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/ 

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