Time Archives | Real Estate & Investment Perspective by Karen Lee Bertiger

2026/06/072026/06/10

Downsizing Checklist – With Housing Costs Surging Is This a Good Move to Reduce Expenses?

What are your total transaction costs on the sale AND the purchase
What are the holding costs on the new home
Will you have to pay a capital gains tax on the sale of your current home
What are the moving costs
If you will be using your equity from the sale of your home to purchase the new home without a mortgage, how will losing the interest deduction affect your personal taxes
Will you need to store any of your belongings
Be sure to factor in your health care costs & inflation in your new location
It’s MUCH easier to accomplish a down sizing in your 50s & 60s than in your 70s & 80s
What repairs & delayed maintenance will be necessary of your current home to bring it to move-in condition
Can you afford the repairs & potential staging costs
If you will be purchasing your new home before your old home is sold can you afford the overlapping holding costs
Don’t waive a home inspection if you are buying a new build
Can you afford the inflation on home services in your new neighborhood
Will you regret getting rid of your “stuff”
You’re going to get decision fatigue
Will you have seller’s remorse
Make sure you’re not down sizing too small – you don’t want to have to move twice
If you are moving to a completly new area, consider renting before buying

Property taxes, hazard insurance and HOA fees are all increasing and up to 65% of homeowners with mortgages have “escrow shortages” — many were qualified at higher percentages of their income. In my opinion, I would not originate a mortgage (principal and interest) at more than 20-22% of my income because of it. With escrow shortages, your lender keeps the money on a monthly basis that was your old escrow PLUS the amount needed for your new escrow to meet ongoing payments. The average shortage in escrow balances was $2,157.00!!! Property taxes have increased by approximately 15% between 2019 and 2024 (Cotality.) Property insurance has increased approximately 70% between 2019 and 2025, says the Dallas Fed (March.)

This insurance issue is enough on its own to force some homeowners into falling behind on mortgage payments because they cannot move/downsize or otherwise lower their costs.

2026/04/152026/04/15

Arbitrage Opportunity

Things to consider for a current real estate opportunity window:

If you have property in a hot market (NE, Midwest) but want to relocate/retire/downsize to Florida in the near future, take advantage of your seller’s market where you are AND the buyer’s market where you want to be in Florida. Of course, that’s only one aspect. You need a real estate professional in Florida to answer questions, find appropriate properties, and guide you through your purchase and assist you in your move. Make sure it’s someone who is up to the task!

2026/03/252026/03/25

Private Listing Wars

Since the end of February, 2026, a buyer searching on Zillow may not see all properties available. This was made possible by all of the brokerages touting their own private listings platforms, including one on Zillow. During the time on the private listing sites, the listing agent typically receives all buyer leads. This is not about Compass, it’s about a fundamental change to the real estate industry.

It appears that sellers are not getting all the information they need to make the best decisions. These are NOT all homes that require painting….brokers/agents appear to be making every effort to “double-dip” commissions, rather than fulfilling their fiduciary duties to their sellers.

The MLS is no longer the first depository of listing information.

Zillow Research did an independent study of 2.72 million home sale transactions in 2023 and 2024. Key findings were that sellers who list off-mls or limit pre-market exposure see a sale price difference of 1.5% to 3.7% compared to properties sold through MLS starting on day 1.

Bright MLS also conducted a study including 100,000 listings in their service area between September 2024 and February 2025. Pre-market/private listings took a median of 37 days to reach contract vs. 20 days for listings that published on MLS on day 1.

I don’t have a private listing promotion. I have a full market promotion, with everyone getting exposure to your listing on day 1. This is the competition that produces the highest sale price in the least amount of time. This is about integrity. I present the benefits and the drawbacks to my clients to avoid “steering” them into a decision. My sellers make the best choice for themselves.

A buyer may see a “coming soon” listing on Zillow and get very excited – they may have found their dream home – only to get routed to the listing agent and told they can’t make an appointment to see the home. That is not seller protection, nor is it price optimization. It’s self-serving lead capture. Those buyers may have been pre-approved, looking for months, and very motivated. Most won’t wait. They’ll go buy something else. How is that in the seller’s interest? Inventory in most markets in Florida and Arizona is increasing. They have more choices now.

Coming Soon status only makes sense when repairs are in progress and the home isn’t ready to show.

I’m a broker who knows where the property you’re looking for lives. In this fragmented marketplace, buyers now need a true professional who can find the property they want (assuming it exists!) I have access to ALL built properties that may or may not be on the market in a way discoverable by the public.

2024/10/142024/10/14

Get Qualified as a “CASH OFFER” Buyer!

Did you know I can help you get qualified to submit offers on properties as a “CASH” buyer? I just need a little info from you to start the process.

This is a great service for anyone competing against other buyers who need a contingency for financing.

Contact me for the link!

2024/08/032024/08/03

You Need to Know This

If someone told you to buy real estate in recent years & that you could refinance when rates came down, they did you a disservice. There is no guarantee anyone can give you on interest rates. What IS known, is the past trajectory of residential real estate prices. Since the Great Recession bottom (2012) the long term trajectory has been UP.

LONG TERM, you are well served to get on the asset ownership ladder. For most people, their equity in their home becomes a valuable asset to help with their retirement. If you think you don’t have the ability to find an affordable property to call home, you may be cheating yourself.

Don’t believe me? Ask me for the charts from reputable sources, which prove the point. In addition, I can offer you up to date info on a daily or weekly basis to help you make your best decisions. I’m going to post it so you can see…