When it comes to building wealth, the choice between real estate and the stock market has been a long-standing debate. Popular media often highlights stock market booms, cryptocurrency surges, or tech IPOs, but they rarely dig into the long-term reliability and tangible advantages of real estate. In regions like Humboldt County, where the real estate market includes vibrant communities such as Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, and Ferndale, the conversation becomes even more relevant. While both investment paths have their merits, there are critical differences, overlooked factors, and regional dynamic... Read more

Rent prices across California have climbed to historic levels, and Humboldt County is no exception. For prospective buyers in areas like Eureka, CA, the high cost of renting a home is becoming harder to justify. Monthly rents now rival or even exceed what a mortgage payment might be for comparable properties. This shift has made owning a home more financially appealing than ever.

In communities such as Arcata and Fortuna, the rental market is extremely tight, with high demand and limited availability. Many renters find themselves renewing leases at increased rates year after year, wit... Read more

In today’s real estate market, homebuyers often face challenges with rising mortgage rates and affordability. One financing strategy gaining popularity is the seller buydown. A seller buydown occurs when the seller of a property contributes funds to reduce the buyer’s mortgage interest rate for a set period or the entire life of the loan. This contribution is typically paid upfront at closing and credited toward the buyer’s mortgage, making the loan more affordable. For many buyers, this is the difference between being priced out of the market and comfortably affording a new home.

The... Read more

Buying a home is one of the biggest milestones in life, and it often comes with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. For many buyers, the biggest sticking point is interest rates. It is tempting to wait for rates to drop before committing to a mortgage, but in reality, waiting can mean missing out on the home that truly fits your needs. The phrase “date the rate, marry the house” has gained popularity among realtors, especially in competitive markets like California and Humboldt County, because it captures an important truth: interest rates are temporary, but the home you buy can shape your fu... Read more

As the year draws to a close, many potential homebuyers in California begin weighing the financial impact of purchasing property before December 31. Buying a home in the fall can unlock valuable tax benefits that provide immediate financial relief. For instance, closing on a property before the year ends allows buyers to deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, and in some cases, mortgage insurance premiums from their taxable income. This can lower your tax liability for the current year, giving you a head start on building wealth through real estate.

In markets like Humboldt County,... Read more

As we have seen in many cycles of North Western California Real Estate, the market is about to take a more aggressive move up. Now is the time to buy. One of the best old timer sayings in real estate, ring true today, and it goes like this: "Marry the House but Date the Rate". What that means is buy now, and obtain a loan that gives you freedom to easily either refinance without penalty or many loans have a clause that allow for a one time rate decrease. Once the market has made the move, the competition will increase to where you may not be able to purchase because of competition from man... Read more

One of Ming Tree’s services to Buyers and Sellers is to provide market data. The link here shows the market is balanced in Eureka, with just a slight lean to favor sellers. A very good time to be a buyer as the advantage will move more towards sellers as we move into spring and the full affects of the SoCal fires cause an intra state migration. Interest rates should not be a deterent to move on purchasing as the rates will be very steady around 7%. Ask your lender to add into your mortgage loan the ability to do a simple refi adjustment on rates should we see a decrease. This advice ... Read more

Two consecutive solid monthly gains for builder confidence, spurred in part by easing mortgage rates, signal that the housing market may be turning a corner even as builders continue to contend with high construction costs and building material supply chain logjams.
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in February rose seven points to 42, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This is the strongest reading since September of last year.
With the largest monthly increase for builder sentiment s... Read more

Applying For a Mortgage? Here’s What You Should Avoid Once You Do.
Applying For a Mortgage? Here’s What You Should Avoid Once You Do. | MyKCM

While it’s exciting to start thinking about moving in and decorating after you’ve applied for your mortgage, there are some key things to keep in mind before you close. Here’s a list of things you may not realize you need to avoid after applying for your home loan.

Don’t Deposit Large Sums of Cash
Lenders need to source your money, and cash isn’t easily traceable. Before you deposit any amount of cash into your accounts, discuss... Read more

We’re currently experiencing historically low mortgage rates. Over the last fifty years, the average on a Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been 7.76%. Today, that rate is 2.81%. Flocks of homebuyers have been taking advantage of these remarkably low rates over the last twelve months. However, there’s no guarantee rates will remain this low much longer.

Whenever we try to forecast mortgage rates, we should consider the advice of Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American:

“You know, the fallacy of economic forecasting is don’t ever try and forecast intere... Read more

In the spring, many excited buyers get ready to enter the housing market. Others continue dreaming about the homes they’d like to buy. The truth is, many potential buyers continue to dream longer than they need to, simply because they’re confused about the homebuying process. Thankfully, working with a trusted real estate professional can help ease those concerns and make the process to homeownership much easier to understand.

A recent survey conducted by Ipson and Freddie Mac reveals the confidence level of Gen Z and Millennial buyers regarding the homebuying process. The graph below... Read more