With the rise of student loan debt, frequent career shifts, and living through the 2008 housing crisis, many may consider millennials to be financially insecure and averse to home ownership. However, research surprisingly points in the opposite direction. According to a 2018 Bank of America survey, the vast majority of millennials, more than 72%, consider homeownership to be their top priority. The only live event that ranked higher was retirement, at 80%. Getting married and having children fell lower on the list, at 50% and 44% respectively. To the millennial generation, owning a home is not only a wise investment option – it is a fundamental value intrinsic to the American Dream.

I’m a real estate agent. What should I know about working with

One of the first questions new Realtors have for me is always 'how much money will I make in my first year?' and in order to answer that question, you need to understand how Real Estate Agents make money. How much commissions you make in your first year as a Realtor will be entirely dependent on you and how much business you're able to generate. Your gross income is different than your net income, so make sure you're tracking your expenses. The advice below is from 17 Veteran industry leaders who offer tips on how to build your business when you're starting out.

If you're looking to make 100k in your first year as a Realtor you'll want to first reverse engineer the process. What is the average price of sold homes in your area? How many homes

How to Obtain a Mortgage

Chances are, if you are a first-time home buyer, you will most likely need to apply for a mortgage. In addition to finding the right mortgage, it is also important that you find a lender who will provide an interest rate and closing costs that won’t break the bank. Of course, it is difficult to have the perfect combination of all of these factors, but knowing how to obtain a mortgage and understanding your grant eligibility could help you save thousands of dollars in the long-term. We lay out some of the best strategies in purchasing a great mortgage .

What are the steps involved in obtaining a mortgage?

Find a Lender and Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

There is a difference between getting pre-qualified and

Selling my House in 2019

Predicting the future of the U.S. economy is tricky, if not impossible – particularly when it applies to the housing market. Before we get into the details, I will preface this post by saying this: if you are fully prepared to sell in 2019, I advise moving forward with the sales process prior to 2020. Why? Economists and real estate experts agree that the U.S. economy will most-likely encounter a recession in 2020, or maybe even as early as the end of 2019. Interest rates are also expected to rise. Some experts argue the crash will not come until 2024-2026, you don't want to be caught on the wrong side of a recession so don't get greedy if you're ready!

Fortunately, in my markets located in both Raleigh and Charlotte, NC

Buying a Home in 2019

“Location, location, location” is one of the most heavily-used phrases when purchasing real estate. However, the timing of the purchase is arguably just as important as the location of the home you wish to buy. Timing your home purchase strategically can help you secure better value for your money and will prove to be a worthwhile investment in the long-run.

According to a survey conducted by Pulsenomics LLC, the next expected recession might begin only one year from now – in the first few months of 2020. In the survey, Pulsenomics LLC spoke with more than 100 economists and real estate experts to learn their housing market predictions, including which factors might trigger a recession.

Well over 50 percent of the

11 Qualities of a Great Neighbor

Jump to our infographic below!

Being a Realtor in Raleigh, North Carolina, I am constantly hearing from both buyers and sellers about the behaviors of their neighbor's, good or bad.

Whether you live in a city apartment or a house in the country, there are many ways to be a great neighbor. Even small, simple gestures can go a long way. Below, I have laid out some strategies I find most helpful when implementing best neighborly practices.

1. Respect Boundaries

Respecting neighborhood boundaries is quite possibly one of the most important practices to implement. Even doing a seemingly good deed, such as mowing part of your neighbor’s lawn that is closest to your home’s boundary line, is not an acceptable

Real Estate Statistics for Home Buyers and Sellers

Home Buyer Statistics

First-Time Home Buyers made up 34% of all home purchases, with a median age of 32 years old and a median household income of $75,000.

Repeat Home Buyers made up 66% of all home purchases, with a median age of 54 years old and a median household income of $97,000.

The typical home purchased was 1,870 square feet in size and was built in 1991 with an average of three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Among those who financed a home, the average was a total of 90% of the home's value.

87% of buyers purchased a home through a Real Estate Agent a percentage that has steadily increased from 60% in 2001.

89% of buyers who purchased a home would use their Real Estate

Each year Forbes puts together a list of America's fastest growing cities with a bunch of great data that helps consumers gain a better economic outlook on each city. We populated that data into the above infographic to give you a clearer picture of just how fast each city in America is growing here in 2018!

1. Boise City, Idaho

Boise City metropolitan statistical area growth:

Population growth 3.08% - Projected population growth 2.34%

Job growth 3.58% - Projected job growth 2.61%

Gross metro product growth 3.87% - Projected gross metro growth 5.12%

Wage growth 5.70% - Projected wage growth 7.27%

Home price growth 11.58% - Home price projected growth 4.38%

2. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett

101 Real Estate Agent Tax Deductions

There are a lot of tax deductions Real Estate Agents are not using as tax write-offs. It's important to remember that anything you spend money on for your business as a Real Estate Agent can potentially be used as a tax write-off. Tax laws change often, so whether you're doing your own taxes or using a Certified Public Accountant you'll want to ensure you're using the correct write-offs. 

Recently, we put together an article on how much money Real Estate Agents make and decided to add to that resource with information on Real Estate Agent Tax Deductions!

We put together this checklist or cheat-sheet to help Real Estate Agents with their Tax Deductions. 

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Home Appreciation in Raleigh, North Carolina Area

This data compares home appreciation from the timeframe of July 2012-2013 to the timeframe of July 2017-2018

Raleigh

In Raleigh, homes have appreciated by 32% over the last 5 years. The average sales price between July 2012-2013 was $243,489 and five years later (July 2017-2018) it's $321,715. This represents a total appreciation of $78,226 for homeowners in Raleigh over the last five years.

The average days on market in Raleigh has decreased from 88 to 35. This is a significant decrease and only shows just how much buyer demand has increased locally.

Cary

Cary is largely a similar story to Raleigh in the fact that homes have appreciated by 26% over the last five years. While this