Oct 13
What Really Makes Sellers Want to Move Home owners entering the market are motivated to sell desiring either an upgrade or a downsized home, finds a new survey conducted by realtor.com®. Home owners looking to move due to retirement or to lower their cost of living were the two biggest increases this year in …
Oct 12
Americans Want More Bathrooms at Home The share of new homes started with three or more full bathrooms is on the rise. That also reflects builders’ focus on the higher-end, larger homes since the end of the Great Recession. Twenty-seven percent of new single-family homes started in 2015 had three full bathrooms and 10 …
Oct 10
Your Clients Can Live Here on $40K or Less For home buyers or retirees looking to make their money stretch, they may still find plenty of places where they can relocate on a tight budget. AARP The Magazine recently highlighted 10 spots where buyers who live on less than $40,000 a year can …
Oct 07
Pinterest Strategies That Drive Web Traffic If you’re not already making Pinterest a part of your real estate marketing plan, you should probably reconsider. Many of your prospects already using the social platform and it’s proven to be a successful driver of website traffic. Whether you want to promote specific listings or want more …
Oct 06
Ways to Save Your Clients Money One of the biggest lessons prospective home owners need to learn is how to budget for the costs of home ownership, but many of your buyers may be too quick to dole out extra cash for certain conveniences or frivolous items. You can teach them where to cut gratuitous …
Oct 05
Reduce Buyer Panic Over Rising Home Prices With several recent reports showing a sizeable jump in housing prices — anywhere from 5 percent to 6 percent in annual gains — you may be encountering more buyers who are worried that they’ll soon be unable to afford a home. The National Association of REALTORS® …
Oct 04
Reasons to Buy a Home Now The fall may be notorious for a slowdown in the housing market. But for home buyers that shouldn’t mean they should go to an early hibernation. For home shoppers, the fall likely will be the best time to buy. Realtor.com® recently highlighted several reasons why the best …
Oct 03
Mortgage Rates Dip to 10-Week Low Borrowing costs moved lower for home buyers and refinancers this week. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to its lowest average in nearly three months. “Investors flocked to the safety of government bonds causing the 10-year Treasury yield to continue its descent following the FOMC’s decision to leave rates …
Sep 30
Your Buyer Isn’t Really Serious If They … Some buyers may gush over a home, but then an offer is never made. How do you know when a buyer is really serious about wanting to buy a house or just in a perpetual looking phase of a house hunt? Real estate professionals chimed in …
Sep 29
Appraiser Shortage Sparks Sales Delays The number of appraisers is rapidly shrinking, which is causing delays in closings and possibly even costing your buyers and sellers money on their way to settlement, CNBC reports. Since 2007, the percentage of appraisers has fallen by 22 percent, according to the Appraisal Institute. Further, more than 60 percent …
Sep 28
New-Home Sales Hit Snag After 9-Year High New single-family home sales posted the largest drop in nearly a year in August, but builders say they’re not alarmed. Sales of newly built, single-family homes plunged 7.6 percent in August to an annual rate of 609,000 units, according to data released by the Commerce Department …
Sep 19
Essential Skills to Master the Market Starting Monday, Sept. 19, the Council of Residential Specialists will be celebrating the fourth annual CRS Week by offering five free webinars to agents, which offer both invaluable education and credit toward a CRS Designation. Pro tip: Even if you’re not sure you’ll be able to sit down …
