Last month, pending home sales eked out a small gain (0.1 percent). More notably, NAR Research’s index was 1.8 percent higher than a year ago and was up year-over-year in all four major regions. But… A lot has happened since the very last buyer signed a contract to purchase a home in October. Ever since the… Continue Reading October Pending Sales Up Slightly. What About the Rest of the Year?
Existing home sales rose 2.0 percent in October from one month prior while new home sales decreased 1.9 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… Continue Reading Raw Count of Home Sales (October 2016)
REALTOR® Magazine is promoting a sponsor webinar on the future of property management. Below is text provided by the sponsor, AppFolio, about the event. “This is it: the end of 2016 is almost here. As we look at the future of property management, it’s clear that you need an accurate picture of your business’s financials… Continue Reading Sponsor Webinar: The Future of Property Management
The 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey is the second year we have collected data on the difficulty of saving for a down payment to buy a home and whether student loans were an impediment. In years past, the down payment had been cited as one of the most problematic steps in the… Continue Reading Student Loan Debt Hampering Home Buying: A Regional Perspective
In the monthly REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) asks members “What are your expectations for the housing market over the next six months compared to the current state of the market in the neighborhood(s) or area(s) where you make most of your sales: For single-family homes? For townhomes? For condominiums?” NAR compiles… Continue Reading REALTORS® Are Generally Optimistic Over the Next Six Months
In 2016, first-time home buyers made up 35 percent of all home buyers, an increase over last year’s near all-time low of 32 percent where it had remained for the previous three years, according to The National Association of REALTORS® 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report released in October 2016. From 2011 to… Continue Reading Buyers Aged 35-44 & 45-54 Years Capture Greater Share of First-Time Home Buyers
Why do some people think organizing their home is for a must-do only in the spring? With the holiday season approaching, people across the country are preparing their homes for visiting family, holiday parties and cold weather hibernation. All of this makes fall the perfect time to declutter and organize one’s home. The first step… Continue Reading Story Idea: Declutter Your Home
NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity rose for the second straight month. October’s existing-home sales reached the 5.60 million seasonally adjusted annual rate and existing-home sales are up 5.9 percent from a year ago which is the highest pace since February 2007. The national median existing-home price for… Continue Reading October 2016 Existing-Home Sales
By Patti Stern, PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating A Welcoming Curb Appeal Maintain a polished look by keeping gutters clean and shrubs trimmed. Be sure to also remove any hazards by shoveling, sanding, and removing any ice or snow from the driveway, walkways, and sidewalks. To engage buyers on a gloomy day, keep… Continue Reading How to Create a Warm, Inviting Winter Listing
For the first time in a decade, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that it will raise the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages purchased through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Beginning in 2017, the maximum loan limit for one-unit properties will be $424,100, up from $417,000, in most markets throughout the United States. Higher… Continue Reading FHFA Raises Conforming Loan Limits