Mohammed Salim Shaikh (Realtor, Corona)

What's the Difference Between a Home Inspection and an Appraisal? If you're planning to buy a home , an inspection is an important step in the process. It assesses the condition of the home before you finalize the transaction. It's also a different step in the process from an appraisal, which is a professional evaluation of the market value of the home you'd like to buy. In most cases, an appraisal is ordered by the lender to confirm or verify the value of the home prior to lending a buyer money for the purchase. Here's the breakdown of each one and why they're both important when buying a home. Home Inspection Here's the key difference between an inspection and an appraisal. Bankrate says : "In short, while an appraisal helps you understand a home's value, inspections help you understand a home's condition ." The home inspection is a way to determine the current state, safety, and condition of the home before you finalize the sale. If a...

Falling out of Love with Your House? It May Be Time To Move. Owning a home means having a place that's solely your own and provides the space, features, and location you and your loved ones need. But what happens when your needs change? If this hits home for you, it may be time to make a move. According to the latest Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average person has lived in their current house for ten years . If you've been in your home for a while, think about how much in your life has changed since you moved in. Even if you thought it would be your forever home when you bought it, it doesn't have to be. Work with a local real estate agent to explore all your options in today's market before settling for your current home. That's actually what a lot of homeowners are doing right now. A recent survey from Realtor.com finds that, of people who are considering selling in 2023, one in three ...

5 Reasons Millennials Are Buying Homes In the United States, there are over 72 million millennials. If you're part of that generation and have thought about buying a home, you aren't alone. According to Zonda , 98% of millennials want to become a homeowner at some point if they aren't already. But why? There are plenty of reasons you may choose to become a homeowner. Here's why other millennials have made that decision ( see graph below ): This graph shows why millennials are buying homes according to Zonda 's 6 th annual millennial survey. The top reasons include building equity, a change in life stage, wanting stability, rising home values, and wanting to make somewhere truly their own. Here's a look at each in more detail. Building equity – Homeownership is a long-term investment that allows you to build wealth, increase your net worth, and become more financially stable. Beyond that, the alternative to owning a home is typically renting. With the way r...

Think Twice Before Waiting for Lower Home Prices As the housing market continues to change, you may be wondering where it'll go from here. One factor you're probably thinking about is home prices, which have come down a bit since they peaked last June. And you've likely heard something in the news or on social media about a price crash on the horizon. As a result, you may be holding off on buying a home until prices drop significantly. But that's not the best strategy. A recent survey from Zonda shows 53% of millennials are still renting right now because they're waiting for home prices to come down . But here's the thing: the most recent data shows that home prices appear to have bottomed out and are now on the rise again. Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic , reports : "U.S. home prices rose by 0.8% in February . . . indicating that prices in most markets have already bottomed out ." And the latest data from Black Knight shows the same shif...

Equity Gains for Today's Homeowners Today's homeowners are sitting on significant equity, even as home price appreciation has eased recently. If you're a homeowner, your net worth got a boost over the past few years thanks to rising home prices. Here's what it means for you, even as the market moderates. How Equity Has Grown in Recent Years   Because of the imbalance between how many homes were for sale and the number of homebuyers in the market over the past few years, home prices appreciated substantially. And while price appreciation has slowed this year, that doesn't mean you've lost all the equity in your home. In fact, the latest Homeowner Equity Insights report from CoreLogic finds the average homeowner's equity has grown by $34,300 over the past year alone . And if you've been in your home longer than that, chances are you have even more equity than you realize. While that's the national number, if you want to know what happened in your ...

Want To Sell Your House This Spring? Price It Right. Over the last year, the housing market's gone through significant change. While it's still a sellers' market , homes that are priced right are selling, and they get the most attention from buyers right now . If you're thinking of selling your house this spring, it's important to lean on your expert real estate advisor when it comes to setting a list price. As Realtor.com explains : "Move-in-ready homes with curb appeal and in desirable areas— and that are priced to sell —are especially likely to move quickly this spring." In today's market, how you price your house will not only make a big difference to your bottom line, but to how quickly your house will sell. Why Pricing Your House Right Matters Your asking price sends a message to potential buyers, especially today. If it's priced too low, you may leave money on the table or discourage buyers who may see a lower-than-expected price tag and wo...

Your Tax Refund Can Help You Achieve Your Homebuying Goals Have you been saving up to buy a home this year? If so, you know there are a variety of expenses involved – from your down payment to closing costs. But there's good news – your tax refund can help you achieve your goals by paying for some of these expenses. SmartAsset estimates the average American will receive a $1,798 tax refund this year. The map below provides a more detailed estimate by state: According to Freddie Mac , there are multiple ways your refund check can help you as a homebuyer. If you're getting a refund this year and thinking about buying a home, here are a few tips to keep: Saving for a down payment – One of the largest barriers to homeownership is saving for a down payment . You could reach your savings goal more quickly than expected by using your tax refund to help with your down payment. Paying for closing costs – You have to pay fees to your lender, real estate agent, and other parties inv...

The Big Advantage If You Sell This Spring Thinking about selling your house? If you've been waiting for the right time , it could be now while the supply of homes for sale is so low. HousingWire shares : ". . . the big question is whether we are finally starting to see the seasonal spring increase in inventory. The answer is no, because active listings fell to a new low last week for 2023 . . ." The National Association of Realtors (NAR) confirms today's housing inventory is low by looking at the months' supply of homes on the market. In a balanced market, about a six-month supply is needed. Anything lower is a sellers' market. And today, the number is much lower: "Total housing inventory registered at the end of February was 980,000 units, identical to January and up 15.3% from one year ago (850,000). Unsold inventory sits at a 2.6-month supply at the current sales pace , down 10.3% from January but up from 1.7 months in February 2022." Why Does L...

Why Buying a Home Is a Sound Decision If you're thinking about buying a home, you want to know the decision will be a good one. And for many, that means thinking about what home prices are projected to do in the coming years and how that could impact your investment. This year, we aren't seeing home prices fall dramatically. As the year goes on, however, some markets may go up in value while others may lose value. That's why it's helpful to keep the long-term view in mind. Experts project a return to a steadier rate of price appreciation in the years that follow. Home Price Appreciation in the Years Ahead Over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts were polled by Pulsenomics in their latest quarterly Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES). The report indicates what they believe will happen with home prices over the next five years. As the graph below shows, after mild depreciation this year, these experts forecast home prices will return...

Avoid the Rental Trap in 2023 If you're a renter, you likely face an important decision every year: renew your current lease, start a new one, or buy a home. This year is no different. But before you dive too deeply into your options, it helps to understand the true costs of renting moving forward. In the past year, both current renters and new renters have seen their rent go up based on information from realtor.com : " Three out of four renters (74.2%) who have moved in the past 12 months reported seeing their rent increase. The strain from recent rent hikes isn't exclusive to renters who have recently moved. Nearly two-thirds of renters (63.2%) who have lived in their current rental between 12 and 24 months , and likely renewed their lease, have also reported increases in their rent." And if you look back at historical data, that shouldn't come as surprise. That's because, according to the Census , rents have been rising fairly consistently since 1988...

Homebuyer Activity Shows Signs of Warming Up for Spring The spring season appears to be warming up in housing as more and more buyers enter the market. And after rising mortgage rates sidelined so many buyers last year, that's a good sign for sellers . Realtor.com has the latest: "Spring is officially here, and like green shoots emerging from the bleak winter, new data suggests that more buyers are back in the market , although more subdued compared to a year ago." We know buyer activity is trending up because of mortgage purchase application data. According to Investopedia : "A mortgage application is a document submitted to a lender when you apply for a mortgage to purchase real estate." That means the number of mortgage applications shows how many buyers are applying for mortgages. Put another way, an increase in mortgage applications means an increase in buyer demand – and as Joel Kan, VP and Deputy Chief Economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association (M...

Trying To Buy a Home? Hang in There. We're still in a sellers' market. And if you're looking to buy a home, that means you're likely facing some unique challenges, like difficulty finding a home and volatile mortgage rates. But keep in mind, there are some benefits to being a buyer in today's market that give you good reason to stick with your search. Here are a few of them. Long-Term Benefits Outweigh Short-Term Challenges Owning a home grows your net worth – and since building that wealth takes time, it makes sense to start as soon as you can. If you wait to buy and keep renting, you'll miss out on those monthly housing payments going toward your home equity. Freddie Mac puts it this way: "Homeownership not only builds a sense of pride and accomplishment, but it's also an important step toward achieving long-term financial stability ." The key there is long-term because the financial benefits homeownership provides, like home value appreciatio...

Facts About Closing Costs [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights If you're thinking about buying a home , be sure to plan for closing costs . Closing costs are typically 2% to 5% of the total purchase price of a home, and they can include things like government recording costs, appraisal fees, and more. Let's connect so I can answer your questions about the homebuying process.

Two Reasons You Should Sell Your House Wondering if you should sell your house this year? As you make your decision, think about what's motivating you to consider moving. A recent survey from realtor.com asked why homeowners are thinking about selling their houses this year. Here are the top two reasons ( see graphic below ): Let's break those reasons down and explore how they might resonate with you. 1. I Want To Take Advantage of the Current Market and Make a Profit When you decide to sell your house, how much you'll make from the sale will likely be top of mind. So, here's some good news: according to the latest data, the average seller can expect a strong return on their investment when they make a move. ATTOM explains :  "The $112,000 profit on median-priced home sales in 2022 represented a 51.4% return on investment compared to the original purchase price, up from 44.6% last year and from 32.8% in 2020." Even though home prices have declined slightly i...

We're in a Sellers' Market. What Does That Mean? Even though activity in the housing market has slowed from the frenzy we saw over a year ago, today's low supply of homes for sale is still a sellers' market. But what does that really mean? And why are conditions today so good if you want to list your house? It starts with the number of homes available for sale. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors  (NAR) shows housing supply is still astonishingly low. Today, we have a 2.6-month supply of homes at the current sales pace. Historically, a 6-month supply is necessary for a 'normal' or 'neutral' market in which there are enough homes available for active buyers  (see graph below) : What Does This Mean for You? When the supply of homes for sale is as low as it is right now, it's much harder for buyers to find one to purchase. That creates increased competition among purchasers and keeps upward pressure on p...

How Changing Mortgage Rates Can Affect You The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been bouncing between 6% and 7% this year. If you've been on the fence about whether to buy a home or not, it's helpful to know exactly how a 1%, or even a 0.5%, mortgage rate shift affects your purchasing power. The chart below helps show the general relationship between mortgage rates and a typical monthly mortgage payment: Even a 0.5% change can have a big impact on your monthly payment. And since rates have been moving between 6% and 7% for a while now, you can see how it impacts your purchasing power as rates go down. What This Means for You You may be tempted to put your homebuying plans on hold in hopes that rates will fall. But that can be risky. No one knows for sure where rates will go from here, and trying to time them for your benefit is tough. Lisa Sturtevant, Housing Economist at Bright MLS , explains : "It is typically a fool's errand for a homebuyer to try to time rates in t...

An Expert Makes All the Difference When You Sell Your House If you're thinking of selling your house, it's important to work with someone who understands how the market is changing and what it means for you. Here are five reasons working with a professional can ensure you'll get the most out of your sale. 1. They're Experts on Market Trends With today's housing market defined by change, it's critical to work with someone who knows the latest information and how it impacts your goals. An expert real estate advisor knows about national trends and your local area too. More importantly, they'll give insight to what all of this means for you, so they'll be able to help you make a decision based on trustworthy, data-bound information. 2. A Local Professional Knows How To Set the Right Price for Your Home Home price appreciation has moderated this year. If you sell your house on your own, you may be more likely to overshoot your asking price because you'...

Why Aren't Home Prices Crashing? There have been a lot of shifts in the housing market recently. Mortgage rates rose dramatically last year, impacting many people's ability to buy a home. And after several years of rapid price appreciation, home prices finally peaked last summer. These changes led to a rise in headlines saying prices would end up crashing. Even though we're no longer seeing the buyer frenzy that drove home values up during the pandemic, prices have been relatively flat at the national level. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), doesn't expect that to change: " [H]ome prices will be steady in most parts of the country with a minor change in the national median home price." You might think sellers would have to lower prices to attract buyers in today's market, and that's part of why some may have been waiting for prices to come crashing down. But there's another factor at play – low inventory...