Blog - Michael Cummiskey

Selling Your Home

Why It Makes Sense To Move Before Spring

Why It Makes Sense To Move Before Spring Spring is usually the busiest season in the housing market. Many buyers wait until then to make their move, believing it’s the best time to find a home. However, that isn’t always the case when you factor in the competition you could face with other buyers at […]
Hire A Professional, Home Buyers, Selling Your Home

Why You Shouldn’t Fear Today’s Foreclosure Headlines

Why You Shouldn’t Fear Today’s Foreclosure Headlines If you’ve seen recent headlines about foreclosures surging in the housing market, you’re certainly not alone. There’s no doubt, the stories in the media can be pretty confusing right now. They may even make you think twice about buying a home for fear that prices could crash. The reality is, […]
Home Buyers, Money Talk

The 3 Factors That Affect Home Affordability

The 3 Factors That Affect Home Affordability If you’ve been following the housing market over the last couple of years, you’ve likely heard about growing affordability challenges. But according to experts, the key factors that determine housing affordability are projected to improve this year. Selma Hepp, Executive, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, shares: “. . . with slowly […]
Hire A Professional, Money Talk, Selling Your Home

Want To Sell Your House? Price It Right.

Want To Sell Your House? Price It Right. I am a Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA), certified by the National Association of REALTORS®! “The Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification is specifically designed to enhance your skills in pricing properties, creating CMAs, working with appraisers, and guiding clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about […]

Selling Your Home Why It Makes Sense To Move Before Spring Why It Makes Sense To Move Before Spring Spring is usually the busiest season in the housing market. Many buyers wait until then to make their move, believing it’s the best time to find a home. However, that isn’t always the case when you factor in the competition you could face with other buyers at […]

Hire A Professional Why You Shouldn’t Fear Today’s Foreclosure Headlines Why You Shouldn’t Fear Today’s Foreclosure Headlines If you’ve seen recent headlines about foreclosures surging in the housing market, you’re certainly not alone. There’s no doubt, the stories in the media can be pretty confusing right now. They may even make you think twice about buying a home for fear that prices could crash. The reality is, […]

Home Buyers The 3 Factors That Affect Home Affordability The 3 Factors That Affect Home Affordability If you’ve been following the housing market over the last couple of years, you’ve likely heard about growing affordability challenges. But according to experts, the key factors that determine housing affordability are projected to improve this year. Selma Hepp, Executive, Deputy Chief Economist at CoreLogic, shares: “. . . with slowly […]

Hire A Professional Want To Sell Your House? Price It Right. Want To Sell Your House? Price It Right. I am a Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA), certified by the National Association of REALTORS®! “The Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification is specifically designed to enhance your skills in pricing properties, creating CMAs, working with appraisers, and guiding clients through the anxieties and misperceptions they often have about […]

Hire A Professional What’s Really Happening with Home Prices? What’s Really Happening with Home Prices? [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights If you’re thinking about selling your house, recent headlines about home prices falling month-over-month may have you second guessing your decision—but perspective matters. While home prices are down slightly month-over-month in some markets, home values are still up almost 10% nationally on a year-over-year basis. A nearly 10% gain is still dramatic compared to […]

Hire A Professional Pre-Approval in 2023: What You Need To Know Pre-Approval in 2023: What You Need To Know One of the first steps in your homebuying journey is getting pre-approved. To understand why it’s such an important step, you need to understand what pre-approval is and what it does for you. Business Insider explains: “In a preapproval [sic], the lender tells you which types of loans you may be eligible to take […]

Hire A Professional Have Home Values Hit Bottom? Have Home Values Hit Bottom? Whether you’re already a homeowner or you’re looking to become one, the recent headlines about home prices may leave you with more questions than answers. News stories are talking about home prices falling, and that’s raising concerns about a repeat of what happened to prices in the crash in 2008. One of the questions that’s […]

Home Buyers Think Twice Before Waiting for 3% Mortgage Rates Think Twice Before Waiting for 3% Mortgage Rates Last year, the Federal Reserve took action to try to bring down inflation. In response to those efforts, mortgage rates jumped up rapidly from the record lows we saw in 2021, peaking at just over 7% last October. Hopeful buyers experienced a hit to their purchasing power as a result, and some decided to […]

Hire A Professional What Past Recessions Tell Us About the Housing Market What Past Recessions Tell Us About the Housing Market It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who closely follows the economy or not, chances are you’ve heard whispers of an upcoming recession. Economic conditions are determined by a broad range of factors, so rather than explaining them each in depth, let’s lean on the experts and […]

Home Buyers Key Terms To Know When Buying a Home Key Terms To Know When Buying a Home [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights Buying a home is a major transaction that can seem even more complex when you don’t understand the terms used throughout the process. If you’re looking to become a homeowner this year, it’s important to know these housing terms and how they relate to the current market so you […]

Hire A Professional Is It Time To Sell Your Second Home? Is It Time To Sell Your Second Home? During the pandemic, second homes became popular because of the rise in work-from-home flexibility. That’s because owning a second home, especially in the luxury market, allowed those homeowners to spend more time in their favorite places or with different home features. Keep in mind, a luxury home […]

Home Buyers Today’s Housing Market Is Nothing Like 15 Years Ago Today’s Housing Market Is Nothing Like 15 Years Ago There’s no doubt today’s housing market is very different than the frenzied one from the past couple of years. In the second half of 2022, there was a dramatic shift in real estate, and it caused many people to make comparisons to the 2008 housing crisis. While there […]

Hire A Professional The Truth About Negative Home Equity Headlines The Truth About Negative Home Equity Headlines Home equity has been a hot topic in real estate news lately. And if you’ve been following along, you may have heard there’s a growing number of homeowners with negative equity. But don’t let those headlines scare you. In truth, the headlines don’t give you all the information you really need to […]

Hire A Professional What Experts Are Saying About the 2023 Housing Market What Experts Are Saying About the 2023 Housing Market If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home soon, you probably want to know what you can expect from the housing market this year. In 2022, the market underwent a major shift as economic uncertainty and higher mortgage rates reduced buyer demand, slowed the pace of home sales, and […]

Home Buyers Tips To Reach Your Homebuying Goals in 2023 Tips To Reach Your Homebuying Goals in 2023 [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights If you’re planning to buy a home in 2023, here are a few things to focus on. Work on your credit and save for a down payment. If saving feels like a challenge, there’s help available. Then, get pre-approved, create a list of desired features, and prioritize them. Let’s connect so you have […]

Selling Your Home 3 Best Practices for Selling Your House This Year 3 Best Practices for Selling Your House This Year A new year brings with it the opportunity for new experiences. If that resonates with you because you’re considering making a move, you’re likely juggling a mix of excitement over your next home and a sense of attachment to your current one. A great way to ease […]

Home Buyers Avoid the Rental Trap in 2023 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. […]

Home Buyers Wondering How Much You Need To Save for a Down Payment? Wondering How Much You Need To Save for a Down Payment? If you’re getting ready to buy your first home, you’re likely focused on saving up for everything that purchase involves. One cost that’s likely top of mind is your down payment. But don’t let a common misconception about how much you need to save […]

Hire A Professional What Are Your Goals in the Housing Market This Year? What Are Your Goals in the Housing Market This Year? If buying or selling a home is part of your dreams for 2023, it’s essential for you to understand today’s housing market, define your goals, and work with industry experts to bring your homeownership vision for the new year into focus. In the last year, high […]

Hire A Professional Here’s to a Wonderful 2023! Here’s to a Wonderful 2023!