Buying & Selling Homes with The Collura Team

3 Tips to Succeed in Today’s Real Estate Market   In today’s highly competitive real estate market, where inventory levels are not keeping up with the constant stream of buyer demand, there are steps you can take to ensure you are most prepared for success when buying a home. The 3 tips we are going to expand on today come from a recent blog by Trulia entitled, The Skinny on Skinny Inventory.   1. Be Prepared “Homebuyers should talk with a lender, real estate agent, and a home inspector BEFORE finding a home to make an offer on.” Being intentional, pre-approved, and prepared will set you up for the accelerated time tables that come with a highly competitive market. If you are the most prepared buyer interested in a home, if you have already secured financial approval, and if you are ready to move fast, your bid will be that much more attractive to a seller. 2. Think Strategically “Starter homebuyers don’t have a home to sell and can be flexible on closi

Pending Home Sales Sluggish as Low Supply Rears Its Head Pending home sales were sluggish in April as low supply reared its head, down 1.3 percent in the National Association of REALTORS ® (NAR)  Pending Home Sales Index  (PHSI). The PHSI posted 109.8 in April, down from 111.3 in March. The Index is based on contract signings. "Much of the country for the second straight month saw a pullback in pending sales as the rate of new listings continues to lag the quicker pace of hom

Your Opportunity to Achieve the American Dream Keeps Getting Better! Forbes.com recently released the latest results of their American Dream Index , in which they measure “the prosperity of the middle class, and…examine which states best support the American Dream.” The monthly index measures several different economic factors, including goods-producing employment, personal and commercial bankruptcies, building permits, startup activity, unemployment insurance claims, labor force participation, and layoffs. The national index score was rounded out to 100.0 in January as a baseline for comparison and it rose the fourth straight month in a row to 101.8. Alaska, coming in at 89.4, represented the lowest score on the index due in part to the recent collapse in oil prices. In contrast, Wyoming came in with the highest score at 115.1. The full results can be seen in the map below. Forbes Senior Editor Kurt Badenhausen explained why many states saw a boost i

Renting or Buying… Either Way You’re Paying a Mortgage   There are some people who have not purchased homes because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that, unless you are living with your parents rent-free, you are paying a mortgage – either yours or your landlord’s. As Entrepreneur Magazine, a premier source for small business, explained this month in their article, “ 12 Practical Steps to Getting Rich ”: “ While renting on a temporary basis isn’t terrible, you should most certainly own the roof over your head if you’re serious about your finances. It won’t make you rich overnight, but by renting, you’re paying someone else’s mortgage. In effect, you’re making someone else rich .” Christina Boyle, Senior Vice President and head of the Single-Family Sales & Relationship Management organization at  Freddie Mac,  explains another benefit of securing a mortgage vs. paying rent: “With a 30-year fixed rate mo