Michael Crist

Google’s Valentine’s gift is a big one: starting tomorrow (on February 15), Chrome will block 12 of the most annoying kinds of web site ads. This is MUCH better than flowers and chocolate. The wearables market hasn’t grown as fast as some thought it might, but innovations like this — the first FDA-approved seizure-detecting wearable… Continue Reading Better Ad Blocking? Yes Please! Plus Four More Things You Should Know About

We reported yesterday that single-family home prices rose in 92 percent of NAR’s measured markets during the final three months of 2017. Add the 5.3 percent price growth overall last year, and the cumulative price gain nationally since 2011 is an impressive 48 percent. This multi-year streak in price appreciation has been a welcoming sign for… Continue Reading Home Prices at All-Time High in 63 Percent of Metro Areas

Using data from the 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers we can break down household composition, and the relationship it has to home purchasing choices. Among all recent home buyers, 65 percent were married couples, 18 percent were single females, eight percent were unmarried couples, and seven percent were single males. Three percent of… Continue Reading Home Buyer Households: Valentine’s Day 2018

Does your relationship status influence your home buying choices? For Valentine’s Day the National Association of REALTORS® created this infographic highlighting information on how our love lives affect our real estate preferences.   For more information check out the 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Powered by WPeMatico

At the national level, housing affordability is practically flat from last month and down from a year ago. Mortgage rates increased to 4.22 percent this December, up 1.7 percent compared to 4.15 percent a year ago. Housing affordability declined from a year ago in December moving the index down 2.3 percent from 163.8 to 160.1.… Continue Reading December 2017 Housing Affordability Index

In a monthly survey of REALTORS®, seller’s agents who closed a sale are asked “How many offers were received for the most recent property you sold in the past month? Among seller’s agents who closed a sale in December 2017, the respondents reported they received 2.2 offers (which means sellers received between two to three… Continue Reading Home Sellers Had 2 to 3 Buyer Offers in 2017

Experts forecast that the U.S. economy is in for yet another solid year of strength, albeit not at the same level as in 2017. NAR expects that the mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage will rise to 4.4 percent in 2018 from 3.9 percent in the last quarter of 2017[1], an increase of 50… Continue Reading What Would an Increase in Mortgage Rates Mean for Homebuyers?

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day this week. But a romantic flair to warm up your home design may very well be in style year-round. In fact, one-third of homeowners say they intended to renovate their master bedrooms to create a more romantic or intimate space, according… Continue Reading 7 Ways to Add More Romance to a Home’s Decor

Rebecca Donatelli By Rebecca Donatelli Let’s face it, people tend to have a skewed perception of real estate agents. The way we are depicted on TV shows—even the way some people portray themselves on social media. You’d think we only live a life of luxury and glamour, with classy dinners, beautiful homes, and five-star reviews.… Continue Reading Enough is Enough: Time to Debunk 4 Myths About Real Estate Agents

Every month NAR produces existing home sales, median sales prices and inventory figures. The reporting of this data is always based on homes sold the previous month and the data is explained in comparison to the same month a year ago. We also provide a perspective of the market relative to last month, adjusting for… Continue Reading December 2017 EHS Over Ten Years