At the national level, housing affordability is up from a year ago for the second consecutive month. Mortgage rates are down again and stood at 3.74 this August though increases are on the horizon. Housing affordability increased from a year ago in August pushing the index up 2.2 percent from 160 to 163.5. The median… Continue Reading August 2016 Housing Affordability Index
October is National Kitchen and Bath Month! While phrases like ‘gourmet kitchen’ and ‘spa-like master bath’ have become common place in home listings, are kitchen and bathroom remodels really worth the time and effort when you are trying to sell your home? The National Association of Realtors®’ Remodeling Impact Report takes a look at which… Continue Reading A Remodel for Kitchen & Bathroom Month?
With less than three weeks to go, let’s take a look at housing preferences of homeowners based on their political beliefs. Historically, there are states whose residents predominantly vote for Democratic Party (Blue) or Republican Party (Red) presidential candidates[1]. Do homeowners in those states have more in common than their political preferences? In addition to… Continue Reading Housing Characteristics for Homeowners in Blue and Red States
Facebook: is it friend or foe when it comes to building your business? On the face of it, a social media site like Facebook would seem to be a no-brainer for reaching out to people when they’re ready to buy or sell a house. But often the reality doesn’t live up to the potential. You… Continue Reading Using Facebook to Generate Offline Referrals
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine You don’t want to scare buyers away. But who says you can’t have a little fun with your listing for Halloween? Sure, you should probably skip the full cemetery tomb display for the sake of curb appeal. And, probably the ghost popping out of the tree or the witch… Continue Reading Don’t Spook Buyers! Here Is Some Tasteful Halloween-Inspired Curb Appeal
Winter is coming! It is only a matter of time before most of us will be spending a lot more time indoors, so it is important to make sure that your house is clean for you and prepared for any cold and snow. So what can homeowners do to prepare their homes for the coming… Continue Reading Story Idea: Prep Your Home for Winter
Prompts, awards, interviews, housing, Halloween, literature, candy, hobbies, and the internet. This could be useful IRL as an augmented reality feature at cocktail parties. We will never be as cool as Bob Dylan, as proven by his ignoring one of the most prestigious awards out there. Ugh. And we thought Skype interviews were bad. Depending… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: Oct. 17-21
WASHINGTON (October 20, 2016) — Existing-home sales rebounded strongly in September and were propelled by sales from first-time buyers reaching a 34 percent share, which is a high not seen in over four years, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All major regions saw an increase in closings last month, and distressed sales fell… Continue Reading First-time Buyers Steer Existing-Home Sales Higher in September
This is the second paper of a two-part series on blockchains. Unlike the first paper which focused on technical aspects, this paper looks at applications used in the real industry and how they might use blockchains. Many other industries are looking seriously at blockchain technology, and so should our industry. Here’s a brief example, explored… Continue Reading Blockchains in Real Estate – Part 2
The last time sales to first-time buyers were as high as they were in September (34 percent), the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 was “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson. That was back in June 2012. It’s apparent in today’s release of September existing-home sales that many prospective first-time buyers were… Continue Reading First-time Buyers Experience a Revival in September