Mortgage Rates Continue to Drop The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.47% this week, remaining an alluring incentive for buyers who want to lock in some of the lowest borrowing rates in years. “With mortgage rates hovering near a five-decade low, refinance application activity is once again surging, rising to the highest level in seven …
Tag: News
Feb 17
Couples Putting the House Before the Ring
Couples Putting the House Before the Ring Is the declining number of marriages contributing to fewer first-time home buyers? In the 1980s, the number of married couples in the ranks of first-time buyers peaked at 75%. Flash forward to today, when only 53% of first-time buyers are married couples, according to data from the National …
Feb 14
Brighten Up Your Listing Photos
Brighten Up Your Listing Photos Don’t let your listing’s photos suffer from the winter blues. House hunters are still looking for properties in the cold months of the year, so curb appeal matters—even if the home is buried under a foot of snow. Realtor.com® recently spoke to real estate pros and photographers to uncover a …
Feb 13
Saving Enough for Retirement?
Saving Enough for Retirement? Most Americans gives themselves a grade of C or lower when it comes to saving for retirement, according to a new study from TD Ameritrade. The number of Americans who give themselves an A is equal to those who give themselves an F at 12%, the study also found. Real estate …
Feb 12
What you Need to Know about Closing Costs
What you Need to Know about Closing Costs What are closing costs? Closing costs are the fees associated with your mortgage loan application and real estate transaction. They can be incurred by either the buyer, seller or both and are paid at closing. Se the photo for more info on closing costs. What are closing …
Feb 11
Housing Inventory Falls
Housing Inventory Falls Housing shortages abound in markets across the country and that could set home shoppers up for a challenging spring. The nation’s housing supply saw the steepest year-over-year decrease in January in more than four years, dropping 13.6% annually, realtor.com® reports. The supply for homes for sale is now at its lowest level …
Feb 10
Gas Stoves Are Coming Under Fire In Housing Markets
Gas Stoves Are Coming Under Fire In Housing Markets The gas stove is increasingly coming under attack by some cities who are seeking more ways to fight climate change. A rising number of municipalities want to eliminate natural gas lines from homes and move solely to electricity. That would include swapping out popular appliances that run …
Feb 07
Co-Living Trend on the upswing
Co-Living Trend on the upswing Co-living is breaking out from being a niche real estate fad and becoming more mainstream, CNBC reports. The practice is serving as a way to get young adults out of their parents’ house and branch out on their own. “Many of us thought that during the recovery, as the job market …
Feb 07
Interest Rates Can Price Some Buyers In, Out
Interest Rates Can Price Some Buyers In, Out Low mortgage rates can be a cost-savings boon to home buyers. But even the slightest difference in rates can price some out. The National Association of Home Builders, on its Eye on Housing blog, offers various scenarios of the price differences in affordability with interest rates. For …
Feb 04
Is it time you had a mortgage checkup?
Is it time you had a mortgage checkup? Find out if your mortgage is contributing to your financial health. See Below for more info on if it’s time for you to have a check-up or not. Is it time you had a mortgage checkup? Find out if your mortgage is contributing to your financial health …
Feb 04
Land Sales Rise
Land Sales Rise Land sales and prices both rose across property types last year, and an uptick is likely to continue into 2020, if at a somewhat slower pace, according to the 2019 Land Market Survey, a joint survey from the REALTORS® Land Institute and the National Association of REALTORS®. The study acknowledges headwinds, with …
Feb 03
Homeownership Rate Climbs
Homeownership Rate Climbs Americans are facing challenges to homeownership, particularly with shrinking inventories of homes for sale, yet somehow more are still finding their way to becoming homeowners. The homeownership rate rose to its highest level in six years during the fourth quarter of 2019, a newly released report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows. …
