Many people make New Year’s Resolutions as the calendar flips from December 31st to January 1st. Often times, at the top of the list (along with trimming the waist line) is saving money and paying down debt. Many people do so with a goal in mind – a nice vacation, a new car, or even […]
Newly constructed homes are carrying a hefty premium over existing homes. The gap, which historically had been 15 to 20 percent, has in recent years widened to 30 to 40 percent. That suggests either existing home prices are much cheaper in relation to the newly built homes and/or that there is just not enough new […]
Confidence about the residential real estate sales outlook for the next six months broadly improved in November 2014: REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey, http://www.realtor.org/reports/realtors-confidence-index. An improving jobs market, the 30-year mortgage rate at approximately 4 percent, and higher inventories of available homes for sale may have accounted for the rebound in positive market expectations for sales […]
REALTORS® reported that their confidence in local real estate market conditions in November 2014 was broadly steady compared to October, although slightly down from a year ago. The REALTOR® Confidence Index-Current Conditions for the current single family home outlook was near 50: (http://www.realtor.org/reports/realtors-confidence-index). In addition, REALTORS® were increasingly optimistic about the market outlook for the […]
By Audra Slinkey, Home Staging Resource Every real estate professional wants to have the reputation for being “the agent that makes the most money for their sellers.” But how exactly can you do that? First, I’m going to give you a real life example of a home that recently sold for $100,000 over asking price, […]
NAR President Chris Polychron, executive broker with 1st Choice Realty in Hot Springs, Ark., says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s new low downpayment program should improve access to credit for responsible buyers. “NAR applauds Fannie and Freddie’s commitment to homeownership by serving creditworthy borrowers who lack the resources for substantial downpayments plus closing costs with […]
By Lindsey Schroeder, Archway Construction Conventional wisdom says to paint everything white when a home is up for resale — but savvy sellers know color can actually be a smart staging tool. A well-chosen color scheme in furniture and décor can do more than add appeal to rooms — it can evoke strong emotional responses. […]
Insurance claims by the jobless continue to decline, a sign of the continuing good health of the labor market. Claims for unemployment insurance filed in the week of December 13 totaled 298,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week. This puts the 4-week moving average to 298,750, which is below the 300,000 benchmark that […]
Buyer and seller use of a real estate agent in the process of buying or selling a home remains at a historical high. On the buying side, 88 percent of buyers purchased a home while using a real estate agent or broker—up from 69 percent in 2001. On the selling side, 88 percent of sellers […]
National Association of Realtors® President Chris Polychron issued the following is a statement on federal terrorism risk insurance: “The U.S. Senate’s alarming failure to renew the federal terrorism risk insurance program before adjournment will stall commercial real estate development around the country. The Senate missed an opportunity to approve a six-year reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk […]