Most buyers spend months preparing for a mortgage. They track interest rates, run payment calculators, and refresh listing alerts daily. Then closing day arrives. The keys are handed over. And suddenly, the financial picture looks very different. Not because anything went wrong, but because most advice still focuses on getting approved, not on staying comfortable once you own the home. Understanding mortgage vs. ownership costs before you buy is one of the smartest financial moves […]
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Buying a home right now can feel overwhelming. Mortgage rates are higher than many buyers expected. Home prices still feel stubbornly high. And the advice online seems to change by the hour. It is no surprise that so many buyers are stuck asking the same question. Is now really the right time? Should I wait or jump in? The truth is, there is no perfect market. But there is a smart way to buy a […]
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Buyer questions. Seller questions. Holiday-table debates about Zillow alerts and Aunt Sally’s slow-moving condo. The past few weeks have served up all of it. And here is the good part. When you cut through the headlines and look at the real data, buyers sit up straighter and homeowners stop worrying about every blip in their Zestimate. Below is a clear, easy to skim Q&A that breaks down what is actually happening in the housing market […]
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If it feels like first-time buyers are getting older, you’re right. The 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of REALTORS® found that the median age of a first-time home buyer is now 40 years old—the highest ever recorded. That’s up from 38 last year and far beyond the late 20s typical in the 1980s. What’s behind the shift? Let’s unpack it. Buying a Home Really Is Harder Only 21% of […]
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When you’re buying a home, your smartest financial move might not be what you buy—it’s who you borrow from. A Realtor.com® analysis of nearly two million loans found that borrowers who compared multiple lenders saved an average of $44,000 over the life of a 30-year mortgage. That’s right—just a few extra quotes could mean tens of thousands in long-term savings. If you’re planning to buy a home in Northern Virginia or the Eastern Panhandle and […]
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If you’re trying to save for a house in Loudoun or Jefferson County right now, you’re not imagining things—it is harder. Between high rent, rising home prices, and inflation that stretches every dollar, your down payment fund can feel out of reach. Add in wedding season, birthdays, and vacations, and suddenly your savings plan looks more like a wish list. For example, attending just one wedding (with gifts, travel, and festivities) costs an average of […]
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If you’ve owned your home for more than a few years, chances are you’re sitting on a significant amount of equity and possibly wondering if now’s the time to downsize. According to a recent Realtor.com analysis, baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—own an estimated $18 to $19 trillion worth of real estate. That’s nearly half of the housing wealth in the U.S. Whether your kids are out of the house, you’re retiring, or just […]
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Overwhelmed by high home prices, interest rates, or the feeling that you’re “just not ready” to be a homeowner yet? You’re not alone. According to the 2025 NextGen Homebuyer Report, nearly 60% of Gen Z and Millennial buyers believe homeownership is attainable, but only 19% think now is a good time to buy. So what are they doing instead? They’re getting creative. Here are the four most popular alternative buying strategies young buyers are using […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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