RealTrends 2024: Charter One Realty Joins the Ranks of America's Best


Charter One Realty is proud to announce its inclusion in the 2024 RealTrends 500, a prestigious ranking of the nation’s largest and most successful residential real estate brokerages, based on closed sales volume and transaction sides.

Now in its 36th year, the RealTrends 500 remains the industry’s most trusted and comprehensive benchmark for residential real estate performance. All data submitted is independently verified, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the rankings. To qualify for the 2024 list, firms were required to close a minimum of 500 transaction sides or exceed $350 million in closed sales volume — a threshold met by less than 2% of real estate brokerages in the…

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How Buying or Selling a Home Helps Your Local Economy


Whether you’re buying or selling a house, here’s something to think about that most people don’t. Your decision doesn’t just impact your life and your family’s, it sparks a ripple effect that has a positive impact on your entire community.

Every year, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) puts out a report that breaks down the financial impact that comes from people buying and selling homes.

The data shows that if you buy an existing (previously lived-in) home, you're giving the local economy a boost of just over $60K. And if you buy a newly built home, that number goes up to over $125K (see visual below):


That’s because of all the people needed to build, fix up, and sell homes.…

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Paused Your Moving Plans? Here’s Why It Might Be Time To Hit Play Again




Last year, 70% of buyers abandoned their home search – and maybe you were one of them. It makes sense. Inventory was low, prices were high, and mortgage rates were up and down like a rollercoaster. All of that made it really hard to find a home you loved – and could afford.

But guess what? The market is shifting.

So, if you paused your moving plans in 2024, it might be time to hit play again. Here’s why.

More Inventory Opens Up More Options

Even if you could make the numbers work, the lack of available homes in recent years probably made it hard to come by something that fit your needs. But inventory is rising, which means you have more options now.

According to…

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4 Things To Expect from the Spring Housing Market




Spring is in full swing, and the housing market is picking up along with it. And if you’ve been wondering whether now is the right time to buy or sell, here’s the inside scoop on why this spring may be a great time to make your move.

1. There Are More Homes for Sale

After a long stretch of tight inventory, the number of homes for sale is finally improving. According to recent national data from Realtor.com, active listings are up 27.5% compared to this time last year.

Look at the graph below and follow the green line for 2025. You can see, even though inventory levels still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic norms (shown in gray), that number is higher than it has been going into the spring…

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What You Need To Know About Homeowner’s Insurance




Homeowner’s insurance is a must-have to protect what’s probably your biggest investment – your home. And while you never want to think about worst-case scenarios, the right coverage is basically your safety net if something goes wrong. Here’s how it helps you.

  • Covers Repairs and Rebuilding Costs: If your home is damaged by fire, storms, or other covered events, your policy helps pay for repairs or even a full rebuild.
  • Protects Your Belongings: Many policies can also cover personal items like furniture, electronics, and clothing if they’re stolen or damaged.
  • Provides Liability Coverage: If someone gets injured on your property, homeowner’s insurance can help cover medical bills or legal…

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Is It Time To Put Your House Back on the Market?




If you took your house off the market in late 2024, you’re not the only one. Newsweek reports that data from CoreLogic and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) says nearly 73,000 homes were pulled from the market in December alone – that's more than any other December going all the way back to 2017 (see graph below):


Whether it was because offers weren’t coming in, the timing around the holidays felt overwhelming, or they wanted to see if the market would improve in the new year – a lot of other homeowners decided to press pause, too.

But now, with spring fast approaching, it’s time to reassess. The market is already picking up, and waiting any longer to jump back in may only mean you’d face more…

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Rising Inventory Means This Spring Could Be Your Moment




Want to know two reasons this spring might finally be your time to buy? Inventory has grown and sellers may be more willing to negotiate as a result. That means you’ve got more options and more power than buyers have had in years. Let’s break it down.

1. You Have More Homes To Choose From

The number of homes for sale this February was higher than it’s been in any of the past five Februarys – and that’s great news for your home search. The graph below uses the latest data from Realtor.com to show the supply of homes on the market has grown by 27.5% in just the last year:


More choices for your search is a good thing – and experts also say that inventory is projected to continue rising…

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The Best Week To List Your House Is Almost Here – Are You Ready?




If selling your house is on your to-do list this year, the time to start prepping is now. That’s because experts say the best week to list your house is coming up fast.

A recent Realtor.com study analyzed years of housing market trends (excluding 2020 since it was an outlier) and found that April 13–19 is expected to be the ideal window to put your house on the market this year:

“. . . we’ve identified April 13-19 as the best week to list for sellers . . . a seller listing a well-priced, move-in ready home is likely to find success. Because spring is generally the high season for real estate activity and buyers are more plentiful earlier rather than later in the year, listing…

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Mortgage Rates Hit Lowest Point So Far This Year




If you’ve been holding off on buying a home because of high mortgage rates, you might want to take another look at the market. That’s because mortgage rates have been trending down lately – and that gives you a chance to jump back in.

Mortgage rates have been declining for seven straight weeks now, according to data from Freddie Mac. And the average weekly rate is now at the lowest level so far this year (see graph below):

While that may not sound like a significant shift, it is noteworthy. Because the meaningful drop from over 7% to the mid-6’s can change your mindset when it comes to buying a home. Especially when the forecasts said we wouldn’t hit this number until roughly Q3 of this year…

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Why a Pre-Listing Inspection May Be Worth It in Today’s Market




Selling a house comes with a lot of moving pieces, and the last thing you want is a deal falling apart over unexpected repairs uncovered during the buyer’s inspection. That’s why it pays to anticipate potential issues before buyers ever step through the door. And one way to do that is with a pre-listing inspection.

What Is a Pre-Listing Inspection? 

A pre-listing inspection is essentially a professional home inspection you schedule before putting your house on the market. Just like the inspections your buyer will do after making an offer, this process identifies any issues with the condition of your house that could have an impact on the sale – like structural problems, faulty or…

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