real estate: Which Metro Areas Have Rising Prices & Faster Selling Time as of June? - 08/20/18 06:28 AM
Home prices continue to increase although the pace of price appreciation has slowed. As of June 2018, the national median sales price of existing homes sold rose to a peak of $276,900, the highest level since 20001 when NAR started tracking this data. However, the pace of appreciation has been slowing. In June 2018, the national median sales price rose 5.2 percent on a year-on-year basis (2.2 percent on an inflation-adjusted basis), a slower rate of growth compared to the price appreciation of near or above 10 percent in 2013.
 
The question is: will home prices continue to increase? One way to … (1 comments)

real estate: 7 Easy Home Upgrades On A Budget - 11/22/17 08:14 AM
7 Easy Home Upgrades On A Budget: From a fresh coat of paint to new light fixtures, there are many easy home upgrades you can successfully achieve on a budget.
 
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real estate: The Impact of Homeownership on Educational Achievement - 02/22/17 08:05 AM
The National Association of Realtors recently released a study titled 'Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing.’ The study confirmed a long-standing belief of most Americans:
“Owning a home embodies the promise of individual autonomy and is the aspiration of most American households. Homeownership allows households to accumulate wealth and social status, and is the basis for a number of positive social, economic, family and civic outcomes.”Today, we want to cover the section of the report that quoted several studies concentrating on the impact homeownership has on educational achievement. Here are some of the major findings on this issue revealed in the … (0 comments)

real estate: Possible Tax Benefits for Homeowners - 01/30/17 08:18 AM
While everyone’s situation is different, many homeowners find that they’re able to reap the benefits of homeownership, which often include:
 
Mortgage interest. For most people, the majority of a monthly mortgage payment  goes toward paying off interest. Often, that interest is deductible (unless your loan is over $1 million, in which case the amount you can deduct is limited).
Points. If you paid points to get a better rate on a mortgage, you could claim them on your tax return as a deduction. However, it’s a good idea to talk to a tax expert about when you can claim your points.
Property taxes. Because … (0 comments)

real estate: What You Need to Know About Home Appraisals - 12/05/16 07:13 AM
When you think about buying a house, you think about the plentiful cabinet space you hope to find in the kitchen, or ample bedroom size. You probably aren't thinking about the home appraisal.
If you're selling a home, you're probably daydreaming about the home you plan on moving into next. You're probably wondering how much you can sell your home for, too.
But whether you're selling or buying, you probably aren't thinking much about the home appraisal process. It isn't one of the most glamorous parts of buying or selling a home, and yet if home appraisals disappeared tomorrow, the real estate market would come … (3 comments)

real estate: Home Inventory Is Tight, But You Still Want To Sell Your House - 12/01/16 12:16 PM
A good friend of mine listed and sold their home this past year and became renters. The reason? They couldn’t find anything to buy, home inventory is too tight. 
With two teenage boys and thriving careers, they had hoped to transition into a home much bigger and better than the one they had just sold. School districts and proximity to their job limited their search even more. Their home sold quickly, but due to lack of home inventory there was nothing to buy.
According to HouseHunt’s 2nd Quarter Market Condition Report in 2016,  there is only a slight increase in home prices and … (0 comments)

real estate: 21 First Time Home Buyer Tips: A Guide To Buying Your First Home - 11/18/16 01:47 AM
First time home buyer tips come in all shapes and sizes. From little tricks of the trade related to the mortgage process to insider information on selecting a real estate agent, there surely is no shortage of guidance available to a first time home buyer.
But much of this important information is fragmented – meaning a first time home buyer must look in many places to get the information they need throughout the home buying process. This lengthy and often convoluted research process can deter a first time home buyer from starting the home buying process.
Well, look no further. Our team of … (0 comments)

real estate: What the current housing shortage means for you - 11/04/16 02:12 AM
If you've been thinking of trading up to a more luxurious home, you'll want to read this.You may have heard that we're in the middle of a housing shortage.It's certainly true for mid-market and lower-priced homes.The number of such homes on the national market has declined over 40% in the last four years, and prices have increased accordingly.There are a few different reasons behind this.Builders have been focusing mostly on higher-priced homes. Investors have turned many lower-priced homes into rentals. More people are looking to buy thanks to historically low mortgage rates.So yes, there’s a shortage...but what does this mean for … (0 comments)

real estate: Turning A House Into A Home - 10/20/16 01:17 AM
No matter what shape or size your living space is, the concept and feeling of home can mean different things to different people. Whether it's a certain scent or a favorite chair, the emotional reasons why we choose to buy our own home are, more often than not, the more powerful or compelling ones. Every year, The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University conducts a survey to find driving factors behind why Americans decide to buy a home. The top 4 reasons to own a home cited by participants of the survey were not financial.
1. It means having a … (1 comments)