Category: For Buyers

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Higher Rates Could Actually Help Housing Supply – Here’s How.

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on August 19, 2026. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Inventory, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

You may have heard the number of homes for sale isn’t growing like it was. And maybe that has you worried you won’t find a home you love when it’s time to make your move.But that may be about to change. Here’s why your pool of options may actually start ticking back up again.Growth Has Slowed, But It Hasn’t StoppedActive listings were up 2.1% year-over-year in July, according to Realtor.com. Back in January, inventory was up 10%. And in May of 2025, it was up 31.5%. So, growth has cooled off a lot over the last year.The past 3 months, though, have all seen inventory growth land in roughly...

Who Has the Upper Hand in Today’s Housing Market?

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on August 16, 2026. Posted in Buying Tips, For Buyers, For Sellers, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates, Selling Tips.

Ask around and almost every homebuyer out there wants to know if there’s a way to get a better deal. And just about every seller wants to know if they’ll still get top dollar.The interesting thing is… both can be right at the exact same time. It just depends on where you live.That’s because today’s housing market isn’t moving in one direction anymore. Some markets clearly favor buyers. Others still favor sellers. But most are sitting somewhere in the middle.And knowing which market you’re actually in can completely change the strategy you use to buy or...

Here’s Why Mortgage Rates Are What They Are Right Now

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on August 16, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

If you’re waiting for mortgage rates to fall a lot before you buy, you may be waiting a while. But before you get discouraged, there’s a number working behind the scenes that’s actually good for you right now. It’s called the spread, and once you understand it, you may see today’s rates in a whole new light.The Pattern That’s Held for 50+ YearsFor starters, mortgage rates don’t move on their own. They tend to follow the 10-year treasury yield, a number tied to how investors feel about the economy.It’s not an exact science, since plenty of other factors can move...

The Case for Putting 20% Down on Your Next Home

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on August 16, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, Downsize, For Buyers, Move-Up, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

If you’re planning to buy your next home soon, you’ve probably heard the old rule about saving 20% for your down payment.The truth is, you usually don’t have to. Plenty of loan options let qualified buyers put down much less. But a lot of repeat buyers are choosing to put down 20% anyway.So, why are they if they don’t have to?Two reasons. They know a bigger down payment pays off, and after years in their current house, they’ve built up enough equity that it’s finally possible.Repeat Buyers Put More Money DownAccording to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the typical repeat buyer...

Big Investors Are Backing Off and That’s Your Opening

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on August 6, 2026. Posted in First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

For years, a lot of would-be homebuyers have worried about the same thing. How do you compete with big investors who can swoop in, pay cash, and snap up the houses you want?Well, worry a little less. Because right now, those big investors aren’t buying up the market. They’re backing out of it.Investors Are Buying Fewer Homes Than They Have in YearsAccording to Redfin, investor home purchases just fell to their lowest level since 2020 – when the start of the pandemic temporarily caused pretty much all homebuying to pull way back. Before that, you’d have to go all the way...

Buying a Home? Here’s What You Should Know About Home Insurance Costs.

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on August 6, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, For Buyers, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

If buying a home is on your radar, you’ve probably been keeping an eye on mortgage rates and home prices. But don’t forget about homeowners insurance. Homeowners insurance has always been part of owning a home. But over the past few years, it’s become a larger expense for many homeowners – something that’s especially frustrating when affordability already feels tight.The good news? While premiums are still rising, the latest data shows those increases are beginning to slow. Here’s what buyers should know.Home Insurance Costs Have Gone UpYou’ve probably heard...

Priced Out? A Condo or Townhome Could Be Your Way In.

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on July 25, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, Downsize, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

Today’s home prices have a lot of buyers – especially first-time buyers – wondering if there’s even anything out there that’s in their budget. But owning a home may be more within reach than you think. Sometimes, it just means considering a different type of home.Condos and townhomes can be a great way to buy without stretching every last dollar. And right now, two things make them worth a serious look.There Are More Condos and Townhomes To Choose FromMaybe you feel like there’s just nothing out there for you, and you’ve exhausted all your options. But have you considered condos or...

More Homes, Better Prices: A Buyer’s Summer

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on July 25, 2026. Posted in Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Home Prices, Inventory, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

If you’ve thought about buying a home in the past few years, you may have run into two frustrations: asking prices that kept climbing and too few homes to choose from.In many places, both sticking points are letting up this summer, with lower asking prices and more homes for sale. Let’s look at the trends, and what they mean for your search.Sellers Are Pricing To Attract BuyersAccording to Realtor.com, the national median asking price was $430,000 in June, nearly $11,000 under what it was the year before (see graph below):That’s the eighth month in a row that the typical asking price has...

Think You Have To Put 20% Down? Most First-Time Homebuyers Don’t.

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on April 28, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

According to Google Trends, online searches for down payment information recently hit an all-time high. And that’s a clear sign more buyers are trying to figure out what they really need to save before making a move (see graph below):If you’re wondering the same thing, you can always turn to the internet for answers. But a lot of the time, it’s better to ask a local expert. Because here’s what a pro would tell you.The 20% Down Payment MythThe idea that you need 20% down to buy a home is one of the biggest misconceptions around the homebuying process. And the data debunks the myth.While...

3 Things That Are Not Going To Happen in Today’s Housing Market

Written by Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Syndicated User on April 24, 2026. Posted in For Buyers, Home Prices, Inventory, Mortgage Rates, Ormond by the Sea Condo Financing, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage, Ormond by the Sea Mortgage Rates.

There’s a lot of uncertainty right now and that’s leading to some dramatic headlines. And if you’re thinking about buying a home, that can make you feel a little less sure about your decision.A recent study by CNBC asked homebuyers what they’re most worried about, and three themes kept coming up again and again:Mortgage ratesThe number of homes for saleHome pricesBut a lot of what you may be hearing on those is based more on misconceptions. Not facts. So, let’s break it down and separate fact from fiction.Misconception #1: “I’ll Just Wait, Because Mortgage Rates Are Going To Fall...