If you're thinking about buying a house in 2017, you might be a Millennial. According to the National Association of Realtors 2017 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Survey, Millennials have begun buying homes. It helps to know who falls into which generation: The eldest Americans are part of the so-called Silent Generation (born 1925 [...]
Home prices are rising fairly dramatically, but those eye-popping increases could be unsustainable in 2017. According to the S&P/Case-Shiller index, home prices rose 5.8 percent annualized gain in December, a pretty dramatic increase, even as mortgage interest rates rose. Housing experts say that as the cost of buying a home accelerates, you shouldn't be seeing [...]
According to data compiled by ATTOM Data Solutions, February is a great month for home buyers, sellers and owners, which translates into it being a better time for home bargains than the so-called “traditional” homebuying seasons of spring and fall. A combination of fewer buyers competing for homes (and the resulting lower home prices) often [...]
Q: Should I stretch my budget to buy a house? I'm thinking about buying a first house but I'd have to really stretch my budget to afford it. And, to complicate things, I don't plan to stay in this first house more than for five years. Is it worth stretching my budget to buy if I'm [...]
Buying a home is now more affordable than renting in most places, but there could be changes on the way. According to the ATTOM Data Solutions 2017 Rental Affordability Report, which analyzed data from 540 counties nationwide, buying a home is the more affordable housing option in 66 percent of the markets, up from 58 [...]
Is 2017 the year Millennials finally become homebuyers? Perhaps, but they’ll likely need a little help to close the deal. Many parents want to help their Millennial generation children become homeowners - especially those still living at home. The question to answer? What is the best thing to do to help Millennials become homebuyers? A [...]
Will Donald Trump affect the housing market in 2017? That's the question on the mind of every Realtor, mortgage lender, home inspector, contractor and housing industry observer. The answer probably won't be known until well after the inauguration - mostly because Trump hasn't been clear about where his priorities or loyalties lie when it comes [...]
Rising interest rates are on the horizon, according to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. And, it doesn't look at though Donald Trump's election will change the interest rate forecast. In Congressional testimony, Yellen said that the Federal Reserve plans an interest rate increase "relatively soon." But, mortgage interest rates are already rising sharply. According to [...]
Remember gold shag carpet and fake wood paneling? Home design trends come and go - fortunately the wood paneling trend is mostly gone - and the same is true for homebuying trends. If you want to give yourself the best chance at a new home, you’ve got to stay up to date on what’s happening [...]
Cybercrime against large retailers like Target and Home Depot has cost these companies millions in damages. Now cybercriminals are targeting the real estate industry. According to Jessica Edgerton, associate counsel for the National Association of Realtors, many real estate businesses are smaller operations, “so they don’t really consider themselves to be targets.” But without the [...]
