Why house improvements are on the rise? Those wanting to spruce up a home may need to add more money to their budget. Builders and contractors are warning that new tariffs on Chinese goods will add $2.5 billion in added costs to the home remodeling industry, and those extra costs will be passed on to …
Tag: News
May 13
Equity Rich home ownership Falling
Equity Rich home ownership Falling Home prices are slowing compared to a year ago. That’s prompting the share of properties considered “equity rich” to decrease and the share of “seriously underwater” properties to grow to 9.1% of all U.S., homes, according to a newly released report reflecting first-quarter data from ATTOM Data Solutions. At the end …
May 10
Home Affordability Hurting Sales Volume
Home Affordability Hurting Sales Volume Inventory shortages are continuing to dig into agents’ home sales volume. In 2018, the typical agent completed 11 transactions, the same as 2017, according to the 2019 Member Profile, released by the National Association of REALTORS® and reflecting 12,700 member responses. However, REALTORS® did see a slight uptick in incomes …
May 09
Remodeling Projects Are Facing Delays & Higher Prices
Remodeling Projects Are Facing Delays & Higher Prices A remodeling labor shortage continues to impact housing projects by increasing prices and delaying timetables, a new survey from the National Association of Home Builders shows. Remodeling jobs that involve carpenters, framing crews, bricklayers, and electricians are seeing some of the largest shortages. “The labor shortage continues …
May 08
Great, affordable solutions to finance your dream home!
Great, affordable solutions to finance your dream home! We are pleased to offer first time home buyer programs available through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). Achieve your home buying dreams with low rates, down payment and closing cost assistance and more! Qualified buyers who live in Pennsylvania can take advantage of the options in …
May 07
Multiple Refinances Cause Problems
Multiple Refinances Cause Problems It can be financially harmful to borrowers and investors to repeatedly refinance their mortgages, warns Ginnie Mae, a government-backed firm that guarantees government mortgage bonds. That’s why the institution is taking steps to crack down on the practice of “churning,” where lenders push borrowers to refinance their home loans over and …
May 06
Mortgage Rates Break After Weeks of Increases
Mortgage Rates Break After Weeks of Increases Following four weeks of rate increases, fixed-rate mortgages posted a drop this week. Rates remain well below their averages from a year ago, and Freddie Mac predicts that will be a boon to home sales over the next couple of months. This comes after the Federal Reserve voted …
May 03
Fed Agrees to Hold Rates
Fed Agrees to Hold Rates The Federal Reserve voted unanimously on Wednesday to leave borrowing costs unchanged and says it will continue to be “patient” about making any moves to its benchmark rate. The Fed’s vote came despite increased calls from the White House to cut interest rates. But the central bank left rates unchanged …
May 02
Home Sellers Say They’re Confident…
Home Sellers Say They’re Confident… Selling a home is often the largest financial transaction a person will make, but that doesn’t mean homeowners want to devote a lot of time to it. More than half—58%—of homeowners who recently sold a home say they spent less than three hours researching the method and professional they chose …
May 01
PA first time home buyers assistance.
PA first time home buyers assistance. Down payment help is here. Down payment assistance programs are now available to qualifying first time home buyers in Pennsylvania. Check out the six different programs that offer budget friendly stress free terms to help renters attain the American dream of home ownership: Montgomery County First time Buyer Program …
Apr 30
Neighbors Your Clients Don’t Want
Neighbors Your Clients Don’t Want While you help your clients find the perfect home, you can’t guarantee they’ll have the perfect neighbors. “The neighbors’ noise and aesthetics are among the top concerns of home buyers,” says Noah Goldberg, a Redfin real estate professional in Northern New Jersey. “If you have a bad neighbor, that’s something …
Apr 29
Mortgage Rates Rise again this week
Mortgage Rates Rise again this week Mortgage rates have slowly been inching up over the past month, but they remain below their levels a year ago. “Despite the recent rise in mortgage rates, both existing- and new-home sales continue to show strength—indicating the lagged effect of lower rates on housing demand,” says Sam Khater, …
