Some Highlights: 11% of new homebuyers stated “energy efficient features” as the reason for their purchase. The most popular remodeling projects done for energy efficiency were insulation upgrades, HVAC replacements, and vinyl & wood window installations. Research shows that word preference does make a difference when it comes to attracting “green buyers.” Source: Luxury Market […]
Home Prices Are Up…But There is a Challenge
Home values continue to climb and are projected to increase by about 5% over the next twelve months. That is great news for anyone who owns a home. However, it could present a challenge for a family trying to sell their house. If prices are surging, it is difficult for appraisers to find adequate, comparable […]
Almost 50% of millennials can't qualify for a home
While 1/3 of young adults want to buy a home within a year, 43% have a subprime credit score, making it unlikely lenders will accept their mortgage application. Source: Florida Realtors
Thinking of Selling? The Market Needs Your Listing!!
The housing market is really heating up and buyer demand is dramatically increasing as we enter the spring season. However, one challenge to the current market is a major shortage of inventory. Below are a few comments made in the last month by industry experts. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist of NAR “Looking ahead, the […]
Buying a Home is 36% Less Expensive Than Renting Nationwide!
In the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia, they explained that homeownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States. The updated numbers actually show that the range is an average of 5% less expensive in Orange County (CA) all the way up […]
The hottest buzzwords in listing ads
A study compared listing prices to selling prices and attempted to see which words within listing descriptions tended to attract higher-than-expected offers. Source: Florida Realtors
If You Are Thinking of Selling, Now Is The Time
If you thought about selling your house this year, now may be the time to do it. The inventory of homes for sale is well below historic norms and buyer demand is skyrocketing. We were still in high school when we learned the concept of supply and demand: the best time to sell something is […]
Homeowners fight FHA mortgage-interest overcharges
FHA charges sellers a full-month’s interest at early-month closings, and a group of owners are suing four banks over the practice, including BofA and SunTrust. Source: Florida Realtors
Vacation Home Sales Reach 2nd Highest Mark Since 2006 [INFOGRAPHIC]
Some Highlights: 58% of vacation homes purchased were single family homes. 51% of vacation homes that were purchased were found online. The median price of a vacation home is up 28% from 2014. Source: Luxury Market News
Vacation Home Sales: Sales Down, Prices Up
The National Association of Realtors recently released their 2016 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey. The survey revealed many characteristics of both vacation home purchasers and investors. Today, we want to concentrate on the vacation real estate market. The survey found that vacation home sales last year declined to an estimated 920,000, down 18.5% […]