012021 - E Newsletter

Who is Ashley Miller?

This video was made to introduce clients moving to the area to my business, family and background. I want to share near the beginning of the year to connect again to what makes Auburn and Opelika such a wonderful place to live and raise a family. As you or those close to you consider any real estate needs this year, I would be honored to have the opportunity to help.

Please share this video with anyone you know that is considering buying or selling in the area. I have been grateful to serve so many families in the purchase or sale of a home over the last 17 years. Thank you to all my clients, friends, referral partners, and other agents that make selling real estate such a blessing.

Buying a home can be lots of fun. It’s exciting to see all those years of dreaming come to life in a place you can finally call your own.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement before asking yourself the most important question of all: How much house can I afford? The hard truth is, it doesn’t matter if the kitchen is fabulous or the backyard is big. If you can’t pay the mortgage each month or find the cash to fix what’s broken, your home will be a burden—not a blessing!

Figuring out how much house you can afford doesn’t have to be rocket science. Click the link for some smart tips to help you buy a home within your budget and access to an affordability calculator.

HOW MUCH HOUSE CAN I AFFORD

Picture and article provided by: https://www.daveramsey.com/

I proudly serve as a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider for real estate services.

The housing market made an incredible recovery in 2020 and is now positioned for an even stronger year in 2021. Record-low mortgage interest rates are a driving factor in this continued momentum, with average rates hovering at historic all-time lows.

According to the latest Realtors Confidence Index Survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), buyer demand across the country is incredibly strong. That’s not the case, however, on the supply side. Seller traffic is simply not keeping up. Buyer traffic is high, but seller traffic is low. With so few homes for sale right now.

NAR also just reported that the actual number of homes currently for sale stands at 1.28 million, down 22% from one year ago (1.64 million). Additionally, inventory is at an all-time low with 2.3 months supply available at the current sales pace. In a normal market, that number would be 6.0 months of inventory – significantly higher than it is today.

What does this mean for buyers and sellers?

Buyers need to remain patient in the search process. At the same time, they must be ready to act immediately once they find the right home since bidding wars are more common when so few houses are available for sale.

Sellers may not want to wait until spring to put their houses on the market, though. With such high buyer demand and such a low supply, now is the perfect time to sell a house on optimal terms.

Bottom Line

The real estate market is entering the year like a lion. There’s no indication it will lose that roar, assuming inventory continues to come to market.