🏠 Real estate news: Inventory waves, move-in readiness, and acing your maintenance phase

Buying or selling a home? Here’s what you need to know Buying or selling a home? Here’s what you need to know͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ [Better]( Newsletter 🏡 Fund Fact: Around 18.9 million Americans say they’re planning a future move because of remote work. Buying or selling a home? We’ve got you covered: - Play the inventory upswing to your advantage with these tips - Find out if your home is move-in ready before you list it - Not ready to sell? Invest in your maintenance phase Stay flexible and ride the inventory wave Even as listings continue to trend upwards and new homes hit the market each week, buyers may want to focus on finding ways to stay flexible in their search. So, what does “flexibility” mean in practical terms? For some, it means considering neighborhoods, cities, or even states outside that initial search zone. If you’re able to explore a different part of the country (buyers who work remotely likely have the upper hand here) it might be worthwhile to consider dollar for dollar just [how much house you can afford]( in one city or neighborhood compared to another. TL;DR? The inventory wave is cresting, but you still have to be in the right spot to catch it. Those who can revise or extend their house hunt to locations where inventory is coming online are more likely to find success. For others, it might mean taking a closer look at that list of nice-to-haves and whittling it down to must-haves. It’s easier than you think—create a simple spreadsheet with 5 columns and fill in your top non-negotiable priorities like outdoor space, proximity to schools, home office, etc. Then run every listing you see through this lightweight filtering process. When you strip out the fluff and just look for the essentials, you may find that more homes fit your search criteria. Having trouble determining a need vs. a want? Think about whether the feature would be easy and affordable to change once you move in, or whether it would be impractical or prohibitively expensive. For instance, adding a dishwasher is a relatively small and inexpensive project compared to adding a garage. So if your heart is set on a garage, you might consider that a need. Ready to build a homebuying budget? [Go to Affordability Calculator]( Home Advisor Hot Tips: “ One of the biggest factors in qualification is your debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Your debt-to-income ratio is all your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income, and should be below 50%. The lower your DTI, the more loan products will be available for you. ” Samantha Burns, Better Mortgage Home Advisor Find out if your home is move-in ready Thinking about selling? You might be wondering whether your home is “move-in ready”, a criteria that many discerning house hunters include in their search terms. The answer varies based on where you live and the overall expectations of buyers in your area. In the most general sense of the phrase, “move-in ready” means that a home doesn’t require any urgent repairs. But what qualifies as move-in ready is ultimately in the eye of the beholder. Buyers in more competitive markets might have different expectations (think completely renovated with all new appliances and fixtures) than buyers in less competitive areas. To some, a fresh coat of paint and relatively new floors might qualify a home as move-in ready. To get a sense of how move-in ready your home is, take a quick tour that covers the condition of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems as well as the roof and major appliances. List your property with Better Real Estate A Better Real Estate Agent can help you decide if your home is move-in ready. Plus, they’ll list your home for free when you buy and sell with Better Real Estate, and fund with Better Mortgage—the traditional fee is 3%. That’s $15,000 savings on a $500,000 home! [Talk to a Better Real Estate Agent]( Bide your time in maintenance phase Not ready to take advantage of the high-demand market today? For homeowners that aren’t motivated to sell right now, maintenance is a powerful strategy in the meantime. Not only can regular maintenance help homeowners avoid expensive repairs, many systems (plumbing, electrical, and HVAC) tend to operate more efficiently when they have seasonal maintenance. So you can potentially lower your monthly utility costs and sleep better at night knowing your home is in tip-top shape. Win-win! Questions? Let us know purchase@better.com [555.867.5309](tel:1415-523-8837) Was this email helpful? [happy face]( [neutral face]( [sad face]( This newsletter does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of Better Mortgage Corporation; Better Real Estate, LLC; Better Cover, LLC; Better Settlement Services, LLC; or their services. Better Cover is solely responsible for homeowners insurance services. Better Mortgage is solely responsible for making all credit and lending decisions with respect to mortgage loans. [Better] [Better] [social]( [social]( [social]( [social]( © 2022 Better Holdco, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Better is a family of companies. Better Mortgage Corporation provides home loans; Better Real Estate, LLC provides real estate services; Better Cover, LLC provides homeowners insurance policies; and Better Settlement Services provides title insurance services. All rights reserved. Home lending products offered by Better Mortgage Corporation. Better Mortgage Corporation is a direct lender. NMLS #330511. 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, 57th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law License. Not available in all states. Equal Housing Lender [Equal Housing Lender]. [NMLS Consumer Access]( The Better Home Logo is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office BETTER MORTGAGE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, PROMOTIONS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. Rates and Terms are subject to change at anytime without notice and are subject to state restrictions. Alaska Mortgage Broker/Lender License (#AK330511); Alabama Consumer Credit License (#22548); Arkansas Combination Mortgage Banker-Broker-Servicer License (#114738); Arizona Mortgage Banker License (# 0942146); CA Dept. of Business Oversight - Finance Lenders Law License (#6052748); Loans made or arranged pursuant to Mortgage Company Registration with the Colorado Division of Real Estate (#330511); Connecticut Mortgage Lender License (#ML-330511); District of Columbia Mortgage Dual Authority License (#MLB330511); Delaware Lender License (#026589); Florida Mortgage Lender License (#MLD1484) Georgia Mortgage Lender License (#43354); Iowa Mortgage Banker License (#2018-0056); Idaho Mortgage Broker/Lender License (#MBL-2080330511); Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee (#MB.6761046); Indiana DFI Mortgage Lending License (#330511); Kansas Mortgage Company License (#MC.0025544); Kentucky Mortgage Company License (#MC419058); Louisiana Residential Mortgage Lending License (#330511); Massachusetts Mortgage Lender License (#ML330511); Maryland Mortgage Lender License (#21438); Maine Supervised Lender License (#330511); Michigan 1st Mortgage Broker/Lender Registrant (#FR0020971); Minnesota Residential Mortgage Originator License (#MN-MO-330511); Mississippi Mortgage Lender License (#330511); Missouri Mortgage Company License (#19-2462); Montana Mortgage Lender License (#330511); North Carolina Mortgage Lender License (#L-162055); North Dakota Mortgage Broker License (#MB103296); Nebraska Mortgage Lender License (#330511); Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance (#330511); New Mexico Mortgage Lender License (#330511); Licensed Mortgage Banker - NYS DFS (#LMB-109666); Ohio Residential Mortgage Lending Act Certificate of Registration (#RM.804430.000); Oklahoma Mortgage Lender License (#ML011933); Oregon Mortgage Lending License (#ML-5310); Pennsylvania Mortgage Lender License (#46959); Rhode Island Mortgage Lender License (#20183669LL); South Carolina-BFI Mortgage Lender/Servicer License (#MLS-330511); South Dakota Mortgage Lender License (#ML.05201); Tennessee Mortgage License (#136757); Texas Mortgage Lender License (#330511); Utah Mortgage Entity License (#11448204); Vermont Lender License (#7618); Virginia Lender License (#MC-5863); Washington Consumer Loan License (#CL-330511); Wisconsin Mortgage Banker License (#330511BA); West Virginia Mortgage Lender License (#ML36354); Wyoming Mortgage Lender License (#3369) Better Mortgage Corporation, Better Real Estate, LLC, Better Settlement Services, LLC and Better Cover, LLC are separate operating subsidiaries of Better Holdco, Inc. Each company is a separate legal entity operated and managed through its own management and governance structure as required by its state of incorporation, and applicable and legal and regulatory requirements. Products not available in all states. The Better Home Logo is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office This email was intended for {EMAIL} [View this email online]( | [Unsubscribe](