Is It Time for You to Get in on the Madness?

 It’s almost time for the busy season in Lane County real estate. Here’s what you need to know in the coming weeks and months whether you’re buying or selling.

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Right now, it’s time for March Madness, both on the court and in the real estate market.

In the real estate world, our March “madness” is the beginning of the spring market. Now that the weather is finally getting better in Lane County, people will start making their decision to buy or sell rather quickly.

Right now, we still have just two months of inventory. If no new homes came on the market in two months, we would completely sell out. This is a huge advantage to you if you’re a seller, but not if you’re a buyer.

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In a few short months, your competition will be much stronger.

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First-time homebuyers are continuing to come into the market, and there are still buyers out there who will have a home to sell. However, they’re not too excited about putting those homes on the market until the kind of home they are looking for is available. It’s kind of a catch-22 situation.

Let’s say you're a first-time buyer: You want to see if there’s anything out there right now that works for you. In a few short months, you'll be competing against many more buyers than you would be right now. The chance of getting the right home at the right price is probably better now than it will be later.

Most sellers are waiting until April or May to list. That is when we’ll see an influx of buyers, but they'll also have more homes to choose from during that time.  Sellers can get ahead of the market curve by getting their homes listed now.

As you can see, March “madness” has begun in the real estate market. If you have any questions about buying or selling, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How Will Our 2019 Market Be Different?

 As we move further into 2019, now is the perfect time to discuss how things have changed since last year and how things will continue to change in the months ahead.

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Even though it’s still early in the year, it’s already clear that our 2019 real estate market is going to be quite a bit different from what we saw last year.

In contrast to 2018’s record-low inventory, we believe that 2019 will see a nationwide increase in the number of available homes. Because of this, sellers will need to be careful with how they price their homes. We, therefore, highly recommend consulting with a trusted agent before you list.

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Buyers and sellers alike have a lot of opportunities before them this year.

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Of course, there are some similarities between the 2018 and 2019 markets. For one thing, millennials will continue to make up a significant portion of all homebuyers in our market. About 45% of all homebuyers today are millennials, and that percentage is expected to increase in the coming months.

All in all, our market is still very healthy. In Lane County, specifically, activity will remain strong despite rising prices. Buyers and sellers alike have a lot of opportunities before them this year, but with 1.9 months’ worth of available inventory, we are still technically in a seller’s market.

If you’ve got any questions or would like more information, don’t be afraid to reach out. Our team would be happy to serve you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why Credit Scores Matter, How They Work, and More

 Credit scores are critical, but not everyone understands how they work. Thankfully, local mortgage professional Ron Smith of Opes Advisors sat down with us recently to answer a few common questions.

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Credit scores are a hot-button subject. Despite this, not everyone understands as much about them as they should.

To help amend this, I recently sat down for a discussion on this crucial subject with local mortgage consultant Ron Smith of Opes Advisors, and I’m excited to share a few highlights from our conversation with you today.

Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:

0:45 - What is a credit score?

1:10 - How is a credit score determined?

1:54 - Why are credit scores so important?

2:42 - How can someone improve a credit score?

3:51 - How can major purchases or credit inquiries impact your score?

5:40 - How can someone check their score without damaging it?

6:44 - Are free credit reports legitimate?

7:41 - A few closing words about the importance of credit

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.