{"id":303,"date":"2025-09-19T11:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T16:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/?p=303"},"modified":"2025-09-19T11:57:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T16:57:00","slug":"do-you-know-how-much-your-house-is-really-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/?p=303","title":{"rendered":"Do You Know How Much Your House Is Really Worth?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"pt-8 px-8\">\n<h2 class=\"profile-color-text text-3xl\">Do You Know How Much Your House Is Really Worth?<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-6 text-base-content flex items-center flex-wrap gap-x-4 gap-y-2\"><span class=\"flex items-center flex-wrap gap-1\"><time class=\"text-base-content\" datetime=\"2025-09-18T10:30:00Z\">Thursday September 18th, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-6 text-base-content flex items-center flex-wrap gap-x-4 gap-y-2\"><span class=\"flex items-center flex-wrap gap-1\"><a class=\"text-base-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/en\/category\/sellers\/?a=1000025117-654188f2b9e9f721433bea74f0bf3424\">For Sellers,<\/a><a class=\"text-base-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/en\/category\/equity\/?a=1000025117-654188f2b9e9f721433bea74f0bf3424\">Equity,<\/a><a class=\"text-base-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/en\/category\/selling-tips\/?a=1000025117-654188f2b9e9f721433bea74f0bf3424\">Selling Tips<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Article from Keeping Current Matters<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-3 sm:flex gap-1 flex-wrap w-fit sm:w-full my-4\"><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"p-6 px-8\">\n<div class=\"mt-6 flex flex-col gap-4 mb-8\">\n<div class=\"mb-2\">\n<p>Want to know something important you probably don\u2019t have a professional check for you nearly as often as you should? Spoiler alert: it\u2019s the value of your home.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Because here\u2019s the reality. Your house is likely the biggest financial asset you have. And if you\u2019ve lived in it for a few years or more, chances are it\u2019s been quietly building wealth for you in the background \u2013 even if you haven\u2019t been keeping tabs on it.<\/p>\n<p>You might be surprised by just how much it\u2019s grown, even as the market has shifted over the past few months.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Wh<\/strong><strong>at Is Home Equity?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>That hidden wealth in your home is called\u00a0<strong>equity<\/strong>. It\u2019s 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\u2019s an example to help you really understand how the math works.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s 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\u2019s right in line with what the typical homeowner has right now.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>According to\u00a0<em>Cotality,\u00a0<\/em>the average homeowner with a mortgage has about\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cotality.com\/press-releases\/home-equity-declines-price-appreciation-slows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>$302,000<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0in equity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why You Probably Have More Than You Think<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Here are the two main reasons homeowners like you have near record amounts of equity right now:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Significant Home Price Growth.<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fhfa.gov\/data\/hpi\/datasets?tab=hpi-summary-table\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">According<\/a>\u00a0to the\u00a0<em>Federal Housing Finance Agency\u00a0<\/em>(FHFA),home prices have jumped by nearly\u00a0<strong>54% nationwide<\/strong>\u00a0over the last five years (<em>see map below<\/em>):<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/files.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/KeepingCurrentMatters\/content\/images\/20250916\/20250918-Percent-Change-in-Home-Prices-original.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/files.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/KeepingCurrentMatters\/content\/images\/20250916\/20250918-Percent-Change-in-Home-Prices-original.png\" alt=\"a map of the united states\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019re worried because you\u2019ve heard prices are flattening or even coming down in some markets, just know if you\u2019ve been in your house for a few years (or more) you very likely have enough equity to sell and still come out ahead.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. People Are Living in Their Homes Longer.<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/research-and-statistics\/research-reports\/highlights-from-the-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Data<\/a>\u00a0from the\u00a0<em>National Association of Realtors<\/em>\u00a0(NAR), shows the average homeowner stays in their home for about 10 years now (<em>see graph below<\/em>):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/files.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/KeepingCurrentMatters\/content\/images\/20250916\/20250918-People-Are-Staying-in-Their-Homes-Longer-original.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/files.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/KeepingCurrentMatters\/content\/images\/20250916\/20250918-People-Are-Staying-in-Their-Homes-Longer-original.png\" alt=\"a graph of numbers and a number of years\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s longer than it used to be. And over that decade? You\u2019ve 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\u2019re winning.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you\u2019re one of those people who\u2019s been in their home for a bit, here\u2019s how much the behind-the-scenes price growth has helped you out.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/blogs\/economists-outlook\/a-decade-of-soaring-home-prices-where-affordability-still-thrives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">According<\/a>\u00a0to NAR:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cOver the past decade, the typical homeowner has accumulated $201,600 in wealth solely from price appreciation.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<h4><strong>What Could You Actually\u00a0<em>Do<\/em>\u00a0with That Equity?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Your equity isn\u2019t just a number. It\u2019s a tool you can use to unlock your next big move. Depending on your goals, you could:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Use it to help buy your next home.<\/strong>\u00a0Your 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.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Renovate your current house to better suit your life now.<\/strong>\u00a0And, if you\u2019re strategic about your projects, they could add even more value to your home if you do sell later on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start the business you\u2019ve always dreamed of.\u00a0<\/strong>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\u2019re getting yet another financial boost.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"text-xl mb-2\">Bottom Line<\/h3>\n<p>Chances are, your house is worth quite a bit right now. If you\u2019re curious about the value of your home, let\u2019s connect. We\u2019ll run the numbers and give you a professional equity assessment report, so you know what you\u2019re working with and where you can go from here.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Representing Buyers and Sellers in Lufkin, Huntington, Nacogdoches, and all of Deep East Texas since 2012!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>I am always striving to be the Best Realtor and Best Advocate I can for all of my clients.\u00a0 Rooted in Faith &#8211; Strengthened by Hope &#8212; Guiding you home with purpose!\u00a0 Isaiah 40:31<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Twila Bertrand, REALTOR<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CENTURY 21 Cota Realty<\/p>\n<p>210 E Lufkin Ave, Lufkin Tx 75901<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zillow.com\/profile\/Twila-Bertrand\">https:\/\/www.zillow.com\/profile\/Twila-Bertrand<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do You Know How Much Your House Is Really Worth? &nbsp; Thursday September 18th, 2025 For Sellers,Equity,Selling Tips Article from Keeping Current Matters Want to know something important you probably don\u2019t have a professional check for you nearly as often as you should? Spoiler alert: it\u2019s the value of your home. &nbsp; Because here\u2019s the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":194391,"featured_media":304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[109,107,105,55,22,15,85,46,58],"class_list":["post-303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate","tag-best-local-realtor","tag-best-real-estate-agent","tag-best-realtor-in-lufkin","tag-expert-advice","tag-lufkin-realtor","tag-realtor","tag-sellers-agent","tag-trust-the-pros","tag-trusted-realtor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/194391"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=303"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":306,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303\/revisions\/306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}