For decades, buyers have been told to follow one simple rule: Don’t spend more than 30% of your income on housing. That is the gold standard. The budget benchmark. The line in the sand between “affordable” and “overextended.” But in 2025, that line no longer seems attainable. According to a Realtor.com® Affordability Report, the typical U.S. household would need to spend 44.6% of their income to buy a median-priced home today. And in cities like […]
Read More
Buying a home hasn’t exactly felt “easy” the last few years. The past few years have seen intense competition, high prices, and “better luck next time” bidding wars. But now, things are shifting. While we’re not in a full-blown buyer’s market just yet, inventory is up, competition is cooling, and sellers (and even builders) are making moves to attract serious buyers. Here are five signs the market is turning, and why now might be the […]
Read More
Can you believe we’re already halfway through 2025? As we head into the second half of the year, a lot of buyers and sellers are asking the same thing: What’s next for the housing market? While no forecast is guaranteed, economists from Fannie Mae, Zillow, NAR, MBA, and others have released updated projections on everything from home prices and mortgage rates to sales activity and market recovery. In this post, we’ve rounded up the key […]
Read More
Right now, American homeowners are sitting on a record $11.5 trillion in tappable equity. That’s equity you could access without selling your home while keeping at least a 20% cushion in place. And, with interest rates on home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) falling, this may be the most affordable time in years to tap into your home’s value. But does it make sense to borrow now, or should you wait? Let’s break down the […]
Read More
Imagine this: You walk through the front door after work. Your dad is teaching your daughter how to make his famous pasta sauce in the kitchen. Your mom is watering plants on the patio. Upstairs, your brother’s finishing up a Zoom call from his home office. Sound a little chaotic? Maybe. But for millions of families across the U.S., multiple generations living together is becoming the new normal. And surprisingly, they love it. According to […]
Read More
If you’ve been debating whether to remodel your home or just live with the quirks, here’s something to think about: the right updates can both boost your home’s resale value and make you fall in love with your space all over again. According to the 2025 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of REALTORS®, Americans spent an estimated $603 billion in 2024 on home remodeling. And those renos aren’t just for fun. With 46% […]
Read More
Mortgage rates are still high. Prices keep climbing. And the Fed isn’t exactly handing out discounts. If you’re feeling hesitant about buying a home right now, you’re not alone. But according to Barbara Corcoran, the real estate mogul who turned $1,000 into a multimillion-dollar business, this kind of market is exactly when savvy buyers make their move. In a recent interview with Realtor.com®, Corcoran laid it out clearly: when uncertainty creeps in, most people hit […]
Read More
When it comes to selling your home, not all rooms are created equal. In fact, there are three spaces that buyers pay the most attention to. And if you get them right, you’re more likely to secure top dollar for your property. According to the 2025 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Staging, the living room, primary bedroom, and kitchen are the make-or-break spaces when it comes to staging. Here’s how to make each […]
Read More
A shrinking economy. Rising mortgage rates. Flatlining prices. If you’ve been thinking about buying a home in 2025, it’s no wonder you’re feeling hesitant. For many buyers, the instinct right now is to wait it out. To see what happens before making a big move. And the headlines don’t help: The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis just reported a 0.3% drop in GDP in Q1 2025, following a strong 2.4% gain at the end of […]
Read More
Spoiler alert: Housing affordability isn’t as simple as the headlines make it sound. Depending on who you ask, the real issue isn’t just home prices or even the number of homes on the market. It’s about access. It’s about opportunity. And most of all, it’s about what affordable really means for the people trying to buy. So, what does affordability look like here in Virginia and West Virginia? And where do you actually stand a […]
Read More