When that dream home arises on the market, it's hard to walk away. But if you haven't completed these three tasks, you aren't ready to be a homeowner. Buying a house is one of life's most exciting milestones. You get to decorate, make the home your own, and set down roots -- all while building equity and, ideally, increasing your net worth. But buying a house is also a really big financial decision, and if you don't hit some money miles
Programs important to real estate will be affected in the event of a partial federal government shutdown that could start at midnight tonight if lawmakers fail to pass short-term budget legislation.The National Association of REALTORS® is in regular communication with congressional leaders and the White House and is working with other organizations to ensure lawmakers are aware of the importance of keeping programs critical to communities
Many homeowners are decking their interiors and exteriors with boughs of holly and other festive accoutrement—but how much is too much? Some homeowners say they’ve confronted their neighbors about what they consider to be “obnoxious” holiday decorations, according to a new survey by furniture retailer Joybird.Those who live in the West are most likely—at 13 percent—to have a confrontation with neighbors over holiday decorations, compa
The biggest pest of 2018? Bedbugs.The second annual Terminix Entomologists’ Almanac took a look at the biggest pest trends from the past year based on social media chatter and internet queries. Bedbugs clinched the title for the second year in a row.Americans searched for information about bedbugs more than 6.7 million times this year—more so than any other pest. Terminix, a national pest control company, says it has seen a steady increase
There are about 7.4 million vacation and second homes in the U.S., or about 5.6 percent of the total housing stock, according to a recent National Association of Home Builders analysis of 2016 national census data. Florida has the largest stock of second homes—1.1 million properties—followed by California, New York, Texas, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.“The concentration of second homes is not simply restricted to conv
Nine out of 10 millennial renters say they want to purchase a home, but few are planning to do so in the near term, according to a new survey by rental website Apartment List. The chief reasons keeping them from homeownership are affordability (72 percent) and lack of savings for a down payment (62 percent), the survey of 6,400 young adult renters shows. Nearly 50 percent of respondents say they have zero savings, while only 11 percent have saved
Homeowners are still finding plenty of equity in their homes, but the gains are slowing. Homeowners with a mortgage saw their equity rise by 9.4 percent over the past year, according to CoreLogic’s latest Home Equity Report. The average homeowner gained $12,400 in home equity between the third quarter of 2017 and the third quarter of 2018. That is lower than the more than $16,000 year-over-year gain in equity reported in the second quarter, Cor
House hunters like to search for homes online during their workday, a new survey shows. The peak times for consumers to search for home listings are between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekdays. The most popular time is Friday at 10 a.m., according to a new analysis from real estate brokerage Redfin.“Searching for a new home is like a job. Maybe that’s why people most often do it while they work,” Redfin notes in its analysis.Nearly 64 percent
Americans who are moving out of state tend to be heading south, according to a new analysis by LendingTree, a loan information source. Researchers analyzed more than 2 million new purchase mortgage loans to see where people are moving to and from.Florida is the winning destination, according to the analysis. It was the top destination for movers who were relocating out of state in 15 out of the 50 states. Consumers like to move to Texas, but so
From interest rate hikes to climate change, shifts in the physical, political, and economic worlds are having effects on the real estate industry. Some of these developments affect the residential and commercial sides of the business differently, while others are common challenges all practitioners will face. As 2019 approaches, here are a few short-term and long-term hurdles you should know.Short-term Issues 1. Interest rates and the economy: T
This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.
