Think home prices in the Triangle will be falling? Think again. The past two years have witnessed incredible equity gains nationwide and in some areas, well in the double digits. Prices must slow, right? The increase in interest rates will slow down buyers, right? We address these questions regularly with our clients and the indicators point to continued gradual gains in equity and interest rates that are likely to increase, but home prices are far from at a free fall. Let's discuss.

Home Price Appreciation 2022 vs 2021

According to data from CoreLogic, the rise in home prices over the past year and a half show a dramatic increase in the rate of home price appreciation in 2021, where home prices are still rising in 2022, they show a more gradual…

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Most news, is unsettling regarding an impending recession, however, a recession does not always equal a housing crisis. Major housing market indicators have shown some volatility as we are seeing signs of inventory rising combined with interest rate hikes; begging the question is this a correction and not a crisis? My NC Homes explores why a recession does not necessarily equal a housing crisis.

History of Housing Market and Recession

We are in a different supply and demand period. In the past five recessions, home prices typically remain stable. During the Dot-Com recession in 2001, prices grew 6.6 percent. During the 1980 and 1981 recession, prices grew by 6.1 percent and 3.5 percent, and the dips in prices were relatively small, being 1.9…

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We go over many of our buyer concerns on our blog and usually, one of the most common ones is, "Is right now a good time to buy", accompanied by, "Is right now a good time to borrow?" Depending on what your finances look like and how much you have saved for a down payment, it is almost always a good time to invest in real estate. Even with limited inventory, inflation, and increasing interest rates. Let's talk about why this is the case and why you should not necessarily delay home ownership plans in the face of inflation.

First, housing is an asset that over time grows in value so if you have cash and would like someplace to put it so it does not lose value, housing is a great option. Ali Wolf, economist at Zonda posits "If you have cash and are…

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One of the questions we get asked most frequently from sellers is, "Should I update my home before selling it?" The reason so many sellers ask is that they are concerned that either they will lose money if they don't update or that they don't have the money they would need to make the updates and are concerned that we're going to "require" them to do so. We could possibly rank this as the most misunderstood element of home selling by sellers. Certain updates will impact the value of your home more than others. Certain curb appeal, low cost, elements help it attract more buyer attention. While expensive renovations are largely unlikely to recoup the money spent, let's go over what is and is not an update you should make in this month's Ask a…

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We reported last week about the trend towards an uptick in people choosing a multigenerational household in The Triangle and nationally, as an alternative to an aging in place community. Some of the reasons people are choosing this is that it increases closeness between generations, helps with childcare, lack of affordable housing, and the sharing of household costs. This trend was especially noticeable during the COVID pandemic, when lock downs made it difficult to see loved ones or many chose to have bubbles of people that they would be visiting. Now that restrictions are lifted, people are still considering the ways to help loved ones age in place, at their homes. This week we are outlining what you need to know about building new or expanding on…

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When we hear the words multigenerational housing, depending on what era we relate to, we might be thinking in-laws suites, suites for aging parents, adult children moving back home, or even a combination! In the past two years with a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and the new normal of hybrid work environments, households are looking a lot different, and multigenerational households and the demand for multigeneration housing options, have never been higher. Let's look at the numbers and take a quick dive into what multigenerational housing is and if it is right for you.


Multigenerational Housing on the Rise 

What are the reasons buyers tell us they are looking for multigenerational housing? For starters, since the pandemic, many loved…

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Buyers and sellers all want to know with selling prices going up, inventory down, and demand through the roof, are we headed for a crash or a correction? This week we would like to go over some key differences between the market in 2008, during the crash, and the market today. From financing and lending to supply, to foreclosures, there are many reasons to continue to be optimistic and to grow your wealth sustainably in real estate.

Lending in 2008 vs 2022

In the years leading up to the crash, anyone could get a loan. Low down payments with high-interest rate loans were awarded to those with credit scores under 620 regularly. In the years following 2008, there were many homes whose lenders did not properly vet whether borrowers could pay back…

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When you are looking for anything, you most likely grab your phone and look it up online first. We would like to make the case for not conducting a home search online, even though you are reading this online! I doubt anyone who has spent any amount of time on the Internet will be surprised to learn that it's filled with misinformation, some of it intentional some unintentional. The internet is really the last place you should be looking for a Realtor or a house. Listing information can be outdated. Zillow's "Zestimates" and every other automated valuations (including ours) provide rough valuations at best. While "Best Realtor" websites are deceptive, and more. This week we are going to discuss when the internet is and is not your friend in real…

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Tools, refrigerators, outdoor toys, gardening equipment, and a LOT of dust are what many Realtors and the buyers see when they view garage. It is definitely not a really appealing selling point of a home for most, but it can be an asset if it is organized correctly. The good news is, that it is not that difficult! We combed the housekeeping blogs and home improvement hacks for the best tips for organizing your garage so it helps the sale of your home. Even if you are not considering selling your home, these hacks will definitely help you enjoy your garage more!

Pegboard Hacks

Lawnmowers, Shovels and Rakes, oh my! It is really scary to come into a garage with so many menacing tools and little organization. Pegboards are brilliant at making sense…

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Rents are skyrocketing, and while the labor market is strong, salaries are not keeping pace with inflationary pressures combined with ever increasing rents. Whether you're looking to buy for the first time and saving for a downpayment or those looking to sell and then rent, the challenge of renting is unstable housing  costs. Ideally you could budget a specific amount of money per month for housing however volatile rental costs are making this extremely challenging. Below we review the state of the market and offer some common sense ways to stabilize housing costs through homeownership.

State of the Market


According to the ATTOM Data 2022 Rental Affordability Report, owning a home is more affordable than renting in the majority of the…

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