Your Home Is a Powerful Investment

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

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Your Home Is a Powerful Investment

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Going into 2023, there was a lot of talk about a possible recession that would cause the housing market to crash. Some in the media were even forecasting home prices would drop by as much as 10-20%—and that might have made you feel a bit unsure about buying a home.

Going into 2023, there was a lot of talk about a possible recession that would cause the housing market to crash. Some in the media were even forecasting home prices would drop by as much as 10-20%—and that might have made you feel a bit unsure about buying a home.

But here’s what actually happened: home prices went up more than usual. Brian D. Luke, Head of Commodities at S&P Dow Jones Indices, explains:

“Looking back at the year, 2023 appears to have exceeded average annual home price gains over the past 35 years.”

To put last year’s growth into context, the graph below uses data from Freddie Mac on how home prices have changed each year going back to 1980. The dotted line shows the long-term average for appreciation:

The big takeaway? Home prices almost always go up.

As an article from Forbes says:

“. . . the U.S. real estate market has a long and reliable history of increasing in value over time.”

In fact, since 1980, the only time home prices dropped was during the housing market crash (shown in red in the graph above). Fortunately, the market today isn’t like it was in 2008. For starters, there aren’t enough available homes to meet buyer demand right now. On top of that, homeowners have a tremendous amount of equity, so they’re on much stronger footing than they were back then. That means there won’t be a wave of foreclosures that causes prices to fall.

The fact that home values went up every single year except those four in red is why owning a home can be one of the smartest moves you can make. When you’re a homeowner, you own something that typically becomes more valuable over time. And as your home’s value appreciates, your net worth grows.

So, if you’re financially stable and prepared for the costs and expenses of homeownership, buying a home might make a lot of sense for you.

Bottom Line

Home prices almost always go up over time. That makes buying a home a smart move, if you’re ready and able. Let’s connect to talk about your goals and what’s available in our area.

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Hi, I Am Kim Dorman

Long & Foster Realtor

As your real estate agent, I hope you’ll think of me as your trusted advisor, your practiced negotiator, your skilled house-hunter and your neighborhood expert. Whether you’re buying, selling, renting or just looking, I’ll diligently work for you every step of the way. My goal is to deliver a joyful, seamless experience at every phase of the home buying or selling journey.

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Kim Dorman, with Long and Foster Real Estate, went above and beyond in handling the recent sale of our home! She gave us lots of information on all the steps involved in selling, as well as excellent recommendations for contractors for any needed repairs. She was very knowledgeable about all the steps involved and very willing to explain the whole process. We would definitely recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell their home!

DONNA

We called Kim, once again, to help us find our home upon our return to the area. She was quickly responsive and strove to understand all of our desires for a new home, and advised us in all aspects of the search. She helped us to quickly find a home we love, answered or sought answers to any questions we came up with, and walked us through the entire process from the search to the closing. Kim is a brilliant advocate and is vastly experienced. We highly recommend her for any real estate need.

JACK

Being a first time home buyer, my boyfriend and I were a little nervous about the home-buying process. Kim right away made us feel at ease and was able to speak to us first about the process before going all in. She discussed the housing market and what we can expect.... We are very happy with Kim and would strongly recommend using her for buying or selling your home.

RACHEL

Kim has truly been a lifesaver for our family - we had a cross-country move in a very tight timeframe (during COVID-19, no less) and she helped us find a home that met our needs even with all of that working against us. She was very professional, extremely responsive, and thorough to ensure we found the right place for us. We really enjoyed working with her on a personal level, too! She is fantastic!

ALYCE

Kim is amazing! She is easy going and full of energy and helped us find our perfect home. She then made dealing with a very difficult seller seem effortless. I would definitely (and have) recommend her to family and friends. Don't hesitate to have Kim Dorman help you with buying or selling!

MATT

Kim puts her clients first and is willing to go the extra mile to assist them. She is very knowledgeable and very thorough in answering questions and providing information we weren't aware that we needed. She is very reliable and accessible, both by phone or email. We have already recommended her to others and will happily do so again. We will gladly work with her again when it comes time to sell our house.

NANCY

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