No Chill on Showing Traffic in November Counter to seasonal trends, demand for home showings posted a strong increase in November amid steady consumer confidence and low unemployment, according to the ShowingTime Showing Index, which measures buyer demand based on showing appointments. The index showed an 8 percent year-over-year rise in November. “Although the residential …
Tag: tips
Dec 21
What Buyers Will Give Up for Walkability
What Buyers Will Give Up for Walkability Living in areas that are close to shops and restaurants is becoming increasingly attractive for both young and older generations, according to the 2017 National Community and Transportation Preference Survey conducted by American Strategies and Meyers Research on behalf of the National Association of REALTORS®. Researchers polled 3,000 …
Dec 20
Surprising Cities for Retirement
Surprising Cities for Retirement Pittsburgh, Boston, and Los Angeles may be surprising cities to top the list of best places for retirees. But a new study by Bankrate.com says the numbers show that these nontraditional retiree havens may make a perfect spot for retirement. Bankrate.com scored the 50 largest metros on factors like health care quality; …
Dec 19
Consumers Have Doubts Despite Strong Economy
Consumers Have Doubts Despite Strong Economy More households are feeling the strain in their personal financial situations and losing confidence in the housing market, even as the country sees solid job growth and record gains in the stock market, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ fourth-quarter Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey, …
Dec 18
Ways to ‘Fireproof’ a House
Ways to ‘Fireproof’ a House More than 1,000 structures and 260,000 acres across Southern California have been charred since massive wildfires broke out earlier this month. With the blazes still threatening 25,000 more homes, is there anything homeowners can do to protect their houses from a fire? You may not be able to fireproof a …
Dec 14
44% of Retirees Still Have a Mortgage
44% of Retirees Still Have a Mortgage Many retirees are worried if they’ll ever be able to pay off their mortgage. Forty-four percent of 60- to 70-year-old retirees have a mortgage in retirement, according to American Financing’s 2017 Retirement and Mortgages Survey. Thirty-two percent predict it will take still take them more than eight years …
Dec 13
Festive Cities for Holiday Lovers
Festive Cities for Holiday Lovers For those who are full of the holiday spirit, they may find their fa-la-la-la’s in these cities. “For a city to be really attractive for the holidays, it needs to offer something for everyone—from kids to the grandparents,” says Kirsten Maxwell, founder of kidsareatrip.com, a family activities website. Realtor.com®’s research team sifted through …
Dec 12
FHA to Increase Loan Limits in 2018
FHA to Increase Loan Limits in 2018 Following on the heels of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Federal Housing Administration announced that it will increase its loan limits in most areas of the country in 2018. The FHFA had announced new limits for loans eligible for purchase or guarantee by Fannie Mae and Freddie …
Dec 11
Reasons December Is Favorable for Buyers
Reasons December Is Favorable for Buyers Many home shoppers don’t think about purchasing a house during the holiday months—many even put their home search on hold. But Desare Kohn-Laski, broker-owner of Skye Louis Realty in Coconut Creek, Fla., offers some points to pass on to your clients, letting them know this is one of the …
Dec 08
Hardwood Flooring Is Top Preference
Hardwood Flooring Is Top Preference Hardwood flooring is dominating the main living areas of new homes, and engineered hardwood has been particularly catching on over the past decades, according to the latest surveys from Home Innovation Research Labs. Engineered hardwood floors are made up of layers: the top and bottom layers are natural wood, but …
Dec 07
The Deck Is Making a Comeback
The Deck Is Making a Comeback Nearly 24 percent of new single-family homes in 2016 included decks, according to a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the National Association of Home Builders. The percentage is up slightly from 23.3 percent in 2015. New England and the East South Central region of the U.S.—which …
Dec 06
Stay Sane When You’re Overworked
Stay Sane When You’re Overworked Sometimes it’s easy to pretend to not have lives outside of work, but this is not true nor is it healthy. Everyone needs a good balance between their work life and personal life. Sue Hawkes, CEO of YESS!, a business coaching firm, has three tips for those who want to bring more sanity …
