Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

Recently released data from the  National Center for Health Statistics  revealed that 1.3 million Millennial women gave birth for the first time in 2015. There are now over 16 million women in this generation who have become mothers. “All told, Millennial women (those born between 1981 to 1997) accounted for about eight in ten (82%) of U.S. births in 2015.” The data also shows that this generation has waited until later in life to become parents as only 42% of Millennial women were moms in 2014, compared to 49% of Generation X at the same age. A  Pew Research Center   article  discussing the data, points to social influences that may have contributed to the delay: “The rising age at first birth is hardly limited to the Millennial generation. It has been a trend since at least 1970. Many factors may contribute, including a shift away from marriage, increasing educational attainment and the movement of women into the labor force.” Do Millennials Want to Be Parents? “

According to  data  from the U.S Census bureau,  there are approximately 76.4 million baby boomers living in the United States today . Contrary to what many think, there are very different segments within this generation, and one piece that sets them apart are their housing needs. John McManus, editorial director of  Hanley Wood’s Residential Group   says  his company  “is focusing on the preferences of the younger half, or second-wave baby boomers, as they exhibit different needs than the older boomers.” What are ‘second-wave baby boomers’ looking for? McManus says, “ They are seeking a fun, dynamic lifestyle with a home that can also adjust to their changing needs in the future. Living space should either include accessibility features, such as doorway space, lower shelves, and nonslip surfaces, or be easily adjustable when the time comes. ” In a homebuyer study performed by  The Farnsworth Group , the participants  revealed  their reasons for purchasing a new home. The

We hope 2017 is a great year for you, both personally & professionally.

When homes near you come on the market and sell quickly, it’s tempting to wonder how the new buyers were able to purchase that home. Were they lucky? Did their parents lend them the down payment? Did the ball simply roll their way? Some people believe that fortune is subject to luck. Experience shows that it’s not. Only about 10% of our lives are completely out of our control. The rest is defined by the choices we make and the actions we take. Lucky people tend to be open to new things. Rather than approaching the unknown with an abundance of caution, they take risks, and feel relaxed enough to see the opportunities that exist. You may know someone, right now, who has the ability to buy an investment or a vacation property, or possibly their first home, but don’t yet know how lucky they are. Give me a call and together we’ll show them the real role that luck plays in home ownership.

Imagine the feeling of peering through the doorway of your next home, make-believe you are able to catch a glimpse of the size, shape and colors of the rooms visible from your perspective. Next, step inside and get a sense for the texture of the flooring beneath your feet. With your hands, trace the countertop surfaces. Feel the temperature of the room around you. Now ask yourself, is it time to change or modify my current home layout, design or feel? This is how I invite new home buyers to experience their next home before we find it together. Imagination differs for everybody. What is universal however, is the value of clarity combined with action. The trick is to align your values and expectations with what you want, then patiently moving towards your goal.  The fall and winter is a great time to take stock and update your current home or plan your next move. I am fortunate to work with the finest decorators, contractors and installers in real estate. If you know someone who w

From a purely economic perspective, this is one of the best times in American history to buy a home . Black Night Financial Services discusses this in their most recent  Monthly Mortgage Monitor . Here are two of the report’s revelations: The average U.S. home value increased by $13,500 from last year, but low interest rates have kept the monthly principal & interest payment needed to purchase a median-priced home almost equal to one year ago. Home affordability still remains favorable compared to long-term historic norms. The report explains: “Even though the value of the average home in the U.S. increased by about $13,500 over the last year, thanks to declining interest rates it actually costs almost exactly the same in principal and interest each month to purchase as it did this time last year. Even taking into account the fact that affordability can vary – sometimes significantly – across the country based upon the different rates of home price appreciation w

The  National Association of Realtors (NAR)  keeps historic data on many aspects of homeownership. One of the data points that has changed dramatically is the median tenure of a family in a home. As the graph below shows, for over twenty years (1985-2008), the median tenure averaged exactly six years. However, since 2008, that average is almost nine years – an increase of almost 50%. Why the dramatic increase? The reasons for this change are plentiful. The top two reasons are: The fall in home prices during the housing crisis left many homeowners in a negative equity situation  (where their home was worth less than the mortgage on the property). The uncertainty of the economy made some homeowners much more fiscally conservative about making a move. However, with home prices rising dramatically over the last several years, over 90% of homes with a mortgage are now in a positive equity situation with 70% of them having at least 20% equity. And, with the economy coming