Dec 12
Owners, Appraisers Getting on the Same Page The discrepancy between appraisers’ and home owners’ opinions of home values is narrowing. In November, appraisers valued homes 1.56 percent higher than home owners, according to Quicken Loans’ Home Price Perception Index. “Mortgage financing often hinges on whether the appraised value coincides with the home values agreed upon …
Dec 10
Renters Want to Own But Can’t Though renters say they dream of owning a home one day, most of them will need to keep renting for at least the next three years, according to a new survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted by Freddie Mac. The majority of renters say they are still struggling …
Dec 09
Getting a Mortgage Isn’t Impossible Many potential home buyers are so leery about qualifying for a mortgage that they say they’re not going to even try. Nearly 60 percent of potential home buyers say they want to purchase a home but they aren’t pursuing it because they believe their mortgage application would be rejected, according …
Dec 08
70% Unaware of Down-Payment Assistance Seventy percent of adults in the U.S. say they’re unfamiliar with down-payment assistance programs for middle-income home buyers in their community, according to a NeighborWorks America survey of 1,000 people. But plenty of help is available. NeighborWorks organizations provided 6,000 buyers with more than $100 million in down-payment assistance last …
Dec 05
2015: Year of the First-Time Home Buyer First-time home buyers are expected to re-emerge in the new year after mostly staying out of the market in the aftermath of the housing crisis. That’s one of realtor.com®’s five top housing predictions for 2015. “The residual financial effects of recession-driven job losses and subsequent unemployment have …
Dec 03
Did Mortgages Just Get Easier to Obtain? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s new lending guidelines went into effect Monday, which are expected to help loosen up the tight credit standards that home buyers and refinancers have faced in recent years. The guidelines clarify when lenders will be penalized for making mistakes on mortgages they sell …
Dec 02
Home Sales Inch Up From Year Ago For the second consecutive month, pending home sales were above year-ago levels–rising 2.2 percent over October 2013, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ latest Pending Home Sales Index. Contract signings have remained at a healthy pace for six straight months, says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. The year-over-year …
Dec 01
5 Reasons Housing Markets Are Thankful The housing market has seen plenty of challenges the last few years, but could brighter days be ahead? Based on recent housing reports, some markets are reporting a rosier picture now than for the first half of the year — and growing optimism heading into next year for a …
Nov 25
Check How Mobile-Friendly Your Website Is Google will soon be labeling websites “mobile-friendly” if they meet certain web-accessibility standards. The purpose of the new label is to help prevent frustration among mobile searchers, who are growing tired of visiting sites with too-small text, difficult-to-tap links, or sites that have to be scrolled sideways to view …
Nov 24
A More Efficient Home This Thanksgiving Consumer home ownership site HouseLogic has a whole list of ways you and your clients can avoid gobbling up more energy than necessary this Thanksgiving. They’ve mapped out ways to save on energy before Turkey day as well as during the cooking and cleanup processes. Keep these tips in …
Nov 21
Smaller Homes Mean More First-Time Buyers The size of the typical home is shrinking, which may be a sign that a wider array of buyers, including first-timers, are returning to the market. The median size of a single-family home has decreased for the past two consecutive quarters, and it will likely continue to go down …
Nov 20
Mom, Dad Are Moving in … Many reports have centered on the upswing in adult millennial children moving in with their parents. But as these young professionals finally move out and form their own households, they may find that their baby boomer parents may soon coming knocking with moving bags in hand. The American Institute …
