Michael Crist

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced earlier this week that the Federal Housing Administration will no longer insure properties with Property Assessed Clean Energy assessments, winning praise from the National Association of Realtors®. “FHA’s PACE announcement is a smart step that will protect taxpayers and strengthen the overall program for homebuyers,” said NAR President Elizabeth… Continue Reading NAR Applauds FHA’s “Smart Step” on Energy Efficient Loans

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) must be periodically reauthorized by Congress in order to continue issuing or renewing flood insurance policies.  In 2010, multiple lapses in program authority brought uncertainty and caused major issues for homeowners in neighborhoods across 22,000 communities nationwide. Delays in home sales closings —or even worse, cancellations— are expected to… Continue Reading How Many Home Sales Will be Affected by a NFIP Lapse?

Mistakes, archives, Twitter, Google, design, team building, streaming video, and productivity. First-time home buyers should avoid these missteps. This digital archive is helping families answer questions and heal. Wendy’s Twitter account continues to raise the bar on social media game. Jurgen Appelo/flicker/2012 Talk about your authoritative sources… Pantone announced its 2018 Color of the Year.… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: December 4-8

In the report, Choosing a Career in Real Estate: A Perspective on Gender, Race, and Ethnicity, the most prominent race and ethnic groups are examined for their income, business activity, and demographic characteristics within the real estate industry. While White and Caucasian members made up the majority of NAR real estate agents at 74 percent… Continue Reading Profile: NAR Black and African American Real Estate Members

NAR released a summary of pending home sales data showing that October’s pending home sales pace was up 3.5 percent last month and down slightly 0.6 percent from a year ago. Pending sales represent homes that have a signed contract to purchase on them but have yet to close. They tend to lead Existing Home… Continue Reading October 2017 Pending Home Sales

While the House and the Senate have passed their tax reform bills, they now have to figure out how to reconcile their differences. Once they conclude the final bill, both chambers will have to pass it again before it reaches the President’s desk to become law. In the meantime, we compared the impact that tax… Continue Reading Which Counties Will be Most Affected by the Tax Reform?

In the monthly REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey, the National Association of REALTORS® asks members “In the neighborhood or area where you make most of your sales, what are your expectations for residential property prices over the next year?” The map below shows the median expected price change of the respondents in the next 12 months… Continue Reading In Which States Do REALTORS® Expect Highest Home Price Growth in the Next 12 Months?

Cold weather can keep homeowners cooped up inside for months, so why not use that time to take on some quick and easy DIY home repairs! For homeowners who are not that handy, they can take on projects as simple as replacing the batteries in their carbon monoxide and smoke detectors or silencing squeaky door… Continue Reading Story Idea: Clever Cures for the Worst of Winter

In the recently released Choosing a Career in Real Estate: A Perspective on Gender, Race, and Ethnicity report, the income, business activity, and demographic characteristics of NAR members are compared side by side. White and Caucasian members make up the majority of survey respondents at 74 percent and Asian and Pacific Islander members comprise a… Continue Reading Profile: NAR Asian and Pacific Islander Real Estate Members

By Christina Pappas Growing up in a Miami real estate family, I always envisioned working with my father and grandfather. But before I jumped into the industry, I wanted to give my other interest a try: hotels. After graduating from Cornell University, I moved to Los Angeles to launch a career in the hospitality field.… Continue Reading How Volunteer Work Benefits Our Business