Since the birth of our nation, homeownership has always been considered a major piece of the American Dream. As Frederick Peters reports in Forbes:

The idea of a place of ones own drives the American story. We became a nation out of a desire to slip the bonds of Europe, which was still in many respects a collection of feudal societies.

Mortgage rates are on the rise this year, but theyre still incredibly low compared to the historic average. However, anytime theres a change in the mortgage rate, it affects what you can afford to borrow when youre buying a home. As Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac, shares:

Since January, mortgage rates have increased half a percentage

If youve given even a casual thought to selling your house in the near future, this is the time to really think seriously about making a move. Heres why this season is the ultimate sellers market and the optimal time to make sure your house is available for buyers who are looking for homes to purchase.

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Some Highlights

• There are a lot of misconceptions about buying or selling a home today, making it challenging to know exactly how to navigate the current real estate landscape.
• Heres a little clarity when it comes to 5 common myths about the 2021 housing market.
• Lets connect to discuss your needs and so you can decipher facts from fiction in our local

Right now, the housing market is full of outstanding opportunities for both buyersandsellers. Whether youre thinking of buying your first home, moving up to a bigger one, or selling so you can downsize this spring, there are perks today that are powering big moves for people across the country. Here are the top two to keep on the radar

For generations, the homebuying process never really changed. The seller would try to estimate the market value of the home and tack on a little extra to give themselves some negotiating room. That figure would become the listing price of the house.

Freddie Mac recently released their Quarterly Refinance Statistics report which covers refinances through 2020. The report explains that the dollar amount of cash-out refinances was greater in 2020 than in recent years. A cash-out refinance, as defined by Investopia, is:

a mortgage refinancing option in which an old mortgage is replaced