Mortgage rates over 7% but going in the right direction

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

Yes, mortgage interest rates are still ridiculously high but they are going in the right direction. Just because your parents had to pay 8%, or 9% or more doesn’t mean 7.29% is a deal. Houses are proportionally more expensive today than they were in the 1980s.  Houses have gone up by 310% since 1980. Wages have gone up about 17.5% since 1980.

If a lender or a real estate agent suggests that home buyers are dating the mortgage but marrying the house just walk away. It costs money to refinance and if housing prices level out or go down home buyers wishing to refinance may find themselves with no equity, or worse.

Mortgage rate chart Nov 2023
Mortgage interest rates

Cash buyers can take advantage of softer prices during the holidays and fewer buyers to compete with.

Happy Cyber Monday 2023

Posted on by Teresa Boardman
wooden houses
Houses

Cyber Monday is for shopping over the internet while at work. Some workplaces monitor employee internet which is why for some today is a good day to work from home.

You can almost buy a house online but not quite. Homes for sale are easy to find online. Buyers who are pre-approved for a loan can make an offer. Easy right?

It should be simple but most home buyers want to see the house before they make an offer. They want to make an inspection contingent offer but they might not know how to do that. It seems simple but there are contracts involved.

Buying real estate isn’t like ordering a TV from Amazon on Cyber Monday.

Maybe that is a good thing because real estate is expensive and buying the right property is important. The consequences of buying the wrong property can linger for a lifetime.

Go ahead and shop but when it is time to buy call your Realtor.

Buy nothing day 2023

Posted on by Teresa Boardman
pink flowers
Poinsettias

It is Friday and Fridays are for fun. It is also Black Friday which is for shopping because capitalist Santa says so. I don’t shop on Black Friday, in fact, I probably won’t leave the house unless I go for a walk.

I am doing my part to help stop or slow inflation and I am doing my best to help the planet. Christmas isn’t sustainable.

Stay home, make something, create something, and have fun.

Thanksgiving 2023

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

I wrote this for Thanksgiving 2020. I am posting it today because one of the many things I am thankful for is that it isn’t 2020.

Happy Thanksgiving! This Thanksgiving will be very different for many of us who are used to hosting family and friends.

Since it is just two of us this year there may be enough pie for three meals.  There is plenty of wine too and I may need to drink a little extra so that I am not tempted to whine. I buy wine throughout the year and store it in my wine cellar (basement) for the holidays.

There is always something to be thankful for.   Please stay safe and remember that your actions today will have an impact on those around you and on the community.

Alexander Ramsey House

Alexander Ramsey House – St. Paul Minnesota

 

Don’t stress out over how to roast a turkey.

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

Nothing could be easier than roasting a turkey. Some folks would rather deep fry them but roasting really is better and easier too.

raw turkey
raw turkey

The good news is turkeys are very easy to cook.  You just roast them. Where most people go wrong is by not using a meat thermometer by cooking the bird too long and at too high of a temperature or listening to the talking heads on the morning news.  Use the Betty Crocker roasting chart.  I won’t tell you how many years that has worked for me.  Please don’t overcook your turkey.

They can be cooked rapidly at 450 or so, but the easiest way is to put it in an electronic turkey roaster or in the oven at 325 to 350 and just ignore it as it magically cooks. The roaster frees up the oven too.

Clean-up is simple too.  The only challenge is finding a place to store the electric roaster but as a Realtor, I can help you find a bigger home with more storage space if needed.

The FDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 165 . . if you don’t want to risk food poisoning.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and don’t stress over the turkey.  Worry about the stuffing, the pies, or the rolls.

Thanksgiving week and new listings

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

During Thanksgiving week we don’t see as many new listings. That makes sense. If your house is already on the market and you would like some peace and quiet this week, ask your agent about making your home “temporarily not available). That is a kind of time-out for a few days or even a couple of weeks. No one will ask to see your home and “days on market” will stop accumulating.

Turkey
Turkey