The Giff Group Blog

What To Expect as Appraisal Gaps Grow In today’s real estate market, low inventory and high demand are driving up home prices. As many as 54% of homes are getting offers over the listing price, based on the latest Realtors Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Shawn Te...

Save Time and Effort by Selling with an Agent Selling a house is a time-consuming process – especially if you decide to do it on your own, known as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). From conducting market research to reviewing legal documents, handling negotiations, and more, it’s an involved and highl...

10 Resources for Virtual House Hunting People with high risk health conditions or who haven’t been able to get vaccinated may still feel wary about leaving their homes due to the ongoing pandemic, but they don’t have to let those factors stop their home search. Virtual tools make it possible to v...

Homebuyers: Hang in There Some Highlights Today’s sellers’ market provides unique challenges—and benefits—for buyers. Current low interest rates won’t last forever, and home prices are forecast to rise. If you’re a homebuyer, hang in there. Homeownership improves your quality of life, and the lon...

Demand for Vacation Homes Is Still Strong The pandemic created a tremendous interest in vacation homes across the country. Throughout the last year, many people purchased second homes as a safe getaway from the challenges of the health crisis. With many professionals working from home and many st...

Homeowner Wealth Increases Through Growing Equity This Year Building financial wealth and stability remains one of the top reasons Americans choose to own a home, and as a homeowner, your wealth often grows without you even realizing it. In a recent paper published by the Urban Institute, Home Ow...

Pre-Approval Makes All the Difference When Buying a Home You may have been told that it’s important to get pre-approved at the beginning of the homebuying process, but what does that really mean, and why is it so important? Especially in today’s market, with rising home prices and high buyer comp...

5 Things Homebuyers Need To Know When Making an Offer When it comes to buying a house, you’re looking for the perfect place to call home. The problem is, in today’s market there just aren’t that many homes available to purchase. With inventory hovering near record lows and sky-high buyer demand, ...

Owning a Home Has Distinct Financial Benefits Over Renting  Some Highlights When you rent, you build your landlord’s wealth, your monthly payment depends on ever-rising rents, and you don’t benefit from home price appreciation. On the other hand, when you own your home, you build your own wealth,...

Housing Wealth: The Missing Piece of the Affordability Equation The real estate market is soaring today. Residential home values are rising, and that’s a big win for homeowners. In 2020, there was a double-digit increase in home values – a trend that’s expected to head toward similar levels this ...