Smart Moves from Brace and Ryan
November 2015
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 Brace Helgeson
Ryan Platzke

952-942-7777

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Happy Thanksgiving
 
Just in time for the start of the holiday season comes good news about the housing market nationwide!  Freddie Mac, one of the nation's largest home loan lenders has released its latest Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi®), which shows that the housing market in the U.S. continues to stabilize slowly and should remain healthy throughout the rest of the year.

Data from the MiMi Report showed that as of August of this year, 48 of 50 states and 98 of the top 100 metro areas showed an improving 3 month trend. Last year, only 35 U.S. States and 71 of the top 100 metro areas were showing that improvement.  So that is definitely a step in the right direction!

Furthermore, Freddie Mac's Deputy Chief Economist said that he expects housing to "sustain its momentum going into year end."

With such encouraging news coming out right before the holiday season, we urge you to remember that there are always buyers looking for a new home, so if you'd like to sell your home this holiday season, don't be afraid to do so just because the weather is getting colder.  Likewise, if you're looking to buy a home this holiday season, you'll likely enjoy low interest rates on loans...at least until December when it looks like interest rates may be poised for a hike.

Finally, in keeping with the holiday of thankfulness upon us, we hope you know that we're thankful for your support of our real estate business and we are always grateful for your referrals.
 
Sincerely,

Brace & Ryan


Don't Cut Yourself Short, Shop Loan Prices!

Americans will clip coupons and hunt around for sales, but when it comes to saving money on major financial loans like a mortgage, they tend to go with the first bank they talk to.

Online lender LendingTree found that four out of five Americans consider themselves bargain hunters. Nine out of ten Americans have researched prices online before purchasing an item. Yet, less than 30 percent of consumers look for the best rates when it comes to major financial loans. Roughly 18 percent stated they never looked for better rates or prices on loans.

Comparison shopping for loans offers the greatest opportunity for consumers to realize substantial savings. Know Before You Owe, a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau initiative, has simplified mortgage disclosure forms to make it even easier to compare loan rates, yet most consumers seem to waive their right to shop around for the best deal.

Suggests Andrea Woroch, LendingTree's consumer savings expert, "Consumers sometimes may be too focused on price and fail to consider the lifetime cost of interest which is really where banks and lenders make their money. Over a thirty-year mortgage, a one percent difference between interest rates can easily translate to thousands of dollars."
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Home Buyers: Seven Insights Into Confident Decision Making

Home-buying is multi-tasking on steroids. Are you up for the challenge?
On the surface, buying a home seems simple: find your dream home and buy it.
In reality, this seemingly-simple task requires buyers to make a continuous stream of under-pressure decisions, often concerning issues and consequences they do not fully understand. Instead of one task, buyers are faced with hundreds of tasks many of which must be decided on simultaneously, on very short deadlines. This makes decision-making a challenge, but it's the knowledge gaps and "I've never thought about this before" perspectives revealed in smart home buying that add the real pressure.

At its best, purchasing real estate is an exhilarating race through a labyrinth of snap decisions ending with the purchase of real estate. At its worst, home buying can become a multi-tasking nightmare culminating in the purchase of the wrong property, in spending too much, or in no purchase at all.
To swing the outcome in your favor, one key task is choosing the "best fit" real estate professional to guide you through the home-buying process. This real estate expert will keep you fully informed, so that even snap decisions are solid choices you will thrive on.

Face the complexity of successful home buying head on and it will not overwhelm you.
What Our Clients Are Saying
You rock! J The Helgeson Group SOLD OUR HOUSE!!! We believe that tnhey are the sole reason that our home sold as quickly as it did. They ALWAYS there when we needed them but better yet, they were always at our house eager to show it off. They went the extra mile while helping us stage our home and prepare it for viewing. Once it was perfect for show,they were the one that worked each and every open house. Their vast knowledge of our community is second to none. We love their passion for getting the job done! They were always "on it" and at the ready for whatever was thrown at them. We would recommend them for any of your real estate needs!