The HousingCoach Blog
Important and useful information about Home Buying, Home Selling and the Chicagoland Real Estate market, to help you make the most of Your Personal American Dream. Explore, Learn, and Take Action.
3 Things That Are Not Going To Happen in Today’s Housing Market
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...
More Options Are Popping Up This Spring
Did you try to buy a home last year, but you ended up pressing pause?Maybe you couldn’t find a home that really fit your needs. Or maybe the ones you liked just weren’t affordable. According to a recent survey from NerdWallet, those were the top two reasons buyers...
The 10 Best Markets for First-Time Buyers This Spring
For a while, buying your first home hasn’t just felt hard. It may have felt out of reach.Not because you weren’t ready.Not because you weren’t trying.But because every time you ran the numbers, they didn’t work.That’s why so many first-time buyers stepped back.But...
Rent or Buy? The Real Tradeoff Most People Don’t Talk About
You’ve probably asked yourself lately: Is it even worth trying to buy a home right now? It’s a question a lot of people are asking.With today’s home prices and mortgage rates, renting can feel like the easier path. In some cases, it might even seem like the only...
Getting a Tax Refund? Here’s How It Can Help You Buy a Home
If you’re getting a tax refund this year, here’s something worth thinking about. That money could actually help you get closer to buying a home.It may not be something you’ve factored into your plan yet, but it can give your savings a nice boost right when you need it...
Wondering If You Should Still Buy a Home Right Now? Here’s What To Keep in Mind.
With economic headlines, global events, and near constant talk about affordability, you may be wondering if this is the right time to move. But here’s what you need to remember.While recent events do have some impact on the housing market, they don’t take buying off...
When Buying a Home Feels Out of Reach, Some Families Do This Instead
For a lot of people, the math on buying a home just doesn’t really work right now. Maybe that’s how it feels for you too. You look at the cost of buying. Then you look at the cost of childcare. And it starts to feel like you have to choose one or the other.But some...
Thinking About an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage? Here’s What You Need To Know.
If you’ve been looking for a home lately, you’ve probably felt how tough affordability still is. And that's exactly why more buyers are opting for adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs.Here's what you need to understand about how they work, and whether they make sense...
Your House Hasn’t Sold Yet. Should You Rent It Out Instead?
When your house sits on the market longer than expected, it can get frustrating fast.You start asking: what now? And for a growing number of homeowners, that turns into: should I just rent it instead?While it sounds like a simple backup plan, becoming “accidental...
Before You Fall in Love with a House, Do This First.
Be honest. Have you started looking at homes online yet? If you have, it’s already time to get pre-approved. Because here’s what not enough people know.If buying a home is on your radar – even if it’s more of a someday plan than a right now plan – you don’t want to...
Don’t Let Home Prices Headlines Fool You
Spend about 5 minutes online searching for news about the housing market, and odds are you’ll see something pop up about home prices. You may even stumble onto social media influencers saying we’re headed for a crash. Let’s get you the context you need.The truth is...
This’ll Change What You Think About Investors in Today’s Housing Market
There’s a lot of noise out there right now about investors in the housing market.Some headlines make it sound like big Wall Street firms are buying up everything in sight. And if you’re trying to purchase a home yourself, that can make it feel like the odds are...
You Can’t Control What’s Happening with Mortgage Rates. But You Can Control This.
Mortgage rates have been volatile lately. And if you’re thinking about buying a home, that can make it harder to plan. But there are still things you can do to get the best rate possible in today’s market. It starts with having the right information.So, what’s causing...
The Remodel You’ve Been Dreaming About May Be Closer Than You Think
That kitchen you’ve been mentally redesigning...The bathroom that really needs a refresh...Or the outdoor space you keep saying you’ll get to someday...What if you already have what you need to finally make it happen? Because a growing number of homeowners are...
Affordability Has Improved in All 50 States
For the past few years, affordability has been what’s stopped a lot of buyers in their tracks. Maybe it stopped you, too.At some point you probably did the math, looked at the monthly payment, and decided to pause your search and wait for things to get better. But...
3 Must-Do’s for First-Time Home Buyers
Buying your first home is exciting, but it can also be a little nerve-wrecking because it’s something you’ve never done before. And trying to think of everything you need to do can feel like a lot. But here’s the key.You don’t have to figure everything out on your...
The #1 Reason Buyers Walk Away (And How To Get Ahead of It)
You may have seen headlines on social saying the number of buyers backing out of their contracts is on the rise – and has recently reached a high not seen since 2017. That can sound intimidating. But it varies a lot by market.And here’s the key thing to understand if...
One Key Sign We’re Not Headed for a Wave of Foreclosures
Foreclosures are ticking up. And that may make your mind jump straight to thoughts of 2008 – specifically to what happened to the market during the housing crash. So, let’s do exactly what your brain already wants to do, and see if there’s any connection there.The...
If Your House Isn’t Getting Offers, Read This.
Online searches for “can’t sell house” just hit an all-time high according to Google Trends. So, if your house has been sitting on the market without any bites, you’re not the only one. But it's also not the end of the road. Homes are selling every day, so you can...
Should You Wait for Lower Rates?
Mortgage rates have already dropped into the upper 5s twice this year. But after just a few days, they ticked back up into the low 6% range. If you saw that and thought, “Great. I missed it,” you’re not the only one.A lot of buyers are treating the 5s like some kind...
Spring Sellers Have an Edge. Here’s Why.
Homeowners looking to sell usually want three things: plenty of interested buyers, strong offers, and a short timeline. Spring is the season that most often delivers all three.So, if a move has been on your mind this year, this is the window where momentum tends to...
Are Home Prices Dropping? Here’s the Real Story.
You’ve probably seen posts on social media talking about how “home prices are falling.” And when you see something like that, it’s normal to wonder:Is this the start of a crash?What does this mean for my house?Let’s clear this up right away. This is not a crash. And...
The Hidden Advantage Repeat Buyers Have Right Now
What if you didn’t have a mortgage payment on your next house? It may sound a little unrealistic. But for a number of homeowners, it’s actually doable.Nearly 3 in 10 homes purchased today are bought in cash, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR)....
Top Mistakes Homeowners Are Making in 2026 (And How To Avoid Them)
Let’s be clear: selling your house is absolutely possible right now. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), roughly 11k homes sell every day in this country.