At the national level, housing affordability is up from last month but down from a year ago. Mortgage rates increased to 4.15 percent this September, up compared to 3.78 percent a year ago. Housing affordability declined from a year ago in September moving the index down 5.4 percent from 169.8 to 160.7. The median sales… Continue Reading September 2017 Housing Affordability Index
Kevin Tengan told attendees at the REALTORS® Conference & Expo to remember that home buyers are looking for “a place for their life to happen.” To help your listing stand out from the competition, focus on the lifestyle the property will help buyers achieve, in addition to common details such as square footage and number… Continue Reading Don’t Just Sell a Home; Market a Lifestyle
Prospective first-time buyers in recent years have had to navigate several obstacles on their path to homeownership, including higher rents and home prices, tight inventory conditions and repaying student loan debt. These impediments are a big reason why first-timers were only 34 percent of all transactions in the National Association of Realtors®’ 2017 Profile of Home… Continue Reading The Anatomy of a First-time Buyer in 2017
Anita Clark By Anita Clark Finding it difficult to make an impact with your real estate blog? In this industry, half the battle is making sure that your traffic is actually relevant. Use these guidelines below to do exactly that, then take a look at this extended guide to creating and promoting real estate content.… Continue Reading How to Promote Your Real Estate Blog
After the release of the tax reform legislation from the House, last week’s question was “who will be affected by the new bill?” One of the key elements of the tax reform is the proposed capping of the mortgage interest deduction at $500K. Under the current tax framework, taxpayers who own a home are able… Continue Reading Who Owns a Half Million-Dollar Home?
By Brian Balduf, VHT Studios Appealing to home buyers is all about making that emotional connection. Smart marketers know emotions trump other factors, especially when you hear buyers say the listing “just feels right.” They may be searching for a new house, but they’re envisioning their next home. Buyers’ emotional experience while home shopping is… Continue Reading View the Possibilities With Virtual Staging
This Veteran’s Day we honor those who have served our country, and those who are actively serving in the military, or have a spouse who is currently or has served in the past. Looking at data from the recently released 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, we can see home buying trends among active… Continue Reading Veteran’s Day 2017: Active-Duty Military and Veteran Home Buyers
Every month NAR produces existing home sales, median sales prices and inventory figures. The reporting of this data is always based on homes sold the previous month and the data is explained in comparison to the same month a year ago. We also provide a perspective of the market relative to last month, adjusting for… Continue Reading September 2017 EHS Over Ten Years
Questionable products, security, dessert, waiting, bugs, time, art, glitter, communities, and autonomous vehicles. Welcome to 2017, where the following items are being sold: Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C, & Exhibit D. Finally! A purpose for lava lamps. Leave it to Alinea to reinvent pumpkin pie. TheCulinaryGeek/flickr/2010 Google Maps is adding a new feature that… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: Nov. 6-10
The National Association of Realtors quarterly home prices increased again this quarter. Prices continue to drift up this quarter and outpacing qualifying incomes. With less inventory, faster price growth may become a challenge for potential homebuyers. Here is a look at the metro areas for the top five most and least affordable of the third… Continue Reading 3rd Quarter Metro Home Prices