Real Estate - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

2023 Colors of the Year

Check out the reddish and pinkish hues topping this year’s picks, and let us know which ones you like. From Pantone’s Viva Magenta to Sherwin-Williams’ Redend Point, the 2023 Colors of the Year—reddish and pinkish hues—may serve as inspiration for your clients’ next home improvement project. “People are ready to bring color back into the home, taking a step outside their color comfort zones,” says Andrea Magno, director of color m

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Stubbornly High Inflation Pushes Mortgage Rates Up

Borrowing costs may see temporary increases in the coming weeks but are expected to stabilize. Mortgage rates jumped this week, driven up by a record number of jobs and higher-than-expected inflation, says Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of real estate research for the National Association of REALTORS®. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.32%, up from 6.12% last week, according to Freddie Mac.While mortgage rates may see te

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Mortgage Demand Drops as Interest Rates Bounce Higher

After falling for five straight weeks, mortgage rates jumped last week, triggering a decline in mortgage demand.Total mortgage application volume fell 7.7% last week, compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index.The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($726,200 or less) increased to 6.39% from 6.18%, with points rising to

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Homebuilders are Feeling a Lot More Optimistic as Market Begins to Thaw

Builder confidence rose 7 points in February, to 42, according to the latest NAHB Housing Market Index. It's the highest score since September and the largest 1-month increase in a decade The outlook for the housing market has improved for two-consecutive months, leaving builders cautiously optimistic as the spring homebuying season fast approaches, according to the latest Wells Fargo/National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Inde

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The Best Video Doorbells for your Smart Home

The tech behind the video doorbell is ever evolving, so this updated list includes the best options based on what’s available today, plus a few recommendations.Since this series first compared Ring and Nest in 2020, much has changed in the video doorbell realm. The technology has improved, new models have come out and options have expanded. We’ve been able to test eight popular new video doorbells to provide you with the most up-to-date inf

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Does your Home have 1 of the 3 Major Health Hazards?

Could that fixer-upper be a health nightmare? It’s a question worth asking after Christina Hall, host of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop,” went public in December about being diagnosed with mercury and lead poisoning. She blames her symptoms—skin rashes, joint pain and swollen lymph nodes, among others—on “all the gross houses” she’s fixed and flipped over the last decade for television. Hall’s announcement has put a spotlight on the hea

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Home Prices have Surged 42% in the Last 3 Years

A slowdown is now underway, says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. But don’t expect to see dramatic price drops.After three years of runaway home prices, buyers may soon find relief. In some markets, they may have already found it.The National Association of REALTORS®’ latest quarterly housing report shows that home price growth is cooling—though that doesn’t mean prices are falling. The national median price for a single-family existing

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Slight Uptick in Mortgage Rates, but Costs Remain Low

Rates in the 6% range are helping to bring buyers back to the market in time for the spring selling season.Mortgage rates ticked up slightly this week, but they continue to remain well below their November 2022 peak, which eclipsed 7%. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.12% this week, according to Freddie Mac. Lower rates in the 6% range since the beginning of the year are helping to bring costs down for potential buyers. “Interested ho

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Mortgage Refinance Demand Jumps 18% as Interest Rates Drop for the Fifth Straight Week

Mortgage rates continued to fall last week, and both current homeowners and potential homebuyers reacted swiftly.Total mortgage application volume, including refinances and loans to purchase a home, jumped 7.4% last week compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index.The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($726,200 or less) dec

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Hot Home Trend, 'Wetroom Bathrooms'

You’ve heard of the open-concept kitchen. How about the open-concept bathroom? It may sound slightly scandalous, but the idea centers on creating a private, waterproof space. It includes all the elements of a luxe bathroom, according to Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery’s 2023 Trends & Influences IX(link is external) report.The report called out “wetroom bathrooms” as a hot trend for 2023. The trend has been popu

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