Team Fosgate
Trusted News From The Experts

Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Should Baby Boomers Buy or Rent After Selling Their Houses?

Are you a baby boomer who’s lived in your current house for a long time and you’re ready for a change? If you’re thinking about selling your house, you have a lot to consider. Will you move to a different state or stay nearby? Is it time to downsize or do you want more space to accommodate your loved ones? But maybe the biggest consideration boils down to this – will you buy your next home or choose to rent instead?

That decision ultimately depends on your current situation and your future plans. Here are two important factors to help you decide what’s right for you.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

What Experts Project for Home Prices Over the Next 5 Years

If you're planning to buy a home, one thing to consider is what experts project home prices will do in the future and how that might affect your investment. While you may have seen negative news over the past year about home prices, they’re doing far better than expected and are rising across the country. And data shows, experts forecast home prices will keep appreciating.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Planning to Retire? Your Equity Can Help You Make a Move

Reaching retirement is a significant milestone in life, bringing with it a lot of change and new opportunities. As the door to this exciting chapter opens, one thing you may be considering is selling your house and finding a home better suited for your evolving needs.

Fortunately, you may be in a better position to make a move than you realize. Here are a few reasons why.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Home Price Forecasts Revised for 2023

Last year, some housing experts projected a decline in home prices by the end of 2023. But that didn’t happen – inventory was just too low.

While it’s normal for experts to re-forecast throughout the year, the good news for 2023 is that prices are no longer projected to decrease.

Let’s connect so you know what’s happening with home values in our local area.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Get Ready for Smaller, More Affordable Homes

Have you been trying to buy a home, but higher mortgage rates and home prices are limiting your options? If so, here’s some good news – based on what Ali Wolf, Chief Economist at Zonda, has to say – smaller, more affordable homes are on the way:

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Mortgage Rates: Past, Present, and Possible Future

If you’re hoping to buy a home this year, you’re probably paying close attention to mortgage rates. Since mortgage rates impact what you can afford when you take out a home loan – and affordability is a challenge today – it’s a good time to look at the big picture of where mortgage rates have been historically compared to where they are now. Beyond that, it’s important to understand their relationship with inflation for insights into where mortgage rates might go in the near future.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Expert Home Price Forecasts Revised Up for 2023

Toward the end of last year, there were a number of headlines saying home prices were going to fall substantially in 2023. That led to a lot of fear and questions about whether there was going to be a repeat of the housing crash that happened back in 2008. But the headlines got it wrong.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why It’s Still a Seller’s Market Today

Even though activity in the housing market has slowed from the frenzy that was the ‘unicorn’ years, it’s still a seller’s market because the supply of homes for sale is so low. But what does that really mean for you? And why are conditions today so good if you want to sell your house?

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Homeowners Have a Lot of Equity Right Now

Your equity grows as you pay down your home loan and as home prices increase. With home prices rising again, your equity is getting an extra boost.

Almost half of homeowners are equity rich because they have at least 50% equity in their homes. If you’ve been in your home for a while, you might have gained a considerable amount of equity, too.

Want to find out how much equity you have? Connect with a trusted real estate agent for a Professional Equity Assessment Report (PEAR).

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

How Inflation Affects the Housing Market

Have you ever wondered how inflation impacts the housing market? Believe it or not, they’re connected. Whenever there are changes to one, both are affected. Here’s a high-level overview of the connection between the two.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Buyer Traffic Is Still Stronger than the Norm

Are you putting off selling your house because you’re worried no one’s buying because of where mortgage rates are? If so, know this: the latest data shows plenty of buyers are still out there, and they’re purchasing homes today. Here’s the data to prove it.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why You May Still Want To Sell Your House After All

Even though you may feel reluctant to sell your house because you don’t want to take on a mortgage rate that’s higher than the one you have now, there’s more to consider. While the financial side of things does matter, your personal needs may actually matter just as much.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Gen Z: The Next Generation Is Making Moves in the Housing Market

Generation Z (Gen Z) is eager to put down their own roots and achieve financial independence. As a result, they’re turning to homeownership. According to the latest Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 30% of Gen Z buyers transitioned straight from living under their parents' roofs to owning their own homes.

If you’re a member of this generation, and you’re interested in pursuing your own dream of homeownership, here’s some information you may find helpful on why and where your peers are buying.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Today’s Housing Market Has Only Half the Usual Inventory

There are only about half the number of homes for sale compared to the last normal years in the market.

That means buyers don’t have enough options right now. So, if you work with an agent to list your house, it should be in the spotlight.

If you're thinking of selling, let’s connect so your house can stand out while there’s such a shortage of supply and buyers are craving more options. 

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

More Jobs and Better Pay Leads to More Buyer Demand

There’s been talk about a recession for quite a while now. But the economy has been remarkably resilient. Why? One reason is employment and wages have stayed strong. Let’s look at the latest information on each one and why both are good news if you’re thinking about selling your house.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why You Need a True Expert in Today’s Housing Market

The housing market continues to shift and change, and in a fast-moving landscape like we’re in right now, it’s more important than ever to have a trusted real estate agent on your side. Whether you’re buying your first home or selling once again, it’s mission critical to work with an expert who can guide you through each unique step of the process.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why You Don’t Need To Fear the Return of Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

If you remember the housing crash back in 2008, you may recall just how popular adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) were back then. And after years of being virtually nonexistent, more people are once again using ARMs when buying a home. Let’s break down why that’s happening and why this isn’t cause for concern.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why Median Home Sales Price Is Confusing Right Now

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is set to release its most recent Existing Home Sales (EHS) report tomorrow. This monthly release provides information on the volume of sales and price trends for homes that have previously been owned. In the upcoming release, it’ll likely say home prices are down. This may seem a bit confusing, especially if you’ve been following along and reading the blogs saying home prices have hit the bottom and have since rebounded.

So, why would this say home prices are falling when so many other price reports say they’re going back up? It all depends on the methodology of each one. NAR reports on the median home sales price, while some other sources use repeat sales prices. Here’s how those approaches differ.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Don’t Expect a Wave of Foreclosures

With ongoing high inflation pushing up everyday costs, some people are worried that'll create a flood of foreclosures. Here's why that's unlikely.

Fewer people are seriously behind on mortgage payments right now. If foreclosures were going to rise a lot, more people would need to be late on their payments.

Since most are paying on time, a wave isn’t coming. If you're concerned about a flood of foreclosures, the data shows that's not likely.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

People Want Less Expensive Homes – And Builders Are Responding

In today’s housing market, there are two main affordability challenges impacting buyers: mortgage rates that are higher than they’ve been the past couple of years, and rising home prices caused by low inventory. To overcome those challenges, many people are working with their agents to find less expensive homes. And with newly built homes making up a historically large percentage of the total available inventory today, that search often includes brand new homes.

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