Steve Cook
Homes.com
Silver Spring, MD, United States
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Past articles by Steve:
The Most Important Repairs Sellers Should Make for Buyers
Repairs can boost home salability, but not all are worth the time or expense. What are the most important repairs sellers should make? Analyst Steve Cook explores. → Read More
What Will Happen When the CDC Eviction Ban Ends?
When the CDC eviction ban expires — maybe as early as June 30 — up to 8 million tenants may face evictions. Then what? → Read More
Top 5 Markets Where Buying Power is Surging and Slumping
As real estate markets continue to thrive, analyst Steve Cook shares where buying power is strongest, weakest, and how to maximize it. → Read More
Is "Rent to Own" a Safe Option for First-Time Homebuyers?
Down payments and affordable homes are in short supply because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Could rent to own options be a solution? → Read More
Why is the Homeownership Rate Soaring?
Homeownership makes many positive social contributions, but the most important may be that it is the predominant way families build wealth. And now, numbers are soaring. → Read More
What Could a Second Wave of COVID-19 Mean for Housing Markets?
Will a second wave of COVID-19 mean "boom" or "bust" for the housing market? With the trends we're seeing now, there are a couple of possibilities to expect. → Read More
Investing in a College Town Rental Market: Ann Arbor, Michigan
If you're considering investing in a college town property, there's some considerations you have to take into account. Here's a market report for rental properties in Ann Arbor, Michigan. → Read More
5 Reasons Why Fall May Be a Great Time to Sell in 2020
Thinking of selling? Fall may be a good option for those who were hesitant to sell earlier this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. → Read More
Four Factors Contributing to the Racial Homeownership Gap
Despite the Fair Housing Act, the gap between Black and white homeownership is higher today than it was fifty years ago. There are some of the factors contributing to the racial homeownership divide. → Read More
Best Cities to Buy a Vacation Home for Post-pandemic Retreats
If you've been considering purchasing a vacation home for post-pandemic investments or getaways, now might be the best time in these five cities. → Read More
11 Secret Beaches Perfect for Social Distancing on the East Coast
Do social distancing the right way this summer with these hidden East Coast beach towns that are perfect for your next getaway vacation. → Read More
What You Need to Know About Mortgage Forbearance
From who can get mortgage forbearance, to what it is, this is your go-to resource about the basic of mortgage forbearance policies. → Read More
Why Homeownership is Still a Great Investment
Surprisingly, homeownership’s reputation as a safe investment took only a minor hit before rebounding in the 2012 Great Recession. Now, we're entering an economic crisis that may be worse. But, here's why homeownership is still a great investment. → Read More
Six Tips for Selling a Home During the Coronavirus Crisis
As the coronavirus crisis continues, more states and cities are enacting stay-at-home orders. As long as the crisis lasts, it won't be the best time to sell your home, but some families have no choice. Here are six tips to help sellers overcome the most difficult circumstances. → Read More
The Impact of Aging in Place: Housing Markets and Younger Generations
With the two biggest generations, Baby Boomers and Millennials, competing for space in America's housing market, inventories of available homes have been affected drastically. But what does this mean for future generations when Boomers eventually start vacating their homes? → Read More
6 tips to help credit-challenged clients improve scores
If you have clients who are struggling to get their finances in line while preparing to buy a home, here is some advice you can give them to help get their credit scores in good shape and keep them healthy moving forward. → Read More
7 facts about FHA loans you should know
Knowing more about how FHA works — and how to work with FHA — helps agents identify opportunities for their first-time buyer clients, who make up 1 in 3 buyers today. FHA is not for everyone, but for millions of young families, it is the piece that is solving the homeownership puzzle. → Read More
Are low down payment loans really riskier?
Higher down payments, coupled with poor savings habits, are making it very hard for millions of first-time buyers to save enough to buy a home. But new research shows that lenders and others might want to rethink the parameters around down payments made by these prospective homeowners. Find out more here. → Read More
2020 Prediction: Top Performing Real Estate Markets for the Year
Analyzing the current conditions of local markets can help you anticipate price changes shortly. In no particular order, here’s a list of seven “Cinderella” markets– metros that stand a good chance of joining the top markets by the end year. → Read More
Track Your Home's Value Using This State-of-the-Art Tool
Homes.com’s state-of-the-art valuation tool is sufficiently sophisticated that you can use it to understand and track changing home values in your local neighborhood. → Read More