What a Government Shutdown Really Means for the Housing Market

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on November 7, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates, Selling Tips.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how a government shutdown impacts the housing market. You might be wondering: Is it causing everything to grind to a halt?The short answer? No.The housing market doesn’t stop. It keeps moving. Homes are still being bought and sold, contracts are still being signed, and closings are still happening. The difference is that a few parts of the process may slow down a little, but overall, the market continues to function.Here’s What Typically Happens Whenever the government shuts down, some federal agencies temporarily close or scale back their...

Why Your Home Equity Still Puts You Way Ahead

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on November 6, 2025. Posted in Equity, For Sellers, Home Prices, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates.

If you’ve seen headlines about home prices dropping, it’s easy to wonder what that means for the value of your home too. Here’s what you really need to know.Even with small price declines in some markets, data shows you’re likely still way ahead. And that’s thanks to your home equity.The Relationship Between Home Prices and EquityHome equity moves in sync with home prices. When prices rise, equity builds. When prices cool (even just slightly), equity growth does too. Here’s how that’s played out lately.After the record-setting home price surge of 2020 and 2021, a little cooling was...

How To Make Sure Your Sale Crosses the Finish Line

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on November 4, 2025. Posted in For Sellers, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates, Selling Tips.

If there was one simple step that could help make your home sale a seamless process, wouldn’t you want to know about it?There’s a lot that happens from the time your house goes under contract to closing day. And a few things still have to go right for the deal to go through. But here’s what a lot of sellers may not know.There’s one part of the process where some homeowners are hitting a road bump that’s causing buyers to back out these days. But don’t worry. The majority of these snags are completely avoidable, especially when you understand what’s causing them and how to be...

Why You Don’t Need To Be Afraid of Today’s Mortgage Rates

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on October 30, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, Downsize, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Move-Up, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates.

Mortgage rates have been the monster under the bed for a while. Every time they tick up, people flinch and say, “Maybe I’ll wait.” But here’s the twist. Waiting for that perfect 5-point-something rate could end up haunting your wallet later.The Magic NumberAccording to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):“. . . a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of 6% would make the median-priced home affordable for about 5.5 million more households—including 1.6 million renters. If rates were to hit that magic number, it’s likely that about 10%—or 550,000—of those additional households would buy a home...

Why Some Homes Sell Quickly – and Others Don’t Sell at All

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on October 28, 2025. Posted in Agent Value, For Sellers, Inventory, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates, Selling Tips.

A few years ago, inventory hit a record low. Just about anything sold – and fast. But now, there are far more homes on the market. Listings are up almost 20% from this time last year. And in some areas, supply is even back to levels we last saw in 2017–2019. For sellers, that means one thing:Your house needs to stand out and grab attention from day one.That’s especially true when you consider why the number of homes for sale is up. Here’s how it works. Available inventory is a mix of: Active Listings: homes that have been sitting on the market, but haven’t sold yetNew Listings: homes that...

Planning To Sell in 2026? Start the Prep Now

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on October 23, 2025. Posted in For Sellers, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates, Selling Tips.

You’ve got big plans for 2026. But what you do this year could be the difference between a smooth sale and a stressful one. If you’re thinking of selling next spring (the busiest season in real estate), the smartest move you can make is to start prepping now. As Realtor.com says:“If you’re aiming to sell in 2026, now is the time to start preparing, especially if you want to maximize the spring market’s higher buyer activity.” Because the reality is, from small repairs to touch-ups and decluttering, the earlier you start, the easier it’ll be when you’re ready to list. And, the better your...

Is the Housing Market Going To Crash? Here’s What Experts Say

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on October 21, 2025. Posted in Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Forecasts, Home Prices, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates.

If you’ve seen headlines or social posts calling for a housing crash, it’s easy to wonder if home values are about to take a hit. But here’s the simple truth.The data doesn’t point to a crash. It points to slow, continued growth.And sure, it’s going to vary by local area. Some markets will see prices rise more than others. And some may even see small, short-term declines. But the big picture is: home prices are expected to rise nationally, not fall, over the next 5 years.The Real Story Is in the Expert ForecastsIn the Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES) from Fannie Mae, each quarter over...

The $280 Shift in Affordability Every Homebuyer Should Know

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on October 17, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Move-Up, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates.

If you paused your plans to move because of high rates or prices, it may finally be time to take a second look at your numbers. Affordability is improving in 39 of the top 50 markets, according to First American. And that’s the 5th straight month where buying a home has started to get a little bit easier.Let’s break this down into real dollars, so you can see the difference this could make for you (and your move).Monthly Payments Are Coming DownOne of the clearest signs of this shift is in monthly payments. The latest data from Redfin shows mortgage payments on a median-priced home are now...

2026 Housing Market Outlook

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on October 16, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Forecasts, Home Prices, Mortgage Rates, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates.

After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same.More Homes Will SellWith all of the affordability challenges at play over the past few years, many would-be movers pressed pause. But that pause button isn’t going to last forever. There are always people who need to move. And experts think more of them will start to act in 2026 (see graph below):What’s behind the change? Two key factors: mortgage rates and home...

Don’t Let Unrealistic Pricing Cost You Your Move

Written by Port Charlotte Mortgage Syndicated User on October 10, 2025. Posted in Agent Value, For Sellers, Port Charlotte Condo Financing, Port Charlotte Mortgage, Port Charlotte Mortgage Rates, Selling Tips.

These days, you’re going to want to get your price right when you get ready to sell your house. Honestly, it’s more important than ever. Why? While you may want to list high just to see what happens, that’s a plan that can easily backfire, and it’s going to cost you in today’s market.And the risk isn’t just missing out on offers, it’s missing out on the move you needed to make in the first place.The Real Pitfall of OverpricingMany homeowners remember what their neighbor’s house sold for a few years ago, and they want to chase that same sky-high number. The problem is, that was a different...

Category: For Sellers