The following is NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun’s reaction to this morning’s U.S. Commerce Department release on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter: “Economic growth of 3% in the third quarter is quite impressive in light of the some pause in activity in hurricane-impacted regions. The big contributors were a solid rise in… Continue Reading Instant Reaction: Q3 GDP
By Jessica Santina, guest contributor from MoneyGeek.com As little ghosts and ghouls appear on every corner, how about settling in for a few scary stories of home staging horrors? The following tales of botched staging jobs, homeowners from hell, and nightmarish décor will likely give you some real-life shivers. The Scary Screamer Lori Matzke, owner… Continue Reading 4 Home Staging Horror Stories to Haunt You This Halloween
NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity this September rose modestly 0.7 percent from last month but slipped 1.5 percent from last year. September’s existing home sales reached 5.39 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $245,100 in September, up 4.2… Continue Reading September 2017 Existing Home Sales
Are you busy packing for the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo? Here are a few books for your suitcase! Each of these were written by someone who will be speaking as part of the educational bonanza happening in Chicago starting next week. Christian DeKnock, unsplash.com Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything,… Continue Reading 3 Books to Pick Up Ahead of the Conference
October is National Kitchen and Bath Month! For homeowners considering taking on a remodeling project in honor of the holiday, here is some information on the benefits – both finiancial and emotional – of upgrading or renovating the kitchen from the National Association of REALTORS®’s 2017 Remodeling Imapact Report. For homeowners hoping to give their… Continue Reading Kitchen Remodeling Projects for Kitchen and Bath Month
The 2017 Realtors® Conference and Expo in Chicago is a little over one week away! With more than 20,000 Realtors®, industry experts and guests scurrying around the McCormick Place, it may be hard as a reporter to identify which of the dozens of sessions are the best use of your time to cover. That’s why I’m here… Continue Reading Media: Don’t Miss These Sessions at the 2017 Realtors® Conference & Expo
Earlier this year I took a page from my supervisor’s book and started keeping my lists and notes in a journal. This came after years of loose leaf to-do lists bound together in 6 month increments with binder clips. (I know what you’re thinking: what a fast learner!) I had developed a system for myself… Continue Reading Bullet Journaling FTW
The Effect of Eliminating the State and Local Real Estate Tax Deduction on a Typical Homeowner Undoubtedly, all eyes in Washington are focused on the “Big 6” and the release of the tax reform framework some weeks ago. Under this framework, standard deduction will be doubled while mortgage interest and charitable contributions will be the… Continue Reading Eliminating Real Estate Tax Deductions, and The Typical Homeowner
Highlights from the full article included in the latest volume of the Journal of the Center for Real Estate Studies. Research has consistently shown the importance of the housing sector on the economy and the long-term social and financial benefits to individual homeowners. However, in recent years many have questioned the role of homeownership due… Continue Reading Highlights from “Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing”
The REALTORS® Confidence Index (RCI) survey[1] 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 September 2017. View and download the full report here. Market Conditions and Expectations • The REALTORS®… Continue Reading REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey: September 2017 Highlights