Jan 25
Architects Give Home Design a Bold New Spin Some architects worldwide are building a select few homes that can rotate, allowing for a change of interior views from a room throughout the day or programming a home to follow the direction of the sun to help maintain inside temperatures. In New South Wales, Australia, the …
Jan 24
Renovations Uncover Secrets Behind Walls Homeowners are finding that as they renovate and walls are removed, they’re uncovering tokens from the home’s past. They’ve found everything from ritual objects placed behind the walls to ward off evil spirits to time capsules with notes enclosed for future owners to find. Michelle Morgan Harrison, an interior designer, …
Jan 23
Trump Puts a Halt to FHA Mortgage Cuts Just hours after being sworn in, President Donald Trump moved to suspend a plan to reduce the Federal Housing Administration’s mortgage insurance premiums that was set to go into effect on Jan. 27. The plan had been announced just a few days ago by the outgoing …
Jan 20
Where Foreclosure Backlogs Remain a Problem Banks continue to clean out the pipeline of loans that were originated during the housing boom days that have since turned sour. Most of the homes that are still being foreclosed on are from loans originated between 2004 and 2008, known as “legacy foreclosures,” according to ATTOM Data …
Jan 19
Mortgage Rates Dip to Lowest in Month Total mortgage applications – including for refinances and home purchases – were essentially flat last week, rising just 0.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, despite mortgage rates at their lowest averages in a month. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday that applications are now 14 percent lower …
Jan 18
Hot New-Home Trends to Watch There were plenty of new ideas, features, and designs of interest to the real estate community at the 2017 International Builders’ Show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, both held in Orlando, Fla. last week. We were there to gather the top trends and buzzwords you need …
Jan 17
Millennials Are Missing Out on Home Equity The delay of millennials into home ownership will likely affect their finances for years to come. Real estate wealth has proven to be a major contributor to the financial wealth of previous generations. Indeed, “the most impactful contributor to consumer wealth since the great financial crisis has been …
Jan 16
21-Day Closing Window In an era of bloated closing times, some lenders are looking to quicken the pace it takes to get a buyer to the settlement table. Some lenders are retooling operations and aiming to close a loan within 21 days. For example, national retail lender CrossCountry Mortgage Inc. in Brecksville, Ohio, is committing …
Jan 13
10 Safest Cities in the U.S. The safest cities in the country tend to also have strong employment, top-notch school districts, and a higher quality of living, according to a new report released by NeighborhoodScout. “The same trend continues to play out across the country, one that highlights a contrast between coveted bedroom communities …
Jan 12
Things Your Buyers Are Stressed About Do you know the pain points your buyers are most concerned about when it comes to purchasing a home? A new TD Bank survey of 135 real estate professionals nationwide reveals six stressors that are causing their clients the most anxiety: Confusion around paperwork required: 31.85% Unexpected costs: …
Jan 11
It’s Still More Affordable to Buy Than Rent In about two-thirds of the country – or 66 percent of the largest U.S. counties – it’s more affordable to buy a home than to rent one, according to a report by ATTOM Data Solutions. They compared the monthly rents of three-bedroom apartments to monthly …
Jan 10
Rising Rates Dampen Consumers’ Moods Mortgage rate increases are chipping away at home buyer sentiment, shows the latest reading from Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index. For the fifth consecutive month, consumer sentiment dropped in December and most of that centered on perceptions over rising borrowing costs. The share of consumers expecting mortgage rates …
