Tag: mortgagelonboatkey

Sellers Are Cutting Prices To Meet Buyers Where They’re At

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on August 27, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, For Buyers, Home Prices, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key.

You’re scrolling through listings on your phone and everything looks good until you see the price (or the estimated monthly payment). Then you close the app. Because even if you love the house, the numbers feel impossible. But here’s the thing. Nationally, there are more homes sitting on the market than there are people out there looking. And when sellers need buyers more than buyers need sellers, that shows up in the price. Lower asking prices. More price cuts. And homes priced for what buyers can actually afford – not what sellers hope someone might pay. And it may be enough...

Worried About a Housing Crash? The Numbers Tell a Calmer Story.

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on August 27, 2026. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Inventory, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key, Mortgage Rates.

A recent survey from Talker Research asked Americans to pick one word to describe how 2026 has felt so far. The winner? Stressful. And honestly, there’s been a lot going on. So, it’s understandable if you’ve been putting off buying or selling a home until things settle down. But you may be waiting on something that’s already happened. While everything else has felt shaky, the housing market has become one of the steadiest things out there. Look at the data. Home Prices Have Leveled Out After years of fast increases, data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows...

Most Home Sales Close – Here’s How To Keep Yours on Track

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on August 27, 2026. Posted in Agent Value, Expired/Withdrawn/Canceled, For Sellers, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key, Selling Tips.

Few things are as rattling as the thought of your home sale falling through at the last minute, right before closing. All that waiting, all that progress, out the window. But if you’re getting ready to sell, here’s what you should know. Even in today’s market, it rarely comes to that. Buyers who are moving at today’s rates and prices are generally moving because of some big life change. That means they’re motivated, and eager to get all the way to the closing table. According to the latest data from Redfin, only about 1 in 7 pending sales are falling through. Meaning the vast majority make...

Who Has the Upper Hand in Today’s Housing Market?

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on August 13, 2026. Posted in Buying Tips, For Buyers, For Sellers, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key, Selling Tips.

Ask around and almost every homebuyer out there wants to know if there’s a way to get a better deal. And just about every seller wants to know if they’ll still get top dollar. The interesting thing is… both can be right at the exact same time. It just depends on where you live. That’s because today’s housing market isn’t moving in one direction anymore. Some markets clearly favor buyers. Others still favor sellers. But most are sitting somewhere in the middle. And knowing which market you’re actually in can completely change the strategy you use to buy...

Here’s Why Mortgage Rates Are What They Are Right Now

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on August 13, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key, Mortgage Rates.

If you’re waiting for mortgage rates to fall a lot before you buy, you may be waiting a while. But before you get discouraged, there’s a number working behind the scenes that’s actually good for you right now. It’s called the spread, and once you understand it, you may see today’s rates in a whole new light. The Pattern That’s Held for 50+ Years For starters, mortgage rates don’t move on their own. They tend to follow the 10-year treasury yield, a number tied to how investors feel about the economy. It’s not an exact science, since plenty of other factors can...

The Case for Putting 20% Down on Your Next Home

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on August 13, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, Downsize, For Buyers, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key, Move-Up.

If you’re planning to buy your next home soon, you’ve probably heard the old rule about saving 20% for your down payment. The truth is, you usually don’t have to. Plenty of loan options let qualified buyers put down much less. But a lot of repeat buyers are choosing to put down 20% anyway. So, why are they if they don’t have to? Two reasons. They know a bigger down payment pays off, and after years in their current house, they’ve built up enough equity that it’s finally possible. Repeat Buyers Put More Money Down According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the typical repeat...

Stay or Sell? How To Make the Right Call as You Age

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on April 29, 2026. Posted in Agent Value, Downsize, For Sellers, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key, Selling Tips, Senior Market.

At some point, as you start thinking about the years ahead, this question tends to come up: “Could I stay here long-term… or would it make more sense to move?” It’s not always urgent. It often shows up in small moments, like going up and down the stairs, keeping up with the maintenance, or just thinking about what the next chapter of your life might look like in this home. And for most people, the answer is simple. They want to stay. The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology found about 90% of adults over 65 prefer to stay in their homes as they get older (see below): But even if staying...

Think You Have To Put 20% Down? Most First-Time Homebuyers Don’t.

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on April 27, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key.

According to Google Trends, online searches for down payment information recently hit an all-time high. And that’s a clear sign more buyers are trying to figure out what they really need to save before making a move (see graph below): If you’re wondering the same thing, you can always turn to the internet for answers. But a lot of the time, it’s better to ask a local expert. Because here’s what a pro would tell you. The 20% Down Payment Myth The idea that you need 20% down to buy a home is one of the biggest misconceptions around the homebuying process. And the data debunks the myth. While...

3 Things That Are Not Going To Happen in Today’s Housing Market

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on April 23, 2026. Posted in For Buyers, Home Prices, Inventory, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key, Mortgage Rates.

There’s a lot of uncertainty right now and that’s leading to some dramatic headlines. And if you’re thinking about buying a home, that can make you feel a little less sure about your decision. A recent study by CNBC asked homebuyers what they’re most worried about, and three themes kept coming up again and again: Mortgage rates The number of homes for sale Home prices But a lot of what you may be hearing on those is based more on misconceptions. Not facts. So, let’s break it down and separate fact from fiction. Misconception #1: “I’ll Just Wait, Because Mortgage Rates Are Going To Fall...

More Options Are Popping Up This Spring

Written by Longboat Key Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on April 22, 2026. Posted in For Buyers, Inventory, Longboat Key Mortgage, Mortgage Longboat Key.

Did you try to buy a home last year, but you ended up pressing pause? Maybe you couldn’t find a home that really fit your needs. Or maybe the ones you liked just weren’t affordable. According to a recent survey from NerdWallet, those were the top two reasons buyers gave up on their search in 2025. But this Spring, there’s one trend that could help fix both of those frustration points: more homes are hitting the market. The Number of Fresh Listings Is Almost 2x Higher Than a Few Months Ago Data from Realtor.com shows there are nearly 2x as many new listings hitting the market today as...