Sep 29
Appraiser Shortage Sparks Sales Delays The number of appraisers is rapidly shrinking, which is causing delays in closings and possibly even costing your buyers and sellers money on their way to settlement, CNBC reports. Since 2007, the percentage of appraisers has fallen by 22 percent, according to the Appraisal Institute. Further, more than 60 percent …
Sep 28
New-Home Sales Hit Snag After 9-Year High New single-family home sales posted the largest drop in nearly a year in August, but builders say they’re not alarmed. Sales of newly built, single-family homes plunged 7.6 percent in August to an annual rate of 609,000 units, according to data released by the Commerce Department …
Sep 19
Essential Skills to Master the Market Starting Monday, Sept. 19, the Council of Residential Specialists will be celebrating the fourth annual CRS Week by offering five free webinars to agents, which offer both invaluable education and credit toward a CRS Designation. Pro tip: Even if you’re not sure you’ll be able to sit down …
Sep 16
Get Ready for Longer Tweets Twitter is giving its users more wiggle room than the social network’s current 140-character tweet limit. Starting Sept. 19, Twitter will no longer count several items in its character limits, several tech publications report. For example, media attachments, like images, GIFs, polls, and videos – will not be counted …
Sep 15
Post-Labor Day Uptick in Mortgage Apps Home buying appears to be picking up after the Labor Day holiday, with total mortgage applications for home purchases and refinancings increasing 4.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. This time, application volume was boosted more by home buyers than …
Sep 14
Paint Colors That Make a Room Look Bigger A room’s size is sometimes a matter of perception, and the paint color on the walls has a lot to with that perception. Some colors can actually make a room appear smaller, while other colors can make the walls expand and feel larger. Realtor.com® recently highlighted some …
Sep 13
Mediterranean-Style Homes Losing Appeal? In the 1990s, Mediterranean-style homes were all the rage. But new surveys suggest the once-popular design may be losing some of its appeal. Mediterranean-style homes are known for stucco walls, tumbled stone, and wrought-iron accents. Asking prices for this type of home still remain high, but price growth has slowed …
Sep 12
Women Better Than Men at Paying Mortgages Women are less likely than men to miss a mortgage payment, according to a new study from the Urban Institute. Yet, they tend to pay higher interest rates. A single male borrower had a 6 percent probability of default while a comparable female-only borrower had an expected …
Sep 09
Optimism Grows Among Sellers, Buyers Consumers have a fairly optimistic 12-month outlook on housing at the end of the summer home-buying season, says Doug Duncan, chief economist at mortgage giant Fannie Mae. The optimism is being buoyed by confidence in the job market and more favorable expectations regarding their personal finances compared to a …
Sep 08
Deep-Cleaning Targets to Help a Home Shine Buyers are just more attracted to clean houses. And while a standard job may give a home a momentary shine, a deep clean of hidden spots may help provide the wow factor your listing needs. The Cleaning Authority offers the following tips on deep cleaning a …
Sep 07
Student Housing Gets an Upgrade Luxury student housing is popping up around colleges and universities across the country. Residential developers are adding fancier amenities to student housing options as enrollments in higher education continue to rise. About 47,700 new beds are expected to roll out onto the market in privately owned, student housing properties …
Sep 06
Bad Habits That May Ruin a Home Certain home owner habits could actually be harming the home, and can lead to major home improvement projects later on. This Old House recently featured a list of several bad home owner habits to avoid, including: Slamming the front door Slamming the heavy front door can push it …
