Karen Simms' Blog

Homeowner Equity Increases an Astonishing $1 Trillion In a year that was financially devastating for many Americans, some good news for most homeowners is the dramatic gain in home equity over the last twelve months. Last week, CoreLogic released its 2020 3rd Quarter Homeowner Equity Insights rep...

The last two months of the new normal stay at home has led many homeowners to rethink the way they live in their home.  It has now become an office for working at home; a school for children; a gym to stay in shape; and a place for recreation.The repurposing has people evaluating whether their ho...

    Arriving Summer of 2020:  The New FICO 10 Scoring Model Here's What to Expect ...     Hotter temperatures aren't the only thing that will soon be rolling in.  A hot new FICO Scoring model will also make its entrance at some point during the upcoming summer months ...  A new credit scoring mo...

Where Did Americans Move in 2017? [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Atlas Van Lines recently released the results of their annual Migration Patterns Survey in which they tracked their customer’s movement from state-to-state over the course of 2017. Idaho held on to the top spot of ‘high inbound’ sta...

  What Impact Will the New Tax Code Have on Home Values? Every month, CoreLogic releases its Home Price Insights Report. In that report, they forecast where they believe residential real estate prices will be in twelve months. Below is a map, broken down by state, reflecting how home values are f...

Wondering If You Can Buy Your First Home? There are many people sitting on the sidelines trying to decide if they should purchase a home or sign a rental lease. Some might wonder if it makes sense to purchase a house before they are married and have a family, others might think they are too young...

The Impact Staging Your Home Has on Sales Price [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: The National Association of Realtors surveyed their members & released the findings of their Annual Profile of Home Staging. 50% of staged homes saw a 1-10% increase in dollar value offers from buyers. 77% of buyer’s a...

93% Believe Homeownership Is Important in Attaining the American Dream Americans continue to believe that homeownership is important in achieving the American Dream. A recent survey by NeighborWorks America reported that: “Owning a home remains a core element of the American Dream.” When asked “H...

4 Reasons to Sell This Winter [INFOGRAPHIC] Some Highlights: Buyer demand continues to outpace the supply of homes for sale which means that buyers are often competing with one another for the few listings that are available! Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply needed to sustain a...