Here’s How First-Time Homebuyers Can Personalize Their Homes Without Breaking the Bank

First-time homebuyers make affordability a priority—but it's important to leave room in the budget to make sure that it reflects your style, supports your lifestyle, feels like it's truly yours from day one.

With existing homes, that often means budgeting for renovations and upgrades, and making compromises. But with a new-construction home, it's possible to personalize key elements from the get-go.

Angela Nuessle, national vice president of interior design at PulteGroup, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, explains how first-time buyers can find the right balance between customization, style, and value.

The top upgrades first-time buyers are choosing

Buyers entering the market for the first time often gravitate toward a few specific upgrades that offer both impact and value, according to Nuessle.

“Cabinets are typically the item people are most excited about,” she explains. “They really set the tone for the color palette and play a big role in the style of a home.”

Other popular choices include:

• Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring, prized for its durability, modern look, and low maintenance.

• Entry-level quartz countertops, which add polish to kitchens and bathrooms without the premium price tag.

• Stylish two-tone wall paint, an option that’s often overlooked until buyers see it in a model home.

A personalized look without the renovation costs

Many first-time buyers consider resale homes thinking they’ll upgrade later. But time and cost can quickly turn even small projects into big headaches.

While the exact dollar-to-dollar comparison varies, upgrades like flooring and countertops are typically more cost-effective when rolled into your mortgage as part of a new build, rather than paid out of pocket post-closing.

Plus, you won’t have to live through messy renovations or take time off work to manage contractors.

Design help for every budget

If you're worried about decision fatigue, or overspending, Pulte’s design process is built to make things easier.

"We provide preliminary resources before the appointment. Things like online catalogs, browsing hours, and product packages help buyers show up informed," Nuessle says.

During the appointment, professional design consultants guide you through choices that match your personal style and target budget. You can opt for curated packages or customize room by room, depending on what matters most to you.

Post-pandemic priorities: more flex, more function

Since 2020, first-time buyers are asking for homes that do more—without needing extra square footage.

Some of the most in-demand features include:

• Dedicated workspaces or home offices

• Coffee bars and home bars

• Pocket gyms or wellness corners

Builders like Pulte have adapted their floor plans and design options to meet these needs, proving that even entry-level homes can offer modern, flexible living.

Why first-time buyers are choosing new

Finally, personalization and peace of mind go hand in hand. Many buyers who once considered resale make the switch to new homes after seeing what’s possible.

“Used homes come with issues new homes don’t,” Pulte’s team says. “The ability to personalize, plus the protection of a builder warranty, are huge deciding factors.”

With durable materials, design guidance, and the latest technology all built in, new construction offers first-timers a compelling and increasingly popular alternative.

Read more at Realtor.com

Related Links

• 5 Easy Ways to Store Bedding and Finally Declutter Your Linen Closet

• How proptech is driving financial inclusion

• Thinking of Selling the Family Home? Here’s How To Make the Most of It—for You and Your Kids

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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5 Easy Ways to Store Bedding and Finally Declutter Your Linen Closet

Perhaps you have a large household, frequent visitors, or need to declutter your closet. Or maybe you only have a handful of extra blankets, sheets, and pillows floating around. Either way, bedding needs a proper place to be stored when not in use.

A standard solution is to stuff sheets and blankets into the linen closet. But that approach isn’t always the best solution. And some households lack a linen closet entirely. Depending on the amount of stuff you own and the size of the space you’re in, one (or more) of the following bedding storage ideas is bound to help you get better organized. So, the next time your in-laws pop in for a surprise stay, you can make up the guest bed faster than you can pour a glass of your favorite wine.

1. Employ the Bed-in-a-Bag Method

To keep matching sheet sets, including fitted sheets, flat sheets, and pillowcases, together, try this bedding storage solution. First, find all of the pieces, then master the art of folding each one into a rectangle, leaving one pillowcase off to the side. Put the sheets and pillowcases into a pile and slide everything into the remaining pillowcase. This not only keeps the set together but also keeps the bedding compact, allowing it to fit more easily into a small space. Lay the “bed in a bag” on a shelf in the linen closet, tucked into a dresser drawer, or folded into a basket alongside others (just be sure the opening faces up so nothing falls out).

2. Utilize Vacuum-Sealed Bags

Vacuum-sealed bags are a storage essential. These clear, heavy-duty bags come in a variety of sizes and are an excellent option for bulky bedding. If you’re short on storage space but need extra pillows and comforters for guests, consider storing them flat and stacking them on a high shelf. This also comes in handy if you frequently change your bedding with the seasons.

While the best vacuum-sealed storage bags do a good job of keeping out air and moisture, they’re best used only for a short period. However, employing them for seasonal or guest bedding purposes helps you rotate linens enough to prevent any potential issues. If you want to leave bedding, such as a sentimental quilt, inside a bag indefinitely, it’s essential to periodically open the bag and refold the item. Also, use a permanent marker or label to mark what’s in each bag so you know where something is at all times.

3. Store Bedding in a Fabric Bag

An alternative to vacuum-sealed bags, fabric or polypropylene storage bags can be used to store blankets and pillows. Many have a clear window in the front, allowing you to see what’s inside, and a handle for easy transport. While they don’t shrink down and save as much space, storage bags do keep your bedding neat and orderly. Find one that’s wide yet shallow and slide it under your bed so it stays out of the way but within reach.

4. Use a Bench or Basket

For extra throw blankets and sheet sets, consider a wide-mouthed basket that complements the room’s aesthetic. Pop items into the basket whenever they’re not in use. A bench with hidden storage also works well, especially for bed pillows. Place one at the end of your bed to tuck in extra sheets and blankets instead of cluttering up a linen closet. An ottoman in the living room that lifts can also hold extra throw blankets, which can be quickly grabbed for family movie night.

5. Hang Heavy Blankets

When folded, large blankets take up precious shelf or drawer space that's better used for smaller items. Instead, locate some room in a seldom-used closet, such as in the guest bedroom, or to the back or far sides of your clothes closet to hang your blankets. Use sturdy wooden hangers or consider open-ended chrome hangers explicitly designed for blankets. This allows blankets to slide on and off the hanger effortlessly. If hanging space isn't available, consider a small standing garment rack in a storage room or a blanket ladder.

Read more at Better Homes & Gardens

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• 5 Common Yard Items That Could Be Secretly Driving Your Neighbors Nuts

• Thinking of Selling the Family Home? Here’s How To Make the Most of It—for You and Your Kids

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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Is It Better To Buy Now or Wait for Lower Mortgage Rates? Here’s the Tradeoff

Mortgage rates are still a hot topic – and for good reason. After the most recent jobs report came out weaker than expected, the bond market reacted almost instantly. And, as a result, in early August mortgage rates dropped to their lowest point so far this year (6.55%).

While that may not sound like a big deal, pretty much every buyer has been waiting for rates to fall. And even a seemingly small drop like this reignites the hope we’re finally going to see rates trending down. But what’s realistic to expect?

According to the latest forecasts, rates aren’t expected to fall dramatically anytime soon. Most experts project they’ll stay somewhere in the mid-to-low 6% range through 2026.

In other words, no big changes are expected. But small shifts, like the one we just saw, are still likely.

Each time there’s changing economic news, there’s a chance mortgage rates will react. And with so many reports coming out this week, we’ll get a better feeling of where the economy and inflation are headed – and how rates will respond.

What Rate Would Get Buyers Moving Again?

The magic number most buyers seem to be watching for is 6%. And it’s not just a psychological benchmark; it has real impact. A recent report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) says if rates reach 6%:

• 5.5 million more households could afford the median-priced home

• And roughly 550,000 people would buy a home within 12 to 18 months

That’s a lot of pent-up demand just waiting for the green light. And if you look back at the graph above, you’ll see Fannie Mae thinks we’ll hit that threshold next year. That raises an important question: Does it really make sense to wait for lower rates?

Because here’s the tradeoff. If you’re waiting for 6%, you need to realize a lot of other people are too. And when rates do continue to inch down and more buyers jump into the market all at once, you could face more competition, fewer choices, and higher home prices. NAR explains it like this:

“Home buyers wishing for lower mortgage interest rates may eventually get their wish, but for now, they’ll have to decide whether it’s better to wait or jump into the market.”

Consider the unique window that exists right now:

• Inventory is up = more choices

• Price growth has slowed down = more realistic pricing

• You may have more room to negotiate = you could get a better deal

These are all opportunities that will go away if rates fall and demand surges. That’s why NAR says: “Buyers who are holding out for lower mortgage rates may be missing a key opening in the market.”

Bottom Line

Rates aren't expected to hit 6% this year. But when they do, you’ll have to deal with more competition as other buyers jump back in. If you want less pressure and more negotiating power, that opportunity is already here – and it might not last for long. It all depends on what happens in the economy next.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

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• 5 Common Yard Items That Could Be Secretly Driving Your Neighbors Nuts

• Thinking of Selling the Family Home? Here’s How To Make the Most of It—for You and Your Kids

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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How proptech is driving financial inclusion

The fastest-growing group of real estate investors? They’re not hedge funds or institutional investors. They’re nurses, teachers, NASA engineers, and first-time landlords with a smartphone.

In recent years, 85% percent of investor-owned residential properties were purchased by small scale “mom and pop” landlords, rather than institutional players. Thanks to property technology, investors no longer need deep pockets, a finance degree, or a ton of spare time to start building a real estate business.

Real estate has long been one of the most capital-intensive, time-consuming, and difficult asset classes to break into. But proptech is dismantling many of the long-standing barriers that once kept many people out, redefining who gets to invest, who gets to earn, and who gets to build wealth from real estate.

Just as fintech became essential infrastructure for financial inclusion, proptech is democratizing real estate investing through smart, values-aligned innovation.

Time is no longer the gatekeeper

In the past, investing in real estate meant navigating a maze of manual tasks—collecting paper checks, coordinating maintenance by phone (often in the middle of the night), and tracking expenses with pen, paper, and shoeboxes. The time commitment required wasn’t feasible for most people.

Today, modern software platforms automate and centralize nearly every step of the process. Automated five-pronged tenant screening tools deliver instant background and credit checks. Lease agreements can be generated digitally and signed online. Rent is collected automatically via mobile apps. And maintenance requests flow through clean, trackable dashboards that dispatch vetted local pros without bothering the owner at odd hours.

That kind of automation has opened the doors to investors who once felt priced out—not financially, but in terms of time and attention. I’ve seen it firsthand. One landlord and long-time RentRedi user, a NASA engineer named Dawid, manages his real estate business in the evenings and on weekends while continuing to work in aerospace. Proptech makes it possible to treat real estate like a side hustle, rather than a full-time obligation.

Financial barriers are no longer the dealbreaker

There’s no denying it: The financial hurdles to buying property have grown steeper. Home prices are high. Interest rates have increased. For many aspiring investors, the traditional path to ownership feels out of reach.

But while the barrier itself has risen, proptech is helping people find strategic ways to overcome it. Digital tools are making creative income strategies—like renting out space or co-owning properties—more accessible and easier to manage than ever before.

By generating income from day one, many of these strategies reduce the amount of personal capital needed to cover costs. That means investors can start smaller, take on less risk, and enter the market more affordably. The result? A new wave of homeowners and investors who are building wealth one step at a time.

Creative property monetization: Turn space into income

Even without renting to long-term tenants, homeowners can generate meaningful income from underutilized parts of their property. Proptech platforms make it easy to list, manage, and monetize these spaces, turning idle square footage into opportunity.

One of the most rapidly growing real estate trends is accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These are separate, self-contained structures on a residential lot (often detached in backyards or converted from existing garages) that can be rented out for short- or long-term stays.

Creative models can lower the financial strain of ownership and allow people to begin investing in real estate incrementally, without the need for multiple properties or large upfront capital.

Scale without the traditional infrastructure

For investors who start small—whether through co-ownership, or a single rental unit—scaling is traditionally the next big hurdle. Growing a real estate portfolio used to require hiring property managers, assembling in-house teams, or outsourcing to expensive service providers. The overhead alone made it difficult to expand without deep pockets or significant infrastructure.

That’s no longer the case. Today, an individual with the right property management software can manage 1, 10, 50, even 100 units independently. Operations that once required a staff can now be handled from a mobile dashboard in minutes. Investors can grow their portfolios incrementally without sacrificing their full-time careers or quality of life.

Another customer, Katherine, is a pediatric ICU nurse who wanted to create passive income for retirement. She started with three units and has since expanded her portfolio to eight units in just three years, managing it alongside her demanding healthcare schedule.

These aren’t isolated success stories—they’re part of a growing trend. Proptech means real estate investing can become something people can build around their lives. The tools once reserved for big players are now in the hands of everyday investors.

This shift lowers structural barriers for underrepresented groups. Young, minority, and female investors who have historically faced the steepest entry points are now scaling businesses with little more than a smartphone and a solid strategy.

A new era of inclusive real estate investing

What fintech did for Wall Street, proptech is doing for Main Street real estate. It’s unlocking ownership, income, and long-term financial opportunity for more people in more places, with fewer of the barriers that once made real estate the domain of the already-wealthy.

As more people access real estate as a means to build wealth, proptech helps reshape who owns housing in America—and how that ownership affects communities, families, and futures. This is more than convenience. It’s a structural change and the beginning of a more inclusive, more entrepreneurial economy.

Read more at Fast Company

Related Links

• How to Create a Beautiful Bedscape—and Style Your Sleeping Space Like a Pro

• 5 Common Yard Items That Could Be Secretly Driving Your Neighbors Nuts

• Thinking of Selling the Family Home? Here’s How To Make the Most of It—for You and Your Kids

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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Mortgage rates drop to another new low for 2025

Mortgage rates reached a new 2025 low today, despite core inflation running at 3.1% year over year, according to the CPI report this week. The softening labor data and improved mortgage spreads currently overshadow any concerns about inflation. If the jobs data were exceeding estimates, the situation would be different.

According to Mortgage News Daily, mortgage rates have dropped to a low of 6.53%, marking a new year-to-date low. With Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell under tremendous pressure to lower the Fed funds rate, he finally has the cover to do so with the last jobs report. However, as always, the bond market tends to get ahead of the Fed. In the past, these moves have reversed and rates have headed higher, but for today, we have a fresh new low in 2025.

Housing data with lower rates?

Why is it important to get mortgage rates toward 6%? Well, in the past, the housing data tended to improve when mortgage rates ranged from 6.64% to 6%. So I will take a closer look at the data now to see if this will be the third time since late 2022 that this occurs.

Homebuilder stocks have performed well lately, and the purchase application data for existing home sales indicated a 1% growth week over week and a 17% growth year over year. This is back-to-back weeks of positive weekly and year-over-year data for purchase applications. Purchase application data has also shown 14 straight weeks of double-digit year-over-year growth.

A lot of that growth has had to do with new listings data being higher this year than last, and also extremely low comps. However, in the past, when rates got toward 6%, the week-to-week data tended to improve.

As of now, aside from the Godzilla tariffs, the 10-year yield has not fallen below 4% this year; it currently stands at 4.24%. It will be interesting to observe the bond market’s reaction if labor data deteriorates while the inflation growth rate remains stable. If mortgage spreads continue to improve and the 10-year yield approaches 4% again, as it has in the past few years, we could be looking near 6% this year, thanks to these better mortgage spreads.

Conclusion

Tomorrow, we will receive the PPI inflation report, which will allow us to see if the 10-year yield reacts negatively to it. Today, some Federal Reserve members have taken a slightly hawkish stance, suggesting that a rate cut in the next Fed meeting is uncertain. I doubt their stance on this since the last jobs report was terrible.

However, one thing is sure: over the past few years, whenever there has been an economic growth scare in the data, the 10-year yield tends to decrease, which in turn lowers mortgage rates. The difference now is that mortgage spreads have improved significantly, so even on a week when the 10-year yield rises, as it did last week, mortgage pricing is not heavily affected because spreads are improving alongside higher yields.

Read more at Housingwire

Related Links

• How to Create a Beautiful Bedscape—and Style Your Sleeping Space Like a Pro

• 5 Common Yard Items That Could Be Secretly Driving Your Neighbors Nuts

• Thinking of Selling the Family Home? Here’s How To Make the Most of It—for You and Your Kids

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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