List with Lyndsey - Bolst Real Estate

06/25/2024

📢 I'm excited to announce I've joined Bolst Real Estate! This transition marks an exciting chapter in my career, allowing me to elevate my business while maintaining my unwavering dedication to client satisfaction.

After interviewing with multiple agencies, this one felt right based on their PURPOSE DRIVEN approach. They've got a mission of fighting homelessness and increasing obtainable housing for all. Our value systems aligned and can't wait to see what we can accomplish!

I'd be deeply grateful to work with you, or for any and all referrals! DM me. 🏡


Julie Caricato

02/07/2024

I attended the Atlanta Realtors Association's Market Outlook with a keynote by Mike Carnathan, manager of market research and analytics for the Atlanta Regional Commission - or ARC.

💡Main Idea - We are falling short on housing supply as evidenced by the nationwide affordability problem and lack of supply. We also aren't planning for an aging population.

🔮 Crystal Ball - We are going to be in dire straights by 2050 if local municipalities don't start paying attention to the data and updating their housing codes accordingly.

04/07/2023

There are some benefits to being a buyer in today’s market that give you good reason to stick with your search. Here are a few of them.

>>Long-Term Benefits Outweigh Short-Term Challenges

Owning a home grows your net worth – and since building that wealth takes time, it makes sense to start as soon as you can. Freddie Mac puts it this way:

“Homeownership not only builds a sense of pride and accomplishment, but it’s also an important step toward achieving long-term financial stability.”

The key there is long-term because the financial benefits homeownership provides, like home value appreciation and equity, grow over time.

>>Mortgage Rates Are Constantly Changing

Mortgage rates have been hovering around 6.5% over the last several months. However, as Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac, notes, they’ve been coming down some recently:

“Economic uncertainty continues to bring mortgage rates down. Over t...

We’re still in a sellers’ market.

04/03/2023

If you’ve been on the fence about whether to buy a home or not, it’s helpful to know exactly how a 1%, or even a 0.5%, mortgage rate shift affects your purchasing power.

Even a 0.5% change can have a big impact on your monthly payment. And since rates have been moving between 6% and 7% for a while now, you can see how it impacts your purchasing power as rates go down.

What This Means for You

You may be tempted to put your homebuying plans on hold in hopes that rates will fall. But that can be risky. No one knows for sure where rates will go from here, and trying to time them for your benefit is tough. Lisa Sturtevant, Housing Economist at Bright MLS, explains:

“It is typically a fool’s errand for a homebuyer to try to time rates in this market . . . But volatility in mortgage rates right now can have a real impact on buyers’ monthly payments.”

That’s why it’s critical to lean on your expert real estate advisors...

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been bouncing between 6% and 7% this year.

03/31/2023

Even though activity in the housing market has slowed from the frenzy we saw over a year ago, today’s low supply of homes for sale is still a sellers’ market. But what does that really mean? And why are conditions today so good if you want to list your house?

It starts with the number of homes available for sale. The latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows housing supply is still astonishingly low. Today, we have a 2.6-month supply of homes at the current sales pace. Historically, a 6-month supply is necessary for a ‘normal’ or ‘neutral’ market in which there are enough homes available for active buyers.

>>What Does This Mean for You?

When the supply of homes for sale is as low as it is right now, it’s much harder for buyers to find one to purchase. That creates increased competition among purchasers and keeps upward pressure on prices. And if buyers know they’re n...

Even though activity in the housing market has slowed from the frenzy we saw over a year ago, today’s low supply of homes for sale is still a sellers’ market.

03/27/2023

If you’re thinking about selling this spring, it’s time to get moving – the best week to list your house is fast approaching.

Experts at realtor.com looked at seasonal trends from recent years (excluding 2020 as an uncharacteristic year due to the onset of the pandemic) and determined the ideal week to list a house this year:

“Home sellers on the fence waiting for that perfect moment to sell should start preparations, because the best time to list a home in 2023 is approaching quickly. The week of April 16-22 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other week in the year.”

>>Work with an Agent To Determine Which Updates To Make

Start by prioritizing which updates you’ll make. In February, realtor.com asked more than 1,200 recent or potential home sellers what updates they ended up making to their house before listing it. The most common answ...

If you’re thinking about selling this spring, it’s time to get moving – the best week to list your house is fast approaching. 

03/24/2023

Are you having trouble finding a home that fits your needs and your budget? If so, you should know there’s an option worth considering – condominiums, also known as condos. According to Bankrate:

“A condo can be a more affordable entry point to homeownership than a single-family home. And as a homeowner, you’ll build equity over time and have access to tax benefits that a renter wouldn’t.”

That’s why expanding your search to include additional housing types, like condominiums, could help you accomplish your homeownership goals this spring, especially if you can be flexible about the space you need. Condos are typically smaller than a single-family home, but that’s part of what can make them more budget-friendly.

In addition to providing more options in your home search and possibly your price point, there are several other benefits to condo living. They tend to require less upkeep and lower maintenance – and th...

Are you having trouble finding a home that fits your needs and your budget? 

03/13/2023

One of the benefits of being a homeowner is that you build equity over time. By selling your house, that equity can be used toward purchasing your next home.

Bankrate explains it like this:

“Home equity is the portion of your home you’ve paid off – in other words, your stake in the property as opposed to the lender’s. In practical terms, home equity is the appraised value of your home minus any outstanding mortgage and loan balances.”

>>Majority of Americans Have a Large Amount of Equity
If you’ve owned your home for a while, you’ve likely built up some equity – and you may not even realize how much. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and ATTOM, the majority of Americans have a substantial amount of equity right now.

And having such large amounts of equity is a benefit to homeowners in more ways than one. “Record levels of home equity provide security for millions of families, and...

One of the benefits of being a homeowner is that you build equity over time. 

03/10/2023

Are you planning to buy a home this spring? When you find the home you want to buy, remember these four tips to make your best offer.

>>1. Lean on a Real Estate Professional

Rely on an agent who can support your goals. Agents are local market experts. They know what’s worked for other buyers in your area and what sellers may be looking for in an offer. It may seem simple, but catering to what a seller needs can help your offer stand out.

>> 2. Know Your Budget
Understanding your budget is especially important right now. The best way to understand your numbers is to work with a lender so you can get pre-approved for a loan. It helps you be more financially confident, and it shows sellers you’re serious. That can give you a competitive edge.

>>3. Think Through Everything Before Making an Offer
Today’s market isn’t moving at the record pace it did during the pandemic. That means you may have a bit more...

Are you planning to buy a home this spring?

03/06/2023

You may have seen reports in the news recently saying it’s better to rent right now than it is to own your home. But before you let that impact your decisions, you should understand what these claims are based on.

A lot of the time, these reports are assuming things that aren’t realistic for the average household. For example, the methodology behind one of those reports says that renting is the smarter financial option because of the opportunity to invest money elsewhere. It assumes renters take the money they’d spend on costs tied to buying a home and put it in an investment portfolio.

But here’s the thing – most people who rent aren’t making those investments. Ken Johnson, Co-Author of the BH&J National Price-to-Rent Index, explains:

“One of the difficulties with the rent and reinvest model is many people . . . simply rent and spend the difference. . . . That’s wealth...

You may have seen reports in the news recently saying it’s better to rent right now than it is to own your home. But before you let that impact your decisions, you should understand what these claims are based on.