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By Katherine Medlin, guest contributor The entryway is a significant space within a home — it’s the first thing a potential buyer sees, and it sets the stage for the whole vibe of the home. Buyers can form opinions on a home within seconds of opening that front door. Your clients can make a few simple changes… Continue Reading Top Entryway Decor Ideas for 2017
NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity this July fell 1.3 percent from last month but improved 2.1 percent from last year. July’s existing home sales reached 5.44 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $258,300 in June, up 6.2 percent… Continue Reading July 2017 Existing Home Sales
Are you making much money even if you close a dozen transactions this year? Or, if you’re a broker, your sales associates close a lot of transactions? The answer depends on your overhead. If you’re not paying for office space, you have a much better chance of clearing a profit than if you are. The… Continue Reading When Your Competition Has Lower Overhead Than You Do
The Future, eclipse, texting safety, design, financing, and productivity. People do not always embrace change. Charging the car of the future can cause a very old school problem. We hope you protected your eyes to view the eclipse, but what are you doing with those glasses now? Western Area Power/flickr/2017 Did you take pictures of… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: August 21-25
WASHINGTON (August 24, 2017) – Listings in July typically went under contract in under 30 days for the fourth consecutive month because of high buyer demand, but existing-home sales ultimately pulled back as large declines in the Northeast and Midwest outweighed sales increases in the South and West, according to the National Association of Realtors®.… Continue Reading Existing-Home Sales Slide 1.3 Percent in July
It came very apparent when looking at NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index that tight inventory conditions were weighing down on contract activity this spring and early summer. The three month decline in pending sales from March to May has now translated to July being the second straight monthly sales decline. As NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun… Continue Reading Inventory Crunch Stalls Sales in July
Fannie Mae recently raised the cap on its maximum debt-to-income (DTI) ratio to 50 percent. Will it help? NAR Research queried lenders about this change in the Survey of Mortgage Originators for the 2nd quarter of 2017. Lenders were optimistic about the change, but some will maintain overlays to mitigate potential risks. In July, Fannie… Continue Reading Lenders Optimistic on DTI Change
Most home sellers know the importance of keeping their house clean and clutter free while it is on the market, but sometimes, taking a few extra steps can make all the difference. That is where staging comes in. According to a report from the National Association of REALTORS®, 62 percent of seller’s agents say that… Continue Reading Story Idea – Selling a Home? Consider Staging!
Android users rejoice. Oreo is here, and it looks impressive. Get the scoop directly from Google. In the race to dominate voice-controlled e-commerce, Amazon will have a formidable challenger: Google and Walmart have joined forces to bring shopping to Google Home and Google Assistant devices. A new app “scrambles” what your smartphone’s key pad looks… Continue Reading Android Oreo Is Here; Amazon’s Got New Competition; More in Five For Wednesday
WASHINGTON (August 22, 2017) – Keeping up with technology, maintaining sufficient inventory, competition from nontraditional participants and profitability are among the biggest challenges for real estate firms, according to the National Association of Realtors® 2017 Profile of Real Estate Firms. Conversely, for a third year in a row, the survey found the vast majority of firms… Continue Reading Technology, Inventory and Competition Among Firms’ Top Challenges: Realtors® Survey