Sarosh Altaf Lynnwood WA Real Estate Agent

  If you’re buying or selling a home this year, you’re likely saving up for a variety of  expenses . For buyers, that might include things like your  down payment  and closing costs. And for sellers, you’re probably working on a bit of spring cleaning and maintenance to spruce up your house before you list it. Either way, any money you get back from your taxes can help you achieve your goals. Using a tax refund is a common tactic for buyers and sellers.  SmartAsset   estimates  the average American will receive a $2,897 tax refund this year. The map below provides a more detailed estimate by state: If you’re getting a refund this year, here are a few tips to help with your home purchase or sale this season. How Buyers Can Use Their Tax Refund According to  American Financing , there are multiple ways your refund check can help you as a  homebuyer . A few include: Growing your down payment fund  – If you haven’t started saving for your...

Some Highlights With inflation driving up the cost of  everyday items , seeking out an energy-efficient home can be a great way to decrease the  expenses  you can control. Energy efficiency can help lower your utility bills and possibly even  save you money  on your  taxes .  Options  to look for include efficient appliances, windows, and solar panels. If you’re planning to  buy a home  this year, consider energy efficiency in your search. Let’s connect so you can better understand features that can save you money for years to come.

  Are you thinking about  selling  your house? If so, you may want to make it a priority to start the process soon. According to  realtor.com , the sweet spot for sellers is just around the corner. In a recent study, experts analyzed housing market trends by looking at data from the past several years (excluding 2020, since it was an atypical year). When applied to the current market, experts determined the ideal week to list a house this year. The research says: “Home sellers on the fence waiting for that perfect moment to sell should start preparations, because the best time to list a home in 2022 is approaching quickly.  The week of April 10-16 is expected to have the ideal balance of housing market conditions that favor home sellers, more so than any other week in the year .” If you’ve been putting your move on the back burner waiting for the ideal time to sell, you should know your golden window of opportunity is coming up. If you’re able to get your house ...

  The link between financial security and homeownership is especially important today as  inflation  rises.  But many people may not realize just how much owning a home contributes to your overall  net worth . As Leslie Rouda Smith, President of the  National Association of Realtors  (NAR),  says : "Homeownership is rewarding in so many ways and can serve as a vital component in achieving financial stability." Here are just a few reasons why, if you’re looking to increase your financial stability, homeownership is a worthwhile goal. Owning a Home Is a Building Block for Financial Success A recent NAR  report  details several homeownership trends and statistics, including the difference in net worth between homeowners and  renters . It finds: “. . . the net worth of a homeowner was about  $300,000 while that of a renter’s was $8,000 in 2021 .” To put that into perspective, the average homeowner’s net worth is roughly 40 times th...

  Some Highlights If you’re thinking about selling your house this  spring , here are some things you’ll want to tackle  before you list . Spend your time on tasks that make it feel inviting, show it’s cared for, and boost your curb appeal. To determine the full list of things you’ll want to tackle for your home, you need the opinion of a  trusted expert . Let’s connect to help make sure your house shows well this season.

  For the first time in a long time, the number of newly listed homes is beginning to rise. In their latest  monthly release ,  realtor.com  reveals the number of existing homes entering the market has increased for two months in a row (this comes after six months of declines). Here’s a graph showing the monthly new listings going back to January of last year. The green bars indicate the first gains since June. However, buying demand is still outpacing housing supply. Though the increase in homes coming to the market is great news for prospective homebuyers, the number of buyers is still outpacing the number of homes available for sale. As  realtor.com  explains in their  latest report : “During the final two weeks of the month,  more new sellers entered the market than during the same time last year . . . . However, with 5.8 million new homes missing from the market and millions of millennials at first-time buying ages,  housing supply faces...