Why You Should Finish All Home Upgrades Before Listing

In today’s market, buyers aren’t just shopping for a home—they’re shopping for certainty. And for most, that means “move-in ready.”

What the Data Says

  • A 2025 Bright MLS survey found that 94% of buyers rate move-in condition as important—more than half say it’s very important. Buyers were more likely to compromise on square footage or location than on the home’s condition.

  • Zillow’s 2025 market analysis showed homes described as “remodeled” sold for an average of 3.7% more (approximately $13,000 on a typical U.S. home), while fixer-uppers sold for 7.3% less—the steepest discount in three years.

  • The National Association of Realtors reports that staged homes—often fully…

496 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Mortgage Rates Below 5.5%: How Many Buyers Could Re-Enter the Market?

When the 30-year fixed rate flirted with 8 percent in 2023, America’s housing engine seized up. Millions of would-be movers chose to “lock in place,” unwilling to trade their low-3 percent loans for payments that felt twice as high. That stalemate is beginning to crack: if rates fall below the pivotal 5.5 percent line, the buyer floodgates swing open.

National Demand That’s Waiting in the Wings

Respected analysts at Zillow and John Burns Real Estate Consulting peg the “rate-locked” cohort at roughly four million households. Their survey work shows that 45–60 percent of those owners would actively shop again once rates drop into the mid-fives. That translates to 1.8–2.5 million new…

322 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post