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As the decade-long housing shortage collided with record-low mortgage rates, changing labor demographics, and increased chances for younger homeowners to purchase their first homes, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a home-buying frenzy in 2021.

With record-low loan rates, the fastest yearly rise in single-family home values and rents, record-low foreclosure rates, and the largest amount of home sales in 15 years, the housing market has had an amazing year.

Will the housing market continue this trend into 2022, or will we see a crash into a buyers' market? Although nobody can predict the future, it’s possible to identify and analyze trends and anticipate if they are likely to continue.

Are you considering selling or buying your home this year? Here’s what you should expect to see for the 2022 home-buying market.

End of 2021 Trends

After two quarters in a row of declines, the housing market experienced an incredible rebound in the final quarter of 2020.
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When you think of estate planning, you generally picture someone in their mid-60s or older. If you’re below retirement age, you might think you have years to go before you need to consult an estate-planning attorney. But what if you found out there are a wide range of benefits to planning an estate far sooner?

An inability to address the future is sometimes accidental. You may be more focused on current needs and decisions while you're raising a family or starting a business. Or you may believe you haven't amassed a substantial enough inheritance, or you simply don't enjoy thinking about a day when you won't be in the picture.
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Making preparations for what you want to happen to your timeshare when you pass away can be a difficult task. Many timeshare owners wish to pass on their pleasant timeshare experiences to their friends or family.

If this sounds like something you’re considering, it’s essential to talk with prospective beneficiaries ahead of time. Because timeshares often represent real property interests, if the timeshare is not deeded while you’re alive, it must be deeded through the probate process.

Since timeshares are rarely located near the owner’s home, the probate process can become complicated very quickly.
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When hiring a real estate agent, you may be wondering how they'll accurately price your home for sale. It isn't magic, but there is a great deal of skill and expertise required in the process.

It's a good idea to keep in mind that there is no such thing as a single list price. Different brokers may suggest alternative values based on their expertise in the area. That’s why it's crucial to pick a real estate agent with expertise and experience in your neighborhood.

As a real estate buyer, you may be anxious to wrap things up and close on a property. The process can be long and arduous. Finalizing the deal is likely something you are looking forward to with great anticipation. Don’t let the rush to the finish line prevent you from taking important steps to make sure you are protecting your best interests and getting a favorable deal from the whole transaction. One important step, for instance, that you should take care to be especially mindful of, includes negotiating repairs after a home inspection.

Buying a home is an exciting, and often stressful, time! For many, purchasing a home may very well be the single biggest purchase they make in a lifetime. In addition to the financial investment, there is also a significant emotional investment in buying a home, a place where many hope to build memories for years to come. Because of all of the energy, emotions, and money that can go into finding and buying the right home for you and your family, it can be best that you do whatever you can to protect your interests throughout the process. A dedicated real estate attorney can prove invaluable to the home buying process for a number of reasons, which we will detail here.

Buying a Home? Reasons Why You Should Hire a Real Estate Attorney

First and foremost, it should be said that New York actually requires an attorney to execute certain parts of the home buying process.

Probate is the court monitored process of administering an estate after a person has passed away. You may have heard that it can be a good idea to try to avoid probate, which can be accomplished during the estate planning process. At this point, however, you may be wondering why it can be so beneficial to avoid the probate process. There are several prominent reasons for doing this and we will discuss them in more detail here.

Why Avoid Probate?

The prospect of facing an intensive and extensive legal process in the wake of losing a loved one can seem less than appealing.

In addition to estate planning basics such as a will and advance health care directives, you may want to look into adding a trust or two as well. Trusts can vary in scope and purpose, but can come with a number of benefits when properly executed. In order to establish a trust, a trustee must be appointed who is tasked with managing the trust for the benefit of trust beneficiaries. Also, the trust must be funded. This means that property must be transferred into the ownership of the trust itself.

Everyone should have an estate plan in place. It is a plan that helps protect your best interests and those of the ones you love in the face of an otherwise uncertain future. Because estate plans are such a reflection of a person and family’s circumstances and situation, every estate plan can and should look different.

Buying a home can be an exciting, albeit an overwhelming and expensive, endeavor. In fact, for many, if not most, people, buying a home will be the single largest purchase they will ever make. Because of the sizeable financial investment people make in a home, not to mention the fact that you are looking to build a life in it, it can be critical to conduct due diligence in the buying process and take care at every step.

Being able to act as a caregiver to an aging or disabled family member can be a very fulfilling and rewarding endeavor. Family caregivers are able to make family members more comfortable as they age in place at home. While acting as a family caregiver has its own rewards, it can come with pretty substantial financial costs. Many family caregivers have to forego job opportunities or job advancement. Some need to stop working completely to meet the demands of serving as a family caregiver.