Do You Know How Much Your House Is Really Worth?

Want to know something important you probably don’t have a professional check for you nearly as often as you should? Spoiler alert: it’s the value of your home.

Because here’s the reality. Your house is likely the biggest financial asset you have. And if you’ve lived in it for a few years or more, chances are it’s been quietly building wealth for you in the background – even if you haven’t been keeping tabs on it.

You might be surprised by just how much it’s grown, even as the market has shifted over the past few months.

What Is Home Equity?

That hidden wealth in your home is called equity. It’s the difference between what your house is worth today and what you still owe on your mortgage. Your equity grows over time as home values rise and as you make your monthly payments. Here’s an example to help you really understand how the math works.

Let’s say your house is now worth $500,000, and you have $200,000 left to pay off on your loan. That means you have $300,000 in equity. And that’s right in line with what the typical homeowner has right now.

According to Cotality, the average homeowner with a mortgage has about $302,000 in equity.

Why You Probably Have More Than You Think

Here are the two main reasons homeowners like you have near record amounts of equity right now:

1. Significant Home Price Growth. According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), home prices have jumped by nearly 54% nationwide over the last five years (see map below):

This means your house is likely worth much more now than when you first bought it, thanks to how much prices have climbed over time. And if you’re worried because you’ve heard prices are flattening or even coming down in some markets, just know if you’ve been in your house for a few years (or more) you very likely have enough equity to sell and still come out ahead.

2. People Are Living in Their Homes Longer. Data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), shows the average homeowner stays in their home for about 10 years now (see graph below):

That’s longer than it used to be. And over that decade? You’ve built equity just by making your mortgage payments and riding the wave of rising home values. Because the financial side of homeownership is about playing the long game, not worrying about little ups and downs in the market here and there. And over time, that means you’re winning.

So, if you’re one of those people who’s been in their home for a bit, here’s how much the behind-the-scenes price growth has helped you out. According to NAR:

“Over the past decade, the typical homeowner has accumulated $201,600 in wealth solely from price appreciation.”

What Could You Actually Do with That Equity?

Your equity isn’t just a number. It’s a tool you can use to unlock your next big move. Depending on your goals, you could:

Use it to help buy your next home. Your equity could help you cover the down payment on your next home. In some cases, it might even mean you can buy your next house in all cash.

Renovate your current house to better suit your life now. And, if you’re strategic about your projects, they could add even more value to your home if you do sell later on.

Start the business you’ve always dreamed of. Your equity could be exactly what you need for startup costs, equipment, software, or marketing. And that could help increase your earning potential, so you’re getting yet another financial boost.

Bottom Line

Chances are, your house is worth quite a bit right now. If you’re curious about the value of your home, connect with a local agent to run the numbers. That way, you’ll know what you’re working with and where you can go from here.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

Related Links

• Patience Won’t Sell Your House. Pricing Will.

• Thinking About Renting Your House Instead of Selling? Read This First.

• Here's When Fall Foliage Will Peak This Year, According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Just Listed: Bright Ranch Living Backing to Open Space

Welcome to this charming ranch-style home perfectly situated on a spacious corner lot!

Step inside to a bright, open floor plan that creates a seamless flow between living spaces. The main level features two generous bedrooms, a full bath, and multiple living areas, including a cozy family room with a wood-burning stove - perfect for chilly Colorado evenings. The newly refreshed kitchen boasts updated tile, countertops, and an undermount sink, opening directly to the second living room for easy entertaining. The fully finished basement expands your living space with a third bedroom, 3⁄4 bath with built-in vanity, large laundry/storage room, and another oversized living area; ideal for a rec room, media space, or home gym! Step outside to enjoy a large deck for summer gatherings and a fully fenced yard with RV gate and gravel access, offering ample room for your toys and outdoor gear. With a new roof (2022), recent updates throughout, and a location that backs to open space and multiple community parks nearby, this home truly checks every box!

Listed by Kendra Greeney for West + Main Homes. Please contact Kendra for current pricing + availability.

 

Have questions?
West + Main Homes
720-314-8341⁩‬
hello@westandmain.com

Presented by:
Kendra Greeney
720-323-1306
kendragreeney@westandmainhomes.com

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Just Listed: Prairie-to-Peak Living in East Larkspur

Welcome home to East Larkspur! A RARE 35-acre lot that is zoned for A-1 agriculture with prairie-to-peak panoramic views!

Conveniently located only 3.5 miles east of I-25 on Greenland Road where your only neighbors to the north are the cattle that graze the nearly 18,000 acres of forever-protected land known as Greenland Ranch. With Pikes Peak’s majestic presence to the south, and Rattlesnake Butte to the west where the sunsets are a sight to behold, you’ll feel like you’ve escaped the busy life “out there.” Here, it’s quiet, expansive, and breathtaking — and all yours to create the life you’ve always wanted. Live out your dream of becoming a rancher or hobby farmer, or simply enjoy the low-maintenance lifestyle this move-in ready, fully remodeled, ranch-style home can offer! Inside you’ll immediately notice all the sunlight this home allows in and how functionally and thoughtfully remodeled this home is. You’ll feel like you’ve walked into a new home with new luxury vinyl plank floors, carpeting, quartz countertops, appliances, washer and dryer, lighting, hardware, baseboards, interior and exterior paint, new furnace and hot water heater, and a new Class-4 impact-resistant roof! No surface was left untouched on the main level! You’ll enjoy the vaulted ceilings, skylight, views from every window, and the easy flow here. The primary suite will win you over with its 5-piece bathroom, complete with freestanding soaking tub and huge walk-in closet! The full, walkout basement offers plenty of storage or a blank canvas to add more bedrooms and living space! The 2-stall barn with corral is ready for your can’t-leave-behind domestic animals! Your home on 35 acres borders Greenland Road and Haskel Creek and is priced appropriately for you to add outbuildings to complete your lifestyle! Join the Larkspur, Castle Rock, and Monument events — all lively and welcoming towns with plentiful shopping and restaurants! Come live the good life in East Larkspur!

Listed by Janell Arant for West + Main Homes. Please contact Janell for current pricing + availability.

 

Have questions?
West + Main Homes
720-314-8341⁩‬
hello@westandmain.com

Presented by:
Janell Arant
720-469-5332
janell@westandmainhomes.com

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8 Things You Should Never Store Under Your Bed

If there’s one storage spot in your home that embodies the “out of sight, out of mind” attitude, it’s under the bed. Stashing stuff under there is an efficient method for keeping bulky items out of the way, but it’s also an easy place to put things you’ll quickly forget about—a storage black hole, if you will.

Whether under the bed is where your out-of-season clothes go to hibernate or it’s a spot for your abandoned scrapbooking projects, there are some things that you’re better off keeping away from the black hole. Ahead, organizing experts reveal the eight things you should never store under your bed.

Anything Made of Paper or Cardboard

You might be tempted to kick a shoe box or two under the bed for safe keeping, but that’s a bad idea according to Danica Carson, cofounder of The Uncluttered Life blog and creator of the Declutter Deck, a set of organizing prompt cards.

“Paper products are actually a food source to some insects, from silverfish to moths to cockroaches,” Carson says. “Speaking strictly from a preservation perspective, paper products like photographs, books, documents, and boxes should never be stored under the bed.”

Linens and Textiles

Ever whack an old blanket only to watch dust puff out of it? That scenario is almost a guarantee if you store linens and textiles under the bed.

“Never store blankets, pillows, or anything fibrous or porous under the bed unless the items are contained in a container, or at least bagged,” says Monica Fay, a decluttering expert. “The reason for this is dust easily accumulates underneath furniture, especially beds, and will settle into the material. It may not be as noticeable as it would be on a plastic or wooden surface.”

This is especially important if you suffer from asthma, Carson adds. To be safe, keep your comforters away from dust mites.

Leather Goods

Putting leather shoes or purses under the bed is almost like setting them out in the sun. The environment wreaks havoc on them.

“Dust can cause your leather items to dry out, crack, and become discolored over time,” explains Carson. “If you absolutely have to store these items under the bed, they need to be stored in plastic containers to prevent dust from accumulating on them.”

Awkward or Heavy Items

When you bend down to retrieve items under the bed, you put yourself at risk of straining your back. That’s why it’s wise to avoid storing heavy or awkward items under there. “You increase your chances of injury so much—and increase the risk of damage to the items,” Carson says.

Food

This might seem like a no-brainer, but the experts say you’d be surprised to hear what they find under beds. Food, even unopened boxes of granola bars, are a no-go. Mice and other pests can chew their way through cardboard to get to the goods. (And even if they don’t, do you really want to eat from a dusty box of crackers?)

Electronics

Beyond your bed skirt is not the place for your old DVD player—or the previous model of your phone. “Dust can actually impair or destroy electronics over time,” Carson says. “Additionally, anything with a battery poses an increased fire risk under the bed. Because dust can negatively affect electronics, those batteries are more likely to malfunction than batteries stored in cool, dry places.”

Psychological Torment Devices

This one’s a more philosophical recommendation, Fay says. “Never store memories of your ex or your goal weight clothes under the bed,” she explains. “You deserve to sleep both literally and symbolically in peace every night without lying on top of the physical reminder of the past or a life you aren’t living currently.”

Anything At All

Here’s one you may not have considered: anything at all. Some organizing pros warn against putting anything under the bed. Kristi Perry, a professional home organizer and owner of Art of the Space, is one of them.

“I recommend not storing anything under your bed unless it is something that you regularly access and your back can handle bending down to pull out time and time again,” she says.

The "black hole effect" is real, adds Carson. She estimates 80% of what’s stored under there is forgotten. And no matter how spotless your home is, she says, dust, allergens, and bugs will accumulate there.

If you do truly need to stash stuff under the bed, Carson recommends using airtight storage containers that are clear so you can see what’s in them. Containers with wheels are great, too, especially if retrieving them might be tough for you.

Read more at Real Simple

Related Links

• Patience Won’t Sell Your House. Pricing Will.

• 6 Home and Lifestyle Trends That Will Dominate This Fall

• Here's When Fall Foliage Will Peak This Year, According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Fed Cuts Interest Rate: What Happens to Mortgage Rates Now as Markets React

The Federal Reserve has lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, in a highly anticipated decision surrounded by extraordinary political drama.

The 11-1 decision supported by Fed Chair Jerome Powell and a majority of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) brings the central bank’s overnight rate down to a range of 4% to 4.25%, marking the first change in rate policy in nine months.

President Donald Trump's economic adviser Stephen Miran, newly appointed to the Fed's Board of Governors and sworn in on Tuesday, was the lone dissenting vote on the panel, calling instead for a larger half-point rate cut.

In a press conference following the decision, Powell called the rate reduction a "risk management cut" in response to rising unemployment, pointing out that inflation remains elevated.

"We have a situation where we have two-sided risk, and that means there's no risk-free path," said Powell, referring to the dual threats of inflation and rising layoffs. "And so it's quite a difficult situation for policymakers."

A quarter-point cut was widely anticipated and already largely priced into mortgage rates, which have fallen in recent weeks and reached an 11-month low of 6.35% last week, according to Freddie Mac.

Mortgage rates typically follow long-term bond yields, which moved higher on Wednesday as markets digested the summary of economic projections issued by the FOMC alongside the rate decision.

Those projections showed Fed policymakers have a median expectation of making two additional rate cuts this year, but just one in 2026—fewer than the three cuts next year that markets had anticipated.

"This ongoing gap between market and Fed expectations means that some risk of upward pressure on mortgage rates remains," says Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. "But for now, consumers have already benefited from the drop in mortgage rates that has brought mortgage rates below 6.5% for the first time in nearly a year and is likely to continue at least through this week."

Following the rate decision, the major stock indexes wavered in mixed trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average giving back some of its earlier gains and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite down slightly.

The S&P Homebuilders Select Industry Index, which tracks shares of major homebuilders, jumped more than 2% on the rate decision. Homebuilders have been especially sensitive to higher interest rates, which affect both their own financing costs for construction loans and mortgage rates for their customers.

Robert Dietz, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders, notes that "the reduction of the federal funds rate will have a direct, beneficial effect on interest rates for acquisition, development and construction loans" that private builders rely on to finance new projects.

"This will reduce lending costs for builders across the nation and enable more attainable supply," he says.

Yields on 10-year Treasury notes, a key indicator for mortgage rates, moved to session highs as Powell spoke to reporters. Still, those long-term yields, as well as mortgage rates, remained close to their lowest levels of 2025.

However, prospective homebuyers who are holding off in anticipation that mortgage rates will automatically fall further after the Fed decision may face disappointment, housing economists warn.

"There are still risks of a reversal in mortgage rates, despite the Fed’s rate cut today and even if they cut rates two more times this year," says BrightMLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant. "Inflation heated up in August, and if the September inflation report shows another bump in consumer prices, it’s possible we could see rates rise."

The Fed uses higher interest rates to curb inflation, and lower rates to stimulate the labor market, in keeping with its dual mandate to maintain price stability and maximum employment.

The Fed does not directly set mortgage rates, which instead tend to follow the yields of long-term bonds. Those bond markets are influenced by investor expectations about future Fed policy and financial conditions, including inflation and government deficits.

A case in point: One year ago, mortgage rates plunged to a two-year low ahead of expected Fed rate cuts in September 2024. But as it became clear that the Fed cuts would not be as extensive as markets expected, mortgage rates began to rise again, even as the Fed made further cuts.

Weekly mortgage rates are likely to fall again when Freddie Mac next reports on Thursday, with the Fed decision coming too late in the reporting period to have much impact.

After that, the path remains unclear, although most housing economists expect mortgage rates to remain above 6% through the end of the year.

Political drama surrounds Fed's interest rate decision

The Fed has long taken pains to preserve its independence from political pressure or influence, but that tradition has been challenged in recent months by Trump's public pressure campaign for lower rates.

Soon after starting his second term, Trump began demanding lower rates, at various points threatening to fire or sue Powell. Trump has said that lower rates would help the government refinance its massive debt on more favorable terms and also boost the housing market.

Powell has resisted, however, telling Trump at a White House meeting in May that the central bank's future decisions on interest rates would be "based solely on careful, objective, and non-political analysis," according to a Fed statement on the meeting.

The standoff has intensified in recent weeks with Trump's attempt to fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors over allegations of mortgage fraud.

Cook, a Biden appointee, supported Powell in holding rates steady the last time the FOMC voted on policy in late July. She is currently battling Trump in court and voted on Wednesday's rate decision after a federal judge temporarily blocked the president's attempt to remove her.

Asked about Cook's legal battle with Trump, Powell responded: "I see it as a court case that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on."

Meanwhile, Miran, a White House economic adviser and Trump's pick to fill a vacant seat on the Fed's Board of Governors, was sworn in with immediate voting power Tuesday morning following a narrow 48-47 confirmation vote in the Senate.

Although he has taken a leave of absence as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Miran is technically still an employee of the president, making him the first White House official on the Fed's governing board

The precedent-shattering move potentially gives Trump a direct line to monetary policy deliberations within the rate-setting FOMC, raising questions about the Fed's ongoing independence.

Asked whether Miran's appointment threatens Fed independence, Powell told reporters: "We did welcome a new committee member today, as we always do, and the committee remains united in pursuing our dual mandate goals. We're strongly committed to maintaining our independence, and beyond that, I really don't have anything to share."

Central bank independence is important because, historically, maintaining artificially low interest rates for political reasons often leads to runaway inflation and capital flight, driving government borrowing costs higher in the long run as investors lose confidence.

"Lessons learned from both the U.S. experience and the experience of central banks around the globe suggest that monetary policy decisions are better and more credible when they are insulated from politics," says the economist Hale.

In comments to reporters on Monday, Trump said he supports an independent Fed, while reiterating his view that the Fed rate should be "much lower."

"It should be [independent], it should be. But I think they should listen to smart people like me. I think I have a better instinct than him," Trump said, referring to Powell.

Read more at Realtor.com

Related Links

• Patience Won’t Sell Your House. Pricing Will.

• 6 Home and Lifestyle Trends That Will Dominate This Fall

• Here's When Fall Foliage Will Peak This Year, According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

Search Homes in Colorado

Search Homes in North Carolina

Search Homes in Oklahoma