Blog - Michael Cummiskey

Hire A Professional, Home Buyers, Money Talk

What Lower Mortgage Rates Mean for Your Purchasing Power

If you want to buy a home, it’s important to know how mortgage rates impact what you can afford and how much you’ll pay each month. Fortunately, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have come down significantly since the end of October and are currently under 7%, according to Freddie Mac (see graph below): This recent trend is great news for buyers. As […]
Hire A Professional, Home Buyers, Money Talk

Achieving Your Homebuying Dreams in 2024 [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights Planning to buy a home in 2024? Here’s what to focus on. Improve your credit score, plan for your down payment, get pre-approved, and decide what’s most important to you. Partner with a trusted real estate agent so you have expert advice on how to achieve your homebuying goals this year.
Hire A Professional, Home Buyers, Money Talk

Why Pre-Approval Is Your Homebuying Game Changer

If you’re thinking about buying a home, pre-approval is a crucial part of the process you definitely don’t want to skip. So, before you start picturing yourself in your new living room or dining on your future all-season patio, be sure you’re working with a trusted lender to prioritize this essential step. Here’s why. While home […]
Hire A Professional, Home Buyers

Thinking About Buying a Home? Ask Yourself These Questions

If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, you’re probably paying closer attention than normal to the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, the list goes on and on. Most likely, home prices and mortgage rates are coming up […]

Hire A Professional What Lower Mortgage Rates Mean for Your Purchasing Power If you want to buy a home, it’s important to know how mortgage rates impact what you can afford and how much you’ll pay each month. Fortunately, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have come down significantly since the end of October and are currently under 7%, according to Freddie Mac (see graph below): This recent trend is great news for buyers. As […]

Hire A Professional Achieving Your Homebuying Dreams in 2024 [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights Planning to buy a home in 2024? Here’s what to focus on. Improve your credit score, plan for your down payment, get pre-approved, and decide what’s most important to you. Partner with a trusted real estate agent so you have expert advice on how to achieve your homebuying goals this year.

Hire A Professional Why Pre-Approval Is Your Homebuying Game Changer If you’re thinking about buying a home, pre-approval is a crucial part of the process you definitely don’t want to skip. So, before you start picturing yourself in your new living room or dining on your future all-season patio, be sure you’re working with a trusted lender to prioritize this essential step. Here’s why. While home […]

Hire A Professional Thinking About Buying a Home? Ask Yourself These Questions If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, you’re probably paying closer attention than normal to the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, the list goes on and on. Most likely, home prices and mortgage rates are coming up […]

Hire A Professional Things To Consider If Your House Didn’t Sell If your listing has expired and your house didn’t sell, it’s completely normal to feel a mix of frustration and disappointment. Understandably, you’re probably wondering what may have gone wrong. Here are three questions to think about as you figure out what to do next. Did You Limit Access to Your House? One of the biggest […]

Hire A Professional What You Need To Know About Saving for a Home in 2024 If you’re planning to buy a home, knowing what to budget for and how to save may sound intimidating – but it doesn’t have to be. One way to ease those concerns is to make sure you understand some of the costs you may encounter up front. And to do that, always turn to trusted real estate professionals. […]

Hire A Professional Retiring Soon? Why Moving Might Be the Perfect Next Step If you’re thinking about retirement or have already retired this year, it’s a good time to consider if your current house is still a good fit for the next chapter in your life. Fortunately, you may be in a better position to make a move than you realize. Here are a few things to think about as […]

Hire A Professional Get Ready To Buy a Home by Improving Your Credit Score As the new year approaches, the idea of buying a home might be on your mind. It’s an exciting goal to set, and it’s never too early to start laying the groundwork. One crucial step to prepare for homeownership is building a solid credit score. Lenders review your credit to assess your ability to make payments on time, pay […]

Hire A Professional These Non-Financial Benefits Turn a House into a Happy Home There’s no denying the long-term financial benefits of owning a home, but today’s housing market may have you wondering if now’s still the time to buy. While the financial aspects of homeownership are important, the non-financial and emotional reasons are too. Here’s why. The word home truly means something different to everyone. Whether it’s sharing memories with loved ones around the kitchen table […]

Hire A Professional Get Your House Ready To Sell This Winter [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights As you get ready to sell your house, there are a few things you should add to your to-do list to make it inviting and boost curb appeal. To name just a couple, it’s a good idea to declutter, take down personal photos and items, touch up any scuffs on the walls, and tidy up your […]

Hire A Professional Sell Smarter: Why Working with a Real Estate Agent May Beat Going Solo If you’re thinking about selling your house on your own, called “For Sale by Owner” or FSBO, there are some important things to consider. Going this route means taking on a lot of responsibilities by yourself – and that can be a bit of a headache. A recent report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found two of the most […]

Hire A Professional Why Mortgage Rates Could Continue To Decline When you read about the housing market, you’ll probably come across some information about inflation or recent decisions made by the Federal Reserve (the Fed). But how do those two things impact you and your homebuying plans? Here’s what you need to know. The Federal Funds Rate Hikes Have Stalled One of the Fed’s primary goals is to lower inflation. […]

Hire A Professional Expert Quotes on the 2024 Housing Market Forecast If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the housing market in 2024. In 2023, higher mortgage rates, confusion over home price headlines, and a lack of homes for sale created some challenges for buyers and sellers looking to make a move. But what’s on the horizon for the new year? The […]

Hire A Professional Why Now Is Still a Great Time To Sell Your House If you were worried buyer demand disappeared when mortgage rates went up, the data shows there are plenty of interested buyers still out there. The housing market isn’t as frenzied as it was during the ‘unicorn’ years when buyer demand was through the roof, mortgage rates were historically low, and home values rose like we’ve never seen before. But that doesn’t mean the […]

Hire A Professional What You Need To Know About Down Payments [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights If you want to buy a home, you may not need as much for your down payment as you think. There are various loan options for qualified buyers with down payments as low as 3.5% or even no down payment requirement. There are also thousands of programs available to help homebuyers with their down payments. With the right […]

Hire A Professional If Your House Hasn’t Sold Yet, It May Be Overpriced Has your house been sitting on the market a while without selling? If so, you should know that’s pretty unusual, especially right now. That’s because the supply of homes available for sale is still far lower than what we’d see in a normal year. That means buyers have fewer options than they usually would, so your house should be an […]

Hire A Professional The Surprising Trend in the Number of Homes Coming onto the Market If you’re thinking about moving, it’s important to know what’s happening in the housing market. Here’s an update on the supply of homes currently for sale. Whether you’re buying or selling, the number of homes in your area is something you should pay attention to. In the housing market, there are regular patterns that happen every year, called seasonality. Spring is […]

Hire A Professional Down Payment Assistance Programs Can Help Pave the Way to Homeownership If you’re looking to buy a home, your down payment doesn’t have to be a big hurdle. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 38% of first-time homebuyers find saving for a down payment the most challenging step. But the reality is, you probably don’t need to put down as much as you think: Data from NAR shows the median […]

Hire A Professional The Perfect Home Could Be the One You Perfect After Buying There’s no denying mortgage rates and home prices are higher now than they were last year and that’s impacting what you can afford. At the same time, there are still fewer homes available for sale than the norm. These are two of the biggest hurdles buyers are facing today. But there are ways to overcome these things and still make your dream […]

Hire A Professional Your Homebuying Adventure [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights Here are the key milestones you’ll encounter on your path to homeownership. From building your team, to house hunting, all the way to moving into your new home – it’s an exciting adventure. Your journey starts here. Connect with a local real estate agent so you have expert guidance each step of the way.