Mar 19
U.S. Homes Ended 2014 With Equity Eighty-nine percent of all U.S. properties with a mortgage — or about 44.5 million — had equity by the end of the fourth quarter of 2014, according to CoreLogic. If home prices rise by 5 percent, an additional 1 million home owners currently in negative equity could come …
Mar 18
Why Renters May Be in Trouble The gap between rental costs and household income is widening to unsustainable levels across the country. As more renters face steeper costs, it may put them even further away from home ownership, according to a new study released by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR evaluated income growth, housing …
Mar 17
Home Improvement Spending Is Booming The home improvement industry could see record-breaking spending in 2015, according to a newly released report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Since the recession, the home improvement industry has outpaced the broader housing market’s recovery. There are several factors behind the increase, such as the …
Mar 16
The Social Media Networks Businesses Hate Small business owners have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. The social network can be great for staying connected to clients and prospects, but it’s difficult for small business owners to maintain their business pages, according to a recent survey from Manta.com, a network to find local businesses. Manta.com recently …
Mar 13
Agents See Bright Spot for Town homes More real estate professionals are optimistic about the town home market’s rebound within the next six months, according to the January 2015 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey. A growing interest in “walkable” communities may be helping to boost recent demand for town homes and condos. Town home demand is expected …
Mar 12
Foreclosures Jumped in January The number of repeat foreclosures inched higher in January compared to a year ago – the first time in more than two years this has occurred, according to a new report by Black Knight Financial Services. Repeat foreclosures occur after a home owner begins the foreclosure process, but is then …
Mar 11
Who Has the Highest Property Taxes? Home owners who have owned five to 15 years had the highest effective property tax rates while those who have owned more than 20 years had the lowest, according to the U.S. Property Tax Rates Report for 2014, conducted by RealtyTrac. The report provides average property taxes and …
Mar 10
Housing Markets That Are Heating Up Just in time for spring selling season to start, sellers are finally starting to put their homes on the market, upping the selections for buyers, according to the latest analysis from realtor.com®. Higher inventories and buyer demand are expected to boost closings this month, according to realtor.com®. “The biggest …
Mar 09
Mortgage Rates Drop, Near 2013 Lows For the first time in four weeks, average fixed mortgage rates moved lower, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey. Rates remain near May 2013 lows. The lower rates are attributed to a revision down of real GDP growth and the decline in consumer prices, said …
Mar 06
The Most Affordable Town in Your State With housing prices inching up in many areas across the country, buyers may be wondering where they can catch a break. Well, it turns out that every state in the union has a spot. Business Insider recently examined Census data to find the most affordable small towns …
Mar 04
Builders Shy Away From Starter Homes There may be demand for starter homes, but many home builders aren’t interested in building them. Entry-level new homes are becoming scarce, and are unlikely to see any rises in the future, according to a BUILDER Online article. Indeed, the median new-home price entering 2015 was well over $280,000 …
Mar 03
Owners Upbeat About Their Home Values Home sales may be off to a sluggish start this year, but home owners are still upbeat when it comes to the value of their homes. They’re willing to spend to preserve that value too. Home-improving giants Lowe’s Co. and Home Depot Inc. reported “blowout fourth quarter profits,” which …
