Apr 05
Home Prices Blamed for Student Loan Defaults The housing crisis may also have sparked the increase in student loan default rates, according to a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study says the drop in home prices during the Great Recession also coincided with a 24 to 32 percent rise …
Apr 04
Ways to Better Manage Your Social Media When using social media, make sure you aren’t turning off potential customers with your behavior online. Forbes.com offers the following tips on behaviors to avoid on social media, including: Being present on too many social media platforms: “Be careful not to create a social media behemoth you can’t …
Apr 03
The Funny Side of Tight Inventory Realtor.com® revealed their 2017 ad campaign today—which will include TV spots, interactive digital video experiences, and social integration—featuring Elizabeth Banks. The Emmy-nominated actress, producer, and director is returning as the brand’s spokesperson for a third year. The TV ads feature home buyers who are being tailed by their “not-yous”: …
Mar 31
‘No Knock’ Registry Is a Jab at Real Estate Longtime Jersey City, N.J., homeowners say they’ve been harassed by real estate solicitations in recent months. They’re hoping the city’s new “No Knock” registry will put an end to the door knocks inquiring if they want to sell their home. The Jersey City Council recently …
Mar 30
What Has Mortgage Lenders So Upbeat? Mortgage lenders’ optimism reached a high in a first-quarter survey, even as lenders expressed pressing challenges to their profit margins, according to Fannie Mae’s 2017 Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey. Lenders say they’re most upbeat about the direction of the economy and home prices. They also continue to report …
Mar 29
Why Your Agents Still Need a Website As a broker-owner or manager, you may be getting the question from agents as to whether having a personal business website is still relevant today, and worth the time, money, and effort. Beyond providing a profile for your agents on your company’s site, it is still wise for …
Mar 28
This Is the Worst ‘Housing Drought’ Ever The number of homes for sale is at the lowest level on record, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, who began tracking inventory 18 years ago. That means many home buyers likely will find fewer options this spring, and the homes that are being listed tend to …
Mar 27
Investors Are Unlocking Biggest Profits Here The county offering the highest returns from single-family rental properties so far in 2017: Clayton, Ga., in the Atlanta metro area. That’s according to the first-quarter 2017 Single Family Rental Market report, released by ATTOM Data Solutions. Researchers analyzed single-family returns in 375 U.S. counties, each with populations …
Mar 24
How to Get Your Content Shared Online Producing shareable content should be key behind any internet marketing strategy. The more you can get others to share your content, the more new prospects you can land in front of, and the potential to rank higher in Google searches. But what motivates other people to want …
Mar 23
Home Sales Drop Amid Inventory, Affordability Issues Existing-home sales dropped in February as tight inventory and weakening affordability conditions kept many buyers out of the market in most parts of the country, the National Association of REALTORS® reports. Total sales for existing single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops fell 3.7 percent to a …
Mar 22
Smart Reminders for Your Home Sellers Besides staging, sellers also should take a few more steps to ease the stress of their sale. Realtor.com® offers up some of the following often-overlooked tips: 1. Highlight improvements and any issues. “If you’ve owned your home for a while, make a list of all the problems you’ve …
Mar 21
Bidding Wars to Heat Up This Spring Likely to be a hallmark of this year’s spring home selling season: Bidding wars. As home listings are scarcer and buyer demand remains high, home shoppers are finding a lot more competition this spring, particularly in hot markets like the San Francisco Bay area, Denver, and Boston. …
