Future of Housing Finance Will Be Top Issue for Next President
The future of housing finance in the U.S. will be a key issue facing the winner of the upcoming presidential election. That’s what a panel of industry experts told several thousand Realtors® gathered at a symposium, Housing Policy in 2013: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions, during the REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo this week. [...]
Housing Affordability Indices Reach Records in First Quarter
Housing affordability conditions for all buyers reached a milestone in the first quarter, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR’s composite quarterly Housing Affordability Index rose to a record high of 205.9 in first quarter, based on the relationship between median home price, median family income and average mortgage interest rate. The higher the [...]
Builder Confidence Rises Five Points in May
Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes gained five points in May from a downwardly revised reading in the previous month to reach a level of 29 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. This is the index?s strongest reading since May of 2007. ?Builders [...]
Opportunity Knocks with Property Management
Many agents across the country are experiencing strong and stable sales. For others, the market is more uncertain. And if the recent economic situation of the last couple of years has taught us anything, it?s reinforced that old adage: You shouldn?t put all of your eggs in one basket. One solution that agents all across [...]
Six Keys to Selling Your Home in Today?s Market
According to the National Association of Realtors®, more than 4.25 million homes sold in 2011. That’s a lot of real estate and such numbers raise the question: How are sellers doing it? “Because individual homes are unique, there isn’t one single strategy that works equally well for every property,” says Wendy Forsythe, the executive vice [...]
Eye on the Economy: Waiting for Stronger Growth
The new year opened with hope that the 3 percent growth rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reported for the end of 2011 would lead to stronger job growth and improving housing markets. While January and February offered positive economic news, March and April reporting suggested that unusually warm weather may have accelerated some economic [...]
70 Percent of Affluent Homeowners Looking to DIY Projects to Save Money
According to the Summer 2012 Merrill Edge Report, many mass affluent Americans are willing to make short-term sacrifices in order to get their finances in better shape. The report, released on April 26 by Bank of America, explores the financial concerns and priorities of mass affluent consumers, Americans with $50,000-$250,000 in investable assets. This group, [...]
5 Basic Steps to Make a House Your Home
Are you looking to buy your home for the first time? Congratulations! While this is an exciting time, knowing what you are in for can ease the process exponentially. Below are a few steps you can take to find your dream house, and make it into your new home. Learn About Homeownership Owning a home [...]
79 Percent of Refinancing Homeowners Maintain or Reduce Mortgage Debt in First Quarter
Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) released the results of its first quarter refinance analysis showing homeowners who refinance continue to strengthen their fiscal house. In the first quarter of 2012, 79 percent of homeowners who refinanced their first-lien home mortgage either maintained about the same loan amount or lowered their principal balance by paying-in additional money [...]
Are Sellers Waking Up?
It?s no secret that this is a good time to buy, but more and more sellers are beginning to agree. The uptick in seller confidence recorded by two recent surveys is uplifting, but concern is growing that seller withdrawal from the market is creating record low inventories that are limiting buyer choice, and curtailing sales [...]
Kitchens and Bathrooms Remain Top Remodeling Jobs
A new survey released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows common remodeling projects have increased, compared to a similar survey from 2010. The survey, released in conjunction with National Home Remodeling Month, describes the changes the remodeling market has undergone in recent years. Remodelers report that kitchen and bathroom projects remain the [...]
Are You Where You Want to Be?
I don?t know how many people would openly admit this, but many feel they are just not exactly where they want to be yet in life. Some are close or on the right track, while others are nowhere near where they thought they would be. One thing that I have learned as a speaker and [...]
HUD and Obama Administration Officials Host Georgia White House Forum on Housing
Recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hosted a White House Forum on Housing to discuss programs and initiatives promoted by the Obama Administration that help responsible homeowners and struggling communities hit hardest by the housing crisis. The White [...]
Get Involved: NAR Outlines Public Policy Priorities Ahead of D.C. Rally This Week
Many REALTORS® are asking the questions – why is NAR having this rally? Are there specific bills or legislation we are trying to pass or defeat? What is the urgency? Congress addresses a myriad of real estate issues every year. What makes this year unique is that for the first time ever the American dream, [...]
The Reasons Your House Isn?t Selling and What You Can Do About It, Part 2
Recently, we discussed some initial reasons your home might not be selling. Here are issues that may not be as obvious, but may still be impeding the sale of your home: Problem: Your home is not easily accessible for showings. Are you getting a lot of showing requests that you are turning down? Many sellers [...]
100 Housing Markets on May?s Improving List
The list of housing markets showing measurable and sustained improvement held virtually unchanged in May at 100, down from 101 in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI). The number of states represented on the list also held firm from the previous month, at 35 (including the District [...]
Jobs Report: Economy Adds 115,000 Jobs, Growth Slows in April
(MCT)?Hiring continued its slow pace in April as employers added a modest 115,000 jobs to their payrolls, providing more evidence that the economy has lost some momentum from early this year. The jobless rate inched down to 8.1 percent last month, the Labor Department said Friday, but that wasn?t because more people were employed. Rather, [...]
The Reasons Your House Isn?t Selling and What You Can Do about It (Part 1)
Selling a home can be a daunting undertaking, and while you may be helpless to control the state of the market or the number of prospective buyers in your price range, here are a few ways to be proactive against some of sellers’ most common pitfalls: Problem: Competition. Are there too many homes for sale [...]
Americans? Expectations Align to Encourage Home Buying
More consumers may be looking to purchase homes with a shift in several key housing market indicators, according to Fannie Mae?s March 2012 consumer attitudinal National Housing Survey. More Americans now expect both home rental and home purchase prices to increase over the next year. In addition, confidence in consumers? views of their own finances [...]
Too Many Hats, Too Little Time: Time and Work Role Demands
What?s the biggest challenge facing many small business owners today? Performing multiple roles within the organization, according to a new survey conducted by eVoice®, a virtual phone number service offered by j2 Global, Inc. that enables small business professionals to work more efficiently when managing multiple tasks and roles. Not having enough time in the [...]