Realty Executives Midwest
Over the past year, mortgage rates have fallen more than a full percentage point, hitting a new historic low 15 times. This is a great driver for homeownership, as today’s low rates provide consumers with some significant benefits. Here’s a look at three of them.
1. Move-up or Downsize: One option is to consider moving into a new home, putting the equity you’ve likely gained in your current house toward a down payment on a new one that better meets your needs – something that’s truly a perfect fit, especially if your lifestyle has changed this year.
2. Become a First-Time Homebuyer: There are many financial and non-financial benefits to owning a home, and the most important thing is to first decide when the time is right for you. You have to determine that on your own, but know that now is a great time to buy if you’re considering it. Just take a look at the cost of renting vs. buying.
3. Refinance: If you already own a home, you may decide you’re going to refinance. It’s one way to lock in a lower monthly payment and save more over time. However, it also means paying upfront closing costs, too. If you want to take this route, you have to answer the question: Should I refinance my home?
Last year, the average mortgage rate was 3.93% (substantially higher than it is today). If you waited for a better time to make a move, market conditions have improved significantly. Today’s low mortgage rates are a huge perk for buyers, so it’s a great time to get more for your money and consider a new home.
The chart below shows how much you would save per month based on today’s rates compared to what you would have paid if you purchased a home exactly one year ago, depending on how much you finance:
If you’ve been waiting since last year to make your move into homeownership or to find a house that better meets your needs, today’s low mortgage rates may be just what you need to get the process going. Reach out to a local real estate professional to discuss how you may benefit from the current rates.
Article Source: Keeping Current Matters
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Even before we entered a pandemic, the holiday season could be a difficult time for many. Now, with the CDC reporting that traveling to spend the holidays with others increases the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, it’s likely that the holiday blues will be especially prevalent during the 2020 season.
This year, it’s more important than ever to reach out to family and friends both near and far. Tell them how you feel, remind them that they are loved, and if you’re able, send them a little something to make them smile. This definitely doesn’t have to be in the form of extravagant presents. Instead, here are 11 simple, inexpensive ideas for sending DIY holiday cheer to those you won’t see in person this season.
Knowing that someone took the time to actually write—not type!—to you can make you feel less alone, minimizing feelings of remoteness because of distance. So here’s your perfect excuse to bust out any pretty pieces of stationery you have lying around, and then fill them with heartfelt notes and drawings and fun stickers and stamps.
Cooking and baking for friends and family is a beautiful, delicious love language. Just like writing a letter, baking cookies takes time and energy. It lets the receiver know that you care about them. And to assist in packaging the cookies, UPS has a handy guide that you can find here.
Sending a bouquet of fresh flowers can be costly, so why not DIY an alternative arrangement that’s just as smile-inducing? This pom-pom bouquet from Damask Love can double as an everlasting centerpiece. We’re also fans of this Honestly WTF dried flower bouquet—just make sure you package it carefully to prevent any sort of breakage.
Does your intended recipient have a favorite charitable organization? See if you can give that charity a donation in your loved one’s name. Or, if you’re able to safely do so, take the time to volunteer for the organization and take photos of and notes on the experience. Then send it all to your loved one, and let them know that you did this in their honor.
Holidays are a time for reminiscing, so consider framing and mailing a friend or family member a photo that will remind them of a happy memory. It can be a picture of you two together, a snap from a past vacation, or an image of one of their favorite places. Then customize a frame, like one inspired by this easy DIY sticker option by Crafty Chica, to make the gift feel extra personal.
If arts and crafts aren’t your style, you can take to the kitchen to make a yummy ingredient for a loved one, like this spiced toffee sauce by The Crafty Gentleman. After you whip up your chosen ingredient, plan a recipe around it, send the ingredient and recipe to a friend or family member, and then take the time to virtually bake the treat together. It’s a gift that comes with the bonus of quality time.
What’s more nostalgic than an old-school friendship bracelet? If you’re looking for an updated version, check out this morse code bracelet from Honestly WTF. Using a morse code translator, you can transform a sweet message into a piece of jewelry your loved one can cherish forever.
Help your recipient amp up their home’s holiday cheer with a piece of homemade, seasonal decor. For example, if your giftee puts up a Christmas tree, send them a homemade ornament for it, like the puff-painted and glittery concha ornaments that Craft Chica demos on her blog. Another option: This photo keepsake ornament DIY that only takes 10 minutes to craft.
Interested in sending some holiday love that’s both thoughtful and functional? Make a custom face mask for your intended recipient, like this easy rainbow bandana face mask by Once Upon a Journey. And if sewing isn’t your forte, DIYer Sarah Maker offers several no-sew face mask options.
Scrapbooks can be lovely gifts—but can also take a lot of time and money. A virtual option is less involved, more easily delivered, and just as expressive. Put one together in PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides, and get as creative and personal as you’d like by including captions, poems, quotes, or even doodles and pieces of digital artwork.
Though this item is traditionally known as a “Christmas cracker,” it could be a fun gift no matter what holidays one celebrates. You can easily DIY your own with that signature “Pop!” sound by using this tutorial from Happiness is Homemade.
The Home for the Holidays vertical was written and edited independently by the Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn editorial teams and generously underwritten by Cointreau.
Article Source: Apartment Therapy
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
In a year when we’re learning to do so much remotely, homebuying is no exception. From going to work to attending school, grocery shopping, and even seeing our doctors online, digital practices have changed the way we live.
This year, rather than delaying their home purchases, buyers – alongside their trusted real estate professionals – turned to the Internet to do more than just a typical home search. In some cases, they bought homes without even stepping foot inside. Jessica Lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavioral Insights at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says:
“People really didn’t buy houses sight-unseen, traditionally. It’s still not a huge number, but it has gone up, and we have definitely seen that trend accelerate.”
According to NAR, throughout the coronavirus pandemic, one in every 20 homebuyers purchased a house sight-unseen.
Today, real estate professionals are using digital practices to help homebuyers and sellers walk through many steps in the process virtually. While following the regulations set forth by the CDC and all local guidelines, this year, agents quickly empowered buyers and sellers with virtual tours, 3D floor plans, high-quality photos, videos, online open houses, and more. For those who had homebuying and selling needs in 2020, trusted advisors made it possible in many markets.
Here’s a graph showing some of the digital options buyers found most helpful in their searches this year, as noted by NAR in the 2020 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers:
The report also mentions that buyers this year generally searched for eight weeks. Throughout that search, they viewed a median of 9 homes, but not all of them were seen in-person. Yahoo Finance notes:
“Buyers viewed five homes online and four homes in-person during the pandemic, compared to nine homes in-person in 2019, according to NAR. This was the first year NAR asked buyers to specify the number of homes toured virtually.”
In true 2020 fashion, virtual practices helped buyers safely narrow down their top choices, so they didn’t have to unnecessarily walk into more homes than they needed to see throughout the process. Here’s the breakdown by region:
At a time when health and safety are top priorities, current technology is making it possible for buyers and sellers to move their real estate plans forward at their own comfort levels, even through a worldwide pandemic. For many, this means buyers no longer have to physically tour every home they want to see, and sellers don’t need to open their doors over and over again throughout the process. Safety can come first, and trusted real estate professionals are here to help.
If you’re ready to make a move, you may not have to press pause on your plans this season. Reach out to a local real estate professional to determine the safe and effective options to buy or sell a home in your area or wherever you’re looking to move.
Article Source: Keeping Current Matters
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Around this time each year, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to sell their houses. Similarly, others who already have their homes on the market remove their listings until the spring. Let’s unpack the top reasons why selling your house now, or keeping it on the market this season, is the best choice you can make. This year, buyers want to purchase homes for the holidays, and your house might be the perfect match.
1. Buyers are active now. Mortgage rates are historically low, providing motivation for those who are ready to get more for their money over the life of their home loan.
2. Purchasers who look for homes during the holidays are serious ones, and they’re ready to buy.
3. You can restrict the showings in your house to days and times that are most convenient for you, or even select virtual options. You’ll remain in control, especially in today’s sellers’ market.
4. Homes decorated for the holidays appeal to many buyers.
5. Today, there’s minimal competition for you as a seller. There just aren’t enough houses on the market to satisfy buyer demand, meaning sellers are in the driver’s seat. Over the past year, inventory has declined to record lows, making it the opportune time to sell your house (See graph below):
6. The desire to own a home doesn’t stop during the holidays. Buyers who have been searching throughout the fall and have been running into more and more bidding wars are still on the lookout. Your home may be the answer.
7. This season is the sweet spot for sellers, and the number of listings will increase after the holidays. In many parts of the country, more new construction will also be available for sale in 2021, which will lessen the demand for your house next year.
More than ever, this may be the year it makes the most sense to list your house during the holiday season. Reach out to a local real estate professional to determine if selling now is your best move.
Article Source: Keeping Current Matters
Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com
Almost every day we face situations that can cause stress and anxiety. If out of control, problems, conflicts, demands, misunderstandings can lead to emotional and physical strain.
What if there was a magic potion you could take that would give you almost an instant relief and a state of inner peace? Would you buy it? This is as close as you get when you practice The Attitude of Gratitude. And it’s FREE!
There are so many people that seem to have everything yet they are fearful, stressed out and miserable, because they are not grateful. On the other hand there are many people who seemingly have nothing yet they are happy because they are grateful.
Why? By being grateful they are rich. They are able to turn the negative into positive.
Every dark cloud has a silver lining and in every difficulty lays an opportunity. Being grateful for our situation - even if we don't like everything about it - allows us to be thankful for the opportunity to learn something new and the chance to grow.
Is it hard to do to master this skill?
Sometimes it can, it requires a discipline. But the more you practice it gets easier and easier, as it becomes a habit. Set aside every day just a few minutes to go over, what in your life you can be grateful for, what happened that day you can be grateful for? It is there, believe me…..even on the worst day you can find something. And if all else fails, just put your hand on your chest and feel your heart beating. You’re ALIVE!
Time is the most precious commodity we have, use yours wisely. Fill yourself up with the emotion “attitude of gratitude” and live a rich life that is filled with inner peace and joy.
May your Thanksgiving and everyday of your life find you with a smile in your face and a happy heart!
Realty Executives agents are real estate experts. They have the education and expertise you need to navigate through the process of buying or selling a home. From listing at the right price to making the best offer, our Executives have witnessed the best - and most regrettable - decisions homeowners and homebuyers can make. Every day, they are immersed in every aspect of real estate that includes comparable home price analysis, property surveys, credit reports, open houses, HOA agreements, lenders, title companies, homeowners’ insurance, walk-throughs, terms of sale or purchase, repairs, concessions and closing documents. Let our accomplished Executives help navigate you through the process of buying or selling a home.
