The spring buying season has begun, and this year potential buyers can take advantage of plentiful inventory and record-breaking housing affordability conditions.

This spring, Realtors®, members of the National Association of Realtors®, across the country will hold thousands of open houses from coast to coast, aiming to focus attention on the benefits of homeownership for individuals, families, communities and our nation’s economy.

Realtors® will hold open houses in various neighborhoods throughout Central Mississippi this spring and will provide guidance for potential buyers and answer questions about the local housing market, as well as the home buying and selling process. If you are interested in purchasing a home, visiting open houses is a great way to get an idea of what you can afford in various neighborhoods, as well as a taste for what is on the market.

NAR’s 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers shows that 53 percent of all buyers used open houses as a source in their home search process. This figure suggests the value of open houses even in the Internet era. Women are more likely to use open houses than men, as are buyers who were not born in the U.S. or whose primary language is not English. NAR also reports that older buyers rely more on open houses than younger buyers, and buyers with higher incomes are also more likely to visit open houses.

Realtors® visit hundreds – if not thousands – of homes with buyers each year and have a unique understanding of what buyers can afford in our local market. Homeownership helps build financial security over the long term. It’s an investment in your future, as well as the future generations to come.

NAR also recently reported that more renters than ever aspire to become homeowners and an overwhelming majority of Americans believe buying a home is a solid financial decision. Homeownership is even more attractive now with housing affordability conditions reaching their highest level since recordkeeping began in 1970.

Visit http://cmr.realtor to find with a Realtor® for information and advice about buying a home in 2019.