What's the biggest obstacle to homeownership?

According to a recent survey, "saving enough for a down payment" comes at the top of the list. A whopping 55% of prospective homebuyers cited this as their main stumbling block.

And with the continuing growth of home prices, things aren't getting any easier. In fact, homeownership rates reached a 20-year low last November.

It wasn't always like this.

A decade ago, many lenders were offering easy, no-money-down mortgages.

However, after the financial crisis, mortgage standards have become more restrictive.

Here's the good news.

If you have decent credit and a steady income, you might be qualified for a number of specialized programs that require no or very little down payment. Here are a few of the top options.

First, there's the USDA loan, which is valid for homes in certain regions, such as rural and suburban areas.

With zero money down and lenient credit requirements, the USDA loan can be a great choice for many homeowners.

Second, there’s the VA loan, which you can apply for if you or your spouse served in a branch of the military.

It's possibly the most generous zero-money-down mortgage because of low interest rates and low closing costs.

Third, there's the FHA loan. It does require a 3.5% down payment.

Finally, there are a number credit unions and first-time homebuyer programs that might apply to your particular situation.

There’s one important thing you should know.  

If you get one of these no-money-down mortgages, chances are good you will be required to pay private mortgage insurance, which can drive up your monthly payments.

Fortunately, private mortgage insurance will disappear after your mortgage balance is under 80%. Also, the money you do pay will be tax deductible in most cases.

In short, there are lots of options to make owning a home a reality for you, even if you haven't saved up tens of thousands of dollars.

If you're considering buying a home, check out some of the great homes that have come on the market around Lincoln recently:

Click here for all available Lincoln homes for sale

And if you need more advice on getting a no-money-down loan, give me a call at (402) 475-5555. I can put you in touch with some experienced Lincoln, Nebraska area lenders who can answer your questions and help get you started.

We’re already into the second quarter of 2017, but today we’re taking a look back at the first quarter to give you a better idea of what’s going on in the Lincoln real estate market.

It seems like everyone out there is talking about how crazy the market is. They’re right though, and the statistics back it up.

The average price is going up and it’s a great time to sell.

The number of closed sales in the first quarter was 740, while only 623 homes are currently listed for sale. That number is way too low. We need more inventory. If you have been thinking about selling and taking advantage of this historic market, there isn’t going to be a better time than today.

The average sale price is going up, and now sits at $195,000 for the Lincoln area. It’s an incredible time to be in the market, whether you’re looking to buy or sell. If you are looking to do either, we would love to take care of you. We’ve been in this industry for 40 years and you can always expect success with Lincoln’s leaders in real estate, The Searcy Team. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Working with a New Construction Specialist such as myself, is just one more level of service you’ll receive when working with the Searcy Team. I work with several builders here in town, with the Home Builders Association of Lincoln Nebraska, on both high end and entry-level homes.

I’ll match a builder with your project!

If you have any questions about building a home, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

We often talk about the nuts and bolts of real estate. The ins and outs of what goes into a successful transaction. But what really matters at the end of the day? The results for our clients, of course. Rather than us talking about how hard we work and how much we care about our clients, we think they say it best. Here are what a few of our recent clients had to say about working with us:

"I first met Hannah a long time ago and when I was ready to buy a house, she was the first person I contacted. She did a great job helping me find a house that I really liked that fit within my budget and my needs. She did a great job of walking us through the process, giving us tips along the way. It was overall a very positive experience and much easier than I thought it would be." -Lori

"We used Hannah Searcy as our Realtor. She did a great job. We ultimately found the house that we wanted and we're happy with it. She definitely went above and beyond." -Jake

“My husband’s friends had used them and really enjoyed the service that Jeff had provided. They thought he’d be very helpful for me, and recommended that I connect with them. He did a great job and found us a nice house that is working for our family. I know he keeps crazy hours, as most Realtors do. I know there were nights where it was 10 p.m. and he was trying to get offers in. A lot of things that are standard fare for Realtors these days.” -Julie

Results are really what matter.

Thanks so much to Lori, Jake, Julie, and Rod for their kind words. To hear more of what our customers have to say about us, click here.

If you have any questions for us or if you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

You might be listening to the mantra "You should get involved in real estate," but don't know how to start the process of buying or selling a home. What can you do?

Here at the Searcy Team, we always recommend sitting down with us for an Exclusive Searcy Team Success Session, whether you’re buying or selling. During the session, we'll sit down to really analyze all your needs, wants, and which direction to go in.

These sessions are

extremely valuable.

We think these sessions are extremely valuable. Before you get any further along in the process, let’s get off to a great start. If you’re considering getting involved in buying or selling real estate, give us a call or send us an email to set up an Exclusive Searcy Team Success Session. We’d love to help get you started on the right foot.

If you have any other questions about the Lincoln market or anything else, give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you.

We’ve got an exciting topic to discuss with you today that’s a little off the beaten path from our usual real estate topics, but it’s something I’m just as excited about.

I say this topic is exciting because I am absolutely thrilled about the fact that we have a newly revitalized and energized Nebraska's Centennial Mall for many sesquicentennial activities in 2017!

On behalf of the Nebraska Capitol Environs Commission and the Nebraska 150 Foundation, we're proud to say 'Mark your calendars!!' September 22-23, 2017-- A Salute to the Good Life! a Centennial Mall Spectacular!

We’re celebrating 150 years

of statehood in 2017.

So have fun, take part in many year long state wide festivities, and enjoy them as we commemorate 150 years of statehood by looking to the future, celebrating the past, and realizing what is happening today.

If you have any questions for us or you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Lincoln, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

If you sell your home, you want to appeal to as many buyers as possible. Today, I wanted to share the top ten trends that can turn away buyers to help you avoid them in your home.

1. Boldly painted walls. Stick with neutral colors that are buyer-friendly. If you want colors that pop, do it with accessories.

2. Wallpaper. It's a personal preference, but it's very time-consuming to remove. That's the first thing a buyer will think about.

3. Lavish light fixtures. They should enhance your home, not be a centerpiece that steals the show. Like with paint, the more neutral, the better.

4. Gleaming colors. Stay away from metallic and bold colors. The more neutral, the better!

5. Converted areas like garages or bedrooms. Buyers prefer to walk into a bedroom and see it in its original intended purpose. If you've used a room for something other than the intended purpose, consider staging it.

Landscaping is good for curb appeal, but too much signals a lot of required maintenance.

6. Carpet. Get the carpet cleaned and fresh and get rid of any old shag carpet. Stay with the soft plush in neutral colors.

7. Covering hardwood floors. If there's hardwood under your carpet, you can get rid of that old dingy carpet and refinish the hardwood. Remember, most buyers prefer hardwood.

8. Overly lush landscaping. Landscaping is awesome for curb appeal, but overgrown landscaping will lead buyers to believe it requires too much maintenance.

9. Pools and hot tubs. Some people love pools and hot tubs, but here in Nebraska, we can't use them year round, so many buyers would rather have the yard space or save the time and money needed for maintenance.

10. Pet products out around the house. Get them all put away and hidden so that buyers can see your fresh and clean home, not evidence of pets.

Remember, you don't live in a home the same way you show a home! These tips will help you fine-tune your home to appeal to the maximum amount of buyers.

If you have any more questions about this topic or you're thinking about buying or selling a house, give us a call or send us an email today. We'd love to hear from you!

When you list your home on the market, it’s always a good idea to make sure your home highlights its value to ensure you get the best price possible. Here are five ways you can add value to your home:

1. Clean up and clear out. You can do this one on your own. It’s all about decluttering and depersonalizing your home. This will make a huge impact when the buyer takes that first step into your home.

2. Spruce up your kitchen. The kitchen can make or break any sale, so whether you do a full remodel or just spend $300 to do some updating, make sure you put some work into that room.

The kitchen can make

or break any sale.

3. Freshen up the bathroom. Again, this can be anything from a few simple improvements to a complete remodel, but this room needs some attention as well.

4. Selectively paint rooms. This is the quickest and easiest way to transform the look of any room in the house. You can either hire someone to paint or do it yourself. Add a pop of color, but be sure to stay away from bolds and metallics.

5. Enhance the exterior. Make sure everything looks clean and neat. You might even consider getting some landscaping done. People will look at pictures of your home online and possibly do a drive by. The last thing you want them to see is an unkempt lawn or overgrown bushes.

If you have any other questions about how to enhance the value of your home or any other real estate related questions, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We are always happy to help! 

The Boulders is an exciting new project that will feature luxury townhomes and will be completed by spring of 2017.

There is a great new project being built here in Lincoln. Located in the southwest corner of Lincoln near the Wilderness Ridge Golf Course, The Boulders will feature beautiful, luxury townhomes. This is a very exciting project!

If you want to move out of your current home and into a luxury townhome, you need to check out The Boulders. Just give me a call–we have the blueprints ready to go. We are able to design whatever you want on the interior. There are some strict rules for the exterior of the home in order to create a friendly neighborhood, however.

We are able to design whatever you want on the interior.

The view from the backyard shows off the 5th green, and you can see all the way down to the fairway. This is a truly beautiful area. We hope to have these townhomes completed by spring of 2017 in time for the Spring Parade of Homes!

If you would like to know more details about The Boulders, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

*Listings for The Boulders are coming soon

 Who would've believed we'd be building in this area back in the day?

I'm here today at the Waterford Estates, which is the kind of site you would see me at as a new construction specialist. This one project has taken many years to build out!

It's just one of many projects like this that I know about far in advance. I take tours all the time, and we've got places north, south, east, and west. Another site we like right now is called The Boulders at Wilderness Ridge near 27th and Rokeby Road. Additionally, another area experiencing tremendous growth is called Grandview Estates, near 70th and Rokeby Road.

Who would've believed we'd be building in this area back in the day?

If you're looking for somebody to help you build, give me a call or send me an email with any questions you may have. I'd love to help you out!