Category: For Buyers

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Priced Out? A Condo or Townhome Could Be Your Way In.

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 24, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, Destin FL Mortgage, Downsize, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Mortgage Destin FL.

Today’s home prices have a lot of buyers – especially first-time buyers – wondering if there’s even anything out there that’s in their budget. But owning a home may be more within reach than you think. Sometimes, it just means considering a different type of home.Condos and townhomes can be a great way to buy without stretching every last dollar. And right now, two things make them worth a serious look.There Are More Condos and Townhomes To Choose FromMaybe you feel like there’s just nothing out there for you, and you’ve exhausted all your options. But have you considered condos or...

More Homes, Better Prices: A Buyer’s Summer

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 24, 2026. Posted in Buying Tips, Destin FL Mortgage, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Home Prices, Inventory, Mortgage Destin FL.

If you’ve thought about buying a home in the past few years, you may have run into two frustrations: asking prices that kept climbing and too few homes to choose from.In many places, both sticking points are letting up this summer, with lower asking prices and more homes for sale. Let’s look at the trends, and what they mean for your search.Sellers Are Pricing To Attract BuyersAccording to Realtor.com, the national median asking price was $430,000 in June, nearly $11,000 under what it was the year before (see graph below):That’s the eighth month in a row that the typical asking price has...

The “Take It or Leave It” Attitude Is Fading from the Market – What That Means for You

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 15, 2026. Posted in Buying Tips, Destin FL Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Destin FL, New Construction, Selling Tips.

Negotiations are back. More buyers are asking for better deals, and more sellers are giving them. Builders are throwing in extras, too. That’s why whether you’re buying or selling today, there are two terms you’ll hear a lot: concession and incentive.A concession is something a seller agrees to during negotiations to get a deal done.An incentive is a perk a builder (or a seller) advertises upfront to attract buyers.Let’s run through what you need to know about both and how they could play a role in your move.More Sellers Are Agreeing to ConcessionsAlmost half (46%) of homeowners who sold...

What To Expect from the Housing Market in the Second Half of 2026

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 15, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Destin FL Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Forecasts, Home Prices, Mortgage Destin FL, Mortgage Rates.

If the first half of this year has left you feeling stuck, you’re not the only one. Mortgage rates stayed higher than people wanted. Affordability remained tight. And uncertainty overseas added another layer of pressure nobody saw coming.That’s why so many people are asking the same question: Will the second half of the year be any better for the housing market?While nobody has a crystal ball, there are a few encouraging signs things could start moving in a better direction. Here’s what to watch.Mortgage Rates Could Be Near a Turning Point One of the biggest reasons...

Student Loans Are Back in the News. Don’t Let It Put Your Homeownership Plans on Hold.

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 15, 2026. Posted in Buying Tips, Destin FL Mortgage, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Mortgage Destin FL.

Student loans are back in the spotlight. And whether you’ve been following the headlines closely or just catching bits and pieces here and there, there’s a good chance they’ve been on your mind lately.And if you’re questioning whether you have to hit pause on your plans to buy a home, here’s the thing you have to remember:Having student loans doesn’t automatically mean buying a home has to wait.The Biggest Myth About Student Loans and Buying a HomeOne of the most common misconceptions among first-time buyers is that they have to pay off their student loans...

What Buying or Selling a Home Gives Back to Your Community

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 7, 2026. Posted in Destin FL Mortgage, Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Destin FL.

Buying or selling a home is a big financial decision. And right now, it feels even bigger. Inflation is high, costs are high, and you want to be sure the timing is right before you make your move. But if you do decide to go for it, whether you’re buying or selling, here’s something reassuring to hold onto. Not only does your move change your own life, but it also gives your whole community a boost.Real estate is a huge part of the economy. In 2025, it added up to about $5.6 trillion, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). A good share of that comes from...

Down Payments Are Smaller Than They’ve Been Since 2021

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 3, 2026. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, Destin FL Mortgage, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Mortgage Destin FL.

Saving for a down payment can feel like the hardest part of buying a home. And with affordability as tight as it’s been lately, it’s fair to wonder how anyone manages it right now. Here’s something you may not have seen coming. Some people are getting their foot in the door with a smaller down payment.According to Realtor.com, the typical buyer put down about $23,400 in early 2026 – that’s around $5,000 below what was typical the year before (a 19% drop year over year). That’s the lowest down payments have been since 2021 (see graph below):So why are buyers putting less money down,...

The Housing Market Is Stronger Than You Think

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on July 1, 2026. Posted in Destin FL Mortgage, Equity, For Buyers, For Sellers, Foreclosures, Home Prices, Mortgage Destin FL, Mortgage Rates.

You’ve probably heard plenty of doom and gloom about the housing market lately. High rates. Stretched budgets. Headlines that make buying or selling sound like a terrible idea. But the data tells a very different story. This isn’t 2020 or 2021. It was never going to be. Those were the “unicorn years” – historic low mortgage rates, bidding wars on everything, homes flying off the market in days. That kind of market was a once-in-a-generation anomaly, not a baseline. So, when people compare today to that, of course it looks rough.But compared to almost any other...

The 1 Factor That Explains Everything Happening with Home Prices Right Now

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on June 30, 2026. Posted in Buying Tips, Destin FL Mortgage, For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Inventory, Mortgage Destin FL, Selling Tips.

You’ve probably heard that home prices are cooling off. And that’s true – nationally. But zoom in on individual markets across the country, and the picture looks completely different depending on where you are.Some areas are still seeing solid price growth. Others have gone flat. A few have actually dipped slightly negative. So, what’s causing all of that variation? It All Comes Down to InventoryHere’s the simple version:When there are more homes for sale, buyers have options.More options, means less competition.Less competition means sellers can’t push prices...

More Sellers Are Taking Their Homes off the Market. Here’s What You Need To Know.

Written by Destin FL Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on June 25, 2026. Posted in Destin FL Mortgage, Economy, Expired/Withdrawn/Canceled, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Destin FL.

You may be hearing that a near-record number of homeowners are pulling their houses off the market. And if that headline has you thinking, “Wait… is something bad about to happen?” You’re not alone.Because when people start stepping to the sidelines, it sounds like a warning sign that something’s coming – or that they realize something you don’t know.Here’s the thing. This trend gets spun like it means the market is about to crash. But the data tells a more practical story.What the Numbers Actually SayAccording to the latest data from Redfin, 5.5% of all listings were taken off the market...