These Lenders Dominate the Mortgage Market Quicken Loans is commanding the largest share of the mortgage market, according to 2016 data recently released by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. But Wells Fargo boasts the highest origination dollar volume at $126 billion in 2016, compared to Quicken Loans’ $90.6 billion. iEmergent, which compiled the data, …
Tag: News
Oct 18
Childless Buyers Buoy Condo Market
Childless Buyers Buoy Condo Market Home shoppers without children are a growing segment in the housing market, and they tend to desire smaller houses than previous generations. The fertility rate among women 15 to 44 years old is at its lowest level since the CDC began recording such rates 108 years ago. As more couples …
Oct 17
Top Amenities for Relocating Baby Boomers
Top Amenities for Relocating Baby Boomers Baby boomers say they want to move to a home that has a multicar garage and that’s near their grandchildren, according to the latest Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey, sponsored by national home builder PulteGroup Inc. The age at which baby boomers expect to retire is getting younger, down …
Oct 16
Sell Your Listing With the Right Music
Sell Your Listing With the Right Music A little music may be just what your listing needs. Some real estate professionals believe that soft music playing in the background can be just the subtle, emotional pull that welcomes buyers inside your open house or house tour. Tom Hignite, owner of Miracle Home Builders in Milwaukee, …
Oct 13
Buyers Aren’t Spooked by Haunted Houses
Buyers Aren’t Spooked by Haunted Houses With inventories so tight, many consumers say they’re even willing to live in a haunted house. Thirty-three percent of more than 1,000 consumers recently surveyed say they’re willing to live in a haunted house, and another 25 percent said they’d consider it, according to a newly released survey by …
Oct 12
As Rates Rise, Loan Demand Softens
As Rates Rise, Loan Demand Softens Mortgage applications dropped across the board last week as interest rates surged to their highest levels since July, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Total application volume dropped 2.1 percent week-to-week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the MBA reported Wednesday. Most of the drop in applications came from …
Oct 11
Easy Maintenance Tips to Boost Value
Easy Maintenance Tips to Boost Value Simple maintenance projects and updates can increase a home’s value by roughly 1 percent each year, according to research from the University of Connecticut and Syracuse University. RE/MAX put together a list of four tips on where home buyers can focus their efforts to help maintain and increase the value …
Oct 10
More Retirees Carry Mortgage Debt
More Retirees Carry Mortgage Debt Retiring baby boomers are less likely to be mortgage-free compared to people their age in previous generations, according to Fannie Mae. That could hurt boomers’ financial security and exacerbate the housing affordability crisis. Slightly less than 50 percent of the oldest baby boomer homeowners in 2015 were mortgage-free, 10 percentage …
Oct 09
How to Appear More Confident to Clients
How to Appear More Confident to Clients Whether you’re making a listing presentation to potential clients or speaking in front of a group of agents, there are subtle ways to appear more confident, likable, and approachable while speaking with authority. Business strategist Marc Gordon offers these five tips that will help you “fake it ’til …
Oct 06
Home Lot Sizes Shrink to New Low
Home Lot Sizes Shrink to New Low Lot sizes on new single-family homes have reached a new record low. New homes sold in 2016 had a median lot size of 8,562 square feet, or slightly under one-fifth of an acre. The median lot size fell to under 8,600 square feet in 2015, according to the Census …
Oct 05
Factors Most Influential on Home Values
Factors Most Influential on Home Values Buyers have become wiser, researching important facts not only about the houses they’re interested in but also about the communities where the homes are located. Desare Kohn-Laski, broker-owner of Skye Louis Realty in Coconut Creek, Fla., says it’s essential that real estate professionals show their value by …
Oct 04
Scope of Equifax Breach Widens Further
Scope of Equifax Breach Widens Further Some 2.5 million more people than originally reported were affected by the recent Equifax data breach, the credit bureau said Monday. The estimate of the number of Americans whose personal information was potentially exposed is now 145.5 million—the largest hack on record. Cybersecurity firm Mandiant, which was hired …
