How much house can i afford
Tag: News
Jan 08
More House Fires Ignite in Colder Months
More House Fires Ignite in Colder Months A greater number of structural fires occur in the winter months. In colder weather, homeowners crank up the heat, using space heaters and electric blankets. But leaving them on too long or placing them too close to flammable objects can spark fires quickly, realtor.com® warns. “A substantial portion …
Jan 05
Renting Population Drops as Prices Bump Up
Renting Population Drops as Prices Bump Up For the first time since 2004, the renter population decreased, according to the Annual Rent Report from ABODO, an apartment listing service. Still, renters continue to outpace owners, according to the report. There are about 43 million renters in the U.S., which is more than a third of …
Jan 04
What Qualifies as ‘House Poor’?
What Qualifies as ‘House Poor’? The phrase “house poor” describes buyers who’ve bought a home they can’t afford. Most financial advisers say those who spend 30 percent or more of their pretax income on housing costs qualify for such a label. Under that standard, nearly 40 million U.S. households are considered “house poor,” according to …
Dec 29
Higher Loan Limits Coming Jan. 1
Higher Loan Limits Coming Jan. 1 Real estate professionals have some good news to share with their clients. On Jan. 1, buyers will be able to get much larger mortgages, whether they’re applying for conventional or FHA-backed loans. Each year, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac adjust their limits for conventional, conforming loans based on changes …
Dec 22
No Chill on Showing Traffic in November
No Chill on Showing Traffic in November Counter to seasonal trends, demand for home showings posted a strong increase in November amid steady consumer confidence and low unemployment, according to the ShowingTime Showing Index, which measures buyer demand based on showing appointments. The index showed an 8 percent year-over-year rise in November. “Although the residential …
Dec 21
What Buyers Will Give Up for Walkability
What Buyers Will Give Up for Walkability Living in areas that are close to shops and restaurants is becoming increasingly attractive for both young and older generations, according to the 2017 National Community and Transportation Preference Survey conducted by American Strategies and Meyers Research on behalf of the National Association of REALTORS®. Researchers polled 3,000 …
Dec 20
Surprising Cities for Retirement
Surprising Cities for Retirement Pittsburgh, Boston, and Los Angeles may be surprising cities to top the list of best places for retirees. But a new study by Bankrate.com says the numbers show that these nontraditional retiree havens may make a perfect spot for retirement. Bankrate.com scored the 50 largest metros on factors like health care quality; …
Dec 19
Consumers Have Doubts Despite Strong Economy
Consumers Have Doubts Despite Strong Economy More households are feeling the strain in their personal financial situations and losing confidence in the housing market, even as the country sees solid job growth and record gains in the stock market, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ fourth-quarter Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey, …
Dec 18
Ways to ‘Fireproof’ a House
Ways to ‘Fireproof’ a House More than 1,000 structures and 260,000 acres across Southern California have been charred since massive wildfires broke out earlier this month. With the blazes still threatening 25,000 more homes, is there anything homeowners can do to protect their houses from a fire? You may not be able to fireproof a …
Dec 14
44% of Retirees Still Have a Mortgage
44% of Retirees Still Have a Mortgage Many retirees are worried if they’ll ever be able to pay off their mortgage. Forty-four percent of 60- to 70-year-old retirees have a mortgage in retirement, according to American Financing’s 2017 Retirement and Mortgages Survey. Thirty-two percent predict it will take still take them more than eight years …
