Washington’s airports and roadways are beginning to jam up more than usual starting today as nearly 10,000 Realtors® descend upon the nation’s capital for the 2017 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo at the Marriott Wardman Park. There are a plethora of noteworthy sessions at this year’s conference on many timely subjects, including tax reform, flood… Continue Reading This Week: The REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo
It’s no surprise today’s first quarter metro price report revealed that prices accelerated for the third straight quarter. That’s what happens when sales are strong and inventories remain near record lows. What is amazing is just how fast some metro areas are moving. Seventeen percent of markets saw double-digit appreciation last quarter and many hovered just… Continue Reading Low Inventory Spurs Faster Price Growth in First Quarter
In the last several years, the percent of NAR members that identify as Hispanic and Latino have steadily increased. Hispanic and Latino members have for many years made up the largest racial and ethnic composition after Caucasian members. In the 2017 Member Profile, we see that trend continue. In 2017, nine percent of all members… Continue Reading Young Hispanic and Latino Membership on the Rise at NAR
Homes with solar panels tend to sell for higher prices than comparable homes with conventional energy, studies show. One study, released two years ago by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, found solar homes selling for a 15 percent premium. But selling these homes can require extra preparation if you’re an agent in the transaction. The biggest… Continue Reading Solar Boosts Home Values But Selling Can Be a Trial
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Wood paneling is back, but we’re not talking about he 1960s version that you may still be peeling down from some of your listings. Instead, today’s wood paneling trend is being used as an accent wall, instead of a complete cover of an entire room. For example, wood panels in… Continue Reading The Wood Paneling Trend Is Back With a Twist
WASHINGTON (May 12, 2017) – When inventory is low, home prices tend to go up. Attempting to purchase a house in this type of market can make the already complex process of buying a home even more overwhelming. To help buyers successfully get through the buying process in a tight inventory market with as little… Continue Reading 5 Tips for Buyers in a Tight Housing Market
At the national level, housing affordability is down from last month and down from a year ago. Mortgage rates increased to 4.28 percent this March, up compared to 3.87 percent a year ago. Housing affordability declined from a year ago in March moving the index down 8.2 percent from 172.3 to 158.2. The median sales… Continue Reading March 2017 Housing Affordability Index
Homeownership, contests, technology, enviroment, sandwiches, allergies, and archives. How far would you go to own in an expensive real estate market? Would you co-own your property? Spixey/flickr/2009 It seems silly to improve upon perfection, but there’s $500k at stake. What don’t you do anymore now that technology does it for you? So there has been… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: May 8-12
WASHINGTON (May 11, 2017) — After a slip in business in 2015, the National Association of Realtors® Member Profile found that the income and sales volume of Realtor® members increased in 2016. The median gross income of Realtors® increased 8 percent in 2016 as the typical member had the highest number of transactions in recent… Continue Reading Survey Reports 12 Percent Jump in REALTOR® Business Activity
Existing-home sales rose 4.4 percent in March from one month prior while new home sales increased 5.8 percent. These headline figures are seasonally adjusted figures and are reported in the news. However, for everyday practitioners, simple raw counts of home sales are often more meaningful than the seasonally adjusted figures. The raw count determines income… Continue Reading Raw Count of Home Sales (March 2017)