The housing market has been off to a roar this spring. In fact, the market is performing so strongly that the National Association of REALTORS® has upgraded its forecast for the year.At the start of the year, home sales were expected to match last year’s pace due to higher mortgage rates and diminishing affordability. But the market is hardly slowing down, notes Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. He now predicts existing-home sales to rise
A “time capsule” home can be a selling point to some home shoppers. These are older homes that may display decades-old decor and have not been refurbished or updated. Instead, they’ve been meticulously maintained in their original style.Some home shoppers say they’re drawn to these homes for the quality construction, distinctive design, and nostalgia, The Wall Street Journal reports.“The number of people looking for time-capsules houses
A cul-de-sac offers plenty of appeal to buyers: It may be quieter and safer for kids to play because of less traffic. Some home buyers are willing to pay up to 20 percent more for a house on a cul-de-sac—but is it really the best option for your buyer?Because cul-de-sacs are attractive areas for children to play, says Fiona Tustian, GRI, a sales associate with Roy Wheeler Realty Company in Ruckersville, Va., the frenzy of activity has made some
Are you on the hunt for more customers? Now that it's spring and people are emerging from winter hibernation, it's the perfect time to get in front of more leads. And you know the best way to convert them to clients is through a face-to-face meeting, so Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate's Clean Slate blog offers some ideas to achieve that.Play a part in local events. From gardening shows to charity walks and music festivals, spring offers ampl
Cash sales made up about 30 percent of all single-family and condo sales in the first quarter of this year, according to ATTOM Data Solutions' First Quarter 2017 U.S. Home Sales Report. That is well below their peak of 44.7 percent in the first quarter of 2011 but higher than the prerecession average of 20.4 percent from 2000 to 2007."With a stronger market and overall sales increasing, we are seeing a decrease in foreclosure sales across the mar
Strong buyer demand this spring is pushing home prices up at double the rate of increase in income growth, The Wall Street Journal reports. The median price of an existing home for all housing types was $236,400 in March, up 6.8 percent from a year ago, when it was $221,400, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Incomes, meanwhile, increased 3 percent in February from a year earlier, according to the Labor Department."Bolstered by
For the first time in a decade, more new households chose to buy a home rather than rent one in the first quarter of 2017, according to Census Bureau data. About 854,000 new households purchased a home—more than double the 365,000 new households who chose to rent. New homeowners have not outpaced new renters since the third quarter of 2006.The overall homeownership rate in the first quarter of 2017 was 63.6 percent, down slightly from 63.7 perc
Twenty-three percent of real estate professionals say they faced closing delays for a transaction in March, and 7 percent say the sale contract was terminated altogether, according to the REALTORS® Confidence Index, which is based on responses from more than 2,500 REALTORS® nationwide. Clients who had trouble obtaining financing was the most common reason for delays, respondents to the survey say, followed by appraisal issues.Though it remains
Making room for kids just takes a little creativity.When “Hart of Dixie” star Jaime King purchased her first home in Beverly Hills at 24 years old, she immediately felt at home.So when she and her husband, Kyle Newman, had their first son, they decided to update the home they love to make room for their growing family.A reimagined garage Looking to create both a play space and guest suite, Jaime and Kyle separated their garage into three sect
With perfectly framed views of Griffith Observatory, the flapper-era mansion includes many personal touches.King of the Nerds Chris Hardwick and his wife, Lydia Hearst, have a unique home style described by Chris as “Victorian gentleman serial killer.” Their 8,240-square-foot home is full of one-of-a-kind details, and he invited us in to see them.Source: zillow.com
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