Jul 31
More Young Adults Living at Home The job market is rebounding and wages are increasing, yet a higher number of millennials—people born after 1981—are still living with their parents or other adults. A new Pew Research Center study of U.S. Census Bureau data showed that in the first part of 2015, 26 percent of millennials lived …
Jul 30
The $50,000 Man Cave in the Clouds If you’re a kid and your home has trees, sooner or later you’ll want a treehouse. And if you’re a creative grownup with a tinkering inner child, you’ll outdo yourself, as Jono Williams found. Williams wanted a tree house on his New Zealand property, but didn’t like …
Jul 29
47% of Homes Are Selling in Less Than a Month In some cities across the country, homes are selling faster than ever. Nationally, properties typically stayed on the market for 34 days in June, the shortest number of days since the National Association of REALTORS® began tracking in May 2011. Short sales spent …
Jul 28
The 8 Biggest Concerns for REALTORS® REALTORS® are “strongly confident” about the housing market’s outlook over the next six months, although confidence has eased since the beginning of this spring, according to the latest REALTORS® Confidence Index, a monthly survey of nearly 3,000 REALTORS® about local market conditions. In general, REALTORS® continued to report “strong” …
Jul 27
3 Reasons Why It’s a Great Time for Sellers Rising home prices, demand from home buyers, and less competition is making 2015 a stellar year to sell for many U.S. home owners across the country, says Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac’s vice president. Blomquist points to these three factors behind why this year is shaping up more …
Jul 24
Home Prices Reach an All-Time High The rise in buyer demand combined with a limited number of homes for sale pushed the national median sales price above its 2006 peak and to a record high, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The median existing-home price for all housing types reached $236,400 in June – …
Jul 23
Isn’t the Condo Market Rebounding? While construction of single-family homes and multifamily rentals is on the rebound, condo construction has sunk to new lows. A condo rebound has been delayed by stringent rules on condo mortgages that took effect post-housing crisis, as well as stronger demand among young people for rentals, The Wall Street Journal …
Jul 22
Land Costs Have Skyrocketed Over 40 Years Average land prices have risen over the past 40 years, with the biggest price growth mostly occurring in western and eastern states. In 1975, all 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. had average land values below $15,000. After that year, land costs started a steady climb. In 2015, …
Jul 17
Report Calls for a Bigger Fight Against ‘Blight’ Communities are confronting different types of blighted properties, from littered and vacant lots to foreclosed and abandoned homes, according to a recent Keep America Beautiful report. Blight that causes physical changes to properties can cause “harmful impacts on the lifecycle of neighborhoods and their residents,” says KAB President …
Jul 16
What First-Time Buyers Are Willing to Sacrifice A new survey shows that consumers saving for a home are willing to forego modern conveniences in order to secure a down payment. That may even mean giving up phones, Internet, cable TV, or Starbucks, according to a newly released survey by the business advisory firm the Collingwood …
Jul 15
Obama Lauds HUD’s New Fair Housing Rule President Obama says the Fair Housing Act and the latest final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will help ensure all Americans get an “equal shot in life.” Obama devoted his latest weekly address to talking about the Fair Housing Act and …
Jul 14
The 10 Most Stable Housing Markets Housing markets where home values grow too rapidly can quickly turn sour. That’s why many home owners may prefer moderate, steady price growth. “Housing market stability isn’t only good for financial health, it’s good for a home owner’s mental health too,” notes a new analysis by SmartAsset. SmartAsset evaluated …
