May 12
Cash Sales Are Weakening The number of real estate transactions involving all-cash is slipping, according to the March 2015 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey. Cash sales accounted for 24 percent of total existing home sales in March, down considerably from 33 percent one year ago. The drop in cash sales is mostly related to a drop in …
May 11
Home Ownership Linked to Happiness Home ownership can lead to higher levels of well-being, according to data from the OECD Better Life Index, which gauges the quality of life worldwide by factoring in such things like housing, jobs, civic engagement, health and safety. The heightened sense of happiness that comes from home ownership may …
May 08
Housing Flips Slip to Lowest Level in Years Four percent of all U.S. single-family home sales in the first quarter were flips, sold for a second time within a 12-month period, according to RealtyTrac’s first quarter 2015 U.S. Home Flipping Report. It marked the lowest number of homes flipped since the second quarter of …
May 07
Sharp Rise in Rates Doesn’t Deter Buyers Mortgage applications for home purchases – viewed as a gauge of future home buying activity – posted only a slight gain at 1 percent last week, but applications are at the highest level since June 2013, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports. In a broader look, mortgage applications for …
May 06
Your Home’s History If you want to learn the historical journey of a home, get details about its architecture, or find out how the dynamics of the neighborhood have changed throughout the years, there are many resources available. But where to start? Where to Start To begin the journey, Jessica Leigh Hester from CityLab …
May 05
Renters Are in Financial Trouble More than one in four renters use at least half of their household income to cover housing and utility costs, according to a new analysis of Census data by Enterprise Community Partners. The number of renters who are constrained financially from growing household expenses has surged 26 percent since …
May 04
15 Hottest Housing Markets Right Now The housing market has been gaining strength this spring, according to realtor.com®’s latest housing report. Median list prices rose to $225,000 in April – up 9 percent year-over-year. As prices rise, homes are staying on the market for less time too. The median number of days on the market …
May 01
Why New-Home Prices Are Surging New-home prices have risen much higher than they should when comparing homes built in 1970 to those built today with similar characteristics, according to a new analysis by economist Tom Lawler. New homes last year sold for an average of $343,000 — more than double what they sold …
Apr 30
This Is No Housing Bubble Home prices are rising at a more rapid pace than they were just a few months ago, as demand outpaces supply. Existing-home sales surged 9 percent year-over-year in March and home prices were up 8 percent over last year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. What’s more, with …
Apr 29
$40 Million Homes Spark ‘Copycat Effect’ Homes prices at $40 million or more were almost nonexistent up until a few years ago. Now, the nation’s priciest homes are selling for well above $100 million, and listings and sales at $40 million are surfacing across the country, The Wall Street Journal reports. “We’ve had this creation …
Apr 28
Equity Rich Are Feeling Stuck… Even home owners who are “equity rich” aren’t necessarily in any hurry to sell and cash in. The share of equity rich residential properties – those with at least 50 percent of positive equity – stood at nearly 19.8 percent by the end of the first quarter, up slightly …
Apr 27
‘Underwater’ Homes Inch Up in First Quarter The share of seriously underwater home owners took a surprising turn in the first quarter of 2015, posting its first increase since 2012. However, the number of seriously underwater home owners is still down more than 4 percentage points compared to a year ago, according to RealtyTrac’s …
