REALTORS® Promise to Send Help to Texas As the rains slowly subside in Texas and the full scale of Hurricane Harvey’s destruction comes into focus, the National Association of REALTORS® is calling on members nationwide to donate funds to the REALTOR® Relief Foundation to support storm victims. The RRF, whose goal is to help …
Tag: News
Aug 29
Fannie Loosens ARM Down Payment Rules
Fannie Loosens ARM Down Payment Rules Fannie Mae is changing the requirement that borrowers pay a higher down payment to qualify for an adjustable-rate mortgage, announcing that it is bringing this type of financing more in line with that of fixed-rate mortgages. Now, borrowers can make as little as a 5 percent down payment on …
Aug 25
20 Markets Dominating in August
20 Markets Dominating in August Half of the 20 hottest housing markets in August were located in California. Vallejo, Calif., held on to its top spot in realtor.com®’s “hot list” this month. Realtor.com® ranks the top 20 medium-to-large metro markets where homes are selling the fastest and where buyers are searching the most on …
Aug 24
What Home Thieves Target Most
What Home Thieves Target Most Renters are more likely to experience a burglary than homeowners, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Apartment buildings with two to four units are the most at risk of theft. “This is probably because plenty of people come and go from apartment complexes daily, while homes only …
Aug 23
Kids Have Big Say in Real Estate
Kids Have Big Say in Real Estate Buyers with children put more weight on the neighborhood, local schools, and size of homes when shopping for the right property, according to the 2017 Moving With Kids report, produced by the National Association of REALTORS®. The neighborhood, in particular, has a big influence on home buyers with …
Aug 22
Bypass Appraisals to help would be home owners…
Bypass Appraisals to help would be home owners… Mortgage giant Freddie Mac has announced a new program allowing some home buyers to skip a traditional appraisal, which could lower the fees the buyers pay and speed up the closing process. Freddie’s Automated Collateral Evaluation (or ACE) will determine a property’s collateral risk by …
Aug 21
Eclipse: Who? What? Where? When? and How?
Eclipse: Who? What? Where? When? and How? Total Solar Eclipse On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone within the path of totality can see one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights – a total solar eclipse. This path, where the moon will completely cover …
Aug 18
Buyers Want Bigger Yards Over Bigger Homes
Buyers Want Bigger Yards Over Bigger Homes A property that offers a great outdoor space is taking a higher priority among home buyers. In fact, home shoppers recently surveyed said they would be willing to sacrifice some space from a larger house in order to get a bigger yard. More than half of …
Aug 17
Ways to Cut Kitchen Remodeling Costs
Ways to Cut Kitchen Remodeling Costs Kitchen remodels don’t come cheap. The average cost to update a 200-square-foot kitchen—including installing new flooring, semi-custom wood cabinets, and standard appliances—is a whopping $62,000, according to Remodeling Magazine. Homeowners who want to add in more luxurious touches, such as stone counter tops, a commercial-grade cook top, designer …
Aug 16
Buyers Putting Down Less on a Home
Buyers Putting Down Less on a Home A 20 percent down payment is no longer the norm. In the past year, 1.5 million borrowers purchased their homes with down payments of less than 10 percent, according to Black Knight Financial Services. That marks a seven-year high. A growing number of home shoppers are financing more …
Aug 15
Facebook Marketing Is Key…
Facebook Marketing Is Key… Social media is increasingly a vital part of a real estate professional’s marketing strategy. Seventy-four percent of REALTORS® recently surveyed cited awareness as the main outcome of their social media efforts. Sixty-four percent of 265 REALTORS® recently surveyed say they plan to commit more time to social media, and 60 …
Aug 14
Is Housing Affordability Actually Improving?
Is Housing Affordability Actually Improving? Growing incomes and low mortgage rates are helping to prop up housing affordability and offset rising home prices, according to the newly released National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index. A quarter-point drop in interest rates in the second quarter helped to make homes more affordable …
