First Time Home Buyer

First Time Home Buyer

Pre-Approval in 2023 Real Estate on Whidbey Island : What You Need To Know

Pre-Approval in 2023 Real Estate on Whidbey Island : What You Need To Know One of the first steps in your homebuying journey is getting pre-approved. To understand why it’s such an important step, you need to understand what pre-approval is and what it does for you. Business Insider explains: “In a preapproval [sic], the lender tells you which types of […]
First Time Home Buyer, Uncategorized

Tips To Reach Your Real Estate Goals On Whidbey Island in 2023

Tips To Reach Your Homebuying Goals in 2023 How do I reach my homebuying goals on Whidbey Island in 2023?? Some Highlights- Tips To Reach Your Whidbey Island Homebuying Goals in 2023 If you’re planning to buy a home in 2023, here are a few things to focus on. Work on your credit and save for a down payment. If […]
First Time Home Buyer, Selling Your Home

What Experts Are Saying About the 2023 Housing Market And How It Affects Whidbey Island

What Experts Are Saying About the 2023 Housing Market If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the housing market this year. In 2022, the market underwent a major shift as economic uncertainty and higher mortgage rates reduced buyer demand, slowed the pace of home […]
First Time Home Buyer

With Mortgage Rates Climbing, Now’s the Time To Act

With Mortgage Rates Climbing, Now’s the Time To Act Last week, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Freddie Mac jumped from 3.22% to 3.45%. That’s the highest point it’s been in almost two years. If you’re thinking about buying a home, this news may have come as a bit of a shock. But the truth is, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Experts […]

First Time Home Buyer Pre-Approval in 2023 Real Estate on Whidbey Island : What You Need To Know Pre-Approval in 2023 Real Estate on Whidbey Island : What You Need To Know One of the first steps in your homebuying journey is getting pre-approved. To understand why it’s such an important step, you need to understand what pre-approval is and what it does for you. Business Insider explains: “In a preapproval [sic], the lender tells you which types of […]

First Time Home Buyer Tips To Reach Your Real Estate Goals On Whidbey Island in 2023 Tips To Reach Your Homebuying Goals in 2023 How do I reach my homebuying goals on Whidbey Island in 2023?? Some Highlights- Tips To Reach Your Whidbey Island Homebuying Goals in 2023 If you’re planning to buy a home in 2023, here are a few things to focus on. Work on your credit and save for a down payment. If […]

First Time Home Buyer What Experts Are Saying About the 2023 Housing Market And How It Affects Whidbey Island What Experts Are Saying About the 2023 Housing Market If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the housing market this year. In 2022, the market underwent a major shift as economic uncertainty and higher mortgage rates reduced buyer demand, slowed the pace of home […]

First Time Home Buyer With Mortgage Rates Climbing, Now’s the Time To Act With Mortgage Rates Climbing, Now’s the Time To Act Last week, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate from Freddie Mac jumped from 3.22% to 3.45%. That’s the highest point it’s been in almost two years. If you’re thinking about buying a home, this news may have come as a bit of a shock. But the truth is, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Experts […]

First Time Home Buyer As we move into 2022, both buyers and sellers are wondering, what’s next? As we move into 2022, both buyers and sellers are wondering, what’s next? As we move into 2022, both buyers and sellers are wondering, what’s next? Will there be more homes available to buy? Will prices keep climbing? How high will mortgage rates go? For the answer to those questions and more, we turn to […]

First Time Home Buyer Avoid the Washington Rental Trap in 2022 Avoid the Washington Rental Trap in 2022 Are you one of the many renters thinking about where you’ll live the next time your lease is up? Before you decide whether to look for a new house or another apartment, it’s important to understand the true costs of renting in 2022. As a renter, you should know rents have been […]

First Time Home Buyer Is down payment assistance for everyone? Is down payment assistance for everyone? Homeownership programs are available nationwide, and the average down payment assistance benefit is currently between $10,000 and $12,000. These programs can help homebuyers get into a house sooner than they may think and give them a valuable cash cushion for other expenses, like the home inspection and possible repairs. […]

First Time Home Buyer Things to do Today to make you a Homeowner Tomorrow HOME • REAL ESTATE • NOVEMBER 8, 2021 Things to do Today to make you a Homeowner Tomorrow by Windermere Whidbey Island As the gap between the cost of rent and the cost of a mortgage continues to close, we see an increasing number of renters interested in buying. But how can renters make the transition to owners? […]

First Time Home Buyer Whidbey Island Homebuyers: Be Ready To Act This Winter Homebuyers: Be Ready To Act This Winter To succeed as a buyer in Whidbey Island’s market, it’s important to understand which market trends will have the greatest impact on your home search. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com, says there are two factors every buyer should keep their eyes on: “Going forward, the conditions buyers face are […]

First Time Home Buyer Why It Just Became Much Easier To Buy a Home Why It Just Became Much Easier To Buy a Home Since the pandemic began, Americans have reevaluated the meaning of the word home. That’s led some renters to realize the many benefits of homeownership, including the feelings of security and stability and the financial benefits that come with rising home equity. At the same time, many current homeowners […]

First Time Home Buyer Tips for Single Homebuyers: How To Make Your Dream a Reality Tips for Single Homebuyers: How To Make Your Dream a Reality If you’re living on your own and looking to buy a home, know that you can make your dream a reality with thoughtful planning and the right team of experts. Research from Freddie Mac shows 28% of all households (36.1 million) are sole-person, and that number is growing. Over the past […]

First Time Home Buyer Staying Cool During The Summer Kayaking and Paddle Boarding Staying Cool This Summer Water activities are something particularly special to Whidbey Island. After all, we are completely surrounded by water. With the sun making more and more guest appearances in the sky you can place a good bet on the expectation of increased activity on the waves. Between kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, and more; Whidbey […]

First Time Home Buyer 5 Simple Graphs Proving This Is NOT Like the Last Time 5 Simple Graphs Proving This Is NOT Like the Last Time With all of the volatility in the stock market and uncertainty about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), some are concerned we may be headed for another housing crash like the one we experienced from 2006-2008. The feeling is understandable. Ali Wolf, Director of Economic Research at the real […]

First Time Home Buyer Three Reasons Why This Is Not a Housing Crisis Three Reasons Why This Is Not a Housing Crisis In times of uncertainty, one of the best things we can do to ease our fears is to educate ourselves with research, facts, and data. Digging into past experiences by reviewing historical trends and understanding the peaks and valleys of what’s come before us is one […]

First Time Home Buyer 2020 Homebuying Checklist 2020 Homebuying Checklist https://youtu.be/eSqLyv5VNws Some Highlights: If you’re thinking of buying a home, plan ahead and stay on the right track, starting with pre-approval. Being proactive about the homebuying process will help set you up for success in each step. Make sure to work with a trusted real estate professional along the way, to help guide you through the homebuying […]

First Time Home Buyer What Are Closing Costs and Have You Budgeted Enough Have You Budgeted for Closing Costs? Saving for a down payment is a key step in the homebuying process, and it’s not the only piece you need to include in your budget. Another factor that’s important to plan for is the closing costs required to obtain a mortgage. What Are Closing Costs? According to Trulia, “When […]

First Time Home Buyer New Listing 4337 Terrace, Oak Harbor Beautiful, bright and cheery listing on North Whidbey. 3 bedroom, bright open home in the Northgate neighborhood. This charming home is a one level with easy access entrance, new wood laminate, carpet, doors and trim throughout. You won’t find a more updated home that’s perfect for entertaining. New interior paint so this home is absolutely […]

First Time Home Buyer Online House Hunting Hunting for a new home online is a great place to start your search, but it should not be your end all be all. Good listing agents are excellent at highlighting the best features of the home, but keep in mind there may be more than meets the eye. To make the most of your […]

First Time Home Buyer Should I pull money from my retirement for a home downpayment? Quite often I am asked by my clients and my students at my home buyer class if they should rob their 401K to have the cash for a downpayment. If the house/ real estate is also an investment why not? Here’s a few good reasons that your 401 funds should stay as 401 retirement funds. […]

First Time Home Buyer Zero down loans offered by WA Housing Commission Some day it seems I’m the only one talking about zero down loan that’s not a VA (Veteran Affairs) loan. In the state of Washington we have some great programs to help first time home buyers buy their first home. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission not only offers the zero down USDA loan but […]