JustinRenaud.com

I wanted to apologize to everyone utlilizing my site looking for new listings right now. The company that all the local Realtors send listing information to (our MLS Provider) recently changed. During this changeover, there have been multiple challenges getting the old information switched to our new provider as well as problems with submitting new information.

While many of those issues seem to be getting resolved, the one thing that has yet to be fixed is the infomational feed to the websites. I assure you that I am working diligently to fix this problem and hope to have it resolved quickly.

 If you have questions about listings you drove past or have seen advertsied, or would like for me to do a home search for you, I would be delighted, as there are tremendous new listings popping up daily.

 Thanks for your patience!

Justin Renaud 

Be sure to check out the new article I wrote entitled Now is the Time to Buy

The article discusses all of the positives in the market and why buyers should be excited to get out and find their dream home.

Interests rates are still very strong, but have adjusted up in the last week. I saw a 30 year fixed rate as high as 6.35%, but by the end of the week, it seemed like the had dropped to around the 6.15% range.  Make sure you keep watching the rates as they have been very unpredictable and unstable from day to day. Regardless of the instability, though, they are still quite low. 

Make sure you check out my new article discussing the benefits of using a REALTOR. So many people think it is best to go it on their own, and are not able to see that there are reasons REALTORS get paid. The article also discusses the differences between a generic real estate agent and a REALTOR.

Why Should I Use a REALTOR?

Right now interest rates in the Rolla, Missouri and St. James, Missouri markets are at an outstanding level. They have slowly been creeping down. Multiple banks in town have posted 30-year fixed rate loans for 5.625%.

These rates mean many things to the consumer. As a homeowner, if you are locked in to an adjustable rate mortgage or a higher fixed rate mortgage, you need to strongly consider refinancing, because there is no telling how long these rates will remain at this level. Historically speaking, there is not too much farther that these rates can drop. There is no guarantee when it comes to this sort of thing (they may go up today as I am typing this, and they may creep down farther), but I can tell you it is defintiely worth taking a hard look at it.

As a potential buyer, there is no better time to get into a home with a great rate. Opportunites abound for homebuyers as our rates are low, there is a large inventory of homes on the market, and this is typically a down time of the year anyway. Combine all of those things and you may be able to really get an outstanding deal for yourself.

When selling a home, people often gloss over the importance of setting your homes price . This is a HUGE mistake because the price of your home not only greatly affects how much your offer will be, but also, who comes and views it.

The most common negative trend in home pricing is that people will factor in additional expenses when figuring their home price. For instance, people will think about some outstanding debt they want to pay off as well as a new car they want a decent down payment on. This sounds great in theory, but those things have no bearing on what someone will pay for your home. What ends up happening is that the homeowner has a home priced way too high and it will sit on the market and get stagnant.

Many people seem to think that pricing your home high doesn't hurt you. I have heard the phrase "they can always bring me an offer" so many times, I am starting to cringe when I hear it. Some sellers may think that way, but if a home is priced 15,000 above where it should be, most buyers won't even bother with it. The home ends up sitting on the market for months and months, and eventually gets stagnant. As you slowly lower the price to compensate, you have missed your optimum window to sell the place. Studies have shown that a more aggressive listing price in the beginning will usually net you a greater sold price than if you had started too high and crept your way down.

The demise of the real estate market is greatly exaggerated right now. In fact the Rolla/ St. James area is actually doing quite well. I wrote an article discussing some of this. One of the things to be encouraged by is the fact that interests rates are VERY strong right now. With the market being saturated by listings, this is an excellent time to be a buyer. Combine a little longer time on market for your average listing, plus great rates, and what you get is a chance to get in a home for less than you have been able to for probably the past 4-5 years.

With that being said, the average sales price for a home has not exactly plummeted in this area. Places on the east and west coast are hurting quite a bit more than your average home owner around Rolla and St. James, MO. Sellers should be encouraged by this quite a bit.

Take some time to search the listings available and see if there is the perfect home waiting for you to make an offer.