For Buyers - Billy Cogar REALTOR®

First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market, Interest Rates

Mid-Year Market Update for 2024: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

Last December, when the Federal Reserve projected a series of benchmark rate cuts in the coming year, some analysts speculated that mortgage rates—which had recently peaked near 8%—would fall closer to 6% by mid-2024.1,2,3 Unfortunately, persistent inflation has delayed the central bank’s timeline and kept the average 30-year mortgage rate hovering around 7% so far […]
Financing, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market, Interest Rates, Interest Rates

East Texas: What’s Really Happening with Mortgage Rates?

Mortgage rates don’t move in a straight line. There are too many factors at play for that to happen. Instead, rates bounce around because they’re impacted by things like economic conditions, decisions from the Federal Reserve, and so much more. That means they might be up one day and down the next depending on what’s going on in the economy and the world as a whole.
Financing, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market, Interest Rates, Move-Up Buyers

Why Pre-Approval Is Even More Important This Year

On the road to becoming a homeowner? If so, you may have heard the term pre-approval get tossed around. Let’s break down what it is and why it’s important if you’re looking to buy a home in 2024. What Pre-Approval Is As part of the homebuying process, your lender will look at your finances to figure out what they’re willing to […]
First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Interest Rates

2 Factors That Impact Mortgage Rates

If you’re looking to buy a home, you’ve probably been paying close attention to mortgage rates. Over the last couple of years, they hit record lows, rose dramatically, and are now dropping back down a bit. Ever wonder why? The answer is complicated because there’s a lot that can influence mortgage rates. Here are just a few […]
Financing, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Interest Rates

Thinking About Buying a Home?

If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, you’re probably paying closer attention than normal to the housing market. And you’re getting your information from a variety of channels: the news, social media, your real estate agent, conversations with friends and loved ones, the list goes on and on. Most likely, home prices and mortgage rates are coming up […]
Financing, For Buyers, Interest Rates

How Inflation Affects Mortgage Rates

Even though a Federal Fund Rate hike by the Fed doesn’t directly dictate what happens with mortgage rates, it does have an impact. As a recent article from Fortune says:
Buying Myths, For Buyers, Millennials, Move-Up Buyers, Rent vs. Buying

How To Know If You’re Ready to Buy a Home

If you’re trying to decide if you’re ready to buy a home, these questions can help.
First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market, Millennials, Move-Up Buyers, Pricing

Think Twice Before Waiting for Lower Home Prices

As the housing market continues to change, you may be wondering where it’ll go from here. One factor you’re probably thinking about is home prices, which have come down a bit since they peaked last June. And you’ve likely heard something in the news or on social media about a price crash on the horizon. […]
For Buyers, For Sellers, Housing Market

Why Aren’t Home Prices Crashing?

A lot of people expected prices would crash this year thanks to low buyer demand, but that isn’t happening. Why? There aren’t enough homes for sale. If you’re thinking about moving this spring, let’s connec
Buying Myths, Financing, For Buyers, Interest Rates

How Changing Mortgage Rates Can Affect You

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been bouncing between 6% and 7% this year. If you’ve been on the fence about whether to buy a home or not, it’s helpful to know exactly how a 1%, or even a 0.5%, mortgage rate shift affects your purchasing power.