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Whether you're considering the purchase of your first home or the sale of your fifth, navigating the real estate market is a daunting task. But does it need to be? Not if you have a capable and dedicated agent at your side! As a seasoned professional, I have the skills and experience to help you realize your goals. I provide stellar customer service so you can move forward with total confidence. When you have chosen me as your agent, you will have chosen the wealth of resources I bring with me. Verna "V" Regler 239.671.7279   ...

Momentum is quietly building in the housing market. New data from NerdWallet shows more Americans are starting to think about buying a home again. Last year, 15% of respondents said they planned to buy a home in the next 12 months. This year, that number rose to 17% . That 2% increase might not sound like a big jump, but in a market where buyer demand has been cooling for the past few years, it's a sign things are starting to shift. More people are feeling ready (or at least closer to ready) to take the leap and buy a home in 2026. And if you're in that camp and buying a home is on your goal sheet this year, this is your nudge to connect with a local agent and a trusted lender to start laying the groundwork now. Planning To Move in Early 2026? Start with These 4 Steps If you're eager to get the ball rolling right away, here's what to tackle first:...

One of the biggest homebuying advantages you can give yourself today is surprisingly simple: a flexible wish list. What You Can Change, and What You Can't Think of it like this. Your wish list and your budget are the guardrails of your search. And when your budget needs to hold firm, there's another lever you can pull. That's seeing if you truly need all of your desired features. Because the truth is, a small compromise could be the difference between feeling stuck and getting the keys to your next home. The data shows more buyers are using that strategy to offset affordability hurdles in today's market. A recent study from Cotality found most buyers (70%) ended up compromising on one or more items from their original wish list. But before they started searching, only 33% expected to compromise at all: Source: Cotal...

Why More Homeowners Are Giving Up Their Low Mortgage Rate If you're like a lot of homeowners, you've probably thought: "I'd like to move... but I don't want to give up my 3% rate." That's fair. That rate has been one of your best financial wins - and it can be hard to let go. But here's what you need to remember... A great rate won't make up for a home that no longer works for you. Life changes, and sometimes, your home needs to change with it. And you're not the only one making that choice. The Lock-In Effect Is Starting To Ease Many homeowners have been frozen in place by something the experts call the lock-in effect. That's when you won't move because you don't want to tak...

Mortgage Rates Have Been Coming Down Mortgage rates are always going to have their ups and downs - that's just how rates work. Especially with the general economic uncertainty right now, some volatility is to be expected. But, if you zoom out, it's the larger trend that really matters most. And overall, rates have been trending down for most of this year (see graph below) : Source: FREDDIE MAC And in just the last few months, we've seen the best rates of 2025. According to Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac : "On a median-priced home, this could allow a homebuyer to save thousands annually compared to earlier this year, showing that affordability is slowly improving. " Here's why that matters for you. This shift changes what you can actually afford. It means lower borrowing costs and m...

Whether you're considering the purchase of your first home or the sale of your fifth, navigating the real estate market is a daunting task. But does it need to be? Not if you have a capable and dedicated agent at your side! As a seasoned professional, I have the skills and experience to help you realize your goals. I provide stellar customer service so you can move forward with total confidence. When you have chosen me as your agent, you will have chosen the wealth of resources I bring with me. Verna "V" Regler 239.671.7279   ...

If you've seen headlines about home prices dropping, it's easy to wonder what that means for the value of your home too. Here's what you really need to know. Even with small price declines in some markets, data shows you're likely still way ahead . And that's thanks to your home equity. The Relationship Between Home Prices and Equity Home equity moves in sync with home prices. When prices rise, equity builds. When prices cool (even just slightly), equity growth does too. Here's how that's played out lately. After the record-setting home price surge of 2020 and 2021, a little cooling was inevitable. Back then, the number of homes for sale hit a record low. That caused home values (and your equity) to shoot up significantly as buyers fought over limited inventory. But prices couldn't continue to ...

Mortgage rates have been the monster under the bed for a while. Every time they tick up, people flinch and say, "Maybe I'll wait." But here's the twist. Waiting for that perfect 5-point-something rate could end up haunting your wallet later. The Magic Number According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR): "...a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of 6% would make the median-priced home affordable for about 5.5 million more households - including 1.6 million renters. If rates were to hit that magic number, it's likely that about 10% - or 550,000 - of those additional households would buy a home over the next 12 or 18 months. " When the market hits that mortgage rate sweet spot, as expert forecasters are starting to say is more likely in 2026, the psychological shift to lower rates will kick in for more of today's ho...

You've got big plans for 2026. But what you do this year could be the difference between a smooth sale and a stressful one. If you're thinking of selling next spring (the busiest season in real estate), the smartest move you can make is to start prepping now. As Realtor.com explains: " If you're aiming to sell in 2026, now is the time to start preparing , especially if you want to maximize the spring market's higher buyer activity." Because the reality is, from small repairs to touch-ups and decluttering, the earlier you start, the easier it'll be when you're ready to list . And, the better your house will look when it's time for it to hit the market. Why Starting Now Matters Talk to any good agent and they'll tell you that you can't afford to skip repairs in today's market. There are more homes ...