If you’re considering a move to Hickory, NC, five neighborhoods consistently stand out: Long View, Oliver’s Landing, Rhodhiss, Eastover/Overbrook, and Northlakes. Each offers its own unique blend of community, lifestyle, and amenities, making them prime choices for families, professionals, and retirees alike.
?? Long View
Long View is often praised as one of Hickory’s most family-friendly areas. With tree-lined streets, a peaceful atmosphere, and a strong sense of community, it’s ideal for those seeking safety and serenity. Residents enjoy walkability, dog-friendly spaces, and a welcoming environment that makes it easy to connect with neighbors.
?? Oliver’s Landing
For buyers who love golf and lakefront living, Oliver’s Landing is a dream. This neighborhood is known for its beautiful landscaping, golf amenities, and serene lake views. It’s perfect for those who want a balance of recreation and tranquility, with well-maintained properties and a friendly atmosphere.
?? Rhodhiss
Rhodhiss offers affordability without sacrificing charm. Families appreciate its clean streets, peaceful vibe, and kid-friendly environment. With plenty of greenery and a slower pace of life, it’s a great option for first-time buyers or those looking for a quiet retreat while staying close to Hickory’s conveniences.
?? Eastover/Overbrook
This neighborhood is beloved for its spacious yards, tree-lined streets, and quiet safety. Eastover/Overbrook is especially appealing to families and dog owners who value outdoor space and walkability. Its blend of affordability and community spirit makes it one of Hickory’s hidden gems.
?? Northlakes
Northlakes combines lake views with a strong sense of community. Residents enjoy clean surroundings, safety, and a peaceful lifestyle. It’s a neighborhood where neighbors know each other, and the natural beauty of the area enhances everyday living. For those who want a balance of scenic charm and connection, Northlakes is a top contender.
? Final Thoughts
Hickory’s neighborhoods each bring something special to the table. Whether you’re drawn to the family-friendly vibe of Long View, the golf and lake lifestyle of Oliver’s Landing, or the community spirit of Northlakes, Hickory offers options that fit a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. With median home prices in Hickory still below the national average, these neighborhoods provide excellent value for buyers looking to settle in a welcoming, vibrant city.
Starting November 16, 2025, Fannie Mae is removing the long-standing 620 minimum credit score requirement for loans processed through its Desktop Underwriter (DU) system. What does this mean?
More flexibility. Instead of relying on a single credit score cutoff, DU will now assess a borrower’s full financial picture—credit history, income, debt, property type, and more.
Alternative credit welcomed. Rent, utility, and phone payment histories may now help demonstrate creditworthiness for those without traditional credit.
Expanded access. This change could help first-time buyers, long-time renters, and underserved communities qualify for conventional loans—not just FHA.
Potential savings. Conventional loans often come with lower long-term costs than FHA loans, especially when it comes to mortgage insurance.
Important: Lenders will still pull credit scores, and other underwriting standards remain in place. But this shift marks a major step toward inclusive, holistic lending.
If you’ve been told “you don’t qualify” because of your credit score—this could be your moment. Let’s talk about your options and what this means for your path to homeownership.
DM me or schedule a call to explore what’s possible under the new guidelines.
Sheree
Why Pre-Approval Is Important
The initial step in your home-buying journey is to secure a mortgage pre-approval. This process involves a lender evaluating your financial history and current financial situation to determine how much they are willing to lend you. Pre-approval not only clarifies your budget but also signals to sellers that you are a serious buyer.
How We Can Help:
Research and Preferences
Once you’ve determined your budget, it’s time to start searching for your dream home. This involves understanding your needs and preferences. Are you looking for a cozy condo, a family-friendly house, or a spacious estate?
Crafting a Competitive Offer
When you find a home that feels like "the one," it’s time to make an offer. This is where strategy comes into play; you want to make sure your offer stands out.
The Importance of Inspections
Once your offer is accepted, conducting a home inspection is crucial. An inspection reveals the property's condition and identifies any potential issues.
Finalizing Your Mortgage
After passing the inspection, it’s time to finalize your mortgage. This process involves submitting final paperwork and securing your loan, so it's essential to keep communication open with your lender.
What to Expect on Closing Day
Closing is the final step in the home-buying process, where you'll sign all necessary documents and take full ownership of your new home.
Settling into Your New Home
Once the closing is complete and you have the keys in hand, it's time to move in! But the journey doesn’t stop there.
Buying a home is not just a transaction; it's a journey that requires careful planning and expert guidance. Our dedicated team is here to provide the support you need throughout the entire process. With our extensive knowledge of the market and access to a network of trusted lenders, we can help you navigate each step, ensuring you find the perfect home at the best possible terms.
Ready to start your home-buying journey? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can assist!
After a rollercoaster ride of rising interest rates, homebuyers are finally catching a break. Mortgage rates, which peaked at nearly 7.8% in late 2023, have moderated to around 6.2% as of fall 202512. While still higher than the historic lows of 2021, this shift is making a noticeable difference in monthly payments—especially for buyers shopping in the average price range.
Let’s break it down. A $400,000 mortgage at 7.79% would have cost buyers roughly $2,877/month in principal and interest. At today’s moderated rate of 6.2%, that same loan now costs about $2,450/month—a savings of over $400 monthly1. For homes priced closer to the median in our region (around $300,000–$350,000), the savings are still substantial, often trimming $300–$350 off monthly payments compared to last year’s peak.
This moderation is especially meaningful for first-time buyers, empty nesters, and relocators who were previously priced out of the market. With slightly lower rates and more predictable monthly costs, the window to buy is opening wider.
Beyond the numbers, western North Carolina is buzzing with new energy. The Morganton–Hickory–Newton/Conover corridor is seeing a wave of new businesses and infrastructure that’s turning heads—and drawing relocators.
Here’s what’s brewing:
Nestled between Charlotte and Asheville, this region offers a rare blend of affordability, natural beauty, and economic opportunity. Whether you're a remote worker seeking a scenic backdrop, a retiree looking for community, or a family craving space and value, Morganton, Hickory, and Newton/Conover deliver.
With interest rates easing and new businesses planting roots, now is a strategic time to explore relocation. The mortgage math is improving, and the lifestyle perks are multiplying.
?? Thinking about making a move? Let’s connect. Whether you’re buying, selling, or just exploring, I’m here to help you navigate the market with clarity and confidence.
Sources:
1Data Spotlight: The Impact of Changing Mortgage Interest Rates. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/data-spotlight-the-impact-of-changing-mortgage-interest-rates/
2How Federal Reserve Rate Decisions Impact Mortgage Rates in 2025 .... https://www.kiplinger.com/real-estate/mortgages/how-the-federal-reserve-affects-mortgage-rates
3Here's the latest on businesses coming to Morganton | Business | The Paper. https://www.thepaper.media/business/from-farewells-to-new-construction-here-are-the-latest-morganton-business-updates/article_5601c03b-8349-40a3-a5aa-b72c013c296f.html
4Breaking Ground | City of Hickory. https://www.hickorync.gov/breaking-ground
5Home - The Chamber of Catawba County. https://catawbachamber.org/
A look at homes that didn't sell and how they're bouncing back...
In the past 60 days, over 40 homes in Catawba Valley were relisted after failing to sell. The common thread could have been poor marketing, unclear pricing or missed emotional connection for buyers. Sellers who re-entered the market with fresh visuals and strategic storytelling saw renewed interest. If you've tried to sell before, let's explore what could work better this time.
Ever heard the word “contingency” and wondered what it really means? ?? It’s just a fancy way of saying “this deal depends on X, Y, or Z happening first.” Whether it’s financing, inspections, or another key detail, contingencies are there to protect you. I’ll walk you through every step so nothing catches you by surprise! Ready to get started?
#thehelpfulagent #home #houseexpert #house #listreports #househunting #a072125 #realestate #realestateagent #realtor #investment #happyhomeowners #dreamhome
The May BLS job report looked strong on the surface, but large (and consistent) downward revisions to prior months suggest that the labor market is loosening up more than the Fed lets on. Also, the May CPI report turned out much better (that is, lower) than feared.
A recap of May “jobs week”ADP: Almost no job growth in May. ADP reported that private employers added just 37,000 jobs in May — far below Wall Street expectations of around 120,000. Small companies (<50 employees) actually lost a net 13,000 jobs, and half of the industry categories tracked by ADP saw net job declines. [ADP]
BLS: Strong on the surface. In direct contrast to ADP’s data, the BLS jobs report showed that the US added a solid 139,000 jobs in May, with the unemployment rate steady at 4.2%. But wait…the prior two months’ numbers were revised down by 95,000 jobs! And the birth/death model — which is supposed to capture small business start-ups and failures — added nearly 200,000 jobs on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. [BLS]
TP: Real (ADP) vs. imputed (BLS). It’s getting to be a bit ridiculous. The birth-death model is adding imaginary jobs every month, and the initial BLS jobs numbers are typically revised down — twice!
Home inventory levels continue to rise. The May update of Realtor.com’s Residential Listing Database showed that active inventory (which excludes homes already under contract) had risen 31.5% YoY to 1,036,101 units. The last time we had over 1 million homes for sale was December 2019 — just before the pandemic spurred a massive inventory drawdown. [Realtor.com]
TP: Back in December 2019, we had 1 million active listings and homes were selling at a 5.0–5.5 million unit annual pace. Today we’re back above 1 million active listings, but we’re selling homes at a 4.0 million unit annual pace.
Median listing prices trending lower. Let’s start with this: median listing prices aren’t the best way to look at home price appreciation. That’s because they can be skewed significantly by the changing mix of properties for sale. That said, it’s worth noting that in 60% of the Top 100 metros, median listing prices are down year-over-year. In most cities, however, these declines are modest (1–3%), especially when compared to the gains over the past 5 years. [Realtor.com]
May CPI was better (lower) than expected. Both the “headline” and “core” CPI (Consumer Price Index = inflation for you and me) rose by just 0.1% month-over-month, which meant that annual “core” inflation remained at +2.8% YoY. Wall Street expectations were for “headline” CPI to rise by 0.2% MoM and for “core” CPI to climb 0.3% MoM. Phew! [BLS]
TP: This was a surprisingly tame inflation report. Many of the larger categories (energy, new & used car prices) saw prices FALL month-over-month. If not for the 0.3% MoM (+3.9% YoY) increase in Shelter costs (which have an incredible 44% weighting in “core” CPI), the index could have gone backwards. And if you annualize the last 3 months of “core” CPI increases, you get 1.7% — well below the Fed’s 2% target. Like we asked last week, How Close is Close Enough?
Home insurance costs are a disaster. According to analysis from Zillow, average annual home insurance premiums have risen 38% since 2019, far outstripping the 22% rise in average annual household income over the same period. What’s happening? Two things: 1) a ~50% rise in home prices since 2019 (so higher repair/replacement costs), and 2) an increased incidence of catastrophic $1bn+ claim events (bigger underwriting losses for insurers). [Zillow]
TP: Home insurance used to be something a potential homebuyer never really thought about much. Downpayment, monthly mortgage bills, annual property tax — sure. But now both the availability and affordability of home insurance is a major concern.
Last Friday, we got the important Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report. It showed that the US added 139,000 jobs in May — a bit higher than expectations — but the data for the previous two months was revised down by 95,000 jobs!
In fact, the initial jobs data almost always gets revised down — twice! The problem is that the bond market reacts immediately to the headline figure, but generally ignores the revisions. Why? Because people are too busy looking at the new month’s data to worry about the past!
As the table below shows, the number of jobs added in 2025 year-to-date has already been revised down by a total of 192,000 (that’s an average of 48,000 per month)!
And this certainly isn’t just a 2025 thing. In 2024, the monthly job additions were revised down by a total of 211,000 (~18,000 per month). And in 2023, the monthly job additions were revised down by a total of 360,000 (30,000 per month).
It really makes you wonder: would the Fed be so comfortable with interest rates this high if they could somehow see the revised jobs numbers first?
I love diving into the latest monthly numbers from Realtor.com’s Residential Listing Database. In May 2025, total active inventory (which excludes homes under contract) rose 8.0% month-over-month (pretty normal for this time of year) and 31.5% year-over-year to 1,036,101 units. That’s the first time we’ve had more than a million homes for sale since December 2019. At the national level, active inventory is now just 12% below pre-pandemic levels.
But as I’ve noted previously, the inventory situation is VERY different from state to state. Broadly speaking, the South and West have inventory levels that are near or above pre-pandemic levels, while the Northeast and Midwest have inventory levels that are still well below pre-pandemic levels.
Inventory is also concentrated in a few states. Florida and Texas alone represent 30% of the total active inventory in the country, despite only having 15% of the population. And both states’ inventory levels are ~30% above May 2019 levels. (Note: In May 2019, Florida and Texas had just 20% of the total active inventory in the country).
It’s a totally different situation for New York State and Pennsylvania, where inventory levels are still ~43% below pre-pandemic levels.
Inventory Levels for the Seven Largest States by Population
In fact, there are currently 10 states with inventory levels (May 2025) that are ABOVE pre-pandemic levels (May 2019). You’ll notice that the majority of these states are in the South or the mountain West. You may also recall that most of these states benefited heavily from pandemic-era migration trends AND saw huge home price movements.
10 States with Inventory Levels (May 2025) ABOVE Pre-Pandemic Levels (May 2019)
Colorado: +34.5%Texas: +32.5%Florida: +26.3%Washington: +25.8%Tennessee: +25.3%Arizona: +24.3%Idaho: +21.8%Utah: +18.8%Hawaii: +8.4%Oregon: +4.1%
So are home price trends reflecting the supply situation in these states? In general, yes. There are currently 20 states where median listing prices are DOWN year-over-year, and the majority of those were also in the list above (had inventory above pre-pandemic levels).
States where Median Listing Prices are Falling YoY (May 2024 vs. May 2019)
Kansas: -7.7% YoYHawaii: -6.7% YoYIowa: -5.4% YoYIllinois: -4.8% YoYMinnesota: -3.6% YoYArizona: -3.6% YoYUtah: -3.4% YoYColorado: -3.0% YoYMassachusetts: -2.9% YoYFlorida: -2.2% YoYNot shown: CT, TN, DE, MT, CA, OH, TX, NJ, MS, ID (all down by 2% or less)
It’s important to note a few things about the data above. First, we’re looking at median listing prices, which can easily be skewed by the “mix” of properties available. Second, you can’t look at supply in isolation; many of these states saw an influx of new residents, and that means higher demand. Third, we’re only looking at existing homes; and many of the states with inventory levels above pre-pandemic levels ALSO saw an apartment and home building boom.
The Realtor.com data also looks at the median listing price on a monthly basis. I was curious which cities were seeing the largest declines. Remember: the listing price can be seriously skewed by the mix of properties on sale from month to month — so this is a far-from-perfect measure of appreciation or depreciation. Still, here’s what I found:
We’ve got to be careful here, because more accurate measures of home price appreciation (Case-Shiller, FHFA etc.) are saying that home prices are still trending up in all the bigger cities except Tampa. And even Tampa is only down slightly after rising by ~70% over the previous 5 years.
Initially, the bond market took the May BLS jobs numbers pretty badly. But as economists and investors dissected the report, it became clear that this was a weaker job report than it appeared at first glance. We were also braced for a bad May CPI report, which was expected to show a reacceleration in annual inflation. Instead, both the “headline” and “core” indexes were pretty much flat (and could have gone backwards if not for Shelter costs).
Add this all together and US treasury yields and average 30-year mortgage rates were little changed. The mortgage market just can’t seem to shake 7%.
Here’s what the Fed Funds Rate futures market is currently pricing in for rate cuts. Note that the current Fed Funds Rate policy range is 4.25–4.50%.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1C75nPkBUS/
Enjoy this compilation of amazing things to do in Hickory, NC
Names: Anthony Tucker, 32, and Sammy Kallay, 31
City: Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas
Year of home purchase: 2018
Sale price: $252,000
Home style: 46-year old ranch
Professions: He's an IT business consultant; she's a nurse.
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This landmark legislation passed 50 years ago — learn your rights and how to defend them.
If you’ve searched for a new place to live recently, you’ve likely seen the Equal Housing Opportunity logo (an equal sign inside a house) on a landlord’s, real estate agent’s or lender’s paperwork.
But the Fair Housing Act is more than just a logo. It’s a federal law designed to protect renters and buyers from discrimination.
Here are some key points to know about the Fair Housing Act when you’re searching for a place to live.Read more