It’s really hard to do a market update when the market seems to be so unpredictable. I (Valerie) was all set to sit down and provide a market update for the Oshkosh Wisconsin area and I started reading articles about the Federal Reserves hike in interest rates.  Now this increase doesn’t automatically mean a rise in mortgage interest rates but it’s certainly a factor in the unpredictability we are seeing in the Northeast Wisconsin Housing market. What have we been seeing? Since mid April, agents across the country and within Wisconsin felt something change within the housing market. More homes went on the market (Spring Sellers) Buyers with interest rate sensitivity stepped back from their searches creating less buyer competition Homes that went on the market sat a little longer or those that were in desired price ranges saw less bidders in the multiple offer situations Homes sitting longer brought us seeing more price reductions/changes coming across our hot sheets on the MLS. May data for Oshkosh, Wisconsin: 70 residential homes closed in May 2022                 51 still over asking (ranging from $2000 to $66,000) In June from June 1 to June 14:                 25 residential homes have closed                 18 of them have been over asking ($2000 to $30,000) How on earth does that signal a change you ask since such a high percentage of homes are still selling at over asking price? The information that we have access to for Sold properties is LAGGING information.  Offer/bidding wars and the date that those homes listed on the market took place six (6) weeks ago.  We can only get the information after it’s all taken place. It’s never really current.  We can see trends and patterns in how many other offers are we competing with when we make offers for our buyers or we can see price changes on the daily hot sheet, we can dig deeper to see how long it takes a home to get to accepted offer. The next few days will be telling about the housing market’s reaction.  As agents we have been told that interest rates have mostly flattened since April, that mortgage rates already accounted for the FED rate hike predictions (meaning we won’t see a drastic impact as it’s already “in there”), and that housing is generally recession proof, especially since the housing market we have right now is vastly different than any other recession period (the low inventory factor.)  We are also being told that every housing specialist or economist is still predicting that homes will RISE in value --- they just don’t all agree on how much.  Homes will not lose value in the scenarios. We’ll keep monitoring what we are seeing.  Please reach out to our team if you are trying to figure out how to navigate this stuff.  You can still reach your 2022 homebuyer or homeseller goals. We just need to be mindful every step of the way.   Check out my video overview of this update also: Freedom Team Real Estate Agents serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.   Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/

HOUSING MARKET UPDATE - April 6, 2022 - THIS MARKET IS CRAZY! We get that comment a lot. We are hoping to answer some of those burning questions we get over and over again with a simple video update on what we are TRULY seeing in the market each week. Here is a quick update for March 29-April 5. Data for Oshkosh, Neenah, and Appleton - Number sold that were over list price and the median amount of the overages. Come back each week as we try to address the questions that we get from our clients and family and friends about this market. Our plan is to arm you with real time information as we gather it. WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK?  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/

Should I buy a home in this crazy 2022 Housing Market? A lot of potential buyers are asking this question lately as they see the increase in interest rates and the craziness of the US housing market. It sometimes feels like Wisconsin is a little bit behind the rest of the country with lots of things (which can be a good thing), in this video (and some of our recent market update videos) Valerie Cohn-Gehrke shares what is really happening in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin market along with other parts of the Fox River Valley in our video:  Should I buy a home in 2022? I’m sure you’ve heard the terminology that “inventory is low” – what exactly does that mean? We are also hearing horror stories of the astronomical numbers related to offers that are made over list price. I did a video on those actual numbers for the Oshkosh, Appleton and Neenah areas also. We are definitely seeing the competitive bidding wars, but the data is showing that homes can still sell for under or at asking price and that the stories of overage may be a little exaggerated. (As of today that overage is $10 to $12K) The highest offer price does not always win and a home that involves financing has to appraise at the right price or the buyer won’t be given the financing or will have to make up the gap. We don’t always see these things and we can’t necessarily gather that data from the MLS. Should you buy in this market? The short answer is that even in the craziness, projections are that buyers and those looking to refinance their home yet, should do so in 2022. We’ve seen leaps in interest rates since January 2022. That steep jump is projected to level off--- it will continue to rise, but not at the incremental rate we’ve seen. There are projections that rates will still rise in to 2023. The cost of waiting for this to change will result in home affordability. Once the dust settles, market comparables on homes will have risen (just as they have for the last 50 years.) Higher interest rates mean less bang for your buck! We’ve spent the last few weeks sharing tips and tricks for how to compete in our buyers series. All those tips and tricks apply. The simplistic starting point is: Get with a lender and understand your affordability. Find a REALTOR that meshes with your beliefs and style Have that agent set you up with a search so you can start seeing what your affordability actually means home wise in this market Have that agent show the data on inventory and market comparables for your price range Develop multiple strategy positions and talk through what they mean--- before you start looking so you are ready to respond quickly when you are ready to make offers. People are being successful in this market and we do anticipate that more homes will come on the market, especially as Spring arrives (finally) here. Prepared buyers will have the highest success rate. As agents, we will continue to monitor what the market is actually doing and share that. Let us know how we can help you! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ 

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN MARKET UPDATE – ARE HOMES REALLY SELLING FOR THAT MUCH OVER ASKING PRICE IN NORTHEAST WISCONSIN? Video Here: Northeast Wisconsin Market Update - March 29 Yesterday, I shared about inventory and the real numbers for our market. I get asked questions about the craziness of the market and know that people are hearing all kinds of stories about how much over list price houses are selling for. I thought it would be interesting to run the actual data from our region – I did this not knowing what I would find. There are nuances to being successful in getting an offer as a home buyer in the 2022 housing market. It really helps to understand the data though before you make a buying decision based on rumors and news reports. For the homes sold between January 15, 2022 and today (March 29, 2022), here is what I found: Oshkosh, Wisconsin – 131 homes sold; 76 sold for under or at list price, of the 55 over list price – the median overage was $10,000 Appleton, Wisconsin – 147 homes sold; 57 sold for under or at list price, of the 90 over list price – the median overage was $11,600 Neenah, Wisconsin – 91 homes sold; 44 sold for under or at list price, of the 47 over list price – the median overage was $10,000 Additionally, if we just look at the median over/under price: 🏡Oshkosh – Median list prices- $165,000; 🏡actual median sold price $162,000 🏡Appleton – Median list price - $229,900; 🏡actual median sold price $235,000 🏡Neenah – Median list price - $280,000; 🏡actual median sold price $280,000 This market is tough. With so few homes, there truly are competitive offers being made. Price is NOT the only factor that is winning offers. Understanding what the seller needs is winning offers. That’s where your agent and the seller’s agent come in. We work together to find a win-win for both buyers and sellers. Get an agent that will share data with you AND is willing to work closely with other agents (ask them to give you an example of a time they did so.) Today, be empowered with the facts. Let the data help you decide your next steps. Let us know how we can help too!  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ 

NORTHEAST WISCONSIN MARKET UPDATE –WHAT DOES ALL THIS CHATTER ABOUT LOW INVENTORY MEAN?   Video Here: Northeast Wisconsin Housing Market Update - March 28 I needed to simplify market updates and the first reality that everyone needs to understand is how big the housing crisis is right now for available homes. I ran data recently on our local MLS for 3 main areas that we serve. I pulled off any homes that were on the market for double the average “days on market.” (These are homes that have been sitting on the market without offers for some reason or another. That number is less than 10 per community, but there are some.) Available homes = homes with no active offer on the market for less than 70 days 🏡Oshkosh Wisconsin – 16 available homes, median list price $294,900 (prices range from $58K to $1.4 million) 🏡Neenah, Wisconsin – 18 available homes, median list price $372,400 (prices range from $80K to $2.3 million) 🏡Appleton, Wisconsin – 21 available homes, median list price $315,000 (prices range from $60K to $770K) We need listings to meet the demands of buyers. Interest rates went up again last week--- locally we are hovering near 4.5% for a 30-year fixed mortgage. That’s up from 3% at the end of December. That will push buyers to move now also. More buyers, less homes, means crazy market bidding and list price escalation. If you have been thinking about buying OR selling and need help sorting out if it makes sense, we do have options and suggestions. Don’t go it alone and sit and wonder. Talking to a real estate agent and then a lender, doesn’t cost anything and it could give you piece of mind! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ 

Lauren explains multiple considerations when you are making an offer on a home in Wisconsin right now. These considerations include the condition of the home, your financial situation, the local market, Seller needs and more. https://youtu.be/_Sxy16E1ino Our Website: www.joinfreedomteam.com Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ Want to see the value of your home? Try out this tool (Homebot): https://hmbt.co/tYT87D  

Lauren walks through the importance of working with your Agent to create and review a comparative market analysis as a home buyer. You'll consider the local Wisconsin market, the neighborhood, the condition of the home, and more to help develop this useful tool. https://youtu.be/kYHD2-ywh0E Our Website: www.joinfreedomteam.com Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/joinfreedomteam https://www.facebook.com/valeriecohn.gehrke/ https://www.facebook.com/kyle.meyer.965 https://www.facebook.com/lauren.nobbe.3 https://www.instagram.com/joinfreedom... https://www.instagram.com/vcohngehrke/ Want to see the value of your home? Try out this tool (Homebot): https://hmbt.co/tYT87D

Here is this week's Northeast Wisconsin Housing Market Update (January 31 - February 6, 2022). Buyers and Sellers need to be aware that the 2022 Housing Market remains strong and active. We did see an increase in homes that entered the market in the week of Jan 31 and the 30 yr fixed rate remained stable after a crazy January. Potential buyers especially need to be aware right now that they should be doing all of the necessary things to prepare for buying vs waiting to start a search and then prepare. We often hear that buyers have concerns about credit or down payments. We have resources to assist with working through that, but waiting to act will hurt buyers in the long run. See our Lender Talk playlists for more info or better yet - contact us!  2022 Housing Market Playlist Lender Talk Freedom Team Real Estate Agents serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.  Check us out at www.joinfreedomteam.com or by calling us at 920-410-7230 today.

Grumpy "Not So Old" Men - Oshkosh style What the heck is there to do in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in winter? The Freedom Team decided to have a little fun one afternoon to highlight all of the fun outdoor things you can do when you live in this part of the country (or any part of Northeast Wisconsin!) Lake Winnebago and the surrounding communities afford us many fun outdoor opportunities. Find one that works for you. Return to our channel as we continue to add more local content. We won't always do it "tongue and cheek" like this one, but we do like to have fun, so subscribe, because you might never know when we decide to have a little fun one day. For more fun, check out Kyle's "Realtor Rap."    Freedom Team Real Estate Agents serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.  Check us out at www.joinfreedomteam.com or by calling us at 920-410-7230 today.

For those of us in the Oshkosh, Appleton and Fond du Lac area, here is a quick snapshot of some of the Wisconsin housing market activity for the last two weeks of 2021.  As you can see 1/3 of the homes that went on the market between December 20 and December 31, 2021 went under contract in that same two week period. This continues to indicate that we are in a strong seller's market and buyer demand is high and ACTIVE. Over the last few weeks we've been sharing some short form videos about what is being predicted for 2022 in the housing market. The links to those videos are below. We've also touched on inflation and the impact to renters.  The graphic below shows the predictions for the 2022 US Housing Market.   Will the housing market crash?  Not likely! None of us has a crystal ball, but the housing market is typically very resilient to changes in the economy. Will home prices drop in 2022?  Also not likely.  Homes rarely depreciate.  The rate of appreciation due to the low inventory (driving up demand) will likely slow down in 2022, but home will not go down in value.   Market projections are never 100 percent accurate, but the experts in real estate studying this information have mostly agreed on what to expect.  Northeast Wisconsin is much more conservative than many other parts of the country, but we do typically follow the same trends. Let us know how our team can help you make sense of the predictions for your personal situation in 2022! Our Buyer & Seller Playlists on Youtube: Freedom Team Buyers Series Playlist Freedom Team Sellers Series Playlist Freedom Team Real Estate Agents serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.  Check us out at www.joinfreedomteam.com or by calling us at 920-410-7230 today.

Are you thinking of selling your home? There are several simple things that you can do to maximize your home sale to prepare your home to sell quickly and for the most money. When we are walking through houses one of the most common things that we see is clutter. This is also one of the easiest fixes. If you're planning on selling, you're going to eventually be packing up your things to move, so why not pack them now and set your home up for a successful sale? This could be knick-knacks, framed photos, clothes that aren't being used---anything that you can pack away until the move is complete. You may want to rent a storage unit until you've moved in.  When you have your realtor take photos for online pictures, clutter stands out and is a major deterrent to buyers that are seeing your home mostly online for the first impression. Another thing to do is determine if there are any fixtures or appliances that will not stay. This could be light fixtures, appliances, tv wall mounts, or anything else that is attached to the house that you plan on keeping.  If so, remove or replace those items now and make sure that you disclose any that may not be in good working order. You could also make any minor home repairs that your home needs.  This could be adding a fresh coat of paint (using a neutral color)or replacing broken faucets. Fix damaged flooring or patch up any holes in the wall. Look for electrical outlet and switch plate covers.  Touch up with paint where necessary. Also remember that most buyers will come through your front entrance, so anything that you can do to spruce that up add curb appeal make your entrance look inviting is helpful. Lastly, CLEAN. Buyers notice when a seller chooses not to do a deep cleaning.  If you don't enjoy cleaning, this may mean hiring that out just before you're ready to list your home, and then maintaining that through showings. And remember you're moving on so you will have to do some packing and cleaning anyway.  If you take the time to do it right before you put your home on the market, your home will sell more quickly and for more money. Checkout Lauren’s VIDEO as she walks through these tips: How to prepare your house for sale & a Home Selling Tips Checklist Also feel free to print out our helpful HOME SELLING TIPS CHECKLIST.   Freedom Team Real Estate Agents serving Appleton, Neenah, Oshkosh, Fond du lac and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.  Check us out at www.joinfreedomteam.com or by calling us at 920-410-7230 today.  

It's time to plant a seed for Wisconsin homeowners. Is now the time for homeowners to consider putting their home on the market? The average homeowner in Wisconsin has recognized about $28,000 based on the 2021 housing market. While that number is not as high as what it is for the national average ($56,700), that is record-breaking equity growth for homeowners.  That means that selling your home now means quite a bit of recognized appreciation in a hot sellers market. Realtor.com is also predicting that sellers that had originally said they were going to listing April, May and June of 2022 will now be doing that listing in January, February, or March.  We are also seeing through the app that realtors use to schedule showings, ShowingTime, that showings are creeping up which means that buyers are out there and will continue to come in to the market earlier in the year. Buyers are also completely aware of rising interest rates which will drive them into the market. Current market rates (December 2021) are around 3.1% (30 year fixed per Freddie Mac).  This rate is expected to go up to 3.5% or 4% (varies by prediction) by Q3 or Q4 of 2022.  Buyers will want to buy earlier in 2022 as housing affordability is intricately effected by that rise in interest rates. Don’t wait if you are contemplating selling your home. Check out our video below and subscribe to our Youtube channel.  We will be adding content several times in the next few weeks. Wisconsin Housing Market 2022 Selling Predictions