Blog | Ruel's Blog - Ruel Asino

Investor Tips & Strategy, Market Trends & Stats

How Long Can This Economic Recovery Last?

The economy is currently experiencing the longest recovery in our nation’s history. The stock market has hit record highs, while unemployment rates are at record lows. Home price appreciation is beginning to reaccelerate. This begs the question: How long can this economic recovery last? The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Survey of Economists recently called for an economic slowdown (recession) in […]
Buyer Tips & Strategy, First-Time Home Buyer Tips

5 Tips for Starting Your Home Search

In today’s market, low inventory dominates the conversation in many areas of the country. It can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren’t prepared. Here are five tips from realtor.com’s article, “How to Find Your Dream Home—Without Losing Your Mind.” 1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before You Start Your Search One way to […]
Buyer Tips & Strategy, First-Time Home Buyer Tips, Investor Tips & Strategy, Market Trends & Stats, Seller Tips & Strategy

Think Prices Have Skyrocketed? Look at Rents.

Much has been written about how residential real estate values have increased since the housing market started its recovery in 2012. However, little has been shared about what has taken place with residential rental prices. Let’s shed a little light on this subject. In the most recent Apartment Rent Report, RentCafe explains how rents have continued to increase […]
Buyer Tips & Strategy, First-Time Home Buyer Tips, Investor Tips & Strategy, Market Trends & Stats, Seller Tips & Strategy

3 Signs the Housing Market Is on the Rebound

The residential real estate market has been plodding along for most of the year. However, three recent reports show the market may be on the verge of a rebound: 1. Existing Home Sales (closed sales) are up, marking two consecutive months of growth. 2. Pending Home Sales (contracts signed) are up with each of the four major […]

Investor Tips & Strategy How Long Can This Economic Recovery Last? The economy is currently experiencing the longest recovery in our nation’s history. The stock market has hit record highs, while unemployment rates are at record lows. Home price appreciation is beginning to reaccelerate. This begs the question: How long can this economic recovery last? The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Survey of Economists recently called for an economic slowdown (recession) in […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy 5 Tips for Starting Your Home Search In today’s market, low inventory dominates the conversation in many areas of the country. It can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren’t prepared. Here are five tips from realtor.com’s article, “How to Find Your Dream Home—Without Losing Your Mind.” 1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before You Start Your Search One way to […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy Think Prices Have Skyrocketed? Look at Rents. Much has been written about how residential real estate values have increased since the housing market started its recovery in 2012. However, little has been shared about what has taken place with residential rental prices. Let’s shed a little light on this subject. In the most recent Apartment Rent Report, RentCafe explains how rents have continued to increase […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy 3 Signs the Housing Market Is on the Rebound The residential real estate market has been plodding along for most of the year. However, three recent reports show the market may be on the verge of a rebound: 1. Existing Home Sales (closed sales) are up, marking two consecutive months of growth. 2. Pending Home Sales (contracts signed) are up with each of the four major […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy 62% of Buyers Are Wrong About Down Payment Needs According to the ‘2019 Home Buyer Report’ conducted by Nerdwallet, many first-time buyers still believe they need a 20% down payment to buy a home in today’s market: “More than 6 in 10 (62%) Americans believe you must put at least 20% down in order to purchase a home.” When potential homebuyers think they need a 20% down […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy What FICO® Score Do You Need to Qualify for a Mortgage? While a recent announcement from CNBC shares that the average national FICO® score has reached an all-time high of 706, the good news for potential buyers is that you don’t need a score that high to qualify for a mortgage. Let’s unpack the credit score myth so you can to become a homeowner sooner than you may think. […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy One of the Top Reasons to Own a Home One of the benefits of homeownership is that it is a “forced savings plan.” Here’s how it works: You make a mortgage payment each month. Part of that payment is applied to the principal balance of your mortgage. Each month you owe less on the home. The difference between the value of the home and what you […]

Seller Tips & Strategy Is Your House “Priced to Sell Immediately”? In today’s real estate market, more houses are coming to market every day. Eager buyers are searching for their dream homes, so setting the right price for your house is one of the most important things you can do. According to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index, home values have risen at over 6% a year over the […]

Seller Tips & Strategy Should You Fix Your House Up or Sell Now? With the fall season upon us, change is in the air. For many families, children are growing up and moving out of the house, maybe leaving for college or taking a jump into the working world. Parents are finding themselves as empty nesters for the first time. The question inevitably arises: is it finally time to downsize? […]

Market Trends & Stats What Is the Probability That Home Values Sink? With the current uncertainty about the economy triggered by a potential trade war, some people are waiting to purchase their first home or move-up to their dream house because they think or hope home prices will drop over the next few years. However, the experts disagree with this perspective. Here is a table showing the […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy How Property Taxes Can Impact Your Mortgage Payment When buying a home, taxes are one of the expenses that can make a significant difference in your monthly payment. Do you know how much you might pay for property taxes in your state or local area? When applying for a mortgage, you’ll see one of two acronyms in your paperwork – P&I or PITI – depending […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy Everybody Calm Down! This Is NOT 2008 Last week realtor.com released the results of a survey that produced three major revelations: 53% of home purchasers (first-time and repeat buyers) currently in the market believe a recession will occur this year or next. 57% believe the next recession will be as bad or worse than 2008. 55% said they would cancel plans to move if a recession […]

Seller Tips & Strategy What Would Make You Sell Your House? There are many reasons why a homeowner decides to sell their house and move. The latest Generational Trends Report from the National Association of Realtors asked recent home sellers to share their reason for moving. The younger the respondents, the more likely their top response centered around needing a larger home (ages 29 to 53). Relocating for a job […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy 2 Trends Helping Keep Housing Affordable Two positive trends have started to emerge that impact the 2019 Spring Housing Market. Mortgage interest rates for a 30-year fixed rate loan have dropped to new lows, right as reports show that wages have increased at their highest rate in decades! These two factors have helped keep housing affordable despite low supply of houses […]

Buyer Tips & Strategy Your Fabulous New Dream Home is Now Available Over the last several years, many “baby boomers” have undergone a metamorphosis. Their children have finally moved out and they can now dream about their own future. For many, a change in lifestyle might necessitate a change in the type of home they live in. That two-story, four-bedroom colonial with three bathrooms no longer fits […]