What's New This Month
We popped the champagne, and we’re making a toast to 2023! We look forward to new memories, new partnerships and new successes with you – our lender, banker, real estate agent and attorney friends – all year long!

Our New Year’s resolution is to help you achieve yours! Whether it’s to gain more clients, improve communication, protect your assets, as well as client’s, or increase the volume and speed of your transactions, the West Virginia Bankers Title team is here to support you in any way we can. 

Cheers to your best year yet!

Rachel Showalter, Interim Agency Manager of West Virginia Bankers Title
All Cash Buyers Reappear After Pandemic
All cash buyers have all the power…or at least most of it. This article from the M Report states 31.9% of transactions through Redfin following the pandemic were paid for without financing. That’s the highest recorded figure since 2014. The factors encouraging buyers to pay with cash are different today than a year ago. Because mortgage rates are high, today’s buyers are looking to avoid loans and high monthly interest payments.
2023 First-Time Homebuyer Programs and Grants
Are you positioning yourself as a resource for your clients? Add value to your services by passing along information about homebuyer education courses, special mortgages and down payment assistance programs that can provide cash help to qualified buyers in West Virginia. Learn more about the programs and grants available to first-time buyers in 2023.
Returning to a More Balanced Market?
The real estate market is shifting toward equilibrium. In today’s market, both sellers and buyers can negotiate home prices. This is a welcome change for buyers dealing with affordability issues. They have more options and more time to find the right home at the right price. While the power dynamic will continue to shift, we can expect a more balanced market in this new year.
Innovation
Cybersecurity will continue to be a top concern for realtors over the next five years. The good news is that you can take steps to protect yourself and your real estate transactions from scammers. These eight apps can provide you with strong safety and security benefits. 
Mortgage Trends
Refinances are trending upward. According to this article, the MBA’s Refinance Index increased 6% during the week ending December 16, following the decline of longer-term rates, including mortgage rates. Still, refinancing rates remain 85% lower than they were this time last year. 
Professional Development
Real Estate has dominated the headlines, gaining attention for the industry’s many ups and downs during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. As a professional in today’s unpredictable market, it’s more important than ever to amplify the benefits of buying right now and choosing to work with you instead of your competition. How? By investing in PR. Great PR can help you overcome obstacles, gain attention and shift the narrative of the market.
Market Highlights
If your New Year’s resolution is to sell more houses, you may be in luck! Redfin’s latest Homebuyer Demand Index suggests mortgage rate declines may lead to home-sale recovery in 2023. The Demand Index is up 10% from the year’s low in October. Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr says, “Slowing inflation and the hope of the Fed easing rate hikes are likely to bring mortgage rates down further and improve demand.”
Meeting Your Goals For 2023
It’s a new year, meaning you’ve got new goals and resolutions to reach. If you haven’t set any yet, there’s still time! Whether personal or professional, these 11 tools can help you set and track your goals. The West Virginia Bankers Title team wants to help you stay accountable and experience your most successful year! If there’s anything we can do to help, let us know!