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 …
Aug 18
Mortgage Rates Roll Back Mortgage rates continue on a low streak this week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaging its low for the year, 4.12 percent. It’s the same low the 30-year rate mortgage reached in May as well as during a week in July, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. …
Aug 08
Ways to Get an Offer Accepted There are four rules home buyers should follow if they want sellers to accept their offer. Be nice: While money is important, buyers should also be likable and avoid making negative comments about the house or discussing their renovation plans in front of the seller, keeping in mind …
Aug 07
Applications Boost Loan Demand As mortgage rates hover nearly yearly lows, more home owners are viewing it as the last opportunity to take advantage by refinancing and lowering their borrowing costs. An increase in applications for refinancing last week helped overall mortgage applications reverse course and post a rise for the week ending Aug. 1, …
Aug 06
For Every $1K Price Hike You Sideline 200K Buyers For every $1,000 increase in the cost of median-priced new homes, an estimated 206,269 households are pushed out of the market, according to a new study by the National Association of Home Builders. The study finds that government regulations imposed on the construction industry — …
