For SaleThe National Association of REALTORS’ (NAR) Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun recently commented on the inventory shortage:“While feedback from RE...

In a recent post, Trulia examined whether homeownership was again being seen by adults in the US as a “part of their personal American Dream.” Over the last five years: The percentage of U.S. adults who believe homeownership is part of their American Dream increased from 70% to 75% The percentage...

 Yesterday, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their latest Existing Home Sales Report which covered sales in November.The report revealed that sales: “…fell 10.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.76 million in November (lowest since April 2014 at 4.75 million)…” ...

Now that the market has showed signs of recovery, some sellers may be tempted to try and sell their home on their own (FSBO) without using the services of a real estate professional.Real estate agents are trained and experienced in negotiation. In most cases, the seller is not. The seller must re...