When it’s time to buy or sell a home, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is who you’ll work with as your agent. That choice will have an impact on your entire experience and how smoothly it goes.
As you figure out who you’ll partner with, it’s important to know what to expect and what to look for. Unfortunately, there may be some myths holding you back from making the best decision possible. So, let’s take some time to address those, and make sure you have the information you need to find the right agent for you.
You might think all agents are the same – so it doesn’t matter who you work with. But, in reality, agents have varying levels of experience, specialties, and market knowledge, which can have a big impact on your results. For example: you’ll get much better service and advice from someone who is a true expert in their field. As Business Insider explains:
“If you were planning to get your hair done for a special event, you’d want to visit a stylist who specifically has experience doing that type of work — you wouldn’t make an appointment with someone who primarily does kids’ hair. The same concept applies to finding a real estate agent. If you have a smaller budget, you probably don’t want to work with an agent who exclusively sells multimillion-dollar properties.”
Take some time to talk with each agent you’re considering. Ask about their experience level and what they specialize in. This will help you find the one that’s the best fit for your search.
As a seller, you may think you can save money by not working with a pro. However, the expertise, negotiation skills, and market knowledge an agent provides generally saves you money and helps you avoid making costly mistakes. Without that guidance, you could find yourself doing something like overpricing your house. And that’s a misstep that’ll cost you when it sits on the market for far too long. That’s why U.S. News Real Estate says:
“When it comes to buying or selling your home, hiring a professional to guide you through the process can save you money and headaches. It pays to have someone on your side who’s well-versed in the nuances of the market and can help ensure you get the best possible deal.”
You may also be worried an agent will push you to buy a more expensive house in order to increase their commission. But that’s not how that should go. A good agent will respect your budget and work hard to find a home that truly fits your financial situation and needs. With their market know-how, they’ll point you toward the best option for you, rather than try to pad their own pockets on your dime. As NerdWallet explains:
“Among other things, a good buyer’s agent will find homes for sale. A buyer’s agent will help you understand the type of home you can afford in the current market, find listed homes that match your needs and price range, and then help you narrow the options to the properties worth considering.”
Maybe you believe housing market conditions are the same no matter where you are. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Real estate markets are highly localized, and conditions can vary widely from one area to another. This is why you can’t pick just anyone you find online. You should choose an agent who’s an expert on your specific local market. As a recent article from Bankrate says:
“Real estate is very localized, and you want someone who’s extremely knowledgeable about the market in your specific area.”
You’ll know you’ve found the right person when they can explain the national trends and how your area stacks up too. That way you’re guaranteed to get the full picture when you ask: “how’s the market?”
Don’t let myths keep you from the expert guidance you deserve. With market knowledge and top resources, a trusted local real estate agent isn’t just helpful, they’re invaluable.
In what could be one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, having the right pro by your side is a game changer. Let’s connect and make sure you get the best outcome possible. We know what we’re experts at, and where we’re experts, and also where we aren’t.
We are small, local and independent on purpose, and for a purpose. Helping people do what’s right for them. Call us at 717-371-0557
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
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:
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.
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.
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.
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
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?
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
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
Thinking about selling your house and wondering if now’s a good time to do it? Here’s what you need to know. Even though the number of homes for sale has been growing this year, there still aren’t enough homes on the market for all the buyers who want to buy.
So, what does that mean for you? To keep it simple, it means it’s still a seller’s market. Here’s how it works:
The graph below uses data from the National Association of Realtors to show just how deep into seller’s market territory we still are today:
The market is still working in your favor. If you lean on an agent for advice on how to get your house list ready and how to price it competitively, it should get a lot of attention from eager buyers. That means you’ll likely get multiple offers and see your house sell quickly and for top dollar. As a recent article from Ramsey Solutions explains:
“A seller’s market is when demand for homes is higher than the supply of homes. And that’s still the case right now. If you’re planning to sell your house, you can expect to sell it fairly quickly for close to your asking price—as long as your asking price is realistic for the current market.”
Today’s housing market still favors sellers. If you’re ready to sell your house, let’s connect so you can start making your moves ! 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
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):
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):
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):
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.
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 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.
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
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.”
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 Research, says:
“. . . 2024 is starting stronger than last year. And demand is increasing each week.”
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
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?
How can you implement color ?
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
——————
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.
Photo by 愚木混株 cdd20 on Unsplash
“Scary times don’t call for fearless leaders. We don’t need a gladiator jumping into an arena with the hungry tiger. Instead, times of fear and uncertainty call for leaders to become fear(less) — aware of and consciously able to sort through what is truly scary and deserves careful consideration and what is causing undue stress and anxiety without being a real threat.”
That quote came out of a quick article I read, here in this link . For the sake of this discussion, replace the word “leaders” with people. After all, leaders are just people, individual persons. You are also a person.
What does this have to do with real estate? Well, if I’m being philosophical, real estate is about people’s lives. A person can’t live their life in a constant state of fear, and really, there is no hungry tiger to defeat in this story, it’s real estate. What’s there to defeat? What is there even to fear?
If you care about real estate, the enemy is misinformation, uncertainty and the fear it drives.
It makes you question everything, and end up doing nothing. It’s not enough for me to say “be fear(less)” if you’re jumping into this real estate market. You have to actually be able to fear less things. Your ability to be “aware of and consciously able to sort through what is truly scary and deserves careful consideration and what is causing undue stress and anxiety without being a real threat” is important when you’re thinking about making a purchase or sale that will change your life and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
See, if you’ve been on the internet, or listen to the radio, or watch tv, you find pretty quickly we live in a world full of threats, real and imaginary. Fear. BE AFRAID. But mostly, the fear is imaginary. Clickbait. Lots of somebody’s hot take bullshit out there masquerading as news so you click and share. Sorry for the language, but it’s true.
Not only are we bombarded by headlines full of fear, but most of them are full of misinformation, missing pieces, things that are flat out incorrect analysis and bullshit. Take these statements for example:
Fear, sensationalism and wrong information in each bullet point. Why do I say that? Because we don’t write headlines, we sell real estate. We actually are working in the market every day, with buyers buying and sellers selling, not writing clickbait for ad revenue. Here’s the answer to each of those bullet points.
That’s the best part of working with us. You don’t have to figure out what’s true, and what’s not, in the headlines. There isn’t anything to be afraid of. You’re either wanting to buy a property or you aren’t. You’re either wanting to sell a property or you aren’t. If you are thinking about jumping into this, selling or buying, we can help you.
We know how to look at it all critically, and we’ll help you make sense of it. We have sellers selling each week with multiple offers over list price. We also have buyers winning multiple offer situations, buyers getting contracts signed with the ability to do home inspections, buyers getting contracts signed with offers that include seller help with closing costs, and buyer’s buying homes for list price or less.
We are not confused, we are not afraid and we’re ready to help you too. Call us at 717-371-0557, let’s talk! – Jason
Your Friends in Real Estate,
Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St
Lititz, Pa 17543
Looking for help finding your new place? We can help ! Reach us at (717) 371-0557
Your Friends in Real Estate, Jason Burkholder Real Estate Team
——————
Jason Burkholder
Kelly Burkholder
Adam High
Jaci Hoosier
717-371-0557 direct or text
Welcome Home Real Estate
717-298-8040 office
57 E Main St, Lititz, PA 17543
