8 Steps to get the Best Mortgage Rates

Ready to learn how to get the lowest possible mortgage rate? Follow this eight-step process...

1. Improve your credit score

Boosting your credit score is a great first step to getting a lower mortgage interest rate. 

“A credit score is always an important factor in determining risk,” says Valerie Saunders, past president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB). “A lender is going to use the score as a benchmark in deciding a person’s ability to repay the debt. The higher the score, the higher the likelihood that the borrower will not default.”

To be considered for a conventional mortgage, you’ll generally need a score of 620 or higher. However, the best mortgage rates go to borrowers with credit scores of 740 or above.

To improve your score, pay your bills on time and pay down or eliminate credit card balances. If you must carry a balance, make sure it’s no more than 20 percent to 30 percent of your available credit limit. Also, check your credit score and report regularly and look for any mistakes. If you find errors, correct them before applying for a mortgage.

2. Build a steady employment record

Lenders prefer you to have at least two years of steady employment and earnings, ideally from the same employer. Be prepared to show pay stubs from at least 30 days prior to your mortgage application and W-2s from the past two years. If you earn bonuses or commissions, you’ll need to provide proof of those, as well.

It can be more difficult to qualify if you’re self-employed or have multiple part-time jobs, but it’s not impossible. If you’re self-employed, you might need to furnish business records, such as profit and loss statements, in addition to tax returns, to round out your mortgage application.

What if you’re a graduate just starting your career, or you’re back in the workforce after time away? Lenders can usually verify your employment if you have a formal job offer in hand, so long as the offer includes your income. The same applies if you’re currently employed but have a new job lined up. Lenders might flag your application if you’re switching to a completely new industry, however.

Gaps in your work history won’t necessarily disqualify you, but the length of those gaps matters. A short period of unemployment due to illness is easier to explain to a lender than, say, unemployment of six months or more. 

3. Save up for a down payment

Putting more money down — ideally, at least 20 percent — can help you get a lower mortgage rate. Of course, lenders accept lower down payments, but putting down less than 20 percent usually means you’ll pay a higher mortgage rate, and you’ll have to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI costs about $30 to $70 per month for every $100,000 borrowed, according to Freddie Mac. The sooner you can pay down your mortgage to less than 80 percent of the total value of your home, the sooner you can get rid of mortgage insurance, reducing your monthly bill.

4. Understand your debt-to-income ratio

Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio compares your total monthly debt payments to your gross monthly income.

In general, lenders prefer your mortgage cost no more than 28 percent of your gross monthly income, and that your mortgage and other debt payments total no more than 36 percent of your monthly income. For a conventional loan, lenders may approve DTI ratios of up to 45 percent. This is more likely if you have significant savings or a strong financial profile otherwise. 

If you make $5,000 per month, you’ll want a mortgage payment of no more than $1,400 ($5,000 x 0.28). Your mortgage and other debt payments should ideally remain below $1,800 ($5,000 x 0.36). You can improve your DTI by increasing your income or paying off debt.

5. Check out different mortgage loan types and terms

If you think you’ve found your long-term home and have good cash flow, consider a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage instead of the traditional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. You’ll pay more each month, but you’ll pay off your home sooner. Plus, you’ll pay less in interest since interest rates on 15-year mortgages tend to be lower than those of other mortgage options. You can also choose a 15-year term if you’re refinancing your current mortgage.

Alternatively, while rates are high, you might consider an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). With these types of loans, you’ll start with a fixed rate for a set time — often five or seven years — which is typically lower than what you’d get with a fixed-rate mortgage. After this period ends, your interest rate can increase or decrease for the remainder of the term. When that happens, or whenever rates fall, you could refinance an ARM loan into a fixed-rate mortgage.

Finally, government-backed loans may offer lower rates than conventional loans. Your options include:

• FHA loans: Insured by the Federal Housing Administration, FHA loans are popular with first-time homebuyers because of their flexible financial requirements.
• VA loans: If you or your spouse have served in the military, you could consider a VA loan, which is guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. These loans typically have no down payment requirement.
• USDA loans: Guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the USDA loan program is designed to help low- and moderate-income people in rural areas buy a home. There’s no down payment needed, but your home must be in an eligible area, and your income cannot exceed a certain amount, based on your location and household size.

6. Consider paying mortgage points

If you’re willing to pay a fee, you can buy your way to a lower interest rate using mortgage points. Each point costs 1 percent of your mortgage amount and typically reduces your interest rate by 0.25 percent. You can think of mortgage points as a form of prepaid interest.

Let’s say that you have a $400,000 home loan with a 7 percent interest rate. If you want a lower rate, you could buy a mortgage point for $4,000 and knock your rate down to 6.75 percent.

However, buying mortgage points isn’t right for everyone. Recouping the upfront costs typically takes around five years, so this strategy isn’t ideal if you plan on selling within a few years.

7. Compare offers from multiple mortgage lenders

When you’re looking for a mortgage, even for a refinance, don’t accept the first rate you’re quoted. Shop around with at least three lenders, including your own bank or credit union and at least one online option. 

“Shop and compare based on the loan estimates received,” Saunders says. “You wouldn’t normally purchase a car without test-driving it first. Test drive your loan before proceeding with your purchase.”

Even if the interest rates are comparable, lenders’ offers come with different fees, closing costs, private mortgage insurance premiums and more. By shopping around, you can choose the offer with the most favorable terms.

8. Lock in your mortgage rate

Sometimes the closing process takes several weeks, during which rates can fluctuate. After you sign the home purchase agreement, ask your lender to lock your rate. The service sometimes comes with a fee, but it often pays for itself, especially in volatile rate environments. Source

What Is An All Cash Offer?

With an all-cash offer, the buyer is offering to pay for the home in full, upfront, instead of financing the purchase by taking out a mortgage. The buyer might tap their savings, investments, funds from the sale of another property or another source, such as gift money from family members.

You’ll still need to provide financial documentation, since the seller will want proof of funds — in fact, you may need to provide even more, or more detailed, statements than a lender might ask for. And you’ll still have to pay certain closing costs, like legal fees, the cost of a title search and title insurance and other administrative expenses. But you’ll get to skip the usual lender-related closing costs.

Advantages of using cash to buy a home:

• Beat out other buyers
• Speed up the home buying process
• Save on closing costs
• Lower your long-term costs
• Beat out other buyers

A shortage of housing inventory has fueled a very competitive market. In fact, according to NAR, every home for sale in February 2025 received an average of 2.3 offers — and an all-cash offer stands out from the crowd. Put yourself in the seller’s shoes: If you’re comparing two bids that hinge on the ability to get full lender approval with a third offer that requires nothing and is ready to go, which would appeal to you more?

Speed up the home buying process

Paying with cash can also simplify the home-purchase process. There’s no loan application, preapproval or approval, so you’ll save yourself the potential stress of shopping for and dealing with a lender. You can likely save a good chunk of time, too, since a lender won’t need to gather and comb through all your paperwork. Underwriting — the process by which a lender evaluates your finances and decides whether to approve your mortgage application — typically adds an additional 30 to 45 days to the home-purchase experience.

Save on closing costs

If you have the funds, paying all-cash for a home definitely saves you money, since you won’t have to pay any of the costs associated with taking out a mortgage. The origination fee and other closing costs can add up to 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price. So, if you’re purchasing a $300,000 home, eliminating closing costs might help you lower your bill by somewhere between $6,000 and $15,000.

Lower your long-term costs

Along with saving on upfront fees, paying in cash means you won’t be charged interest, which adds up to huge savings. For example, let’s say you’re comparing a $425,000 cash offer with a $340,000 30-year mortgage (a loan on the same home after 20 percent down) with a 6.5 percent interest rate. Over the course of that loan, you would pay nearly $433,651 in interest, for a total cost of $773,651.

How much money will you have left if you pay in cash?

If you pay cash for a home, you might feel good knowing you won’t have a big bill each month, but make sure you don’t stretch your finances too thin to accomplish that. You’ll still need to have an emergency fund in place, and you’ll need to have enough money to cover things like home maintenance and repairs, property taxes, homeowners insurance and utilities. You’ll also want to make sure your cash purchase doesn’t impact saving for retirement or other long-term financial goals.

NMLS ID 394275 | DRE ID 01769353

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How Much Cleaning Is Necessary When Selling a Home?

Buyers expect to move into a house that is clean and empty. And those selling a home often add a thorough cleaning to their to-do list. Most get a head start on cleaning to get the home ready to put on the market. It is up to the seller whether to clean the home themselves, hire a cleaning service, or not do anything at all. There is no law against selling a dirty house and no standard definition of what “clean” means, but it can be worthwhile for the seller to make the effort – especially since a clean house could result in better offers from buyers.  

There are some ways buyers can ensure that they will be moving into a spotless home. And some good reasons for sellers to want the house to be grime-free when they hand over the keys. 

According to a Top Agent Insights study by Homelight, a deep cleaning could add on average, about $3,700 to the sale of a home. Decluttering could add as much as $6,500! If that isn’t enough incentive, also consider how much better a neat and tidy home looks in the photos that will appear online. Realtors typically insist that the seller clean and declutter before they schedule any showings or open houses. 

Staging a home that’s for sale has become common too, with 81% of buyers agents agreeing that it makes it easier for buyers to see themselves living in the house. If buyers prefer to see houses staged and not filled with the homeowners’ furniture and belongings, it’s a safe bet that they don’t want to see dirt, dust, and grime either! 

Do Sellers Have to Clean Before Selling a Home?

A contract for a home sale will often require that a seller deliver the premises in “broom-clean” or “broom-swept” condition. Exactly what this means, though, is a matter of interpretation. There is no legal definition for the term, but it is generally understood to mean the house is cleared of garbage, debris, and dirt. To most people this would include at the very least, removing all of the seller’s belongings, taking out the trash, wiping surfaces, sweeping, and vacuuming. 

Still, clean is in the eye of the beholder. A seller might do what they think is enough, while the buyer might disagree. Buyers should also realize that a home inspection will not cover matters of cleanliness. They are meant to look for large, structural issues such as the condition of the roof, gutters, foundation, HVAC system, appliances, and windows. An inspector will point out damage to walls, floors, and countertops, but they will not indicate whether they are clean or dirty.

Typical Chores for a Move-In Ready Home

Sellers should imagine what they would consider move-in ready and will hopefully clean accordingly. A list of chores when moving out should include:

• Removing all belongings including from the attic, basement, and garage
• Dusting and wiping down all surfaces
• Sweeping and vacuuming
• Taking out the trash
• A final mow of the grass

There are a few additional chores that are optional, but common, especially when getting ready to show the property:

• Steam cleaning carpets
• Washing windows
• Power-washing the siding and driveway
• Cleaning under and behind major appliances
• Hiring a cleaning service can ensure a deep clean from floor to ceiling, with an average cost of $360. As an alternative, the seller can tackle the jobs themselves, renting or borrowing equipment as necessary.

Cleaning Expectations for an “As-Is” Home

An exception to “broom-clean” requirements would be selling a home as is. Buyers of as-is homes typically understand that the home may be filthy or filled with the former owner’s belongings. They are responsible for cleaning it themselves. The trade-off is getting a bargain at a very low selling price. 

Pre-cleaning could possibly sell a house quicker and for more money. Getting it ready to go on the market and then keeping it ship-shape will also make final cleaning much easier when moving day arrives. Leaving the house as clean as possible is also just a thoughtful and considerate thing to do for the people who eventually buy the home. 

What Can Buyers Do?

A buyer may want to put an offer on a house, but have some concerns about the home’s cleanliness. For instance, if a seller has cats and the buyer is severely allergic, the buyer may want assurance that the carpets are steam cleaned. Or if the garage is filled to the ceiling with old junk during a showing, a buyer will want to make sure it is not left behind when the seller moves out.

The buyer’s first step should be to bring such concerns up to their realtor. The agent can talk to the seller or the seller’s agent to find out the extent of cleaning they are planning to do. They may be able to get some assurance.  

The other option is to write the request into the contract. When a buyer adds contingencies to a contract, they typically cover things like inspections, financing, and waiting for their old home to sell. But adding a cleaning contingency is possible too. Since there is no legal standard for what “clean” means, this gives the buyer an opportunity to ensure that the house is cleaned to their standards. 

The contract language when it comes to cleaning should be as specific as possible. Insisting sellers “clean the carpets” is not as direct as saying “professionally steam clean the carpets.” The consequences of not complying should be spelled out. For example, requiring reimbursement from the seller if the buyer needs to hire a professional carpet cleaner themselves. Or making the seller pay the bill to haul away stuff they leave behind. By adding these items to the contract, the buyer can rest assured that the seller will keep their promise, and have some recourse if they don’t. 

Negotiating Who Cleans or Pays for Cleaning

As with any contract, there can be a negotiation of the terms regarding who does the cleaning and who pays for it. Ordinary cleaning like mopping and vacuuming won’t typically require negotiations, but there could be larger issues that could take considerable time and money to clean. When that is the case, buyers and sellers should consider these possible scenarios:

• The buyer can offer to pay for big cleaning jobs, but they might want the asking price lowered to reflect the expense.
• The seller might offer to pay for the cleaning but expect a bump in the asking price. The buyer’s decision could depend on how much they really want the house. 
• The buyer takes on the cleaning themselves. If they feel the seller has broken the “broom-swept” rule and left a truly filthy house, they could try taking them to court. It could be a difficult case to win, however.
• The seller cleans the house themselves, simply because it is a decent thing to do.

In all of these scenarios, both buyers and sellers can look to their real estate agent for guidance. Buyers can get advice on how to get the clean, move-in-ready home they want, and sellers can learn how to leave their house clean without spending time and money on requests that cross the line of reasonable cleaning standards.

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How to Help Your Children Buy a Home

If you want to help your children buy a home there are a number of ways to go about it, ranging from family loans to outright gifts. This is especially pertinent to consider as lofty home prices, rising mortgage rates and a tight inventory of homes for sale have shut many young buyers out of the housing market. The median age of home buyers in 2024 was 56, according to the National Association of Realtors, representing a jump from 2023's already high median of 49. Overall, this indicates first-time home buyers are delaying their purchases. The typical first-time buyer was 38, an all-time high. 

With that in mind, parents (and grandparents) of would-be home buyers are often interested in helping out. Their options include gifting a down payment, co-signing a mortgage, jointly owning a home, making a loan, and buying a home outright for their children or grandchildren. Each of these avenues of financial support has its own perks and pitfalls. 

1. Provide an intra-family loan

One option that could benefit both parties is an intra-family loan. You may be able to offer your child a lower interest rate than a conventional mortgage lender would while still earning a higher interest rate than you could earn from a savings account. For example, if you provide your child with a mortgage at a 4.5% interest rate, you’ll earn almost four percentage points more than the 0.55% average yield for a bank savings account. Your child, meanwhile, will pay significantly less than the national average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. An intra-family loan works especially well for well-off individuals who can afford to give their children the money but prefer the financial discipline that comes with a loan, said Tim Burke, chief executive officer of National Family Mortgage, a family lending agency.

"For many parents, the motivation to lend money over gifting it is just about personal accountability,” he said. "Parents feel the responsibilities that come with homeownership, and the satisfaction that comes with meeting these responsibilities builds character."If your child can't get preapproval, it comes down to your judgment. "If you think your family member is not going to repay you, then don’t go through the exercise of setting up a loan that isn’t going to work," Burke said.

Put the terms of the intra-family loan in writing so they're clear and it's an arm's-length transaction, said Brian Lamborne, senior director of advanced planning at Northwestern Mutual. Putting the terms of the loan in writing can also help you deal with instances in which your children are unable to make payments. For example, you can agree ahead of time that should your child suffer financial hardship, payments will be deferred for a certain period of time — perhaps six months or up to a year — and moved to the end of the loan. The loan agreement should contemplate worst-case scenarios as well. For example, you may want to state the conditions under which the parents could foreclose on the property so they can sell it and pay off the loan. 

It's also important to understand the tax implications for intra-family loans. Borrowers who itemize can only deduct interest on a loan secured by a mortgage if the mortgage has been properly recorded. In order to do that, families need to obtain a deed of trust and file it with the borrower's local government authority, such as the registrar of deeds or country clerk's office. A real estate attorney can help you draw up these documents. 

If the loan exceeds $10,000, the IRS requires you to charge an interest rate equal to or above the Applicable Federal Rate (AFR), which the IRS publishes monthly. The interest must be reported as income on your tax return.

If you don't want to act as the loan servicer, you could use National Family Mortgage to set up, document and service the loan. It will email payment reminders and monthly statements, collect and credit payments, and issue year-end IRS 1098 and 1099-INT tax forms. The cost is a one-time fee of $725 to $2,100, depending on the size of the loan, and optional loan servicing starting at $15 per month.

2. Give a gift

For some families, the easiest solution is to give children enough money to make a down payment or buy a house outright. Gifting spares families the hassle of a loan and damage to their relationships if a loan can’t be repaid.

Mortgage lenders generally allow a relative to supply the entire down payment, but they will require a letter that provides the name of the giver, the amount of the gift and a statement that the giver doesn't expect to be repaid. 

As is the case with a loan, it's important to understand the tax implications of this transaction. In 2025, you can give up to $19,000 per person to as many people as you'd like without having to file a gift tax return. Married couples can give up to $38,000 per person. 

Any amount over the annual limit will reduce your exemption from the federal estate and gift tax. This isn't a problem for most families because the federal estate tax exclusion is $13.99 million for 2025 or $27.98 million for married couples. However, if Congress fails to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the exclusion will drop to about half that in 2026. 

In any event, parents or grandparents should only give a gift they can afford without jeopardizing their own financial security. "There are no loans when it comes to your own retirement," said Jennifer Weber, a CFP in Lake Success, N.Y. "So only help in ways that you can afford now and in the future."

3. Co-sign or co-borrow

If your child can't qualify for a mortgage based on their own income and credit record but can afford monthly payments, co-signing a mortgage is one way to help them buy a home. However, it can be risky. 

A co-signer acts as a guarantor for the primary borrower, promising to assume responsibility for repayment if the primary borrower doesn’t pay as required. The lender will review your sources of income and your credit to ensure your income is high enough and your credit strong enough to qualify for a mortgage. 

If your child falls behind on monthly payments, your own credit could suffer. Plus, co-signing for a mortgage will increase your own debt-to-income ratio which could make it more difficult for you to borrow for your own purposes. Also, some lenders don’t allow co-signers. 

In another arrangement, a co-borrower or joint applicant shares ownership of the loan and assumes responsibility for payments from the start. In general, you and your child combined must put down at least 20%, and your child must cover the first 5% of the down payment from their own funds.

Otherwise, the property may qualify as an investment, in which case you'll be charged a higher interest rate for the loan and be required to have more financial reserves. But if your child fails to pay the mortgage, property taxes or insurance on time, that could ding your credit history or result in a lien against the property.  Source

Five Things You Can Negotiate When Buying a Home

Homebuyers received concessions from sellers in 24% of U.S. home sales in 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). And it’s not just about price cuts. With mortgage rates remaining elevated and homebuyer demand cooling, more sellers are offering incentives to close deals — covering buyers' closing costs, paying for home repairs or even offering rate buy downs to make monthly payments more affordable. Still, most buyers don’t know what bargaining chips are on the table. “Many times, home buyers aren’t aware that they can negotiate for things other than a home’s sale price,” says Jason Gelios, a real estate agent at Community Choice Realty in southeast Michigan.

Here are five things home buyers can negotiate in addition to home prices:

1.)  Mortgage rate and lender fees

Around seven out of 10 prospective buyers said in a 2023 survey conducted by John Burns Research and Consulting that they’re waiting for mortgage rates to drop below 5.5% before they purchase a home. According to Freddie Mac, as of May 2, 2024, the 30-year fixed-rate average has increased for the fifth consecutive week, reaching 7.22%.

However, mortgage rates aren’t set in stone. “Buyers tend to let the lender set the rate, but the interest rate is often negotiable because lenders want their business,” says Gelios. That’s especially true in today’s market, where lenders are competing for a limited number of buyers.

2.) Home repairs

Don’t want to buy a house that turns into a money pit? Include a home inspection contingency in your offer. This contingency gives you the right to have the property inspected by a professional. Based on the results, you can either back out of the deal or ask the seller to make certain repairs.

Gelios advises you to keep your eye on the end goal. “Focus on major issues when asking for repairs,” he says. “A leak in the roof or a busted water heater are important to fix.” Don’t harp on cosmetic flaws. “A missing light bulb or a broken latch on a window are things that you can do yourself without the seller’s help,” per Gelios. If the seller pushes back, see if they’d be willing to offer you a credit at closing to offset some of the repair costs.

3.) Seller-paid closing costs

Closing costs are fees paid at settlement to third parties that facilitated the sale. Usually, the buyer pays the lion’s share — typically around 2% to 6% of a home's sale price. But a growing number of sellers are offering to cover a portion of the buyer’s closing costs.These seller-paid closing costs can make a home purchase significantly more affordable. Make sure to negotiate them upfront so that they can be woven into the purchase agreement.

4.) Fixtures

A real estate fixture is any object that’s permanently attached to a property. “The general rule is if you turned a house upside down, whatever sticks to the house is supposed to stay with the property,” Gelios explains. For example, built-in bookshelves, ceiling fans, and window treatments are typically seen as fixtures included with a home.

Some fixtures, however, are up for negotiation. These could include things like refrigerators, washer and dryer sets, chandeliers, outdoor furniture and playground sets. “Your purchase agreement should state all of the specific fixtures that you want to stay,” Gelios recommends. To protect his buyers, Gelios typically writes in offers, “All appliances and fixtures, as shown, convey with the property.”

5.) Home warranties

If you’re buying an older home, a home warranty can provide some financial protection and peace of mind. A home warranty covers the cost of repairing or replacing certain home appliances when they break, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, water heaters, and heating and cooling systems — though coverage can vary, depending on the policy. A home warranty typically costs $360 to $900 a year, according to a 2024 MarketWatch study of 39 providers. For many sellers, that’s a drop in the bucket, so see if the seller will pay for a one-year warranty. “Sellers can provide it as a credit at closing if the buyer wants to choose the home warranty company,” says Gelios. “It’s a good, low-cost way for sellers to seal the deal.”

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Why Summer is the Sweet Spot for Buying or Selling a Home

Whether you're dreaming of a new home or thinking of selling, here are a few reasons summertime might just be your golden opportunity:

1. Schedules Are More Flexible

 Families tend to have more availability in the summer—whether that means attending showings, hosting open houses, or just having time to think through decisions. Longer days = more flexibility for buyers and sellers alike.

2. Buyers Are Serious

 There’s often a sense of urgency this time of year. Buyers want to be settled before the new school year or fall commitments begin. That means well-priced homes that show well can attract solid offers fast.

3. The Market is Active

 Summer typically brings more listings, more showings, and more movement overall. That kind of activity can lead to stronger competition, increased visibility, and more momentum—especially when you have an experienced REALTOR® guiding you.

4. Your Home Shows Its Best

 If you're selling, July and August offers peak curb appeal: green grass, blue skies, and natural light flooding in through every window. It's easier for potential buyers to imagine themselves living there when everything looks and feels like summer.

5. You’re Already Thinking Ahead

 Even if you’re not quite ready to buy or sell this month, July and August are a great time to start planning. The earlier you talk through your goals with a trusted REALTOR®, the smoother the process will be when you're ready.

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6 Things That Influence Homebuyers

Whether you're planning to list your home or simply want to understand the mindset of today’s buyers, here are six key factors that influence how people choose a home:

1. LOCATION & NEIGHBORHOOD

One of the first things buyers consider is where a home is located. Proximity to work, schools, shopping, parks, and public transportation all matter. Buyers also pay close attention to neighborhood safety, curb appeal, and overall comfort. A great location can truly set a home apart.

2. PRICE & FINANCING OPTIONS

Affordability plays a huge role in the decision-making process. Buyers are not only looking at the listing price, but also how it fits within their budget based on current mortgage rates and available financing. Options like down payment assistance programs or special loans can make all the difference—especially for first-time buyers.

3. MARKET CONDITIONS

The real estate market is always shifting, and buyers are paying attention. From local inventory to broader economic factors, market conditions impact everything from how quickly buyers act to how much they’re willing to offer. A well-priced home in the right market can create the perfect opportunity.

4. HOME FEATURES & CONDITION

From layout to lot size, buyers are looking for homes that meet their lifestyle needs. Things like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, overall flow, age of the home, and any needed repairs or updates all factor in. Move-in-ready homes often stand out, but well-maintained properties with potential also have strong appeal.

5. FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL

It’s not just about today—many buyers are thinking ahead. They’re considering whether the home and neighborhood are likely to appreciate in value over time. Planned developments, school ratings, and future infrastructure projects can all boost a home’s long-term investment potential.

6. HOME INSPECTIONS

A professional inspection can reveal important details buyers may not see at first glance. Structural issues, aging systems, or hidden repairs can influence a buyer’s decision to move forward—or open the door to renegotiation. A clean inspection report gives buyers peace of mind and helps a transaction move smoothly. Source