Team Fosgate
Trusted News From The Experts

Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Outdoor Projects Can Boost Curb Appeal When You Sell

In real estate, a good first impression is key. If the outside of a house looks welcoming, more people will want to come in and see it.

Your agent helps you by giving advice on what you may want to prioritize, finding easy fixes that make a big difference, knowing what buyers in your area like, and showing off your updates in your listing.

Let’s connect so you have expert advice on what'll have the biggest impact in our area.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Single Women Are Embracing Homeownership

In today's housing market, more and more single women are becoming homeowners. According to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 19% of all homebuyers are single women, while only 10% are single men.

If you're a single woman trying to buy your first home, this should be encouraging. It means other people are making their dreams a reality – so you can too.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

What’s the Latest with Mortgage Rates?

Recent headlines may leave you wondering what’s next for mortgage rates. Maybe you’d previously heard there were going to be cuts this year that would bring rates down. That refers to the Federal Reserve (the Fed) and what they do to their Fed Funds Rate. While cutting, or lowering, the Fed Funds Rate doesn’t directly determine mortgage rates, it does tend to impact them. But when the Fed met last week, a cut didn’t happen — at least, not yet.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

What Every Homebuyer Should Know About Closing Costs

Before making the decision to buy a home, it's important to plan for all the costs you’ll be responsible for. While you're busy saving for the down payment, don't forget you’ll want to prep for closing costs too.

Here’s some helpful information on what those costs are and how much you should budget for them.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

3 Helpful Tips for First-Time Homebuyers

Trying to buy your first home? If you’re worried about affordability today or the limited number of homes for sale, these tips can help.

Look into homebuyer programs, expand your search area, and consider a multi-generational home.

Let’s connect so you have an expert on your side to help you make your dream a reality.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

What Are Experts Saying About the Spring Housing Market?

If you’re planning to move soon, you might be wondering if there'll be more homes to choose from, where prices and mortgage rates are headed, and how to navigate today’s market. If so, here's what the professionals are saying about what’s in store for this season.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Does It Make Sense To Buy a Home Right Now?

Thinking about buying a home? If so, you're probably wondering: should I buy now or wait? Nobody can make that decision for you, but here's some information that can help you decide.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Homeowners Today Have Options To Avoid Foreclosure

Even with the latest data coming in, the experts agree there’s no chance of a large-scale foreclosure crisis like the one we saw back in 2008. While headlines may be calling attention to a slight uptick in foreclosure filings recently, the bigger picture is that we’re still well below the number we’d see in a more normal year for the housing market.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

4 Tips To Make Your Strongest Offer on a Home

Are you thinking about buying a home soon? If so, you should know today’s market is competitive in many areas because the number of homes for sale is still low – and that’s leading to multiple-offer scenarios. And moving into the peak homebuying season this spring, this is only expected to ramp up more.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

The Latest Trends in Housing

With the number of new listings going up and average days on market going down, buyers may have more options, but will still want to move fast.

For sellers, inventory is still low and houses are selling fast, meaning your house should stand out and may get multiple offers if you price it right.

If you want to know more about what’s happening in our area, let’s connect.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why Today’s Seller’s Market Is Good for Your Bottom Line

Thinking about selling your house and wondering if now’s a good time to do it? Here’s what you need to know. Even though the number of homes for sale has been growing this year, there still aren’t enough homes on the market for all the buyers who want to buy.

So, what does that mean for you? To keep it simple, it means it’s still a seller’s market. Here’s how it works:

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Your Home Is a Powerful Investment

But here’s what actually happened: home prices went up more than usual. Brian D. Luke, Head of Commodities at S&P Going into 2023, there was a lot of talk about a possible recession that would cause the housing market to crash. Some in the media were even forecasting home prices would drop by as much as 10-20%—and that might have made you feel a bit unsure about buying a home.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

What Mortgage Rate Do You Need To Move?

If you’ve been thinking about buying a home, mortgage rates are probably top of mind for you. They may even be why you’ve put your plans on hold for now. When rates climbed near 8% last year, some buyers found the numbers just didn’t make sense for their budget anymore. That may be the case for you too.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Finding Your Perfect Home in a Fixer Upper

If you’re trying to buy a home and are having a hard time finding one you can afford, it may be time to consider a fixer-upper. That’s a house that needs a little elbow grease or some updates, but has good bones. Fixer-uppers can be a really great option if you’re looking to break into the housing market or want to stretch your budget further.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

The Spring Market Is a Sweet Spot if You’re Looking To Sell

Wondering if now’s a good time to sell your house? Based on how many homes are on the market, there are two big reasons why this spring is looking so good for sellers.

Thanks to an uptick in inventory over last year, you’ve got more options for your next home. But there are still fewer homes for sale than there’d normally be, meaning your house should stand out and get a lot of attention from buyers.

If you want to sell your house, this spring is the sweet spot. When you’re ready, let’s chat to get the ball rolling.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

The Benefits of Downsizing When You Retire

If you’re taking a look at your expenses as you retire, saving money where you can has a lot of appeal. One long-standing, popular way to do that is by downsizing to a smaller home.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why Access Is So Important When Selling Your House

If you’re gearing up to sell your house this spring, one of the early conversations you’ll have with your agent is about how much access you want to give buyers. And you may not realize just how important it is to make your house easy to tour.

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

Why There Won’t Be a Recession That Tanks the Housing Market

There’s been a lot of recession talk over the past couple of years. And that may leave you worried we’re headed for a repeat of what we saw back in 2008. Here’s a look at the latest expert projections to show you why that isn’t going to happen.  

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Chris Fosgate Chris Fosgate

What To Know About Credit Scores Before Buying a Home

If you want to buy a home, you should know your credit score is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage. Lenders review your credit to see if you typically make payments on time, pay back debts, and more. Your credit score can also help determine your mortgage rate. An article from US Bank explains:

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