Blog - Kara Brem

Real Estate

Why Owning a Home Is Worth It in the Long Run

Today’s mortgage rates and home prices may have you second-guessing whether it’s still a good idea to buy a home right now. While market factors are definitely important, there’s also a bigger picture to consider: the long-term benefits of homeownership. Think of it this way. If you know people who bought a home 5, 10, […]
Real Estate

What’s Behind Today’s Mortgage Rate Volatility?

If you’ve been keeping an eye on mortgage rates lately, you might feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride. One day rates are up; the next they dip down a bit. So, what’s driving this constant change? Let’s dive into just a few of the major reasons why we’re seeing so much volatility, and what […]
Real Estate

The Benefits of Using Your Equity To Make a Bigger Down Payment

Did you know? Homeowners are often able to put more money down when they buy their next home. That’s because, once they sell, they can use the equity they have in their current house toward their next down payment. And it’s why as home equity reaches a new height, the median down payment has too. According to the latest […]
Real Estate

What’s Next for Home Prices and Mortgage Rates?

If you’re thinking of making a move this year, there are two housing market factors that are probably on your mind: home prices and mortgage rates. You’re wondering what’s going to happen next. And if it’s worth it to move now, or better to wait it out. The only thing you can really do is make the best decision you can […]

Real Estate Why Owning a Home Is Worth It in the Long Run Today’s mortgage rates and home prices may have you second-guessing whether it’s still a good idea to buy a home right now. While market factors are definitely important, there’s also a bigger picture to consider: the long-term benefits of homeownership. Think of it this way. If you know people who bought a home 5, 10, […]

Real Estate What’s Behind Today’s Mortgage Rate Volatility? If you’ve been keeping an eye on mortgage rates lately, you might feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride. One day rates are up; the next they dip down a bit. So, what’s driving this constant change? Let’s dive into just a few of the major reasons why we’re seeing so much volatility, and what […]

Real Estate The Benefits of Using Your Equity To Make a Bigger Down Payment Did you know? Homeowners are often able to put more money down when they buy their next home. That’s because, once they sell, they can use the equity they have in their current house toward their next down payment. And it’s why as home equity reaches a new height, the median down payment has too. According to the latest […]

Real Estate What’s Next for Home Prices and Mortgage Rates? If you’re thinking of making a move this year, there are two housing market factors that are probably on your mind: home prices and mortgage rates. You’re wondering what’s going to happen next. And if it’s worth it to move now, or better to wait it out. The only thing you can really do is make the best decision you can […]

Real Estate Tips for Younger Homebuyers: How To Make Your Dream a Reality If you’re a member of a younger generation, like Gen Z, you may be asking the question: will I ever be able to buy a home? And chances are, you’re worried that’s not going to be in the cards with inflation, rising home prices, mortgage rates, and more seemingly stacked against you. While there’s no arguing this housing […]

Real Estate Myths About the 2024 Housing Market When it comes to the current housing market, there are some myths circling around right now. Some of the more common ones are that it’s better to wait for mortgage rates to fall or prices to crash. But there are others about the supply of homes for sale and down payments. Let’s connect so you […]

Real Estate Don’t Let Your Student Loans Delay Your Homeownership Plans If you have student loans and want to buy a home, you might have questions about how your debt affects your plans. Do you have to wait until you’ve paid off those loans before you can buy your first home? Or is it possible you could still qualify for a home loan even with that debt? […]

Real Estate Your Home Is a Powerful Investment Going into 2023, there was a lot of talk about a possible recession that would cause the housing market to crash. Some in the media were even forecasting home prices would drop by as much as 10-20%—and that might have made you feel a bit unsure about buying a home. But here’s what actually happened: home prices went up more […]

Real Estate How Changing Mortgage Rates Impact You Some Highlights If you’re looking 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. That’s because even a small change in mortgage rates can have a big impact on your purchasing power. The best way to navigate changing mortgage rates and make an informed buying decision is to rely on the expertise of a […]

Real Estate Are More Homeowners Selling as Mortgage Rates Come Down? If you’re looking to buy a home, the recent downward trend in mortgage rates is good news because it helps with affordability. But there’s another way this benefits you – it may inspire more homeowners to put their houses up for sale. The Mortgage Rate Lock-In Effect Over the past year, one factor that’s really limited the options […]

Real Estate *Monthly Market Recap* December numbers are in. Here’s the scoop: Existing-home sales across the US rose in December climbing 0.8% from the previous month and breaking a five-month streak in which sales declined, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Despite the increase, sales were down compared to the same period last year, as affordability challenges continued […]

Real Estate Expert Quotes on the 2024 Housing Market Forecast 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 […]

Real Estate December Real Estate Market and Mortgage Update Well, well, well…here we are already in DECEMBER! I am truly boggled as to how the holidays and the end of 2023 is among us already. Not only am I excited for holiday lights (see below for a list of to check out) parades, hot cider and of course SANTA (!) but I’m equally excited […]

Interest Rates THIS WEEKS MORTGAGE UPDATE: INTEREST RATES PLUNGE THIS WEEKS MORTGAGE UPDATE: The holiday season is delivering early gifts to would-be buyers. Having climbed relentlessly for most of 2023, from just below 6% to just over 8%, average 30 year mortgage rates have plummeted in recent weeks to mid 6’s. Woohoo! Furthermore, with inflation continuing to trend lower, the markets are increasingly convinced […]

Real Estate 4 Signs Your Property Values are About to Skyrocket Signs that your neighborhood is about to POP and your property values are about to skyrocket 🚀 *Whole Foods/Starbucks/Target moves in* Studies have proven that neighborhood amenities have a direct impact on property values. When household-name brands set up shop in your community, it’s usually a good sign as those companies are researching way ahead […]

Interest Rates 23 Southern California Real Estate Market Update The following analysis of select counties of the Southern California real estate market is provided by Windermere Real Estate Chief Economist Matthew Gardner. I hope that this information may assist you with making better-informed real estate decisions. For further information about the housing market in your area, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Regional […]

Real Estate Are Higher Mortgage Rates Here To Stay? Mortgage rates have been back on the rise recently and that’s getting a lot of attention from the press. If you’ve been following the headlines, you may have even seen rates recently reached their highest level in over two decades (see graph below): That can feel like a little bit of a gut punch if you’re thinking about making […]

Real Estate Why Today’s Housing Inventory Shows a Crash Isn’t on the Horizon You might remember the housing crash in 2008, even if you didn’t own a home at the time. If you’re worried there’s going to be a repeat of what happened back then, there’s good news – the housing market now is different from 2008. One important reason is there aren’t enough homes for sale. That means there’s an […]

Real Estate Why Is Housing Inventory So Low? One question that’s top of mind if you’re thinking about making a move today is: Why is it so hard to find a house to buy? And while it may be tempting to wait it out until you have more options, that’s probably not the best strategy. Here’s why. There aren’t enough homes available for sale, but that shortage isn’t just a […]

Real Estate August Market Update Happy August everyone (or shall we say Fogust?). The real estate market and mortgage rates continue to keep all of us in related fields scratching our heads. So if you are confused…not to worry. It’s not just you. Let’s dive right in and take a look at what’s going on in our local […]