Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

If you’re thinking about buying a home, you want to know the decision will be a good one. And for many, that means thinking about what home prices are projected to do in the coming years and how that could impact your investment. This year, we aren’t seeing home prices fall dramatically. As the year goes on, however, some markets may go up in value while others may lose value. That’s why it’s helpful to keep the long-term view in mind. Experts project a return to a steadier rate of price appreciation in the years that follow. Home Price Appreciation in the Years Ahead Over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts were polled by Pulsenomics in their latest quarterly Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES). The report indicates what they believe will happen with home prices over the next five years. As the graph below shows, after mild depreciation this year, these experts forecast home prices will return to more normal levels of appreciation through 2027. T

If you're on the sidelines to buy a home, there are things you can do to be ready when you do get back in the game. Improve your credit score to qualify for the best mortgage rate available which are reserved for those with the highest scores.   Get a copy of your current credit reports from all three of the main credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.   You can get them at AnnualCreditReport.com without paying for them. While you won't see a credit score on these reports, you will see a history of your available credit accounts.   According to the Federal Trad Commission, one in five people have at least one error on one of their credit reports which can lower your score or increase the cost or likelihood of receiving new credit.   Identify and correct these mistakes.   Explain in writing the error in the report and include copies of documents that support your dispute.   Both the credit bureau and the business that supplied the information must co