{"id":483,"date":"2026-08-25T16:49:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T21:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/?p=483"},"modified":"2026-08-25T16:49:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T21:49:42","slug":"one-number-could-change-everything-about-your-next-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/?p=483","title":{"rendered":"One Number Could Change Everything About Your Next Move"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"pt-8 px-8\">\n<h2 class=\"profile-color-text text-3xl\">One Number Could Change Everything About Your Next Move<\/h2>\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=\"2026-08-20T10:30:00Z\">Thursday August 20th, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/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\/move-up\/?a=1000025117-654188f2b9e9f721433bea74f0bf3424\">Move-Up,<\/a><a class=\"text-base-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/en\/category\/downsize\/?a=1000025117-654188f2b9e9f721433bea74f0bf3424\">Downsize,<\/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>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"p-6 px-8\">\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-3 sm:flex gap-1 flex-wrap w-fit sm:w-full my-4\">.<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-6 flex flex-col gap-4 mb-8\">\n<div class=\"mb-2\">\n<p>When&#8217;s the last time someone told you what your house is worth? Not what some online valuation tool guessed. Not what your neighbor&#8217;s house sold for. What yours is actually worth\u00a0<em>right now.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>For a lot of homeowners, it&#8217;s been years. And if you&#8217;ve been thinking about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/2026\/07\/23\/the-house-that-started-it-all-could-kickstart-whats-next\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><u>moving<\/u><\/a>, but higher home prices or mortgage rates have made you hesitate, here\u2019s why it\u2019s time to take a second look at that number.\u00a0 This one number could change everything about your next move!<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Your House May Be Worth More Than You Think<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Home values have climbed significantly over the past 5-10 years. And even though today&#8217;s market is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/2026\/08\/13\/who-has-the-upper-hand-in-todays-housing-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><u>more balanced<\/u><\/a>, homeowners are building wealth every day just by owning their homes. That\u2019s how equity works. As home values rise, and as you make your monthly payments, your equity grows. And it adds up fast.<\/p>\n<p><strong>According to\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cotality.com\/press-releases\/us-homeowner-equity-plateau-q2-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><strong><em><u>Cotality<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong>, the typical homeowner with a mortgage now has $310,500 in equity.\u00a0<\/strong>That&#8217;s not a small number. It\u2019s six figures.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s only the national average. In many states, homeowners have built even more equity than that. Take a look at the map below and see where your state stands. The darker the blue, the more equity the typical homeowner has there (<em>see map below<\/em>):<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/files.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/KeepingCurrentMatters\/content\/images\/20260814\/20260820---How-Much-Equity-Image-original.png\" alt=\"a map of the united states\" \/>Even though every local market is different, the question you should be asking right now is the same:\u00a0<strong><em>How much equity have you built up?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Because if you don\u2019t know that number, you\u2019re missing out.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>This Could Be the Missing Piece in Your Move<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Most people assume that because prices are higher and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/2026\/08\/06\/thinking-about-waiting-for-lower-mortgage-rates-read-this-first\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><u>rates<\/u><\/a>\u00a0aren&#8217;t at 3% anymore, moving just isn&#8217;t realistic right now, especially if they already have an ultra-low rate. And that&#8217;s understandable \u2013 those are\u00a0<em>real<\/em>\u00a0factors.<\/p>\n<p>But they&#8217;re not the\u00a0<em>only<\/em>\u00a0factors.<\/p>\n<p>When you have that much equity in your house, you&#8217;re not starting from scratch. You&#8217;re not scraping together a down payment or hoping the numbers work. You&#8217;re walking into your next move with more of an advantage than you think. And that changes the math.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>What Your Equity Can Do for You<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Maybe you&#8217;ve outgrown your current house or you&#8217;re ready to downsize\u2026 The equity you&#8217;ve built could help bridge the gap between where you are today and where you want to be next.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/2026\/08\/03\/heres-where-to-start-if-youre-selling-and-buying-at-the-same-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><u>next house<\/u><\/a>\u00a0may cost more than your last one did. But your equity could cover a big chunk of that difference. Depending on how much you&#8217;ve built, it could help you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lower your monthly payment on your next home.\u00a0<\/strong>The bigger your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/2026\/08\/10\/the-case-for-putting-20-down-on-your-next-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><u>down payment<\/u><\/a>\u00a0on your next place, the less you have to borrow. And with today&#8217;s rates, borrowing less can make a big difference in what you pay every month.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Buy your next house with all cash.\u00a0<\/strong>This surprises a lot of people, but some homeowners have built enough equity to buy their next home outright, in cash. According to the\u00a0<em>National Association of Realtors<\/em>, more than one-quarter (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/news\/real-estate-news\/economy\/rising-costs-are-weighing-on-home-sales-this-summer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><u>26%<\/u><\/a>) of repeat buyers paid all cash for their home in July.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transform the home you already have.\u00a0<\/strong>Love your neighborhood but not your floor plan? You don\u2019t have to move. Your equity could help fund renovations that make your home fit your life today while potentially adding value for tomorrow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your equity doesn&#8217;t erase the challenges of the current market. But it does mean you&#8217;re walking into your next move with a lot more power and flexibility than you think.<\/p>\n<p><strong>That\u2019s why the value of your home isn&#8217;t something you should have to wonder about.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re even thinking about a move \u2013 or if you&#8217;re just curious what your options might be \u2013 the smartest thing you can do is get a\u00a0<strong>Professional Equity Assessment<\/strong>. It\u2019ll give you a real, market-based evaluation of what your house is\u00a0<em>really<\/em>\u00a0worth right now and how much equity you\u2019re working with.<\/p>\n<p>Because once you see the number, maybe it\u2019s not about whether you can afford to move \u2013 it&#8217;s about what kind of move makes sense for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h3 class=\"text-xl mb-2\">Bottom Line<\/h3>\n<p>If it&#8217;s been a while since you&#8217;ve gotten a professional look at your home&#8217;s value, let&#8217;s change that.<\/p>\n<p>Reach out for a free, personalized\u00a0<strong>Home Equity Assessment<\/strong>\u00a0that estimates what your house could sell for, how much equity you&#8217;ve likely built, and what that could mean for your next move.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>Twila Bertrand, REALTOR\u00ae<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>CENTURY 21 Cota Realty | Your Hometown Realtor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">Helping buyers, sellers, and real estate investors throughout <strong>Lufkin, Huntington, Angelina County, Nacogdoches County, and Deep East Texas<\/strong> with trusted local knowledge and proven experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\">\ud83d\udcde <strong>Call or Text:<\/strong> <a href=\"tel:9362087631\">936-208-7631<\/a><br \/>\n\ud83d\udce7 <strong>Email:<\/strong> <a href=\"mailto:twilabertrand@gmail.com\">twilabertrand@gmail.com<\/a><br \/>\n\ud83c\udfe1 <a href=\"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/\">Visit My Real Estate Website<\/a><br \/>\n\ud83d\udd11 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.century21.com\/agent\/detail\/tx\/lufkin\/agents\/twila-bertrand\/aid-P00200000FDdsguvVfmg0D59gmkmkU2PbukUFaUl\">View My Listings on CENTURY 21<\/a><br \/>\n\u2b50 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtor.com\/realestateagents\/5681713b0fa4170100733a37\">Read My Reviews on Realtor.com<\/a><br \/>\n\ud83c\udfe0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zillow.com\/profile\/Twila%20Bertrand\">Visit My Zillow Profile<\/a><br \/>\n\ud83d\udcf1 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TwilaBertrandRealtor\/\">Follow Me on Facebook<\/a><br \/>\n\ud83d\udcbc <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/twilabertrand\">Connect With Me on LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Knowledge is Power, and Experience Matters!\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rooted in Faith, Strengthened by Hope, Guiding you home with Purpose!\u00a0 ~~ Colossians 2:7<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One Number Could Change Everything About Your Next Move Thursday August 20th, 2026 . For Sellers,Move-Up,Downsize,Equity,Selling Tips . When&#8217;s the last time someone told you what your house is worth? Not what some online valuation tool guessed. Not what your neighbor&#8217;s house sold for. What yours is actually worth\u00a0right now.\u00a0\u00a0 For a lot of homeowners, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":194391,"featured_media":484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[27,109,107,105,141,32,28,55,33,15,85,46,58],"class_list":["post-483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate","tag-angelina-county-real-estate","tag-best-local-realtor","tag-best-real-estate-agent","tag-best-realtor-in-lufkin","tag-best-realtor-in-lufkin-tx","tag-building-equity","tag-buying-a-home","tag-expert-advice","tag-homeowner","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\/483","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=483"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":485,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483\/revisions\/485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twilabertrand.sites.c21.homes\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}