Blog - Charity Malke

Buying Tips

Benefits of Moving in the Fall

While everyone’s paying attention to mortgage rates, you may not realize that the changing season can actually start tipping things in your favor. This time of year, buyers tend to have more diverse options, better prices, and more room to negotiate. 1. More Homes to Choose From One of the biggest frustrations over the […]
Selling Tips

Why Do Home Sales Fall Through?

Few things are as rattling as the thought of your home sale falling through at the last minute, right before closing. All that progress out the window. If you’re getting ready to sell, here’s what you should know. Even in today’s market, home sale rarely fall through. According to the latest data from Redfin, only about 1 in […]
General

The Number That Really Makes a Difference

One Number Could Change Everything About Your Next Move When’s the last time a Real Estate Agent told you what your house is worth? Not what some online valuation tool estimated. Not what your neighbor’s house sold for. What your home is ACTUALLY worth right now. For most homeowners, it’s been years. And if you’ve been […]
General

Who Has the Upper Hand in Today’s Housing Market?

Knowing whether you’re in a seller or buyer market can completely change the strategy you us (and what expectations you should have). One Number Tells You Who Has Leverage There’s one number that tells the story faster than anything else: the months’ supply of homes for sale. It’s the clearest signal of who has […]

Buying Tips Benefits of Moving in the Fall While everyone’s paying attention to mortgage rates, you may not realize that the changing season can actually start tipping things in your favor. This time of year, buyers tend to have more diverse options, better prices, and more room to negotiate. 1. More Homes to Choose From One of the biggest frustrations over the […]

Selling Tips Why Do Home Sales Fall Through? Few things are as rattling as the thought of your home sale falling through at the last minute, right before closing. All that progress out the window. If you’re getting ready to sell, here’s what you should know. Even in today’s market, home sale rarely fall through. According to the latest data from Redfin, only about 1 in […]

General The Number That Really Makes a Difference One Number Could Change Everything About Your Next Move When’s the last time a Real Estate Agent told you what your house is worth? Not what some online valuation tool estimated. Not what your neighbor’s house sold for. What your home is ACTUALLY worth right now. For most homeowners, it’s been years. And if you’ve been […]

General Who Has the Upper Hand in Today’s Housing Market? Knowing whether you’re in a seller or buyer market can completely change the strategy you us (and what expectations you should have). One Number Tells You Who Has Leverage There’s one number that tells the story faster than anything else: the months’ supply of homes for sale. It’s the clearest signal of who has […]

Buying Tips What You Should Know About Home Insurance Costs If buying a home is on your radar, you’ve probably been keeping an eye on mortgage rates and home prices. But don’t forget about homeowners insurance. This has always been part of owning a home, but recently it has become a larger expense for many homeowners. The good news? While premiums are rising, increases are beginning to […]

General Why Real Estate is Still America’s Favorite Investment Which investment do Americans trust more than stocks, gold, savings accounts, and bonds? The answer hasn’t changed in 14 years. It’s real estate. And this year, that answer comes with even more conviction behind it. New data shows people aren’t just saying homeownership is a smart move, they’re feeling better about it than they have […]

General Why Housing Forecasts Changed mid-2026 Mortgage rates have risen. Home sales haven’t picked up like expected. And many buyers and sellers are wondering when things are going to feel easier or be more affordable. A lot changed over the first half of the year. At the end of 2025, economists were forecasting a much stronger housing market for 2026. They […]

Buying Tips What’s Happening with Home Prices Right Now You’ve probably heard that home prices are cooling off. And that’s true – nationally. But zoom in on individual markets across the country, and the picture looks completely different depending on where you are. Some areas are still seeing solid price growth. Others have gone flat. A few have actually dipped slightly negative. So, what’s causing all […]

Buying Tips What about the House That’s Been Sitting on the Market? Open up a home search and you’ll see them. Listings that have been on the market for two months. Three. Some longer. Most buyers scroll right past them, assuming something’s wrong with the house. But that instinct could be costing you, since the longer a home sits, the more motivated the seller usually gets. […]

General The Secret to Selling Fast, No Matter the Market When you put your house on the market, you don’t just want it to sell. You want it to sell fast. However, nationally it’s taking a little longer to sell, and that slowdown can feel frustrating. In every market right now, there’s one clear exception: Well-priced, well-presented homes are still selling, and it’s often faster than […]

Buying Tips Could Moving a Bit Further Out Change Your Budget? Whether you’re dreaming about buying your first home or wondering if it’s time to move on, affordability is probably on your mind. Home prices are still high in many markets, and altough some areas have improved, making the numbers work can still feel like a stretch. According to PODS, 61% of people across all generations say affordability […]

General What Rising Inflation Means for Your Move Data shows inflation is rising. Here’s what’s actually going on, why it matters for the housing market, and what it means if you’re considering buying or selling. Inflation Went Up – Here’s What That Actually Means The government tracks inflation in a variety of ways. One method is called the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index […]

General 4 Ways To Give Your Offer an Edge Buyers have more leverage today than they’ve had in years. There are more homes to choose from, and, in many areas, sellers are more open to negotiation. In a market where there aren’t many homes for sale, you may find yourself competing with other buyers. That’s especially true in the Spring. Here’s how to stay […]

Buying Tips You Can’t Control Mortgage Rates. But You Can Control This. Mortgage rates have been volatile. And if you’re thinking about buying a home, that can make it harder to plan. But there are still things you can do to get the best rate possible in today’s market. It starts with having the right information. Mortgage Rate Volatility Is Normal Data from Freddie Mac shows the recent […]

Buying Tips Rent or Buy? The Real Tradeoff Most People Don’t Talk About You’ve probably asked yourself lately: Is it even worth trying to buy a home right now? It’s a question a lot of people are asking. With today’s home prices and mortgage rates, renting can feel like the easier path. In some cases, it might even seem like the only realistic option right now. But if you’re weighing […]

Selling Tips The Best Week to List Your House While the Spring season consistently offers up some of the best conditions for home sellers, Realtor.com says there’s one window where the stars really seem to align year after year. And it’s coming up fast. Based on their analysis of historical trends, the ideal week to put your house on the market this year is: April 12–18. Here’s why this window stands […]

Buying Tips Before You Fall in Love with a House, Do This First Be honest. Have you started looking at homes online yet? If you have, it’s already time to get pre-approved. If buying a home is on your radar, you don’t want to wait until later in the process. Pre-approval isn’t about commitment. It’s about clarity. Know Your Numbers Up Front During the pre-approval process, a lender will walk […]

Selling Tips Biggest Dealbreakers for Buyers You may have seen headlines indicating the number of buyers backing out of contracts is on the rise. That can sound intimidating, but here’s the key thing to understand if you want to sell. There’s a common cause, and it’s something you can actually control. The Top Dealbreaker: Issues from the Inspection A Redfin survey shows over 70% […]

Selling Tips Market Activity Update Nationally, the number of active listings grew for the 27th consecutive month, rising 10% year-over-year, according to Realtor.com’s January 2026 Monthly Housing Market Trends Report. Despite the increase, total inventory remained 17.2% below pre-pandemic levels for the month. Current inventory in the 13-county MSP metro is just over 2 months’ supply. That’s a measure of […]

Buying Tips Renting vs. Buying: The Numbers Might Surprise You Renting may seem like the easier choice right now. There’s no big down payment, no surprise repairs, and no long-term commitment. However, your rent goes up again. And again. And suddenly renting seems… expensive, especially considering you’re not building any equity. There’s so much content about how buying a home isn’t affordable. But the truth […]