General News - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Foreclosure Activity Highest Since Pandemic Began

Completed foreclosures have reached their highest level since March 2020. Foreclosure filings, which include default notices, scheduled auctions, or bank repossessions, jumped by 29% in January over December and are up by 139% compared to a year ago, according to the January 2022 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, released by ATTOM Data Solutions.Should the housing market be concerned?The numbers are still below historical levels of foreclosure acti

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Home Price Surge Continued in Fourth Quarter

Home prices continue to climb, adding to homeowner wealth and putting buyers into the position of considering how much home they can afford.The median sales price of single-family existing-home sales increased nearly 15% year over year to $361,700 in the fourth quarter, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Thursday. That is down slightly from a 15.9% gain in the prior quarter.“Homebuyers in the last quarter saw little relief as home

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Fewer Homeowners are Selling

House hunters feeling that inventory continues to tighten are right, a new report shows. The number of homes for sale is down 28.4% compared to a year ago, according to realtor.com® data. Two years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of active listings was 60% higher than today.Winter months tend to be slower for the housing market as fewer sellers list homes. But this winter, inventories have fallen more than normal.Economists do

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Supply-Chain Woes Continue Slowing Home Construction

Building material prices, production bottlenecks, and labor shortages will continue to dampen the pace of construction and affect home prices this year, economists told a crowd at the 2022 International Builders’ Show in Orlando.Building material costs have surged 21% compared to a year ago. Further, more than 300,000 job openings went unfilled in the construction industry in December 2021. The National Association of Home Builde

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What to Update Before Selling

Simple kitchen and bath improvements can leave home shoppers swooning over a listing, according to a new study by Knock, a site about homeownership.Homes are selling fast, but certain home updates can help them sell even faster. An updated home can sell an average of 30% faster than a home without improvements, the analysis shows.Knock compared the average days on the market for homes that are updated before being listed with those that sell

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Shopping Below Budget Best Move for Buyers

Buyers who have been preapproved for a mortgage may be tempted to shop for homes at that lender allowance amount. But real estate pros and financial experts advise setting a limit somewhat lower than that figure.House hunters should look at homes with list prices that fall below the top of their price range because they likely will need to leave room in their budget to bid up in the competitive housing market.“These days, houses are selling for

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Mortgage Rates Hold at 3.55%

Borrowing costs held mostly steady this week, but how long will the reprieve last?Mortgage rates continue to follow the trend of the 10-year Treasury yield and have stayed flat over the last three weeks.As the economic recovery continues through the spring and summer, mortgage rates are expected to resume their upward trajectory, says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.But for now, “since mortgage rates are still near historic lows, ma

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Competition Remains Unseasonably Strong

Homes are selling even faster than they were at this time last year as buyers continue to compete in the housing market. Housing inventories are lower as well, down 28% from a year ago. In December 2021, the National Association of REALTORS® reported that existing homes for sale fell to an all-time low.With fewer listings of homes last week, buyer interest again outpaced homes available, writes Danielle Hale, realtor.com®’s chief economist, i

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Welcome Broker-Partner Dorian Carson

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Rising Rents Add Pressure to Buy

Many renters are making moves toward homeownership as quickly rising mortgage rates and rents have them feeling increased pressure.Average monthly rents climbed more than 14% year over year in December 2021, reaching $1,877. Miami and Austin, Texas, have seen rents surge more than 30% over the past year.Economists point to homeownership as a way to stave off inflation and build wealth, The Wall Street Journal reports. But higher rents a

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