Sage Updates

The uncertainty the world faces today due to the COVID-19 pandemic is causing so many things to change. The way we interact, the way we do business, even the way we buy and sell real estate is changing. This is a moment in time that’s even sparking some buyers to search for a better deal on a home. Sellers, however, aren’t offering a discount these days; they’re holding steady on price.

The uncertainty the world faces today due to the COVID-19 pandemic is causing so many things to change. The way we interact, the way we do business, even the way we buy and sell real estate is changing. This is a moment in time that’s even sparking some buyers to search for a better deal on a home. Sellers, however, aren’t offering a discount these days; they’re holding steady on price.

There is no doubt about it – there’s a comfort in staying in a home you’ve lived in for many years instead of moving to a totally new or unfamiliar environment. There is, however, new information that suggests this might not be the best option for everyone. The familiarity of your current home is the pro of aging in place, but the potential financial drawbacks to remodeling or renovating might actually be more costly than the long-term benefits

Questions continue to rise around where home prices will head in 2020. The latest forecast from CoreLogic shows continued appreciation at 5.4% over the next year.

Studies have shown that, in many cases, the largest asset a family owns is the house they live in. Over the last twelve months, that asset has gained substantial value. CoreLogic just released their 2019 3rd Quarter Homeowner Equity Insights Report. The report revealed that:“U.S. homeowners with mortgages (roughly 64% of all properties) have seen their equity increase by a total of nearly $457 billion since the third quarter 2018, an increase of 5.1%, year over year.”

A comparison of the cost to owning a home now to years past. Interest rates are historically low.

Houzz reports that showers are key: Four in five homeowners upgrade the shower during a master bathroom renovation (83%) and over half increase the shower size (54%). For many renovators, this alleviates the pre-project pet peeve of a small shower (38%), which is second only to having an outdated space (59%). Fewer than a quarter of renovating homeowners choose to increase the bathroom size (22%).

Interest Rate Cuts May Be OverMortgage rates rose Friday after data showed the economy added more jobs than expected last month, a sign of ongoing growth.

Many people plan to build their net worth by buying CDs or stocks, or just having a savings account. Recently, however, Economist Jonathan Eggleston and Survey Statistician Donald Hays, both of the U.S. Census Bureau, shared the biggest determinants of wealth,“The biggest determinants of household wealth [are] owning a home and having a retirement account.”

Sage Realty knows that one of the primary concerns when deciding to look for homes for sale in Wayne or other Main Line communities is cost. Following are some of the common questions we get about the costs of purchasing a Main Line home.