Michael Crist

The U.S. Small Business Administration is looking for damage verifiers in the parts of Texas and Florida that were hit by hurricanes. Damage verifiers are people who use their knowledge about real estate to give the agency their assessment of how much damage a structure  sustained in the storm. By one estimate, almost 150,000 structures… Continue Reading If You’re In a Hurricane-Hit Area, the Federal Government Might Have a Job for You

The Federal Reserve Board just released the much anticipated 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), a survey conducted every three years that collects information about family incomes, their net worth/wealth, and other financial characteristics of families. The survey shows a continuing redistribution of income and wealth to the top 1 percent, amid falling homeownership, modest… Continue Reading 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances Takeaway: Income and Wealth Share of 90 Percent of Families Has Declined in Past 27 Years (1989-2016)

Field Guides are one-stop resource packages on dozens of subjects of interest to REALTORS®. On each page you’ll find links to articles, books, web sites, statistics, and other material on each subject. The list of the most-used field guides from Information Central for the month of September 2017 was released today: Field Guide to Quick Real… Continue Reading Top Field Guides for September 2017

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine It’s pumpkin season and that means pumpkin everything — lattes, muffins, cookies, cakes, and, yes, even home décor. Home stagers are adding a little “pumpkin spice” to their decor, from the welcoming fall scent to pumpkin accents that inspire a cozy, autumn feel. Plus, orange can serve as a… Continue Reading Add Some Pumpkin Spice to Your Autumn Staging

The Chicago Cubs, Levi’s Jacket, New iOS 11, Microsoft Office 2019, Twitter, Hipster Neighborhoods, and Repurposed Mines It may be easy to miss this cottage tucked just outside of Wrigley Field. Bill Murray has been approached to play the coach in the movie about the Cubs’ World Series Win. Speaking of the Cubs, they just… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: September 25-29

Contract contingencies give the buyer and seller the right to back out of the contract if these conditions (contingencies) are not met. According to a monthly survey of REALTORS®, 91 percent of closed sales in August 2017 had contract settlement contingencies, up from 60 percent in December 2012, according to the August 2017 REALTORS® Confidence… Continue Reading 91 Percent of Closed Sales in August 2017 Had Contract Settlement Contingencies

WASHINGTON (September 28, 2017) — Homeowners who take on remodeling projects gain not only equity and more resale value in their home, they are also more likely to find satisfaction and enjoyment from their home, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors®, with insights from the National Association of the Remodeling… Continue Reading Homeowners Who Remodel Gain Equity and Enjoyment, Say Realtors®

Looking for a quick recap of housing activity reported this month by NAR Research? Look no further than September Housing Minute, our animated video series highlighting key data in under one minute. Visit https://www.nar.realtor/videos/housing-minute to watch all Housing Minute videos since June. Powered by WPeMatico

NAR released a summary of pending home sales data showing that August’s pending home sales pace is down 2.6 percent from last month and also down 2.6 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… Continue Reading August 2017 Pending Home Sales

WASHINGTON (September 27, 2017) – A group of legislators and administration leaders known as the “Big 6” today released an outline for comprehensive tax reform that if enacted, according to the National Association of Realtors®, could lead to a tax on homeownership for millions. According to the Big 6’s framework for tax reform, changes to… Continue Reading Millions of Middle-Income Homeowners Stand to Lose Under “Big 6” Tax Proposal