Rent is not friendly on the wallet. With rent overall rising 3 percent year over year, it was the lower end market value (equivalent to $100K – $300K homes) that rose nearly 4 percent. Right now is a good time to make a move and see if buying is right for you before rent prices continue to rise. Why pay a landlord when you can invest in a home?

The average homeowner gained over $16K in home equity from Q2 of July 2017 to Q2 of July 2018. Last week, CoreLogic released their Equity report, highlighting homeowners with a mortgage (which CoreLogic estimates about 63 percent of homes have a mortgage) have seen their equity increase by 12.3 percent since last year. Less than 3 percent of all homes are under water; housing remains healthy.

Home appreciation is still going strong but thankfully, at a slower rate. The Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed a 6 percent annual gain in July. The media might dramatize this cool off but it’s healthy and let’s be honest, we want it. We want homes to appreciate but to remain affordable for buyers. Las Vegas, Seattle, and San Francisco still saw double-digit annual gains.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency also released their House Price Index for July today, also showing a deceleration in home price appreciation on single-family homes with conforming loan amounts. Home prices rose 0.2 percent in July, missing expectations of a 0.3 percent rise, but are still up 6.4 percent from a year prior.

Loan officer employment from 2016 to 2026 is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations and is ranked No. 57 on the 100 Best Jobs in 2018. (Yes, we are hiring.)

The American dream home defined: over 10 acres of land, almost 5,000 square feet, swimming pool, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, waterfront (or at least with a view to a cost, city, or hills), suburban area, ranch- or farmhouse-style made of brick, covered front porch, wood flooring (except for bedrooms and kitchen), central air conditioning, fireplace, finished basement, skylights, vaulted ceilings, and granite countertops in the kitchen. Oh yes, the recent survey results from Porch.com got that specific and Europeans have something completely different in mind for their ideal home: 1,589 square feet and less than an acre of land—now that’s more realistic. When we factor in maintenance, we wonder how many Americans would actually choose to live in their dream home or if it’s just a fantasy.