Menu
This report specifically benefits our Single Women Home Buyers to provide insight into the demographics, financial profiles, home buying motivations & lending experiences of women who purchase homes on their own.
We’d be happy to walk through this report with you.
Let’s connect and plan your next steps and find out if we’re the right real estate team for you!
CA Real Estate Group | Caliber Real Estate Group
👩🏻 Christine Almarines @carealestategroup
Realtor DRE# 01412944 | 714-476-4637
Tagalog speaking
👩🏻 Anaid Bautista @wealthwithanaid
Realtor DRE# 02179675 | 949-391-8266
Spanish speaking
Keeping Current Matters | Feb 26, 2024
If you’re planning to buy your first home, saving up for all the costs involved can feel daunting, especially when it comes to the down payment. That might be because you’ve heard you need to save 20% of the home’s price to put down. Well, that isn’t necessarily the case.
Unless specified by your loan type or lender, it’s typically not required to put 20% down. That means you could be closer to your homebuying dream than you realize.
As The Mortgage Reports says:
“Although putting down 20% to avoid mortgage insurance is wise if affordable, it’s a myth that this is always necessary. In fact, most people opt for a much lower down payment.”
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median down payment hasn’t been over 20% since 2005. In fact, for all homebuyers today it’s only 15%. And it’s even lower for first-time homebuyers at just 8% (see graph below):
The big takeaway? You may not need to save as much as you originally thought.
According to Down Payment Resource, there are also over 2,000 homebuyer assistance programs in the U.S., and many of them are intended to help with down payments.
Plus, there are loan options that can help too. For example, FHA loans offer down payments as low as 3.5%, while VA and USDA loans have no down payment requirements for qualified applicants.
With so many resources available to help with your down payment, the best way to find what you qualify for is by consulting with your loan officer or broker. They know about local grants and loan programs that may help you out.
Don’t let the misconception that you have to have 20% saved up hold you back. If you’re ready to become a homeowner, lean on the professionals to find resources that can help you make your dreams a reality. If you put your plans on hold until you’ve saved up 20%, it may actually cost you in the long run. According to U.S. Bank:
“. . . there are plenty of reasons why it might not be possible. For some, waiting to save up 20% for a down payment may “cost” too much time. While you’re saving for your down payment and paying rent, the price of your future home may go up.”
Home prices are expected to keep appreciating over the next 5 years – meaning your future home will likely go up in price the longer you wait. If you’re able to use these resources to buy now, that future price growth will help you build equity, rather than cost you more.
Keep in mind that you don’t always need a 20% down payment to buy a home. If you’re looking to make a move this year, reach out to a trusted real estate professional to start the conversation about your homebuying goals.
Keeping Current Matters | Feb 8, 2024
Are you on the fence about selling your house? While affordability is improving this year, it’s still tight. And that may be on your mind. But understanding your home equity could be the key to making your decision easier. An article from Bankrate explains:
“Home equity is the difference between your home’s value and the amount you still owe on your mortgage. It represents the paid-off portion of your home.
You’ll start off with a certain level of equity when you make your down payment to buy the home, then continue to build equity as you pay down your mortgage. You’ll also build equity over time as your home’s value increases.”
Think of equity as a simple math equation. It’s the value of your home now minus what you owe on your mortgage. And guess what? Recently, your equity has probably grown more than you think.
In the past few years, home prices skyrocketed, which means your home’s value – and your equity – likely shot up, too. So, you may have more equity than you realize.
If you’re thinking about moving, the equity you have in your home could be a big help. According to CoreLogic:
“. . . the average U.S. homeowner with a mortgage still has more than $300,000 in equity . . .”
Clearly, homeowners have a lot of equity right now. And the latest data from the Census and ATTOM shows over two-thirds of homeowners have either completely paid off their mortgages (shown in green in the chart below) or have at least 50% equity (shown in blue in the chart below):
After you sell your house, you can use your equity to help you buy your next home. Here’s how:
“You may want to pay cash for your home if you’re shopping in a competitive housing market, or if you’d like to save money on mortgage interest. It could help you close a deal and beat out other buyers.”
“Borrowers who put down more money typically receive better interest rates from lenders. This is due to the fact that a larger down payment lowers the lender’s risk because the borrower has more equity in the home from the beginning.”
To find out how much equity you have in your home, ask a real estate agent you trust for a Professional Equity Assessment Report (PEAR).
Planning a move? Your home equity can really help you out. Let’s connect to see how much equity you have and how it can help with your next home.
👩🏻 Christine Almarines @carealestategroup
Realtor DRE# 01412944 | 714-476-4637
Tagalog speaking
👩🏻 Anaid Bautista @singlemomrealtor
Realtor DRE# 02179675 | 949-391-8266
Spanish speaking
Keeping Current Matters | Jan 8, 2024
If you want to buy a home, it’s important to know how mortgage rates impact what you can afford and how much you’ll pay each month. Fortunately, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages have come down significantly since the end of October and are currently under 7%, according to Freddie Mac (see graph below):
This recent trend is great news for buyers. As a recent article from Bankrate says:
“The rate cool-off somewhat eases the housing affordability squeeze.”
And according to Edward Seiler, AVP of Housing Economics and Executive Director of the Research Institute for Housing America at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA):
“MBA expects that affordability conditions will continue to improve as mortgage rates decline . . .”
Here’s a bit more context on how this could help with your plans to buy a home.
Understanding the connection between mortgage rates and your monthly home payment is crucial for your plans to become a homeowner. The chart below illustrates how your ability to afford a home changes when mortgage rates shift. Imagine your budget allows for a monthly payment between $2,400 and $2,500. The green part in the chart shows payments in that range or lower (see chart below):
As you can see, even small changes in rates can affect your budget and the loan amount you can afford.
When you’re looking to buy a home, it’s important to get guidance from a local real estate agent and a trusted lender. They can help you explore different mortgage options, understand what makes mortgage rates go up or down, and how those changes impact you.
By looking at the numbers and the latest data together, then adjusting your strategy based on today’s rates, you’ll be better prepared and ready to buy a home.
If you’re looking to buy a home, you should know the recent downward trend in mortgage rates is good news for your move. Let’s connect and plan your next steps.
👩🏻 Christine Almarines @christine_almarines
Realtor DRE# 01412944 | 714-476-4637
Tagalog speaking
👩🏻 Michelle Kim @michellejeankim_homes
Realtor DRE# 01885912 | 714-253-7531
Korean speaking
👩🏻 Anaid Bautista @singlemomrealtor
Realtor DRE# 02179675 | 949-391-8266
Spanish speaking
Keeping Current Matters | Nov 3, 2023
Christine Almarines @christine_almarines Michelle Kim @michellejeankim_homes Anaid Bautista @singlemomrealtor
View this post on Instagram
CONTACT ANY ONE OF OUR @CAREALESTATEGROUP AGENTS:
👩🏻 Christine Almarines @christine_almarines
Realtor DRE# 01412944 | 714-476-4637
👩🏻 Michelle Kim @michellejeankim_homes I speak Korean!
Realtor DRE# 01885912 | 714-253-7531
👩🏻 Anaid Bautista @singlemomrealtor I speak Spanish!
Realtor DRE# 02179675 | 949-391-8266
CA Real Estate Group | Powered by Keller Williams Realty
View this post on Instagram
CONTACT ANY ONE OF OUR @CAREALESTATEGROUP AGENTS:
👩🏻 Christine Almarines @christine_almarines
Realtor DRE# 01412944 | 714-476-4637
👩🏻 Michelle Kim @michellejeankim_homes I speak Korean!
Realtor DRE# 01885912 | 714-253-7531
👩🏻 Anaid Bautista @singlemomrealtor I speak Spanish!
Realtor DRE# 02179675 | 949-391-8266
CA Real Estate Group | Powered by Keller Williams Realty
Refreshing a room in your home — for a season or a more permanent change — doesn’t have to be costly or take weeks to complete. Try these creative ideas for quick transformations.
Guest Bedroom
Low-effort, high-impact updates will welcome your guests year-round.
Kitchen
You might think a kitchen update means major upgrades like new countertops or painted cabinets. But there are quick changes you can make to give your kitchen a fresh new look.
Entryway
First impressions are made in your home’s entryway. A few simple fixes will go a long way in making this multi-purpose space warm and welcoming.
Celebrate a friend or loved one’s new home with these creatively unique housewarming gifts.
If the new homeowner loves to host gatherings with friends and family, a personalized cheeseboard or coaster set makes the perfect addition for their next get-together.
For those who value a tidy home, help them out with a cordless vacuum or lid organizer. To keep their schedules as organized as their home, a magnetic calendar is another option.
Culinary enthusiasts will enjoy practical kitchen gifts like organic salts, premium olive oils and artisanal honey. Or consider unusual accessories like hand-painted measuring cups or a mortar and pestle.
Those who love spending time at home will appreciate a relaxing evening with a bath caddy tray and a soothing candle. For families, a sampler of popcorn flavors for their next movie night will surely be a hit.
Keeping cool in the summer and warm in the winter isn’t just about comfort — it’s about maintaining a home that breathes easy year-round. Beyond merely reducing the chances of an unexpected breakdown, regular upkeep of your HVAC system significantly extends its lifespan and is easier than you might think. While experts suggest professional maintenance once or twice a year, there are some simple tasks you can perform on your own.
Monthly
Seasonally
Yearly
Turn ordinary pumpkins into extraordinary works of art with these “gourd-eous” decorating ideas.
Give your pumpkins a metallic makeover with copper spray paint that matches copper cookware for a trendy autumn kitchen.
Make a cozy sweater for your pumpkin by gluing thick braids of yarn from stem to bottom, spacing braids about one inch apart.
Bring mummies to life by wrapping strips of gauze around a small pumpkin, using hot glue to secure the strips. Leave a gap in the gauze, then glue on two different-sized black circles for the eyes. These cute pumpkins capture the spirit of the season with their not-so-spine-tingling stare.
Add a touch of elegance by gluing pieces of white lace trim or delicate flower appliques onto pumpkins.
Ingredients
2 small, pre-baked pizza crusts
¼ cup marinara or pizza sauce
½ cup crumbled Feta cheese
½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup red onion, julienned
¼ cup black olives, halved
¼ cup green olives, sliced
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
Directions
Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place pizza crusts on pan and top with equal amounts of sauce, cheese and vegetables. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until toppings are hot and crusts are crispy. Serve with tzatziki sauce.
Serves 2
 ©2023 The Personal Marketing Company. All rights reserved. Reproductions in any form, in part or in whole, are prohibited without written permission. If your property is currently listed for sale or lease, this is not intended as a solicitation of that listing. The material in this publication is for your information only and not intended to be used in lieu of seeking additional consumer or professional advice. All trademarked names or quotations are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
The Personal Marketing Company |
KeepingCurrentMatters.com | Sep 13, 2023
Are you a baby boomer who’s lived in your current house for a long time and you’re ready for a change? If you’re thinking about selling your house, you have a lot to consider. Will you move to a different state or stay nearby? Is it time to downsize or do you want more space to accommodate your loved ones? But maybe the biggest consideration boils down to this – will you buy your next home or choose to rent instead?
That decision ultimately depends on your current situation and your future plans. Here are two important factors to help you decide what’s right for you.
The graph below uses data from the Census to show how rents have been climbing steadily since 1988:
Rents have been going up consistently over the long run. If you choose to rent, there’s a risk your rental payment will go up each time you renew your lease. Having a higher rental expense may not be something you want to deal with every year.
When you buy a home with a fixed-rate mortgage, it helps stabilize your monthly housing payment. This allows you to lock in your monthly payment for the duration of your home loan. That keeps your payments steady and predictable for the long haul. Freddie Mac sums it up like this:
“. . . homeowners with fixed-rate loans will see little to no change to their monthly housing cost over the life of their loan. You can be confident in knowing that your mortgage payments won’t change much in the long term, even when life’s other costs do.”
According to AARP, buying your next home is a better long-term strategy than renting:
“Though each option has pros and cons, buying provides more pros, with a broader range of benefits.”
To help you choose what you’ll do after you sell, here are just a few of the benefits of homeownership that article covers:
If you’re a baby boomer who’s wondering whether you should buy or rent your next home, call Christine Almarines at CA Real Estate Group for advice at (714) 476-4637. With rents going up and homeownership providing so many benefits, it may make sense to consider buying your next home.
KeepingCurrentMatters.com | Sep 1, 2023
Please fill out the form below and we will be contacting you shortly
with information about your home.
