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For Everyone

Waiting for the housing market to fall? Well, good luck babe

Have you ever heard the phrase: don’t believe everything you hear?  That’s especially true if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in today’s housing market. There’s A LOT of misinformation out there and lots of folks predicting doom and gloom.  And right now, making sure you have someone you can go to for trustworthy information is extra important.  Cause they’re all wrong.

Feel frustrated?  Well, that’s normal. You don’t have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.  You just have to partner with an experienced real estate team like us, we can help clear up some common misconceptions and reassure you by backing them up with research-driven facts. Here are just a few myths you might be hearing:

1. I’ll Get a Better Deal Once Prices Crash

No, you won’t. Why? If you’ve heard home prices are going to come crashing down, it’s time to look at what’s actually happening, because they won’t. While prices vary by local market, there’s a lot of data out there from numerous sources that shows a crash is not going to happen. Back in 2008, there was a dramatic oversupply of homes that led to prices crashing. Across the board, there’s an undersupply of homes for sale today. That makes this market a whole different scenario (see chart below):

So, if you think waiting will score you a deal, know that data shows there’s not a crash on the horizon, and waiting isn’t going to pay off the way you’d hoped.  It just won’t.

2. I Won’t Be Able To Find Anything To Buy

If this nagging fear about finding the right home if you move is still holding you back, you probably haven’t talked with us lately. Throughout the year, the supply of homes for sale has grown, it hasn’t doubled, so it could be discouraging.   The thing is, new homes hit the market every day. Data from Realtor.com helps put this into context. While there are still fewer homes on the market than in a more normal year like 2019, inventory is still above where it was at this time last year and you’ll have new opportunities each day.  (see graph below)

If you’re remembering all that media coverage about record-low supply during the pandemic, you can rest a bit easier. While the market isn’t back to normal just yet, inventory is moving in a healthier direction. And that means as your options improve, you can let go of this now outdated myth because finding a home to buy won’t feel quite so impossible anymore.  Just don’t count on a surge of new listings, again, expect it to be similar to the last 12 months or so.

3. I Have To Wait Until I Have Enough for a 20% Down Payment

Many people still believe you need a 20% down payment to buy a home.  You don’t. We have people buying with 0%-5% all the time, and many people average under 10%.  To show just how widespread this myth is, Fannie Mae says:

“Approximately 90% of consumers overstate or don’t know the minimum required down payment for a typical mortgage.”

And if you look at the data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), you can see the typical homeowner isn’t putting down as much as you might expect (see graph below):

First-time homebuyers are typically only putting down 6%. That’s far less than the 20% so many people think they need. And if you’re looking at that graph and you’re more focused on how the number for repeat buyers is closer to 20%, here’s what you need to realize. That’s only because they have so much equity built up in their current house that can be used to make a larger down payment for their next move.  They’re moving money from one house on to the next, the equity is allowing them to make the move to a higher price point.

Now, you do still need some money, but definitely not a full 20%.  We can meet up to show you the math, how it all works, and help you see what first time buyer programs you might qualify for.

Bottom Line

The world is confusing.  You have hopes and dreams.  We can help you make it all make sense and work.  You deserve to have someone you can trust to get the facts.  Call us at 717-371-0557, let’s talk.

If you’re still waiting for the market to  “home prices to fall”,  you’re likely to wake up in the middle of the night, with your head in your hands and nothing more than rental life.  And when you thinking about not buying all those years ago, you’re standing face to face with I told you so…..   well.

You know we hate to say we told you so, which means all you have to do is call and get together with us, and we’ll never have to say good luck babe.  You won’t need luck when you have us to help you, you’ll be in your new home, with no regrets.

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

Hometown Property Sales 

——————————-

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

Ron Weaver

717-371-0557 – cell

717-207-9083 – office

What Credit Score Do You Really Need To Buy a House?

When you’re thinking about buying a home, your credit score is one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle. Well.  Equally as big as your income at least.  Think of it like your financial report card that lenders look at when trying to figure out if you qualify, and which home loan will work best for you. As the Mortgage Report says:

“Good credit scores communicate to lenders that you have a track record for properly managing your debts. For this reason, the higher your score, the better your chances of qualifying for a mortgage.”

It is likely none of that is surprising to you.  The trouble is most buyers jsut don’t know, or understand, how credit scoring works and sometimes think they need a score much higher than the minimum credit score a lender is looking for to approve them to buy a home. According to a report from Fannie Mae, only 32% of consumers have a good idea of what lenders require. That means nearly 2 out of every 3 people don’t.

So, here’s a general ballpark to give you a rough idea. Experian says:

The minimum credit score needed to buy a house can range from 500 to 700, but will ultimately depend on the type of mortgage loan you’re applying for and your lender. Most lenders require a minimum credit score of 620 to buy a house with a conventional mortgage.”

Most. Some. Those words don’t give you a lot of certainty, so basically, it varies.  You need a good score to get a good interest rate, but even if your credit isn’t perfect, there are still options out there. As FICO explains:

While many lenders use credit scores like FICO Scores to help them make lending decisions, each lender has its own strategy, including the level of risk it finds acceptable. There is no single “cutoff score” used by all lenders, and there are many additional factors that lenders may use . . .

And realistically, even though “they” say the “minimum score could be as low as 500, that is not really true or a good thing.  Sure, some lenders may go that low but you will pay a ridiculously high interest rate, and some stupidly high fees.  Just no.  Realistically, you have to be 600/620 or higher, or you don’t have a chance. Your approval odds for good lending terms are way better at 640 or higher, preferably 680 plus.   Pretend 640 is the floor, the low point, under it is not going to give you great lending rates.

So if your credit score needs a little TLC, don’t worry, we can connect you with a lender and find out where you are, then help you create a plan to get where you need to go.  In the meantime, Experian says there are some easy steps you can take to give it a boost, including:

1. Pay Your Bills on Time

Easy to say, sometimes hard to do, but let’s be honest.  We like to be positive, but ya gotta accept reality too.  You know if you’re on time or not.  If you are paying your bills late, you won’t get approved for a mortgage until you are caught up and have a history of on time payments for a few months. Lenders want to see that you can reliably pay your bills on time. This includes everything from credit cards to utilities and cell phone bills. Consistent, on-time payments show you’re a responsible borrower.

2. Pay Off Outstanding Debt

Paying down what you owe can help lower your overall debt and make you less of a risk to lenders. Plus, it improves your credit utilization ratio (how much credit you’re using compared to your total limit). A lower credit utilization ratio means you’re more reliable to lenders, as a general rule.  BUT, let’s talk before you start paying down the debt, as there are some strategic ways to maximize the results.  Those utilization rates are more important than total debt or balances.   Student loans for example, let’s say you have $45,000 in student loan debt and a payment of $300 per month.  The lenders don’t really care about the total, they count the $300 per month.

3. Don’t Apply for Too Much Credit

While it might be tempting to open more credit cards to build your score, it’s best to hold off.  New credit applications lead to hard inquiries on your report, which will temporarily lower your score.  Don’t apply for that store card to get 5% off your purchase today, that is many times more damaging than  you think.

Bottom Line

Your credit score is crucial when buying a home. But even if your score isn’t perfect, there are still pathways to homeownership.

Working with us so we can connect you to a trusted lender is the best way to get more information on how your credit score could factor into your home loan.

 Call us at 717-371-0557, lets get together and we can help you understand it all so you know exactly where you are, and can plan to get where you need to go.  When you’re ready.

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

Ron Weaver

Hometown Property Sales

717-207-9083 – office

You already know

You may be confused. You may be wondering. You may be unsure.  But you know.  You know right now whether or not you want to move.  You know right now what you need and if selling or buying a home is what you want to do.

So move.  Sell your house, buy another, just do, or do not, right?  

We know it’s not that simple.  Moving is not just a big deal, it’s your life, it’s a huge deal.  So what’s stopping you, one of the reasons here in this list?

  1. You don’t want to.  Good!  You love your house, stay and be happy!
  2. You want to, but don’t know where to go or how to get there.
  3. You want to, but think you can’t afford to.
  4. You’re confused and not sure of the timing, a bit worried about making a mistake

Number 4 there makes a lot of sense if you’re confused or unsure of your path, because the real estate market can be confusing.  A lot of people have found the most confusing part is knowing when and worry whatever they do, it’s not the right “time” to do it because of all the conflicting information out there.  They’re trying to “time the market”; they’re trying to see what the future might be, listening to all the noise and media chatter, guessing whether interest rates go down (or up), if home prices go up or down, will more homes be available!?! 

And then, even though they want to move they find themselves trapped in indecision. It’s no wonder most people are confused, the endless barrage of headlines contradict themselves hour to hour and there’s always someone with an opinion different than the last one you saw.  The media confuses you on purpose.  All those headlines and predictions drive ad revenue. They’re just guesses.  Some of them are educated, some of them are not.  Some are people who look good on social media and sound convincing.  Some like to sound provocative.  Some will be right.  Most of them are wrong.

We heard a little green guy**  say something like the future is always in motion, and we have found, that’s why the internet and news media is just almost always wrong in their predictions.

Forget them. Hop off the internet and turn off your tv.  We can help you get past all of that noise because we know what we know and we are not confused. We do this every day, for a living.  We don’t get paid to comment online or get ad revenue by creating fear, which we heard is the path to the dark side.   We get paid by helping people buy and sell homes, right here in South Central PA.

We focus on the areas we know, we focus on what is happening now, we know the history here and we tune out what’s happening in another state, because it does not matter here, to you.  We know the facts, trends and numbers you need, and we know how to explain them to you so you can understand them. 

We are not confused because every single person we have ever helped sell or buy real estate did it for the same reasons you are considering.  It was because they wanted to or needed to.  There’s literally never been one who did it because the headlines told them to, or because the interest rate were perfect or the latest jobs report convinced them.

They moved because no matter what the headlines said, it was the right time for them.  Or they didn’t because it wasn’t the right time for their life.  They knew.  Just like you know.   So, be confident, we will get you past the confusion so you can decide to do, or do not.

Now that you read this far, let’s talk about #2 and #3 up there. Those are literally just logistics.  We know how to help you buy and sell at the same time, fix credit, tap into first time buyer programs, how to know which lender to choose (and why), how to help you overcome all the logistical hurdles involved in getting where you need to go, and how to do the math needed to know what makes financial sense for you.  We’ll show you the way forward.  Then again, you decide do, or do not.

We are confident in our ability to help you clearly decide because when 900 years old you reach…  ok, we aren’t that old.  But we do have a couple decades of experience and have helped hundreds of people through the good times and the bad.  Don’t worry about interest rates or headlines or financial reports.  Call us at 717-371-0557, lets get together and we can help you understand it all so you feel comfortable making your move.  When you’re ready.

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

Ron Weaver

Hometown Property Sales

717-207-9083 – office

**Back to the little green guy, we don’t want to violate anyone’s copyright and wouldn’t want to make any unfair comparisons, but Jason isn’t exactly tall (none of us are), and even if he doesn’t know the answer; he’s well connected to the real estate galaxy and knows another little green guy who does.  So call us anytime and if we don’t service the area you want to move to, or don’t know the answer: we definitely have the connection to someone who does

Experience makes a difference

Don’t get me wrong, I love new agents, I was new once too and have spent a couple decades training them. I love all the fresh perspective and new things I can learn from them. I don’t have a TikTok account but probably should get one before I get even more “too old for that “ 😆

In a world full of apps and AI on every smart phone that can make anyone look good (even giving me back some hair), and give the appearance of skill, appearance isn’t actually a substitute for learned skill and actual experience.

Technology is amazing, but not every problem is a nail to hit with a hammer. We like to employ the right types of technology for the right types of situations when it helps, and leave it in the toolbox when it doesn’t. Example?  Ya can’t only text. Sometimes you have actually talk on the phone with someone and will find having a 2 minute long phone conversation can save hours of text misunderstanding. It’s just reality.

Video is another example of a useful tool that is light years ahead of even last year and excellent for building a brand online instead of being critical to selling a home. Different markets require different tools. I was doing video tours with a handheld video camera and uploading them into YouTube to send links to people across the country for virtual tours in 2010. I was doing video walk throughs and putting them on stand alone domains for 24/7 Open Houses starting back then too. Video helped me sell a lot of homes over the years. Then I stopped doing it after the market accelerated to where it is in 2021 and it was not needed. Things moved fast, we moved fast with them and well, I didn’t put the effort into “content creating”.

Our team framework will allow us to put the time into creating video without our client services paying the price. We’ll build a content library full of useful context and accurate information, as video has evolved from being needed to sell a particular home to what people turn to for education. I mean, we’ll show you cool houses too, but we won’t only show you those.  We’ll get a new microphone first probably, as that tech evolved quite a bit and the one we have isn’t the best anymore.

The Olympics have shown us again what we already knew.  Calm, level headed, learned experience is the difference maker.  It allows us to know exactly what to do and when.

We know there is no one size fits all approach because everybody’s needs are different.  While we love video, and we love energy and enthusiasm, there is a LOT of video online put out by creators who are enthusiastically and energetically wrong.  Especially the video created by “influencers” who are making money off social media, not actually selling houses.  Maybe they aren’t wrong, but what they are saying is just not realistic or practical or attainable for you in this market or in your area.   Reality is what it is, not what we wish it was.

So we’ll be using video to help you know how to separate fact (there isn’t going to be market crash) from fiction (the sky is falling!?!?) and ensure that you have the information you need to be comfortable making your decisions.

We’ll get back into video soon (stay tuned!), and we’ll keep focusing on doing what we do best, using our experience to calmly guide sellers and buyers through the flashy noise and into their next home. – Jason

Looking to sell or buy real estate in South Central Pa? We’re here when you’re ready! Call us at 717-371-0557

Your Friends in Real Estate,
Jason Burkholder Team
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Jaci Hoosier
Ron Weaver

#jasonburkholderteam
#jasonburkholderrealtor
#localprops #hometownprops
#hometownlititz #hometownpsg
#realestate #realtor #home #sell #buy
#realestatelife
#parealtor #lancasterparealtor

717-371-0557 direct or text
Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC
717-207-8093 office

5 Cleaning Tips

Looking for a few easy ways to keep your house shiny and keep it simple?  Here’s 5 simple tips to make your space shine!

1. Purchase a pack of microfiber cloths- they’re more effective than paper towels for cleaning surfaces and trap dust and grime without leaving streaks. Plus, they’re reusable, making them an eco-friendly and cost-effective choice. Just wash, dry, and reuse !

2. Use cleaner concentrate- you can find tabs that dissolve in water (huge space saver !) or liquid concentrate that you dilute with water. You’re cutting down on plastic packaging and saving money!

3. Use a cotton ball- soak a cotton ball in the essential oil of your choice to put in the bottom of your trash can!

4. Keep your supplies accessible- when you’re trying to form a habit, you have to make it easy on yourself. Don’t put your cleaning supplies on a shelf that requires a ladder or tuck away your vacuum in the back of your coat closet. Have your supplies readily available!

5. Set a timer- most of us don’t want to clean, but it needs done. You can make a lot of progress in short amount of time, but it does take some mental energy to get started. Set a timer for whatever amount of time you have, even if it’s 10 minutes, and see how much you can get done. Sometimes you just need a push to get started and can continue working past the timer!

Looking to buy or sell in Central PA? We can help !

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

——————

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

Ron Weaver

717-371-0557 direct or text

Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC

717-207-8093 office

57 E Main St

Lititz, PA 17543

Selling Smart – Using a Realtor Makes All The Difference

If you’re considering selling your house on your own as a “For Sale by Owner” (FSBO), you’ll want to consider a few factors. Going this route means shouldering a lot of responsibilities by yourself – and, if you’re not an expert, that opens the door for mistakes to happen and can quickly become overwhelming.

report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows two key areas where people who sold their own house struggled the most: pricing and paperwork.

Here are just a few of the ways an agent makes those tasks a whole lot easier.

Getting the Price Right

Setting the right price for your house is important. And, if you’re selling your house on your own, two common issues can happen. You might ask for too much money (overpricing). Or you might not ask for enough (underpricing). Either can make it hard to sell your house. According to NerdWallet:

“When selling a home, first impressions matter. Your house’s market debut is your first chance to attract a buyer and it’s important to get the pricing right. If your home is overpriced, you run the risk of buyers not seeing the listing.

 . . . But price your house too low and you could end up leaving some serious money on the table. A bargain-basement price could also turn some buyers away, as they may wonder if there are any underlying problems with the house.”

To avoid these problems, team up with us. We know how to figure out the right price because for your property in today’s market (not yesterday’s) because have a deep understanding of the local housing market. We use that expertise to set a price that will get you to the best price that buyers are willing to pay, giving your house the best chance to impress from the start.

Understanding and Performing Paperwork

Selling a house involves a bunch of paperwork and legal documentation that has to be just right. There are a lot of rules and regulations to follow (plus it all varies by state !), and that makes it a bit tricky for homeowners to manage everything on their own. Without a pro by your side, you could end up facing liability risks and legal complications.

We aren’t lawyers and can’t give legal advice, but we are experts in all the contracts and paperwork needed for selling a house. We know the rules and can guide you through it all, reducing the chance of mistakes that might lead to legal problems or delays. As an article from First American explains:

“To buy or sell a home you need to accurately complete a lot of forms, disclosures, and legal documents. A real estate agent ensures you cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i’ to help you avoid having a transaction fall through and/or prevent a costly mistake.”

So, instead of dealing with the growing pile of documents on your own, team up with us so we can be your advisor, helping you avoid any legal bumps in the road.

One of the biggest perks of using us as your listing agent isthe fact that we know how to leverage the tools available for the best result.  We have access to the MLS, as do others.  This is part of how we can instantly post your home to over 14,000 websites, including the big names you know.  But really, “put it in the MLS” is one piece.  Not all of it.   How you use it, when, what info is there and when, all of it matters.  Other agents also use the local MLS when searching for their buyer clients and will often set up saved searches. This means that once a home is listed that fits a buyer’s criteria, the buyer is immediately notified.  So it has to be right from the start, or you miss out on them.

We use the latest metrics of buyer activity, open house attendance (yes, we do them, and they work), professional marketing materials and the right presentation to make your home attractive not just to all buyers, but to the ones looking for a place like yours.

Long story short, using us gives you massive exposure that isn’t possible as a FSBO. The more exposure your home gets, the more offers you receive. The more offers you receive…the more options you have. Those options will vary on price, closing timeline, requested repairs, and more.  We’ll will help you pick the best offer for you! We’ll also walk you through every step- from listing to settlement.

Bottom Line

Selling a house on your own can cost you a lot of time and stress. Let’s connect so you have help with all the finer details, including setting the right price, handling all the paperwork, and so much more. Give us a call or text at (717) 371-0557 !

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

——————

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

Ron Weaver

717-371-0557 direct or text

Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC

717-207-8093 office

57 E Main St

Lititz, PA 17543

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.

According to Jacob Channel, Senior Economist at LendingTree, the economy’s pretty strong:

“At least right now, the fundamentals of the economy, despite some hiccups, are doing pretty good. While things are far from perfect, the economy is probably doing better than people want to give it credit for.”

That might be why a recent survey from the Wall Street Journal shows only 39% of economists think there’ll be a recession in the next year. That’s way down from 61% projecting a recession just one year ago (see graph below):

a graph of the economic growth of the economy

Most experts believe there won’t be a recession in the next 12 months. One reason why is the current unemployment rate. Let’s compare where we are now with historical data from Macrotrends, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and Trading Economics. When we do, it’s clear the unemployment rate today is still very low (see graph below):

a graph of a graph showing the number of employment rate

The orange bar shows the average unemployment rate since 1948 is about 5.7%. The red bar shows that right after the financial crisis in 2008, when the housing market crashed, the unemployment rate was up to 8.3%. Both of those numbers are much larger than the unemployment rate this January (shown in blue).

But will the unemployment rate go up? To answer that, look at the graph below. It uses data from that same Wall Street Journal survey to show what the experts are projecting for unemployment over the next three years compared to the long-term average (see graph below):

a graph of blue bars

As you can see, economists don’t expect the unemployment rate to even come close to the long-term average over the next three years – much less the 8.3% we saw when the market last crashed.

Still, if these projections are correct, there will be people who lose their jobs next year. Anytime someone’s out of work, that’s a tough situation, not just for the individual, but also for their friends and loved ones. But the big question is: will enough people lose their jobs to create a flood of foreclosures that could crash the housing market?

Looking ahead, projections show the unemployment rate will likely stay below the 75-year average. That means you shouldn’t expect a wave of foreclosures that would impact the housing market in a big way.

Demand is still strong, and inventory levels are stable

You can see in this chart below, the level of active homes for sale is fairly stable, across all price ranges.  New listings enter the market each day.

The buyer demand for the listings shows in the pending sales chart here, the lines are pretty close. Homes come on the market, and they sell fast.

There isn’t much to be afraid of

There won’t be a wave of homes for sale that outpaces demand.  Most experts now think we won’t have a recession in the next year. They also don’t expect a big jump in the unemployment rate. That means you don’t need to fear a flood of foreclosures that would cause the housing market to crash.  The last crash is reflected in the chart below and shows you what happened to home values nationwide. While the numbers dipped, it was not for long, and they bounced right back. Not only will there not be a housing market crash, but even if we’re wrong, appreciation will bring values right back and then continue at a much more normal pace, as it has in the past.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom line. Opportunity is everywhere.

Supply and demand remain balanced, so what you can expect for 2024 is pretty much what you saw in the last two years.  We helped a lot of people find success buying, and selling, in these last few years, just like we did in the years before then.  Don’t bother waiting to try and “time the market”, lets talk about what you want, then we’ll help you decide if now is the time for you.   Will you compete as a buyer?   Yes. Will you find lots of buyers wanting your home when you sell?   Yes.   No matter what you want to do, opportunity is there for you.

When you’re ready to talk, we’ll be here.  Give us a call or text at (717) 371-0557!

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

——————

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

717-371-0557 direct or text

Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC

717-207-8093 office

57 E Main St

Lititz, PA 17543

Lititz Fire & Ice 2024: Fri, 2/16-Sun, 2/25

Get ready for 10 days of ice sculptures, special menu items, family friendly fun, and a whole lot more in Downtown Lititz, PA ! Below is the full schedule! For the full event info, including food trucks, FAQs, a giveaway, and the sponsors who support the event, visit the Lititz site here!

We’re proud to sponsor the annual Hometown Fire Crawl, where Downtown Lititz shops create special dishes, drinks & samples for the Fire & Ice Festival ! Some examples include a creme brulee latte, hot cocoa cookies with some heat, hot sauce samples, handcrafted cocktails & more!

We hope to see you there !

 

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

——————

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

717-371-0557 direct or text

Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC

717-207-8093 office

57 E Main St

Lititz, PA 17543

Houses Are Still Selling Fast

Have you been thinking about selling your house? If so, here’s some good news. While the housing market isn’t as frenzied as it was during the ‘unicorn’ years when houses were selling quicker than ever, they’re still selling faster than historically normal.

The graph below uses data from Realtor.com to tell the story of median days on the market for every January from 2017 all the way through the latest numbers available. For Realtor.com, days on the market means from the time a house is listed for sale until its closing date or the date it’s taken off the market. This metric can help give you an idea of just how quickly homes are selling compared to more normal years:

When you look at the most recent data (shown in green), it’s clear homes are selling faster than they usually would (shown in blue). In fact, the only years when houses sold even faster than they are right now were the abnormal ‘unicorn’ years (shown in pink). According to Realtor.com:

“Homes spent 69 days on the market, which is three days shorter than last year and more than two weeks shorter than before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

What Does This Mean for You?

Homes are selling faster than the norm for this time of year – and your house may sell quickly too. That’s because more people are looking to buy now that mortgage rates have come down, but there still aren’t enough homes to go around. Mike Simonsen, Founder of Altos Researchsays:

“. . . 2024 is starting stronger than last year. And demand is increasing each week.”

Bottom Line

If you’re wondering if it’s a good time to sell your home, the most recent data suggests it is. The housing market appears to be stronger than it usually is at this time of year. To get the latest updates on what’s happening in our local market, let’s connect.

 

Ready to be in a new home for next holiday season? We can help! Give us a call or text at (717) 371-0557!

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

——————

Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

717-371-0557 direct or text

Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC

717-207-8093 office

57 E Main St

Lititz, PA 17543

Grayed Out

You’ve seen how gray has become the norm for new construction and renovated homes in the last decade. We’ve seen it in the form of paint, furniture, and decorations. Rip out the carpet, replace it with hardwood flooring, paint the walls gray, cabinets white, add a gray couch, and you’re done.  They call this look “millennial gray”.

Why do they call it “millennial gray” when plenty of Gen X’rs and Boomers bathed their homes in gray?  We don’t know, probably because they blame millennials for everything, but we can’t solve that problem here.  Back to the gray.  Or is it grey?

However you spell it, it has been everywhere.  The perk of gray is it’s neutral. There’s a lot of versatility.  Now, it’s coming to an end as tastes change (thank you everyone, gray is so played out it’s just now grayed out – Jason).  People are ready for something different.  It’s time to bring back some color to the world, are you ready for color and unique interior design?  We are (well, Jason is)!

Why should you use colors?

  • Stand out- accent walls and accent pieces help differentiate each room. You could have a room where 3 walls are a neutral color, with a 4th wall painted a bold color. Or the whole room is painted neutral, but you have a bold couch. Or an office where the built in shelving serves as the pop of color.
  • Feels more spacious- brighter tones can open up a room and help the space feel larger ! Darker shades can lead to rooms feeling smaller.
  • Add character- as thrifting has become more popular, and people are willing to experiment with interior design, there’s room for one-of-a-kind spaces that can’t be replicated like this gray and white color scheme.

How can you implement color ?

  • Accent wall or an accent piece- as we mentioned earlier, we can still use and appreciate the neutral aspect of gray, but can consider some other colors. A soft tan, pale green, or powder blue- there are a lot of options. Pick something neutral, then consider adding an statement wall or piece. For a wall, you can add texture (such as wood paneling), wallpaper, and/or a much bolder color. Or use cabinets, artwork, table, etc. You can see in the photo below that they chose a turquoise for the statement wall, then added a blanket in the same color to tie it in. You can also choose different shades of the accent color for smaller decor items.

  • Look at all aspects of the space- curtains, artwork, furniture, flooring, fabric, paint color, decor pieces, light fixtures, and more. Those are all an opportunity to use color!  Thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace are a great place to start when looking for affordable pieces.
  • Think about the versatility – whatever you do, you’re likely changing it in  the next 5-10 years, so find ways to balance what makes you happy with what balances the budget.  While fresh paint makes homes more desirable, no amount of color increases a property’s value, and your decor is going with you when you move.

Of course, no amount of new paint will fix everything, so if you’re looking for a new space altogether, you know we can help!  Give us a call or text at (717) 371-0557, let’s talk about where you want to go next!

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Jason Burkholder Team

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Jason Burkholder

Kelly Burkholder

Jaci Hoosier

717-371-0557 direct or text

Hometown Property Sales Group, LLC

717-207-8093 office

57 E Main St

Lititz, PA 17543

Info & ideas pulled from this article written by Evelyn Long for NAR.