First Federal Bank Blog

You’ve got big plans for 2026. But what you dothis yearcould be the difference between a smooth sale and a stressful one. If you’re thinking of selling next spring (the busiest season in real estate), the smartest move you can make is to start prepping now. As Realtor.com says:

After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same.

These days, you’re going to want to get your price right when you get ready to sell your house. It’s more important than ever. Why? While you may want to list high just to see what happens, that’s a plan that can easily backfire, and it’s going to cost you in today’s market.

You want mortgage rates to fall – and they've started to. But is it going to last? And how low will they go?

If you’re planning to buy a homethis year, there’s one expense you can’t afford to overlook: closing costs.

Buying or selling a home often raises a lot of questions, especially when it comes to escrow. If you are new to the process, it can feel a little overwhelming.

At First Federal Bank, we want you to feel confident every step of the way. That is why we have put together answers to the five most common escrow questions we hear from customers.

Want to know something important that most people rarely get professionally checked?  Spoiler alert: it may be the value of your home.

Waiting for the perfect buyer to fall in love with your house? In today’s market, that’s usually not what’s holding things up. And here’s why.

If your selling strategy still assumes you’ll get multiple offers over asking, it’s officially time for a reset. That frenzied seller’s market is behind us. And here are the numbers to prove it. 

If your house is on the market but you haven’t gotten any offers you’re comfortable with, you may be wondering: what do I do if it doesn’t sell? And for a growing number of homeowners, that’s turning into a new dilemma: should I just rent it instead?