If your homeowners insurance bill went up this year, you’re not alone. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 71% of U.S. homeowners say their insurance costs have increased over the past few years. And it’s not a small bump for most people. A full 42% say their costs have gone up “a lot.” […]

According to a new report from Realtor.com, the median down payment in the U.S. fell to its lowest level in four years.  In Q1 2026, the median down payment was $23,400, or 12.8% of the purchase price. Down payments have now declined for four straight quarters, with a median of $28,900 one year ago.  A

If you own a home in Mendocino County, there’s a good chance you’re sitting on more equity than you realize. New data shows 43.3% of mortgaged homes across the country are equity-rich right now. At the same time, a separate survey from Point found that 48% of homeowners say they aren’t planning to move this

We have officially entered the 2026 spring housing market, and for many homeowners, there is a sense of optimism in the air. According to the latest Spring Seller Survey from Realtor.com, sellers are heading into the season with high expectations.  But as we transition into a more nuanced market, there is a gap between what

Want to know when to list your home for sale for the best results? Right now, the data gives two answers within a 5-week timeframe of each other. Realtor.com says mid-April. Zillow says late May. That doesn’t mean one is right and the other is wrong. It means there’s more than one way to approach

When you sell your home, every dollar you spend before listing should have one job: come back to you in the form of a higher sale price. The challenge for most homeowners isn’t deciding whether to update their home. It’s figuring out where those prep dollars will work hardest. Some projects bring back two or

If you’re thinking of selling in 2026, you might think bigger rooms, formal spaces, and neutral paint colors equal higher value.  But today’s buyers aren’t shopping that way anymore, and new Zillow data backs that up. After reviewing 20 years of for-sale listings, Zillow found buyers now care more about practical layouts and manageable sizes,

If you’re looking to buy a home in 2026, and you’ve been waiting for the housing market to feel a little less stacked against you, that moment may finally be here.  According to a recent Redfin report, buyers now have more negotiating power than they’ve had in over a decade. In fact, sellers now outnumber

Most sellers start with good intentions. You want the house to look great. So you Google what to fix before selling, skim a few articles, and suddenly it feels like your entire home needs an upgrade. The list grows fast. New paint. New floors. New counters. New fixtures. Before long, selling feels like a renovation

Most buyers spend months preparing to get approved for a mortgage. They obsess over rates, run payment calculators, and watch listings like a hawk.  Then they close, get the keys, and are hit with a completely different financial reality. And it’s not because they did anything wrong. It’s because most homeownership advice still focuses on