Did you try to buy a home last year, but you ended up pressing pause?
Maybe you couldn’t find a home that really fit your needs. Or maybe the ones you liked just weren’t affordable. According to a recent survey from NerdWallet, those were the top two reasons buyers gave up on their search in 2025.
For a while, buying your first home hasn’t just felt hard. It may have felt out of reach.
Not because you weren’t ready.
Not because you weren’t trying.
But because every time you ran the numbers, they didn’t work.
That’s why so many first-time buyers stepped back.
But after years of sitting on the outside looking in, this Spring could give buyers like you an opening again – especially in some markets.
You’ve probably asked yourself lately: Is it even worth trying to buy a home right now? It’s a question a lot of people are asking.
With today’s home prices and mortgage rates, renting can feel like the easier path. In some cases, it might even seem like the only realistic option right now. And if that’s where you are, there’s nothing wrong with that.
If you’re getting a tax refund this year, here’s something worth thinking about. That money could actually help you get closer to buying a home.
It may not be something you’ve factored into your plan yet, but it can give your savings a nice boost right when you need it most. And whether your refund is a few thousand dollars or more, there are some smart ways to put that money to work as you get ready to buy.
With economic headlines, global events, and near constant talk about affordability, you may be wondering if this is the right time to move. But here’s what you need to remember.
While recent events do have some impact on the housing market, they don’t take buying off the table. You just have to use a different strategy.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate agents and their guests gathered on Thursday at the elegant Waterfront Country Club to celebrate our 2025 Network Awards Dinner. The evening brought together our team for a well-earned celebration of the past year’s accomplishments and the relationships that make our work meaningful. Guests enjoyed a lively cocktail hour, catching up with colleagues and setting an upbeat tone for the night ahead.
For a lot of people, the math on buying a home just doesn’t really work right now. Maybe that’s how it feels for you too. You look at the cost of buying. Then you look at the cost of childcare. And it starts to feel like you have to choose one or the other.
But some families are finding a way to make both work by doing something a little different: teaming up to purchase a multi-generational home.
If you’ve been looking for a home lately, you’ve probably felt how tough affordability still is. And that's exactly why more buyers are opting for adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs.
Here's what you need to understand about how they work, and whether they make sense for you.
When your house sits on the market longer than expected, it can get frustrating fast.
You start asking: what now? And for a growing number of homeowners, that turns into: should I just rent it instead?
Buying a waterfront property at Smith Mountain Lake feels like you’ve found a slice of lakeside paradise, but what actually controls your access starts at an invisible line: the 800-foot contour.
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