Cheryl Karr - Your Solid Source Realty Agent

  Low mortgage rates, financial assistance from parents, and personal savings are helping first-time buyers stretch their housing budgets more than they thought they could, according to a survey from realtor.com® of 1,000 prospective and recent first-time home buyers. More than two-thirds of survey respondents say they are surprised at what they can afford; 47% say their budget is larger than they thought it would be. “The dramatic decline of mortgage rates in 2020 was a pleasant surprise for many buyers,” says George Ratiu, senior economist at realtor.com®. “For first-time buyers, the drop in the 30-year mortgage rate from 3.65% in March 2020 to a record low of 2.65% in January has provided unexpected leverage. Lower rates allowed many buyers to stretch and buy more expensive homes while keeping their monthly budget the same.” Still, many first-time buyers acknowledge having to compromise on their recent purchase, and nearly half of survey respond...

  In searching around online, I came across this article. Wow, I had no idea - did you?  It’s no secret that the importance of growing your social community is imperative for success. But what does that look like when algorithms are frequently changing and platforms are constantly rewiring their features? It wasn’t too long ago when that metric was measured by the number of “likes” on your Facebook business Page. After all, the more “likes” on your page, the more people would see your content, and therefore engage with it. However social media marketing has evolved over the years, and metrics that were important in the past just aren’t as relevant today… in fact… Facebook is permanently removing business Page “likes.” Ah, yes. Yet another reminder that “change” is the only constant with social media marketing. Only a few short years ago, growing your social media presence all started with that initial action of liking a Facebook Page. So, why is Facebook...

  A home purchase is likely the biggest investment you will ever make. To protect your investment and your personal health and safety, you want to be aware of red flags that could signal significant problems with the home that you wish to buy. Structural red flags are the most serious because they threaten the integrity of the home. Look for large basement floor cracks and bumps. Doors and windows that are out of alignment, along with steps that have separated from the foundation, are all indications of settling of the home. Mold-related issues are often detected in older homes with deferred maintenance and may not have easy fixes. Keep an eye out for patches of black mold in the house as well as any mold-related odor, unventilated bathrooms or bubbled paint. Even an untrained eye can uncover red flags associated with destructive pests. Powdery residue around wood elements, grinding sounds, and hollow areas in floors and walls are indicators of wood-destroying pests. Droppings a...

  Really neat article on the many many many many changes with Facebook. I guess all social media is pretty much like this. Wanted to share this one though! “The only constant is change,” Greek philosopher Heraclitus has famously said. We can’t prove it, but we’re pretty sure he was talking about Facebook updates. Sometimes its changes delight (see: the introduction of Messenger). Sometimes they cause mass outrage (see: literally any time the interface is redesigned). But one thing’s for sure: Facebook never rests on its laurels. There’s always something new in the works, which is to say there are always new opportunities for your brand to get ahead of its competitors. Click here to read the rest of the article.

 

  Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! Hope it's a relaxing one!

    Homeowners and house hunters are looking to maximize outdoor space while sheltering at home. The National Kitchen & Bath Association reports a 65% uptick in interest among its membership in outdoor living projects this year. NKBA, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, and Houzz have surveyed design professionals and home builders to identify some of the top outdoor trends this year. Year-round gathering spots. NKBA professionals report that the most requested features for enhanced outdoor living spaces are upgraded seating, fireplaces, and fire pits. “COVID-19 may be encouraging homeowners to get more year-round usage from their outdoor living areas,” NKBA’s report notes. Millennials were particularly drawn to outdoor spaces that integrated more entertainment and gathering spots. Privacy.  John Burns Real Estate Consulting notes that homeowners are craving more privacy in their backyards, using their outdoor spaces more for meditat...

Saw this article and felt it was very worthy to share. What are your thoughts? Housing appreciation has grown over the last few months with the surging real estate market. Thirty percent—nearly one in three—of homes with a mortgage in the U.S. are now considered “equity-rich,” according to a new report from ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate research firm. A home being equity-rich means that the combined estimated amount of loans secured by the property is 50% or less of the estimated market value. In short, it means homeowners themselves have accumulated at least half of the equity in their homes. ATTOM’s fourth-quarter 2020 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report shows that 17.8 million residential properties in the U.S. were considered equity-rich. “The housing market kept booming despite damage caused by the virus pandemic to the broader economy—a surge that continued to boost the equity that most property owners have in their homes,” says Todd Te...

  Since everything just seems as if it's so "up in the air" right now in regards to real estate, I thought this was a neat read. Found this online at https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/01/29/contract-signings-surge-to-highest-rate-ever-in-december. Pending home sales reached a record high for December last month as the unseasonable housing surge continued in markets across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pending sales were up 21.4% year over year in December, reaching the highest reading for a December on the National Association of REALTORS®’ Pending Home Sales Index. All major regions of the U.S. recorded double-digit increases annually. However, the index—a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings—did drop slightly, by three-tenths of a percentage point, in December compared to November. December’s index reading was 125.5. (An index of 100 is equal to the level of contract activity in 2001.) The s...

  Owning a Ring video doorbell will soon be more affordable. The makers of the popular smart home device announced Wednesday they are launching a version of the video doorbell for $59.99, making it the lowest-cost model available. The Video Doorbell Wired will work with existing doorbell wiring, and will include most of the features of other Ring doorbells including HD video, two-way audio, advanced motion detection and the ability to set privacy zones. Users can control the doorbell using the Ring app. Owners can also subscribe to a monthly Ring plan for additional features such as a People Only Mode which will only alert you when human beings are detected "Video Doorbell Wired is a great and affordable option for those just getting started or looking to expand their Rings of security," said Jamie Siminoff, Ring’s founder and chief inventor, in a statement. The budget doorbell will start shipping on Feb. 24. Customers can pre-order the device on Ring's website...

  I came across this article and found that it was so important during these trying times. We all really do need to find ways to stay upbeat - don't you think? As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, it can be difficult to remain upbeat. Aside from the health implications and associated financial stressors, uncertainty over the outcome of the virus has eroded one of the key contributors to our overall happiness, making optimism hard to obtain. “A sense of control is very important for happiness,” Tali Sharot, a cognitive neuroscientist and author of “The Optimism Bias,” told CNBC Make It . Indeed, in her research during the height of lockdowns, Sharot and her peers at University College London found that control was the number one contributor to people’s overall level of happiness : Those who felt they had a sense of agency in their day-to-day lives were far happier than those who did not. In the months since then, people have adapted to the pandemic and the average person’...

  Many seniors opt to sign up for Social Security at age 62, which is the earliest age you can begin to claim benefits. But if you want the full monthly benefit you're entitled to based on your personal earnings history, you'll need to wait until full retirement age , or FRA, to file. This year, however, a large number of seniors are at risk of signing up for Social Security at the wrong time. Here's why. Full retirement age is increasing FRA isn't universal. Rather, it differs based on the year a given applicant was born. FRA was 66 on the nose for anyone born between 1943 and 1954. But for those born in 1955, FRA increases to 66 and two months. If you're turning 66 this year, you may be inclined to file for benefits immediately and start collecting your money. But if you're actually not entitled to your full monthly benefit until 66 and two months, you'll shrink that payment on a permanent basis by signing up a couple of months ahead of schedule. Chec...