Thursday, June 4, 2026 / by Joyce Dungca
Data shows inflation is moving in the wrong direction. But before the headlines send anyone into a panic, here's what's actually going on, why it matters for the housing market, and what it means if you're thinking about buying or selling.
Inflation Went Up – Here’s What That Actually Means
The government tracks inflation in a variety of ways. One is something called PCE – the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index. It measures how much more (or less) people are paying for goods and services compared to a year ago. And just based on your own expenses, you can probably guess which way that’s trending.
That’s the one everyone is talking about right now. Check out the yellow line to see how that’s spiked since February (see graph below). A big driver of this jump is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has pushed gas and energy prices significantly higher.
Now, you may have noticed there’s a second li ...
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team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, housing market, equity, homeownership, mortgage
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 / by Joyce Dungca
When’s the last time you checked how much equity you’ve built? Because the number might surprise you. In just the past 6 years, the average homeowner has gained over $128,000 – just from price growth and making their payments. That’s money that could help fund your next move or a major life goal. And if you’ve lived there longer than 6 years, your number could be even higher. Want to find out? I’m offering a free equity assessment for homeowners in our market right now. Just send me a DM to get started. #HomeEquity #HomePriceAppreciation #KeepingCurrentMatters ...
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team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, housing market, equity
Thursday, March 12, 2026 / by Joyce Dungca
Foreclosures are ticking up. And that may make your mind jump straight to thoughts of 2008 – specifically to what happened to the market during the housing crash. So, let’s do exactly what your brain already wants to do, and see if there’s any connection there.
The simple truth is foreclosure filings are rising. But they’re nowhere near crisis levels. And that’s not where they’re headed either. Here’s why.
Take a look at serious delinquencies – loans where the homeowner is more than 90 days late on their mortgage payments.
While those have increased slightly, data from the New York Fed shows they still remain low. And they aren’t anywhere close to levels seen when the market crashed (see graph below):
Right now, about 1% of mortgages are seriously delinquent. That’s only 1 in 100.
In the years around the crash, they were up around&nbs ...
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team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, housing market, equity, mortgage
Monday, March 2, 2026 / by Joyce Dungca
What if you didn’t have a mortgage payment on your next house? It may sound a little unrealistic. But for a number of homeowners, it’s actually doable.
Nearly 3 in 10 homes purchased today are bought in cash, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That’s far more than the pre-pandemic norm (see graph below):
So, how are so many buyers pulling that off? The answer is simple: home equity.
Back in 2020-2021, mortgage rates and the number of homes for sale were both at all-time lows. And that combination pushed home prices up, fast.
If you owned a home during that time, it likely gained significant value – maybe even enough to buy your next house in cash. NAR explains:
“. . . rising home equity has armed many existing homeowners with the financial leverage to make cash offers, allowing them to convert years of price appreciation into immediate purchasing power.”
Here&rsquo ...
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team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, housing market, equity, mortgage
Monday, February 23, 2026 / by Joyce Dungca
For a lot of parents or grandparents, watching a family member struggle to buy their first home right now is hard. That's because you saw firsthand how homeownership gave your life more stability and helped grow your net worth – and you want your loved ones to have those same opportunities.
But with all the affordability challenges in recent years, that can feel like an uphill battle – even though it’s slowly improving lately. Here’s what you may not realize. You may be in a unique position to help (thanks to the equity in your current house).
The Equity Advantage You May Not Be Thinking About
You’ve likely owned your home for years, maybe even decades. And during that time, two things happened:
Home values rose
Your mortgage balance shrank (or you paid it off entirely)
That combination has created substantial equity for many homeowners like you.
And while you may think of that equity as something you want ...
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team raj jaggi, buyers, sellers, housing market, equity
