Realtor News

Traditions don’t have to die. One seller wants a porch skeleton to stay, and he wants its clothes changed frequently. Another seller demands that buyers keep his cat.

While views of current conditions improved, Americans were less optimistic about the short-term future, with little to suggest “momentum in the final months of 2020.”

Builders see more rental demand for single-family homes than high-rises. The pandemic plays a part, but more aging boomers also prefer low-maintenance, single-family living.

It’s hard to estimate a new home’s completion date if flooring, lumber and appliances are hard to get – or how much it will cost to build a home until after they arrive.

“How much longer would it take my home to sell if I increased the asking price by $20,000?” While real estate algorithm accuracy is a bit dicey, a new Homesnap product allows sellers to play with their asking price to see how a change would impact the time it takes to sell.

Home prices increased more than economists expected, and the pace of those increases is accelerating. In July, home value rose just 4.1% higher year-to-year.

Despite the modest decrease, new-home sales are up 32.1% year-to-year, and the industry bounced back this summer following a late-spring pandemic shutdown.

Many people are worried about credit scores these days, and federal support programs have largely improved U.S. credit scores – but things could change quickly.

Unlike 9-5 employees, Realtors’ independent-contractor status makes finding health coverage a bit challenging. However, open enrollment for qualified health plans starts Nov. 1 and ends on Dec. 15, and NAR has resources to help Realtors find plans that best match their needs.

The little things often frustrate us the most. For Realtors who must wear glasses, the masks with small metal strips at the top work best to avoid glass fogging.

According to a study done by MIT, Black borrowers pay $13,464 more than white borrowers over the life of a home loan, which includes interest, insurances and taxes.

A publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) will focus on the cannabis industry. The REIT status provides tax benefits and can unlock capital.

The Appraisal Institute, American Society of Appraisers and two other groups collectively support additional training that addresses unconscious bias in valuations.

Authority can be delegated to a manager, president or other person to spend money – usually up to a set amount – without board approval, but there are steps to follow.

It’s the service’s first entry into Fla. Knock uses expected equity (at least 30%) from a home sale to guarantee a buyer’s new mortgage before the original home sells.

An old digital camera can become a security camera. An old laptop could run marketing videos on a loop during open houses. An old smartphone can become a video feed.

Fla. has over two times more wire-fraud incidents than No. 2 Georgia. In real estate, scammers entice buyers to wire closing money to a fake address, dashing buyers’ dreams and robbing Realtors of commissions. The FTC now has a dedicated website for reporting wire fraud.

To help get your mortgage or refi OK’d while interest rates are at an all-time low, check your credit score and report, pay down debt and compare mortgage lenders.

Americans are buying homes. Sales rose 22% year-to-year as inventory hit a record low (2.7 months) and more than 70% of homes were on the market less than a month.

While new-home numbers are up 8% year-to-year, it’s still not enough compared to buyer demand – but an uptick in permits suggests things will get better.