Oct 14
5 Common Buyer’s Remorse Culprits Some home buyers suffer from post-purchase regret. Realtor.com® recently spoke to real estate industry experts to find out what home features tend to spark the biggest regrets among buyers. Topping the list: 1. Buying too big of a home. Buyers may think at the time having a big home …
Oct 13
Savings Have Dried Up for Most Americans Here’s why saving for a down payment on a home purchase is a growing challenge for many Americans: About 62 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts, and 21 percent don’t even have a savings account, according to a new survey of more …
Oct 12
When Not to Press ‘Send’ on That E-mail There’s a time to e-mail, and a time to call. Sometimes in the rush to be responsive you’ll instantly send an e-mail, but doing so may backfire. When should you e-mail and when should you maybe wait to respond until you can call or even talk in-person? …
Oct 09
‘Zombie’ Homes Spook Fewer Neighborhoods Vacant foreclosures – known as “zombies” – plunged 43 percent in the third quarter compared to a year ago, according to RealtyTrac’s latest U.S. Zombie Foreclosure and Vacant Property Report. As of the end of the third quarter, about 20,050 residential properties were in the foreclosure process and vacant, …
Oct 08
Chinese Buyers Sink More Cash Into U.S. Chinese buyers now make up the largest segment of foreign purchasers in the U.S. real estate market, and they predominantly pay in cash. So far this year, 46 percent of Chinese buyers paid cash, up 229 percent from a decade ago, according to RealtyTrac. That is significantly …
Oct 07
Home Inspection Deal-Breakers Home inspectors are hired to perform an objective evaluation of a home’s condition, but at times, their discoveries can prompt the buyer to terminate a sale contract. Dylan Chalk, owner of Seattle-based Orca Inspection Services LLC, writes on Redfin’s blog that, in his experience, the following three issues …
Oct 06
4 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch in 2016 Looking to gain more of an edge in your market? Being on the forefront of technology trends can certainly help, according to a new article at Forbes.com. SEO and online marketing expert Jayson DeMers recently pinpointed some of the top trends you’ll see in digital marketing in …
Oct 05
For 10 Weeks, Mortgage Rates Stay Below 4% Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages continue to hold below 4 percent, often an attractive lure for home buyers and refinancers. “In contrast to the volatility in equity markets, the 10-year Treasury rate — a key driver of mortgage rates — varied just a little more than 10 basis points …
Oct 01
‘Tiny Condos’ Draw Millennials to Ownership Real estate developers are hoping to entice young professional renters into home ownership by wooing them with tiny, more affordable condos. Downtown Washington, D.C. serves as one example of the tiny condo movement’s gain in momentum. “They definitely notice it’s smaller, so it is an explanation; it takes …
Sep 30
Are Higher Home Prices Spooking Buyers? Contracts to buy homes dropped nationwide in August, as home prices continued to inch upward, the National Association of REALTORS® reports. Modest increases in pending home sales in the West were offset by declines in all other regions last month. Pending Home Sales By Region Northeast: pending home …
Sep 29
4 Costly Mistakes When Building New When building a new home, home buyers may quickly find themselves over-budget and over-stressed. U.S. News & World Report recently highlighted some of the most common financial mistakes when building a new home: 1. Don’t overbuild. “I meet potential clients in my office almost weekly who tell …
Sep 28
The Top Exterior Finishes for New Homes Are… Vinyl is the clear champ when it comes to the most widely used exterior on new homes, shows Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction and an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders. In 2014, the latest data available, vinyl (including vinyl-covered aluminum) was the …
