The Rebecca Francis team

Bethlehem PA realtor? Placed in the top 1% of Berkshire Hathaway agents nationwide, Rebecca L. Decker Francis and her team specialize in the Lehigh Valley luxury home market. Mixing their professional marketing expertise, business acumen and extensive relations both locally and abroad, Rebecca and her team can help buyers and sellers alike achieve their goals. Whether buying or selling a fine home, their access to the latest technologies and market research, along with their ability to network with other top luxury agents will benefit clients and enhance their buying or selling experience. See extra info on #1 realtor in Lehigh Valley.

Now that you know the “fair market value” of the home you like, it’s time to determine how much you are willing to pay. Establishing this prior to making a formal offer helps define your personal limits. You should determine how much to offer, how much earnest money you will put down, how much of the closing costs you will ask the seller to pay, when you plan to settle, and what inspections you plan to have conducted. Your agent will offer great advice for structuring your offer. Remember to ask your agent about contingencies and their importance. If you don’t fully understand something, be sure to clarify it.

Start Investing: Investing is one of the best ways to increase your net worth, but a lot of people stay away from it because they’re scared of losing money. So instead of investing, they keep their money in a savings account. That’s great, and you should have some money in a savings account for emergencies, but the truth is: Money in a savings account loses value over time. See, the average savings account has a very tiny 0.06% APY (annual percentage yield), while inflation is around 1.7%. That means that each year, the money you have in a savings account is going to have less and less buying power. So, what can you invest in to stay ahead of inflation? Here are some options: Real estate, Peer-to-peer lending, Exchange traded funds (ETFs), Stocks.

There will be times when you have the opportunity to create more space through proper organization and utilizing it efficiently. There are also some homes that just won’t allow you to store much stuff because there is no attic or basement, and the storage closet outside is relatively small. Millennial attraction to homeownership has grown significantly in recent decades. Mostly because there are now options where a 20% down payment is not the requirement. This gives a much larger pool of buyers the ability to buy a home. Especially, first time home buyers who receive a lot of help!

There are other loan programs that can make sense too, such as the 5/1 ARM, which often get swept under the rug. Make the choice yourself. If you’ve done your homework and are in good financial shape, you should be able to get your hands on a very low mortgage rate in 2022. In fact, mortgage interest rates are historically amazing at the moment and could even reach new depths depending on what transpires this year. Once again, the 2022 mortgage rate forecast looks excellent, so they may stay put for awhile longer or even hit new all-time lows. In terms of financing, it’s still a great time to buy a home. Consider that the silver lining to an otherwise pricey and competitive housing market. Of course, with home prices creeping higher and higher, even a low interest rate may not be enough to offset that growing monthly payment. So always make time to shop to ensure you get the best rate and the lowest fees, even if financing is on sale.

In Lehigh Valley, you’ll quickly find that the pace of life allows for less time commuting back and forth from the office and more time establishing a homebase within the community, plus some extra time (and money) to taste your way through the local food scene, immerse yourself in arts and culture, and explore the great outdoors with an impressive lineup of parks, trails, and waterways. In the pages ahead, we offer a look at the region through the eyes of locals who call Lehigh Valley home. Explore opportunities for living, working, and learning in this land of makers and dreamers, fueled by heritage and tradition that build strong, thriving communities. Discover extra details on https://rebeccafrancisteam.foxroach.com/.

Categories
Archives