Wendy Stewart - Allison James Estates & Homes's Blog Posts

So you've decided to sell your house. You've hired a real estate professional to help you with the entire process, and they have asked you what level of access you want to provide to potential.

You usually want to sell anything for the most significant profit possible when selling it. That happens when there's a strong demand and a limited supply for that item. In the real estate market,

Please don't put it off! Now is an excellent time to list your home. Plenty of buyers are waiting for your house to hit the market.Recent data indicates that home showings are rising. This can

Break Free of TheseTwo Mortgage MythsThe study, "Consumers Continue to Overestimate Mortgage Requirements" by Fannie Mae, reveals many Americans remain misinformed about what it takes to

Since the pandemic began, Americans have reevaluated the meaning of the word home. And renters realize the many benefits of homeownership, including the feelings of security and stability and the

We're bringing traditional holiday recipes from the 18th century to the 21st century. Give them a try and then share your experience by sending me an email. Your submission will be posted in 4th

Do you make resolutions each year only to give up within 3-6 months? Instead of targeting the goals you want to accomplish, go after the little foxes - the self-defeating habits - that you need to

Homeowners decide to wait to list or sell their houses every holiday season. And those with homes already on the market withdraw their listing until spring. There are good reasons why selling your

When inventory is critically low for buyers and competition is fierce in a seller's market, it's not unusual to wonder if you'll find a home to buy. If 2021 kept you out of the housing market, 2022

Festive gatherings, the smell of pine washing the air, beautiful decorations, and indulging in amazingly good food for three months. "It's the most wonderful time of the year".  But whether you

Are Houses Less Affordable Than in Past Decades?There are many headlines about how housing affordability is declining. The headlines are correct: it’s less affordable to purchase a home today

Home Price Appreciation Skyrocketed in 2021. What About 2022?One of the major story lines over the last year is how well the residential real estate market performed. One key metric in the spotlight

Why Today's Housing Market is Anything but NormalThere are many headlines out there that claim we’re reverting to a more normal real estate market. That would indicate the housing market is

Waiting a Year to Buy Could Cost YouIf you’re a renter with a desire to become a homeowner, or a homeowner who’s decided your current house no longer fits your needs, you may be hoping

Is Offering Asking Price Enough?In today’s real estate market, buyers shouldn’t shop for a home with the expectation they’ll be able to negotiate a lower sales price. In a typical

October is the Sweet Spot for BuyersWhile there’s no denying the housing market is having a great year, many of the headlines are focused on the perks for sellers. But what

Why the End of Forbearance Will not Lead to ForeclosureWith forbearance plans ending this month, many are concerned the housing market will experience a wave of foreclosures like what happened after

Remote Work Is Here To Stay. Can Your Home Deliver the Space You Need?A lot has changed over the past year. For many people, the rise in remote work influenced what they’re looking for in a

Is There Hope for Today’s Housing Shortage?The major challenge in today’s housing market is that there are more buyers looking to purchase than there are homes available to buy. Simply

                            Maryland and DC have sustained a robust sellers’ market, This means homebuyers will

Maryland’s Governor Hogan has eased most of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings and commerce. Restrictions on indoor entertainment and other businesses are also being

The most recent Pending Homes Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors revealed a slight bump in contracts with an increase of 1.6% in December. This news comes as existing home sales

Some Highlights: The “Cost of Waiting to Buy” is defined as the additional funds it would take to buy a home if prices and interest rates were to increase over a period of time.Freddie

Today, many people are asking themselves if they should buy or sell a home in 2020. Some have shifted their plans or put them on hold over the past couple of months, and understandably so. Everyone

Budgeting for buying a home can be difficult enough when you're just weighing mortgage options and a purchase price. But there are many other factors that go into the cost of home ownership. Some of

Bidding wars are heating up in today's market.Let's connect to make sure you have the guidance you need to land the home of your dreams in this competitive.

Purchasing a home provides a boost to your community and your family, a true win-win. Let's connect to see how you can become an economic driver this year. Begin your search today for a new home.

This holiday season may be the perfect time to sell your house. Let's connect to discuss how today's buyer demand is presenting the greatest opportunities for.

One of the many benefits of owning your own home is the freedom to find your ‘furever’ friend. By pointing out the aspects of your home that make it ‘pet-friendly’ in your

Owning a home has great financial benefits, yet many continue renting! Today, let’s look at the financial reasons why owning a home of your own has been a part of the American Dream for as

The year 2020 will be remembered as one of the most challenging times of our lives. A worldwide pandemic, a recession causing historic unemployment, and a level of social unrest perhaps never seen

Every homeowner wants to make sure they get the best price when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house? Here are two keys to ensuring you get the

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest jobs report. It revealed that the economic shutdown made necessary by COVID-19 caused the unemployment rate to jump to 14.7%. Many anticipate

One of the biggest questions we all seem to be asking these days is: When are we going to start to see an economic recovery? As the country begins to slowly reopen, moving forward in strategic,

More than ever, our homes have become an integral part of our lives. Today they are much more than the houses we live in. They’re evolving into our workplaces, schools for our children, and

Some HighlightsMortgage interest rates have dropped considerably this spring and are hovering at a historically low level.Locking in at a low rate today could save you thousands of dollars over the

As we enter the summer months and work through the challenges associated with the current health crisis, many are wondering what impact the economic slowdown will have on home prices. Looking at the

Have you ever been flipping through the channels, only to find yourself glued to the couch in an HGTV binge session? We’ve all been there… watching entire seasons of “Love it or

Last Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released their May Employment Situation Summary. Leading up to the release, most experts predicted the unemployment rate would jump up to

With more U.S. states reopening for business this summer, and as people start to return to work, we can expect the economy to begin improving. Most expert forecasts indicate this economic recovery

On Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) announced that the U.S. economy is officially in a recession. This did not come as a surprise to many, as the Bureau defines a recession

All eyes are on the American economy. As it goes, so does the world economy. With states beginning to reopen, the question becomes: which sectors of the economy will drive its recovery? There seems

When it comes to buying a home, whether it is your first time or your fifth, it is always important to know all the facts. With the large number of mortgage programs available that allow buyers to

If you are debating purchasing a home right now, you are probably getting a lot of advice. Though your friends and family will have your best interest at heart, they may not be fully aware of your

Every three years, the Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The latest survey, which includes

In today's market, many homeowners are weighing their options and trying to decide if they should sell their house. If you're in that group, you may be balancing things like the ongoing health,

Over Half of All Buyers Are Surprised by Closing CostsDon't be on of them.....According to a recent survey conducted by ClosingCorp, over half of all homebuyers are surprised by the closing costs

Fielding a Lowball Purchase Offer on Your HomeConsider before you ignore or outright refuse a very low purchase offer for your home. A counteroffer and negotiation could turn that low purchase

Underwater with Two Mortgages? Here are 5 Ways to RefinanceHaving a second mortgage or home equity line can make refinancing an underwater mortgage nearly impossible, but one of these five

Highlights:Sales of existing homes reached the highest pace in a decade at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million.January marked the 59th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains

The price of any item is determined by the supply of that item, as well as the market demand. The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) surveys “over 50,000 real estate

Know What You Want vs. What You NeedIn this day and age of being able to shop for anything anywhere, it is really important to know what you’re looking for when you start your home search.If

Unless you built a custom home, you probably have a long list of things you’d like to improve in your current home. Browsing online listings might get you in the mood to upgrade to a new home,

Some Highlights:November’s Existing Home Sales report revealed that sales are now at an annual pace of 5.61 million which is “now the highest since February 2007 (5.79 million) and is 15

Some Highlights:Distressed property sales fell to its lowest number since NAR began tracking it in 2008.As you can see, with less distressed properties, sales are up in all price ranges except the

Some Highlights:Existing home sales have accelerated to the highest pace since February 2007 at an annual pace of 5.57 million.Inventory of homes for sale remains below the historically normal 6

Posted by Wendy Stewart | Jul. 20, 2016Last week, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract

According to the latest report from the US Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, newly constructed home sales jumped 5.7% month-over-month and 21.6% year-over-year to an

Posted by Wendy Stewart |Jul. 13, 2016The widespread myth that perfect credit and large down payments are necessary to buy a home are holding many potential home buyers on the sidelines. According

Posted by Wendy Stewart | Jul. 12, 2016 In their current edition of the Home Price Expectation Survey released last week, Pulsenomics asked this question of the 100+ economists, real estate experts