Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  More homes are finally hitting the spring market. Will buyers take the plunge? It's springtime, and "For Sale" signs are popping up in front of homes across the country. But with so much uncertainty in the economy, it's an open question whether the spring housing market will be hot … or not. Let's check out the forecast. Mortgage rates and home prices are both high It's certainly not the cheapest time to buy a home. The average 30-year mortgage rate is now 6.65%, down a bit from January, but still pretty high. Many analysts predict that mortgage rates will linger around this level for now, especially since the Federal Reserve has indicated it's unlikely to cut interest rates until later this year. Selma Hepp, chief economist at real estate analysis firm Cotality, says market volatility  could  bring down mortgage rates. That's because mortgages typically follow the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds, which are affected by investors' worries about th...

  “Just Thinking” Well, beat the drum and hold the phone the sun came out today we’re born again, there’s new grass on the field. The 2025 Giants took the field yesterday in Cincinnati to open the new season with an exciting come from behind 6-4 victory that featured some exciting 9 th  inning heroics. It’s the first time that Giants won on opening day when trailing through 8 innings since they beat the Mets back on April 10, 1968. Speaking of San Francisco, I watched Bullitt again, but having not seen it in such along time it felt like I watched it for the first time. Bullitt is remembered for its heart pounding car chase through the streets of San Francisco, but it was much more, it was a gritty action thriller that rewrote the rules of the genre with Steve McQueen at its fast-paced core.  The movie came out in 1968 with Steve “The Cooler King” McQueen at the height of his career. McQueen plays a hard as steel police lieutenant Frank Billett, who is charged with protect...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter NAR economists weigh in on home sales and mortgage rates—and how the election results, the economy and changing buyer demographics could impact your real estate business in the year ahead. The last two years have been tough for many people who work in home sales or who were in the market to buy or sell, but the worst may be over, Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of REALTORS®, told a crowd of real estate professionals during NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience, in Boston on Friday. Yun released a rosier forecast for the housing market for 2025 and 2026, with an outlook for higher home sales and moderating mortgage rates. Also speaking at Friday’s Residential Economic Issues and Trends Forum, NAR’s Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz shared new NAR data that looked at who’s buying homes today. The data shows growth in all-cash buyers, multigenerational purchases and single buyers. On the selling side, homeowners are feeling ric...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter For nearly half of Americans, home is more than just a place to live—it’s a sanctuary, a workspace, and an investment in their future. According to new research from Fannie Mae, 44% of consumers say their home has grown more important in recent years, compared to just 10% who say it has become less important. And it’s not just about finances—security, location, and lifestyle upgrades are now major driving forces behind homeownership demand. This shift in consumer sentiment is reshaping the market, influencing buying decisions, and pushing inventory pressures even further. Here’s what the latest research reveals about why homes have taken on new importance—and what it means for real estate agents and homebuyers moving forward. Why Home Matters More Than Ever With housing affordability at historic lows, many homeowners recognize they couldn’t afford their current home in today’s market—making them value what they already have even more. The top reaso...

  “Just Thinking” It’s hard to believe, but this week marks the 5 th  anniversary "15 Days to Slow the Spread" initiative, The two weeks turned into two plus years, and it seems so surreal, five years ago our way of life was turned on its head and our lives were changed forever. The lockdowns, that started in March of 2020 varied widely by region and triggered some seismic shifts in daily life, work, and society. Here are some of the most notable changes, based on how they reshaped things at the time and lingered afterward: One of the biggest and most impactful changes was school closures, schools went to virtual teaching with little time to prep. Teachers turned into Zoom wranglers, while kids stared at screens instead of blackboards relying on parents to became co-educators. Studies show that the learning loss was brutal with reading and math scores dropping significantly. The two years of virtual school had a huge impact on the social development of the students. The mass ...

 "Just Thinking" March 14th (3/14) is celebrated as  Pi Day , honoring the mathematical constant π (3.14159...), often marked by math-related activities and, of course, eating pie! It was during this week in 1894 that Coca-Cola began selling its drink in square glass bottles, initially available only in Mississippi. Before this, Coke, like beer, it was only served on tap. There are many notable birthdays on this day in history; Albert Einstein (1879) – the most influential physicists of all time. Billy Crystal (1948) – Comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Michael Caine (1933) – famous British actor. Quincy Jones (1933) – Music producer, composer, and arranger. Stephen Curry (1988) –Golden State Warriors Superstar. Yesterday I performed my yearly pilgrimage to the tax man. The anxiety starts kicking in the week before as I gather all my forms and start working on receipts and organizing all of the necessary paperwork. Again, I promise myself that I will spend an hour or so each...