Chuck Barberini Real Estate

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Ryan Serhant tells CNBC there’s "no longer a housing market" in America. Here’s what he meant and what agents can take from it. “There is no longer a housing market in the United States…” Those are Ryan Serhant’s words in response to one of the questions posed during a Fast Money panel conversation on CNBC. The CEO of SERHANT. went on to say “there are four Americas,” describing the four different players in the market right now: Cash buyers Buyers who need financing Homeowners locked into 3% mortgages Homebuilders Each of those players experiences the market differently. That’s the point Serhant was making. Some players have more pull than others. Some are struggling to play their part.  The Four Americas Serhant Is Seeing on the Ground Serhant broke down the four groups when asked about strength in the luxury market. “There is no longer a housing market in the United States… There are four Americas. There are cash buyers who live in a compl...

 Imagine waiting a year to buy a home, only to find mortgage rates haven't changed much. That may sound frustrating. But it's a real possibility. A lot of people are putting their plans on hold because they believe much lower mortgage rates are right around the corner. But, based on today's forecasts, that may not happen. And you should know that before you decide what to do. Let's look at why experts don't expect a dramatic drop in rates – and the options that could help you buy anyway. Because even if rates don’t fall, you can still move. Here’s how. 1. Mortgage Rates Aren’t Expected To Fall in a Meaningful Way If you're waiting for rates to fall, you're not alone. A recent survey from Clever-Best Interest found 42% of people believe mortgage rates will drop below 5% this year. The challenge is, that's not what the experts who study mortgage rates every day are expecting. Forecasts from Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association , and Wells Fargo ...

 If you're a homeowner getting ready to move, one question usually comes first: should you buy your next home before you sell, or sell your current house before you start looking? There's no single right answer. The best call depends on your finances, your local market, and your timeline. And a trusted agent can help you weigh all of it. But in a lot of cases these days, selling first puts you in the stronger spot. The Advantages of Selling First Selling is usually the trickier half of a move today, so getting it done first clears your biggest hurdle. And that’s especially true right now, because there are more homes for sale than there are buyers, which means houses are taking longer to sell than they did a year or two ago. So how does leading with your sale pay off? Let’s start with the money. 1. You Won’t Get Stuck Paying Two Mortgages Buy before you sell, and you could end up carrying two mortgages at once. And especially since houses are staying on the market longer these...

  “Just Thinking" I know that over the past few weeks I have been sounding like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, with his blunt observations about how neighborhoods and generations change over time. “Get the hell off my lawn.” If it’s any consolation, my inner dialog is much more intense than what I write down in “Just Thinking”. Baseball and the Giants are taking the brunt of my ire, but I have also taken shots at “The City” and some societal norms that have changed too fast. So, number 2 son, Chris, sent me an epic rant by John Gruden the other day from an interview with Jake Marsh that was reminiscent of Kevin Costner's rant in Bull Durham when he is asked what he believes in and it really hit home. Here’s the coach. Jake Marsh asks Gruden. what's something you liked 10 or 20 years ago that you wish would be brought back now? Then Chuckie goes off: I like the continuity on these rosters. I think having a different offensive coordinator or a different defensive coordinator...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Demand remains steadier than forecast as buyers, builders adapt. For the past few years, many observers assumed that a sustained period of higher mortgage rates would cause homebuying demand to stall. Activity has certainly slowed compared to the pandemic boom, but it's far from a stall. Buyers haven't disappeared. They've adapted. New-home sales increased in June, according to the Census Bureau/U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s New Residential Sales report, while inventory edged slightly lower. Home prices for new-builds also moved down. Taken together, those numbers paint a picture of a market that remains surprisingly resilient. The pace of sales is hardly booming, but buyers are still entering the market at a rate that many people would have considered unlikely given today’s financing costs. Why builders continue to find buyers One reason new-home sales have held up better than many expected is that builders have tools ...

  If you own a luxury house, you're in a stronger spot than most sellers right now. While much of the market has cooled, the high-end tier hasn't. Sale prices and buyer demand are both up. So if you're considering selling, now could be a great time to make your move. Luxury Is Leading on Price Let’s start with prices. But before we get into it – what actually counts as a luxury home? Generally, these are homes in the top 5% price range for the area, so it varies depending on where you live. But what’s interesting is that according to the latest data from Redfin, sale prices for luxury houses have risen about three times faster than for non-luxury. Right now, the typical home’s sale price is up about 1.5% year-over-year. But high-end homes? Their sale prices have gone up nearly 5% since last year ( see graph below ): That’s a bigger deal than it sounds like. Despite all the talk about slowing price growth lately, sale prices in this segment of the market may be rising faste...