Michael Crist

About 3,000 REALTORS® who responded to NAR’s February 2019 EALTORS® Confidence Index Survey had more optimistic— although modest— home price growth expectations over the next 12 months. Respondents expect home prices to typically increase by 1.9 percent nationally, up from 1.4 percent in the January survey. NAR forecasts a 2.7 percent appreciation in the median… Continue Reading REALTORS® Home Price Outlook Improves as Mortgage Rates Decline

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun commented on March hiring and unemployment figures, released this morning by the Labor Department. A total of 196,000 jobs were added last month, exceeding the goal of 170,000 jobs set by many economists. This marked the 102nd straight month of job gains. “The job market is quite remarkable as more… Continue Reading NAR Chief Economist Comments on March Jobs Report

The following is NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun’s reaction to this morning’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report on the employment situation in March: “The job market is quite remarkable as more job creations and wage gains are adding to the pent-up demand for housing. The many new job holders are seeking the starter home,… Continue Reading Instant reaction: NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun on March Jobs Report

 A very expensive Harry Potter first edition, future homes on Mars, movie houses, spring cleaning, rideshare safety tips and much more, compiled by Anne-Marie Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist. A very pricey Harry Potter first edition was just sold. Which home on Mars would you want to live in? NASA has three designs to choose… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: April 1-5

New in this year’s report, the 2019 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends, is the segmentation of Millennials into two cohorts. Older Millennials, buyers aged 29 to 38 years, made up the largest share of home buyers by generation at 26 percent of all home buyers in 2018. This group was born between 1980 and… Continue Reading Older Millennials: Growing Up and Settling Down

The two largest sources of mortgage money in the United States want you to know your chances of getting approved for a home loan if you’re self-employed has just gotten a lot better. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have rolled out new automated underwriting technology for lenders that take a lot of the guesswork and… Continue Reading Self-employed? You Have a New Friend When Applying for a Home Loan

Job and wage growth are the economic drivers of housing demand. In this blog, we look at the employment and wage trends in the manufacturing industry and how the strong job growth in manufacturing has impacted housing demand in some Rust Belt states.[1] Download the State Employment Monitor. 2.5 Million Net New Jobs as of… Continue Reading Manufacturing and Housing in the Rust Belt States

By Chirag Shah Communication is not only the lifeline in any relationship: It’s what separates the average from the exceptional real estate salesperson. Delivering an outstanding client experience is as important as all the marketing you will do to sell a client’s property. As professionals in a service industry, we must strive to create a rewarding client experience… Continue Reading A Communications Plan Helps Agents Deliver Value to Clients