The 2022 housing market has been defined by two key things: inflation and rapidly rising mortgage rates. And in many ways, it’s put the market into a reset position.

As the Federal Reserve (the Fed) made moves this year to try to lower inflation, mortgage rates more than doubled – something that’s never happened before in a calendar year. This had a cascading impact on buyer activity, the balance between supply and demand, and ultimately home prices. And as all those things changed, some buyers and sellers put their plans on hold and decided to wait until the market felt a bit more predictable.

But what does that mean for next year? What everyone really wants is more stability in the market in 2023. For that to happen we’ll need to see the Fed…

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If you’re a homeowner, your net worth got a big boost over the past few years thanks to rapidly rising home prices. Here’s how it happened and what it means for you, even as the market moderates.

Equity is the current value of your home minus what you owe on the loan.

Because there was a significant imbalance between the number of homes available for sale and the number of buyers looking to make a purchase over the past few years, home prices appreciated substantially.

And while home price appreciation has moderated this year, and even depreciated slightly in some overheated markets, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost all the equity you gained during the pandemic frenzy.

To prove you still have equity you can use, the latest Homeowner Equity…

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Did the frequency and intensity of bidding wars over the past two years make you put your home search on hold? If so, you should know the hyper competitive market has cooled this year as buyer demand has moderated and housing supply has grown. Those two factors combined mean you may see less competition from other buyers.

And with less competition comes more opportunity. Here are two trends that may be the news you need to reenter the market.

1. The Return of Contingencies

Over the last two years, more buyers were willing to skip important steps in the homebuying process, like the appraisal or the inspection, in hopes of gaining an advantage in a bidding war.  But now, things are different.

The latest data from the National Association of…

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Happy New Year! 2023 is finally here and we can't wait to see what's in store. Check out some of the top local news stories and see what events are coming up on the Emerald Coast as we head into January!

Destin Dunk 2023 hits the Gulf of Mexico

https://www.thedestinlog.com/picture-gallery/news/2023/01/03/destin-dunk-hits-gulf-mexico-new-years-day/10982348002/

Moon Crush returns to Seascape Resort in MIramar Beach- April 20-23

https://www.tixr.com/groups/mooncrush/events/mooncrush-moon-crush-pink-moon-23-46554

Rescuers saved 47 sea turtles at Navarre Pier in 2022.

https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/navarre/2023/01/02/47-sea-turtles-were-rescued-from-navarre-beach-fishing-pier-in-2022/69767468007/

Many restaurants opened…

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Happy New Year! 2023 is finally here and we can't wait to see what's in store. Check out some of the top local news stories and see what events are coming up on the Emerald Coast as we head into January!

Americana Concerts in the Lodge at Camp Helen State Park are back!

https://www.friendsofcamphelen.org/happenings/

Walton-DeFuniak Library Celebrates 135 Years of Service

https://30a.com/walton-defuniak-library/ 

Bay County baby born one minute into 2023

https://www.wjhg.com/2023/01/01/bay-county-baby-new-year-born-just-after-midnight/

Registration is now open for the 21st annual Seaside School Half Marathon and 5K!

https://30a.com/seaside-school-half-marathon-5k/

The 30A Songwriters Fest Returns Jan 13-16

…

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