NAR

With just six weeks remaining until the 2018 midterm election, today marks National Voter Registration Day in America. This morning, National Association of Realtors® President Elizabeth Mendenhall, a sixth-generation Realtor® from Columbia, Missouri and CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty, called on America’s 1.3 million Realtors® to ensure they are registered to vote this November. “An… Continue Reading Realtors® Recognize National Voter Registration Day

Based on REALTORS® who reported about their transactions in August 2018, home buying activity slowed compared to the level of activity one year ago, according to the  August 2018 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey.  The REALTORS® Buyer Traffic Index[1] slid to 57 in August 2018 from 69 one year ago. To be clear, homebuying activity was… Continue Reading REALTORS® Reported Slower Homebuying in Many States in August 2018

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Getting a little mismatchy in kitchen cabinet color designs is no longer being viewed as an unfinished reno job, but instead perfectly stylish in fitting with today’s trends. These “tuxedo kitchens,” as they’re nicknamed, are where the upper cabinets may be in one color—like in all white—and then the… Continue Reading Hot Home Trend: Color Block Your Kitchen Cabinets

NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity this August was steady yet flat from last month, and dropped 1.5 percent from last year. August’s existing-home sales maintained a 5.34 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $264,800 in August, up 4.6… Continue Reading August 2018 Existing-Home Sales

Renting to pet parents, yummy Ranch Dressing, personality types,  spiders and more compiled by Anne-Marie Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist. Sheltering the homeless in empty big-box stores. The tasty history of Ranch Dressing. Will a new boarding system from United Airlines cut down at congestion at the gate?  We sure hope so. Learn how to… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: September 17-21

The REALTORS® Confidence Index (RCI) [1] survey gathers monthly information from REALTORS® about local real estate market conditions, characteristics of buyers and sellers, and issues affecting homeownership and real estate transactions.[2] This report presents key results about market transactions from August 2018. View and download the full report here. Market Conditions and Expectations The REALTORS®… Continue Reading REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey: August 2018 Highlights

By Lee Davenport Sarah Johnston (aka @AdventuresInRealEstateYYC) has what many might call “Instagram magic.” Beyond being an Instagram influencer, Sarah Johnston is an agent with MaxWell Capital Realty—Bridgeland, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is also the president-elect to the Calgary Real Estate Board. She has even brought her talents to the University of Calgary as a… Continue Reading Better Than Instafamous: Q&A With Instagrammer Sarah Johnston

Find out how many of the homes which are currently listed for sale you can afford to buy based on your income. A typical household earning about $51,000[1] can afford to buy 36% of homes for sales in the United States, according to the REALTORS® Affordability Distribution Curve and Score (RADCS). The tool below, updated… Continue Reading How Many Active Listings Can you Afford to Buy in the 100 Largest Metro Areas?

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine Photo credit: Behr The paint company Behr has named a rich, bluish hue its 2019 Color of the Year. Blueprint is a mid-tone blue that is described as warmer than denim but softer than navy. Behr is predicting that embracing a full range of blue, teal,and gray will be… Continue Reading Find Out the New, Hot Home Color for 2019

At the national level, housing affordability is up from last month but down from a year ago. Mortgage rates rose to 4.75 percent this July, up 14.7 percent compared to 4.14 percent a year ago. Housing affordability declined from a year ago in July moving the index down 8.2 percent from 151.2 to 138.8. The… Continue Reading July 2018 Housing Affordability Index