Sep 04
Sluggish Housing Market Blamed for Drop in Title Insurance Volume Title insurance premium volume has fallen 16.6 percent during the second quarter of this year compared to last year, according to the American Land Title Association. “A lackluster spring home buying season that was weaker than anticipated, coupled with a substantial decline in refinance …
Sep 03
Millennials and Boomers Trading Places As the economy improves, Millennials and Baby Boomers are on the move, but they’re heading in opposite directions, according to a new analysis by real estate data firm RealtyTrac. Each year, 17 million Americans (or about 6 percent of the population) move into a different county, according to Census Bureau …
Sep 02
FHFA Seeks to Expand Mortgage Access The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that it wants housing finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to provide greater support to low-income mortgage borrowers and refinancers. FHFA, which is the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, outlined goals for 2015-2017 aimed at advancing that goal. …
Aug 29
Suburbanites Are Happiest Home Owners City centers and down towns may be growing in demand among millennials and retiring baby boomers, but a new poll says residents are still happiest in the suburbs. Americans who live in suburban areas are the most satisfied with the place they live, according to the Atlantic Media/Siemens State of …
Aug 28
3 Tricks for Finding the Perfect Asking Price Determining the perfect asking price involves psychological reasons as much as practical reasons, The Wall Street Journal reports. “When you set a list price, you’re sending a signal to the market,” says Michael Seiler, professor of real estate and finance at The College of William & …
Aug 27
Friendly Neighborhoods Reduce Risk of Heart Attack Knowing your neighbors may be good for your heart — and not just emotionally — according to a new study by psychologists at the University of Michigan. The more social connections you have in your neighborhood, the less likely you are to die from a heart attack, according …
Aug 26
Reasons Mortgage Demand Is Dropping Fixed-rate mortgages sank to the lowest average of the year last week, yet mortgage origination activity remains lackluster. Why aren’t more home buyers taking advantage of the lower borrowing costs? In a recent blog post, Freddie Mac analysts point to three main factors behind the decrease in mortgage originations: …
Aug 25
Where You’ll Pay the Most in Electricity Costs Home owners may find higher electricity costs are taking a bigger chunk from their wallet. The average price of electricity to residential customers reached its highest point in May than in the past two years, increasing 3.4 percent year-over-year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. …
Aug 22
Mortgage Rates Sink to New Low for 2014 Despite predictions that mortgage rates were to inch up in the second half of this year, fixed-rate mortgages continue to tumble. Borrowing costs moved lower this week, as the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped to a 4.10 percent average, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market …
Aug 21
Families Extend Aging Parents a Suite Deal More homeowners are remodeling their dwellings to create in-law suites for aging parents, with features to make them accessible and safe while providing plenty of space and privacy. AARP senior policy adviser Rodney Harrell says demand for in-law suites is on the rise as baby boomers age, …
Aug 20
.REALTOR Domains Coming in October Get ready to claim your REALTOR® domain name on the Internet. The National Association of REALTORS® announced that the new .REALTOR top-level domain will be available Oct. 23 to NAR members and the Canadian Real Estate Association. There are more than 1,900 new top-level domains being created on the Internet, …
Aug 19
Down Payments for Lower-Priced Homes Double Buyers looking at lower-priced homes are not only facing major inventory hurdles, they’re also finding that they have to bring more money to the closing table. The median down payment for the cheapest 25 percent of homes was 7.5 percent of the sales price last year, up from a …
