Millennial Homebuyers

Millennial homebuyers are on the rise, and for good reason - interest rates are still historically low. With the increase in student loan debt, frequent career shifts, and living through the 2008 housing crisis, many may consider millennials financially insecure and opposed 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

Selling your home is often a complicated process, but they’re still the few brave sellers willing to give “for sale by owner” (FSBO) a go. Saving money on commission fees or already having a seller lined up are the most popular reasons sellers might forego a realtor, but do the benefits really outweigh the costs?

For-sale-by-owner homes are sold by the homeowner without the aid of a listing agent or broker. That means the seller deals with all risks and responsibilities associated with the sale of a home — from research, pricing, home prep, marketing, negotiations, and paperwork. 

If you’re weighing the pros and cons of selling your home on your own, we’ve gathered some insightful FSBO vs. realtor statistics to help you decide whether it’s

Buying a home means creating a space of your own. It’s independence, hosting dinner parties, planting a garden — and also a long-term financial commitment. 

If you’re ready to put down roots and take that step towards home ownership — but your savings account doesn’t agree — you need to know how to buy a house with no money. Is it even possible?If you truly lack the funds to front the down payment on your dream cape cod home, you can look at zero-money-down mortgages (yes, they exist!).

There are a lot of loan options when buying your home. To find a loan option that works for you, read on.

Table of Contents

1. Apply for A USDA Loan

2. Apply For a VA Loan If You’ve Served In The U.S Military

3. Get An FHA Loan

Location in Real Estate

Location, location, location. Here's what makes location such an important factor when it comes to buying a home.

The three most important factors when buying a home are location, location, and location.

Too often I hear people talking about making decisions based on the home itself, instead of the location, and that is a mistake. 

What is it about the location that makes it so vital to real estate investing?

The condition and price of any home can be changed. You can even change the size of the house. The one thing you can't change is the home's location. A great location can change an entire neighborhood seemingly overnight as happened in Downtown Raleigh.

Supply and demand are two factors that will always

Houses are flying off the market like hot cakes. But even in today’s seller’s market, staging a home can help you get the top dollar for your property in a fraction of the time. 

Staging is all about showcasing all the best features of your home with updated, neutral décor and colors (think Chip and Joanna Gaines). By designing an engaging, move-in-ready atmosphere, buyers may be more committed to and willing to increase their offer — often above the asking price. 

If you’re preparing to sell your home, we’ve gathered home staging statistics from both buyers’ and sellers’ perspectives to help you decide whether it’s the right move to make. 

Table of Contents:

• Home Staging Statistics: Buyers’ Perspective

• Home

Major Home Inspection Issues and How to Handle Repairs 

If your home inspection turns up any of these 7 major issues it could be time to negotiate some mandatory fixes with the seller before you proceed with purchasing the home. After a home inspection, issues are going to arise. If you are a first-time home buyer try not to freak out because this is why you hired a home inspector, to find the issues with the home! This gives the buyers an opportunity to negotiate some reasonable requests before purchasing the home. Some requests will be mandatory fixes or the buyer will choose to find another home.

If any of these major home inspection issues come back on your home inspection report you'll really want to hire experts to come in and evaluate the

How Accurate is Credit Karma?

Is Credit Karma Accurate? A common question from people who are using the free credit monitoring service. In this article we will dive into everything you need to know about Credit Karma's accuracy, how often Credit Karma updates, how the service works, as well as what to be aware of:

Many people looking to buy a home will need to know their credit score and “how accurate is Credit Karma?” is one of the more common questions we receive.

Below we will give you an in-depth overview of what Credit Karma is, how accurate Credit Karma is and how often Credit Karma updates.

Let’s dive in so we can understand how accurate Credit Karma is:

1. What is Credit Karma?

Credit Karma is a free credit monitoring

Apartment living is one of the most popular housing options in the United States. In fact, nearly 39 million Americans live in an apartment complex. Living in an apartment or condo building is a great choice — it saves space in cities so more people can enjoy all the benefits of a metropolitan community like Raleigh.

But while the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, are condos and apartments the same thing? The main difference between a condo vs. apartment living is that you own condos and you rent apartments. 

While there are some differences in price, amenities, and more, the question of who owns a unit is the deciding factor of whether you’d consider it an apartment or condo.

So, how can you decide what’s best for you? Let’s cover

A healthy housing market indicates a healthy national economy. In fact, it’s estimated that owner-occupied real estate accounts for over a quarter of American households’ net worth.

It’s no secret Raleigh is an up-and-coming city, but how’s the local real estate market doing? Let’s take a deep dive into emerging data in Wake County from 2022 and narrow down on key Raleigh real estate trends.

Table of Contents:

• Raleigh Real Estate Trends

• Real Estate Demand

• Real Estate Supply

• Pricing Trends

• Raleigh Housing Market Predictions

5 Key Raleigh Real Estate Trends

There’s no question Raleigh’s real estate market is booming. 1,200 experts surveyed by PwC rated the Raleigh/Durham area

 Average Screened-in Patio Cost

The cost to screen in a patio ranges from $2,000 to $2,800. It costs an average of $2 per square foot for labor and installation and $3-$5  per square foot for materials. 

If you want to build a screened-in patio from the ground up, the cost ranges from $3,000-$8,000.  

Screening a patio can help you protect your backyard oasis from pesky summer bugs and various weather conditions. In this guide, learn how to calculate the screened-in patio cost using different factors and the value it can add to your home. 

Table of Contents

• How Much Does It Cost to Screen in a Patio? 

• Screened-in Patio Budget Factors

• Additional Screened-in Patio Costs To Consider

• Screened-in Porch