The monthly payment for an entry-level home is on the rise. And the rising costs may be one reason why first-time buyers are making up a lower share of buyers this spring. First-time buyers comprised 30 percent of existing-home sales in March, which is down from 32 percent a year ago, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®.Monthly housing costs for an entry-level buyer increased $136 to $1,641 nationwide, a 9 percent increa
As rates pressed higher last week, it seems to have been enough to make would-be home shoppers hit the pause button. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday that loan application volume—for both refinancings and home purchases—dropped 0.2 percent for the week and are now 0.8 percent lower than a year ago.Applications for both refinances and home purchases stalled last week, with applications to refinance dropping 0.3 percent and a
About LisaI'm your local real estate expert specializing in Georgetown, Leander, Liberty Hill, Austin, Round Rock, Manor, Elgin, Bastrop, Smithville and Cedar Creek TX. I work hard for my clients and am able to produce positive results.iPro currently deals throughout the states of California, Texas, Florida and New York. We continue to strive and broaden opportunities for real estate professionals and consumers. Visit www.iprore.com for
More luxury buildings are trying to lure buyers by touting amenities focused on finding inner peace and lowering stress. The homes are touting everything from meditation courtyards with silken hammocks to open-air yoga studios and herbal gardens filled with calming plants.The rising popularity of wellness in real estate suggests that it’s working in attracting upscale home buyers. Luxury developers are offering morning yoga, mindfulness coache
Many real estate professionals and firms use blogging as a way to capture prospects online through localized real estate content. But how can you get more eyes on your posts? AllBusiness, a business marketing and financing resource, recently highlighted several essentials to successful blog posts, including: Use an attention-getting headline: Give readers enough information to entice them to want to hear more. “Sometimes adding emotional
Homeowners and buyers are increasingly interested in sustainability, which is leading more real estate pros to promote environmentally responsible features and business practices. Sixty-one percent of REALTORS® recently surveyed say that consumers are interested in sustainability, according to the REALTORS® and Sustainability 2018 Report.Seventy-one percent of agents and brokers reported that promoting energy efficiency in listings is either s
Following population trends, the U.S. should be adding more than a million households each year for the next few years, economists note in Freddie Mac’s April Outlook report. But higher housing costs and a delay in younger adults’ buying are prompting an uptick in shared living arrangements, multigenerational households, and delayed household formation.“The broader economic environment remains favorable for home sales,” says Len Kiefer, F
Strong winds have blown masses of spiky tumbleweed into homeowners’ yards and streets across Southern California and Utah. Tumbleweed reportedly has piled up to 5 feet high on some homes and has even blocked some homeowners from being able to get out. Sue Jones, a spokeswoman with the city of Victorville, Calif., the epicenter of the latest tumbleweed chaos, says that in some cases tumbleweed was as high as the second floors of homes.Victor
Bargain hunters or those looking to break into the housing market may need to face the reality that finding a home for less than $250,000 is getting tougher and tougher. Homes priced under $100,000 plunged 20.7 percent in March month over month, and the percentage of homes under $250,000 has dropped 7.8 percent, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ latest housing report.The median home price was $250,400 in March, up 5.8 percent
3 ways real estate agents can capture and close international dealsAs real estate grows more global with the increased transparency and power of the ever-maturing internet, real estate agents have immense opportunities to capture lucrative international, long-distance business to which they didn’t previously have access.This business opportunity is significant.Foreign buyers purchased $153 billion of U.S. residential real estate in the 12 month
This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.
