http://idahoevansrealty.com/blog/archive_202605/sort_entrydatetime-desc/ What Most Veterans Don't Know About Their VA Home Loan BenefitMonday May 25th, 2026For Buyers,Affordability,Buying Tips  Nearly half of Veterans (49%) feel homeownership is currently out of reach, according to a recent survey from NewDay USA.But many are closer than they think. And you might be, too.If you’re a Veteran, you probably know the Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan benefit exists – it's been around for over 80 years. What you might not know is what it actually covers. Three misconceptions trip up Veterans the most (see graph below):Any one of those beliefs could be holding you back. Let’s walk through all three, so you have the information you really need.You May Not Have To Put Any Money DownThe potential to put zero money down is probably the biggest perk of a VA loan, but most homebuyers don’t even realize that’s an option. According to the NewDay USA survey, many respondents guessed they’d need to save somewhere between $10,000 and $19,900 before they could buy. That’s years of saving for an upfront cost that isn’t always required.You May Have Lower Closing CostsAccording to the Department of Veterans Affairs, with VA loans, there can be limits on the types of closing costs buyers have to pay. That means more money stays in your pocket on closing day – and you have less to save up for before you can buy. The benefit combined with the down payment perk can speed up your buying timeline.Your Monthly PMI Costs Could Be $0Unlike many other loan options, VA loans typically don’t require private mortgage insurance (PMI), even with low or no money down. If you take out a conventional loan instead, you could pay $100 to $300 a month in PMI until you hit 20% equity, according to NewDay USA. Over time, that’s a difference of thousands of dollars.Your BAH & BAS May Help You Qualify for MoreIf you’re on active duty or if you’re a qualifying reservist, your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) may count toward income qualification on a VA loan. So, if you were running the numbers without factoring your BAH or BAS in, you could qualify for more than you thought. Both BAH and BAS are non-taxable, so they can help raise the amount you can qualify for.  Bottom Line VA home loans can put homeownership within reach, and a trusted lender can help make sure you understand the details before you move forward.If you’re active duty, you’ve served, or know someone who has, connect with a trusted lender who can walk you through whether you’d qualify and what the VA benefit offers. You may be able to buy a home sooner than you thought.  http://idahoevansrealty.com/blog/549/what-most-veterans-don't-know-about-their-va-home-loan-benefit/ Tue, 26 May 2026 01:43:52 -0700 More Sellers Are Open to Negotiating Right Now May 19, 2026  Wondering if buyers ever catch a break in this market? Look at this. 39% of sellers say they expect to make concessions this year. That’s up from 30% in 2025. So, you may have more room to negotiate than you think. Want to know what you can ask for as a buyer? Let’s chat. http://idahoevansrealty.com/blog/547/more-sellers-are-open-to-negotiating-right-now?/ Tue, 19 May 2026 01:02:44 -0700 Are Home Prices Going To Fall?Monday May 18th, 2026For Buyers,Home Prices,First-Time Buyers,Rent vs. Buy,Equity  It’s one of the biggest hold ups some buyers have right now: “What if I buy, and home prices go down?”With everything in the news, that concern makes some sense. No one wants to make a big financial decision at the wrong time. But here’s what’s important to know. You don’t want to get hung up on the few places seeing slight declines right now.When you zoom out and look at the full picture, home prices usually rise over time.What the Data Really ShowsTake a look at the visual below. It uses data from Case-Shiller and Bilello to show how home prices have changed year by year going all the way back to the 1950s.Here’s the key takeaway.Outside of the housing crash, home prices have either held steady or increased in just about every year for decades (see visual below):That’s a remarkably consistent track record. And it shows something a lot of headlines miss.While short-term shifts can happen, it’s the long-term gains that really matter.Why Prices Tend To Rise Over TimeThere are a few core reasons prices usually go up each year:There are always people who need to move. People need a place to live, and that demand will never fully go away. It may ebb and flow, but someone will always have to move as big changes happen in their life. So, homes stay in demand.There still aren't enough homes for sale. While the number of homes for sale has grown, nationally there’s still an undersupply based on how many people want a home. That keeps upward pressure on prices.Inflation has an impact. Over time, the cost of goods (including homes) naturally increases. That pushes home values higher.What That Means for You as a BuyerIt’s easy to get caught up in what might happen with home prices next month or next year, especially if you’re a first-time buyer and you’re feeling a little anxious about making such a big financial commitment. But the big picture is clear. Prices usually rise.That doesn’t mean prices will go up every single year in every market. Real estate is local, and there can be short-term ups and downs. We’re seeing that in some places right now. You can even see it in the few annual dips in the visual above.But historically, the declines have been temporary.That’s why it’s generally recommended to buy a home only if you plan to stay for a while – typically at least five years. That’s normally enough time to see your house grow in value. And, it’s enough so you can ride out any short-term changes in the market.Because when you can do that, something powerful happens. Those rising home values grow your net worth, and by extension, help you build wealth.The right decision isn’t about timing the market perfectly. It’s about making a move that works for your life and staying in it long enough to benefit from the bigger trend. Bottom Line Home prices have a long track record of going up over time. And that’s why buying a home is generally considered a safe long-term investment.That certainly doesn’t mean you have to buy now. You should only move when it makes sense, and you plan to live there for a while.But if you’re interested, let this reassure you. If you want to talk through what home prices are doing in our market, your goals, or your timelines, let’s have a quick conversation.  http://idahoevansrealty.com/blog/545/are-home-prices-going-to-fall?/ Mon, 18 May 2026 10:51:03 -0700 What the Foreclosure Headlines Aren’t Telling YouWednesday May 13th, 2026For Sellers,Foreclosures,Equity  You've probably seen the headlines saying, "foreclosures are on the rise,” and maybe your mind jumped straight to 2008. That’s understandable. A lot of people remember that crash and all the foreclosures that happened during that window, and they’re hoping something like that never happens again. But this isn’t a repeat of what happened back then. Here’s the context to prove it.Foreclosures Are Rising, But They’re Still Historically LowYes, foreclosure filings are up 26% from a year ago, according to ATTOM. And they’ve been rising for 5 straight quarters. That's a real trend worth paying attention to. But the full picture isn’t scary like the headlines suggest.The reality is the increase we’re seeing is a sign of the market normalizing.Here's an important thing to know about this chart. The extremely low numbers you see in 2020 and 2021 don't represent what's "normal." That's when the government put a moratorium on foreclosures to help homeowners get through the pandemic. Those years were an exception, not the baseline.Instead, compare where we are today to 2017, 2018, and 2019 – the last years the market was running normally. Today's numbers are still lower. So, we're not even back to what's typical, yet. That means this can’t be a crash. (see graph below):While today's numbers are getting closer to pre-pandemic levels, they're still below historical norms. And just look at what was happening around 2008. Even with the recent increase, we're nowhere near those levels. This is a market returning to normal, not heading toward a crisis.Why Today’s Equity Picture Changes EverythingMost of those filings won't even end in a completed foreclosure. That's because today's homeowners have something most people in 2008 simply didn't have. And that’s equity.The average homeowner today is sitting on roughly $295,000 in home equity right now, according to Cotality. Back in 2008, many people owed more than their homes were worth. Selling wasn't an option. And foreclosure was often the only door available.Today, that's not the case. If you have enough equity to cover what you owe and the cost of selling, you could sell your home, pay off your debt, protect your credit, and potentially walk away with money in your pocket.That's a completely different situation than what homeowners faced during the last crash, and it's a big reason we're unlikely to see foreclosures spiral the way they did back then.Check out the graph below. It shows foreclosure data from ATTOM going back to 2005. Here's how to read it:The yellow line tracks all foreclosure filings.The orange line tracks foreclosure starts, meaning the process has officially begun.And the red line at the bottom tracks completed foreclosures (the ones where a homeowner actually lost their home).See how the red line stays well below the other two? That gap tells the real story. A lot of homeowners who enter the foreclosure process never end up losing their home because they find another way forward first.Today’s equity is a big reason for that. So, even the filings we are seeing now won’t all end in foreclosure.If You’re Struggling, You Have More Options Than You ThinkMaybe you're behind on payments. Maybe you're stressed about what comes next. That's an incredibly hard place to be, but it's important to know that missing a payment or two doesn't automatically mean you'll lose your home.Banks would much rather work with you than foreclose. It's a complicated, costly process for them, too. They're often willing to set up a repayment plan, offer forbearance (a temporary pause or reduction in your payments), or modify your loan to make things more manageable long-term.Just know the sooner you reach out to your lender, the more options you'll have. In some states (ones that don't require the foreclosure process to go through a court) things can move faster than people expect. Getting ahead of it early gives you and your lender the most room to find a solution. And if selling makes more sense for your situation, a real estate agent can help you understand what your home is worth and whether that's a path worth exploring. Bottom Line Foreclosure filings may be rising, but they're still low. And the equity most homeowners are sitting on today is a key reason this looks nothing like 2008.  http://idahoevansrealty.com/blog/543/what-the-foreclosure-headlines-aren’t-telling-you/ Wed, 13 May 2026 01:09:26 -0700 Why Staging Your House Could Pay Off This SpringMonday May 11th, 2026For Sellers,Agent Value,Selling Tips  Selling your house this season? You’ve probably heard you should stage it before it hits the market. But what does that really mean – and is it worth the effort?The short answer is “yes,” especially right now.With more houses for sale this year, you’re likely wondering how to make the most money possible without your house sitting on the market. The answer is staging. It can help your house stand out, bring in stronger offers, and sell faster. As Nadia Evangelou, Principal Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), puts it:“Staging matters. Preparing the home to be ‘buyer-ready’ attracts more buyers, especially now that inventory has increased.”Here's what staging actually involves and what it could do for your sale.What Is Home Staging?Home staging is the process of preparing your house, so it appeals to as many buyers as possible. That usually means decluttering, deep cleaning, rearranging furniture, and adding simple touches that help each room feel bright, open, and welcoming.The goal is to help buyers fall in love with the space and picture themselves living there, which makes them more likely to make an offer.Why Staging Is Worth the EffortStaged houses tend to perform better on almost every metric that matters when you sell. According to Redfin, staged homes have been shown to sell up to 73% faster than unstaged homes. And they often close in under a month, compared to anywhere from two to three months for vacant ones.There’s also a strong return on the money you spend.The Home Staging Institute says mid-level staging can deliver a 350% return on investment. On a $400k home, that turns the typical $4k cost into roughly $18k in added value when you sell (see graph below):By that estimate, that’s an extra potential profit of about $14k – a meaningful boost when you’re trying to maximize what you walk away with at closing.Your Staging OptionsAnd just in case you’re seeing that $4k upfront investment above and thinking, “I’m not going to spend that,” here’s what you should know.Staging doesn’t always have to mean hiring a full crew or filling your house with rented furniture. There are a few different paths you can take, depending on your budget and timeline. So, you could spend a lot less and still get a good return. Here are a few options:Professional staging. A stager handles everything from layout to décor, often bringing in their own inventory. According to the Home Staging Institute, costs typically range from $500 to $5k or more, depending on the size of your house.Virtual staging. Digital furniture and styling are added to your listing photos, which can be a budget-friendly option for vacant houses.DIY staging. If your budget is tight and your home only needs minor updates, decluttering, deep cleaning, and arranging furniture for flow can still make a real difference.Your agent can help you figure out which approach fits your house, your market, and your goals.Agents see what buyers respond to in open houses and showings every week, so they can give you specific, personalized recommendations on what’s worth your time and money (and what isn’t).That way you can get the most bang for your buck – no matter your budget. Bottom Line With more homes for sale right now, making a strong first impression matters. Staging can help your house sell faster and for more – and there's an option for almost every budget.If you’re getting ready to list, let’s talk about what level of staging makes sense for your house and make a plan for attracting the right buyers.  http://idahoevansrealty.com/blog/541/why-staging-your-house-could-pay-off-this-spring/ Mon, 11 May 2026 12:25:57 -0700