Kevin Langan Phoenix Real Estate Podcast​

Kevin Langan

If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Kevin Langan - your professional Real Estate Agent.

  1. 12/01/2017 ·  Video

    Why Are Homebuyers Feeling Optimistic?

    Homebuyer confidence is higher than ever, and long-term renters are looking to start buying. Today I’ll talk about why that is. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale Why are homebuyers suddenly so optimistic? Right now, homebuyer confidence is at an all-time high, and there is an increasing number of renters who think that now is a good time to buy. There are three reasons that I believe explain this phenomenon: Lending guidelines are loosening up. Back in 2010 and 2011, things were a little bit harder on the buyer side to qualify for a mortgage. Now that the guidelines have opened up a bit, it has enabled more buyers to buy a home. Jobs are looking good. Fewer buyers are concerned about losing their jobs. Additionally, the median household income is now 150% of what their monthly payment would be as opposed to the historical average of 125%. Long-term renters are now opting to buy homes. Millennials, the generation born after 1980, have mostly opted out of homeownership up until now. Now that they’re entering the market as first-time buyers, they’re further along in their careers with higher income and more savings. Homebuyer confidence is at an all-time high. So what does all this mean for you? If you’re on the fence about buying a home, those are three things to take into consideration. It’s definitely still a good time to buy, and interest rates are low compared to historic averages. If you’re thinking about selling a home, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to get you scheduled for a free consultation.

  2. 07/06/2017 ·  Video

    3 Ways to Buy a Home Without a Down Payment

    If you want to buy a home but can't cover the down payment, there are three options for home loans here in the Phoenix area that are perfect for you. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale If you want to buy a home but don't have any money for down payment, you still have three options. If you're a veteran of a military service, you might have VA eligibility that would allow you to qualify for a VA loan. This is a government-insured loan program that lets you buy a home without any money down. Another option would be looking at the many grant programs offered in our area. In Maricopa County, we have two in particular called Home Plus and Home in 5 that provide grant money that's set aside by the county for your down payment to buy a home. You can even get closing cost assistance from sellers; I've had client buy a home with way with less than $1,000 out of pocket. Our county has multiple grant programs with money set aside to cover your down payment. You can also look into USDA financing. This loan program is sponsored and insured by the United States Department of Agriculture and provides zero money down financing for rural areas. Most areas in Maricopa County don't fall into the USDA requirements, but there are some that do in surrounding areas. If you're interested in any of these three zero money down home loans or you have any other questions about the Phoenix market, give me a call or send me an email. I'm here to help.

  3. 06/28/2017 ·  Video

    The 3 Biggest Benefits of Owning Investment Property

    If you're on the fence about investing in real estate as a rental property, learning these three benefits might tip the scales for you. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale Real estate is an excellent vehicle for building long-term wealth as an investment. There are three benefits to focus on for buy and hold (rental) real estate investment properties: Cash flow: Once you close on the property and get a tenant, you'll receive income every single month from their rent. You need to make sure you're actually making profit and that the expenses of the property don't exceed the incoming cash. Tax breaks: There's a rule in the IRS code that allows you to depreciate the property - meaning you can write off its expenses over time and deduct it from your taxable income. This creates annual savings. Building equity in the property over time: As you rent out the property, the tenant will pay down the mortgage balance and the property will appreciate over time. Between your tenant paying down the mortgage and the appreciation (40-year average is about 4%), you'll build a lot of equity. Over time, a tenant pays down your mortgage while appreciation boosts your property's value. At the end of the investment, it's important to have an exit strategy in place to move that money into another investment or retirement. If you're thinking of investing in Phoenix real estate or just buying a home, give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd be glad to help however I can.

  4. 06/05/2017 ·  Video

    3 Things to Remember About Zillow’s Zestimates

    How accurate is Zillow’s Zestimate? Not very, and there are three main reasons why. Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale When it comes to Zillow’s Zestimate tool, there are a few things you need to keep in mind about Zillow and home values: 1. Zestimates can be manipulated by the homeowner or an agent coaching the homeowner. In preparation to list the property for sale, the owner can add updates, change the square footage, and do other things in Zillow that will drastically change their Zestimate. Sometimes, buyers will compare the Zestimate to your asking price to determine what kind of offer they should make and if the home is priced fairly. The problem is that the Zestimate is just a ballpark number, not a fair market value. 2. Zillow can be off by 10% to 20%. In our county, that number is definitely closer to 20%. Zillow itself tracks the Zestimate and the actual sales price of their properties and say that it’s often off by 10%. However, I’ve seen Zestimates in our market off by 30% or 40%. 3. You need to ask a professional. After all, if you think you might be sick, you will look up your symptoms on WebMD. If you are actually sick or concerned, then you will go straight to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. It’s the same with your home value. It’s fine to look at Zillow if you’re just curious, but if you really want to sell or refinance, then you need to reach out to a professional real estate agent so that you have an accurate understanding of what your house is worth in the current market. Send me your address and your Zestimate to see how accurate Zillow really is. Now, I’d like to give you a more specific example. Let’s try an experiment. Send me your Zestimate and your home address. I’ll pull some comparables and tell you what the actual market value of your home is. If we get enough people to participate, I’ll do another video sharing the results of what I found. That way, you will have a clear understanding of how accurate (or inaccurate) Zillow really is in our market. In the meantime, if you have any other questions about real estate, just give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

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If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Kevin Langan - your professional Real Estate Agent.