You’re Sarah, mother of three and a realtor. You love what you do. You love people and you love helping people into the “American Dream.” Sure, you think it’s corny every time you say that out loud, but you have seen lives change through home ownership and you work really hard at what you do. It’s … [Read more...] about National Association of Realtors Settlement: Business as Usual or Forever Changed?
Benchmark Mortgage Flagstaff
Considering the Eighth Wonder of the World and Housing
Albert Einstein once said, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it.” Stability, comfort, privacy, security, community and personal expression are some of the top non-financial reasons for home ownership. While these are … [Read more...] about Considering the Eighth Wonder of the World and Housing
Real Estate Projection: The Later You Buy, the More You Will Fight
The emotions of home buying vs. the logic of home buying is an interesting philosophical quandary. While I would argue that most folks purchase based on lifestyle more than pure logic alone, the current market whipsaws have impacted buyers’ and sellers’ perspectives on both these fronts. The … [Read more...] about Real Estate Projection: The Later You Buy, the More You Will Fight
Three Predictions for the 2024 Home Buying Market
Expert economists have struggled all year to call how the Federal Reserve Board will manage the inflation crisis and subsequently, how markets will then react. This has led the current rate predictions to be very conservative and very diverse among economists, with two camps emerging. There is a … [Read more...] about Three Predictions for the 2024 Home Buying Market
Industry Shifts Providing More Support for Multi-Family and Multi-Generational Housing
There are not enough homes available to meet the demand of the population needing housing. Our very own City of Flagstaff has identified this and considered it an emergency. Their 10-year plan, announced in 2022, includes the goal to create or preserve 7,976 housing units by 2031. With our … [Read more...] about Industry Shifts Providing More Support for Multi-Family and Multi-Generational Housing
Exploring the Click Bait, Unicorn Years of Housing
Confirmation bias and click bait can be a dangerous combination. The disingenuous reporting of economic and housing data has been extremely common this last year, especially on mainstream media. Comparing limited data points and comparing only to the “Unicorn Years” of 2020-2022 are often the … [Read more...] about Exploring the Click Bait, Unicorn Years of Housing
Will History Repeat Itself with Mortgage Rates?
The following quote seems like the best way to start this month, on many levels. “Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable.” – George S. Patton I believe many aspiring homebuyers feel like the housing market is at war … [Read more...] about Will History Repeat Itself with Mortgage Rates?
Five Housing Market Facts You Wish Were Not True
What are you most excited about and what are you most nervous about?” That’s a question I’ve asked Flagstaff home buyers countless times through the last 14 years in my lending career. Flagstaff is special, we all know that. Almost everyone I talk to expresses their excitement to own their little … [Read more...] about Five Housing Market Facts You Wish Were Not True