WASHINGTON (October 22, 2015) — Existing–home sales rebounded strongly in September following August’s decline and have now increased year–over–year for 12 consecutive months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All four major regions experienced sales gains in September. Total existing–home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single–family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co–ops, increased 4.7 percent to a seasonally … Read More
For Owners: Best Time to Remodel Is Now
Daily Real Estate News | Monday, October 19, 2015 As home values continue to rise, more home owners may find now is the best time to add to that value even more. Spending on home remodeling is expected to climb from 2.4 percent in the second quarter to 6.8 percent by the second quarter of 2016, according to Harvard University’s … Read More
The Next Three Months: Best Time to Buy
Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, October 06, 2015 Low mortgage rates, declining home prices, and homes that are lingering on the market longer are three main reasons why the next three months could be the best time to buy so far this year, says Jonathan Smoke, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “The spring and summer home-buying seasons were especially tough on … Read More
Closing Process Changes: What To Expect
Daily Real Estate News | Monday, September 28, 2015 New mortgage disclosure rules will take effect Oct. 3, and lenders and real estate brokerages are quickly preparing for what has been predicted to be big changes to home closings. Mortgage lenders will be required to begin using new consumer disclosure forms on Oct. 3. The changes will merge the HUD-1 … Read More
Mortgage Rates Hold Steady This Week
Daily Real Estate News | Friday, September 11, 2015 Fixed-rate mortgages barely budged this week as the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continued to hover below 4 percent. Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Sept. 10: 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.90 percent with an average 0.6 point, rising from last week’s 3.89 percent average. … Read More
Existing-Home Sales Maintain Solid Growth in July
WASHINGTON (August 20, 2015) — Existing-home sales steadily increased for the third consecutive month in July, while stubbornly low inventory levels and rising prices are likely to blame for sales to first-time buyers falling to their lowest share since January, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Total existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums … Read More
New-Home Sales Climb in July
Daily Real Estate News | Wednesday, August 26, 2015 Sales of new single-family homes rose 5.4 percent in July, as more builders reported higher buyer traffic. Such traffic may lead to an increase in building activity as well, as home builders add more inventory to meet a heightened confidence in the market. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that sales of newly built … Read More
Credit Unions Gaining Ground with Buyers
Daily Real Estate News | Monday, August 17, 2015 Mortgage shoppers are increasingly turning to credit unions to get a mortgage, according to new research by TransUnion. Credit unions’ share of all mortgage originations has grown considerably over the last two years, from 7 percent in the first quarter of 2013 to 11 percent in the first quarter of 2015, … Read More
7 Places Sellers Forget to Clean
Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, August 06, 2015 When getting a home ready to show, it’s easy to concentrate on decluttering or where to put the dog during the open house. But there are common blind spots where dirt likes to gather, and they also happen to be places buyers might be scrutinizing. Don’t have house hunters thinking about … Read More
Mortgage Rates Dip Back Below 4%
Daily Real Estate News | Friday, July 31, 2015 Average fixed mortgage rates continue to fluctuate week-to-week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropping below 4 percent this week, offering temporary relief to home buyers and refinancers after hitting its highest average for the year earlier this month, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. “The mortgage rate has … Read More