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Articles, Buyer, Buyer Broker Agreements, Finance, First Time Home Buyer, Home Financing, Mortgages, National Association of Realtors, Residential, Working with Buyers

A Big Mistake Home Buyers Are Making With Their Mortgages

They could save “hundreds of dollars a month” by doing this one simple task, a housing expert says. © South_agency – E+/Getty Images As mortgage rates once again move above 7% this week, more home buyers may be desperate for savings to better afford homeownership. But housing experts say a common mistake could be costing […]
Articles, Finance, First Time Home Buyer, Homeownership

How much income & down payment is needed for a $400k home?

Have you been looking at homes, but are concerned with affording a home priced at $400,000 or more? Just because home prices are elevated doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goal of home ownership. Believe it or not, but the median home price in the U.S. in Q1 2023 was $429,000. That means that most folks […]
Articles, Disaster Preparedness, Florida Realtors

Information to Help You in the Aftermath of Hurricane Idalia

Resources to help you recover and rebuild. A message from the Florida Realtors® president: Click to watch the video. Federal disaster declaration: President Joe Biden approved a federal disaster declaration to help state and local recovery efforts after Category 3 Hurricane Idalia slammed into North Florida’s Big Bend region and caused widespread damage. The disaster declaration […]
Appraisals, Articles, Buyers Sellers Investors, Finance, Market Conditions, National Association of Realtors

NAR Hosts Policy Forum on the Current Housing Market and Affordability

WASHINGTON (March 16, 2023) – The National Association of Realtors® hosted a policy forum Thursday entitled The Current Housing Market: Implications for Home Buyers and the Economy at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. The opening session, Promoting Homeownership, Affordable Rentals, and Investor Involvement All at Once, featured a keynote fireside chat with the Director of […]

Articles A Big Mistake Home Buyers Are Making With Their Mortgages They could save “hundreds of dollars a month” by doing this one simple task, a housing expert says. © South_agency – E+/Getty Images As mortgage rates once again move above 7% this week, more home buyers may be desperate for savings to better afford homeownership. But housing experts say a common mistake could be costing […]

Articles How much income & down payment is needed for a $400k home? Have you been looking at homes, but are concerned with affording a home priced at $400,000 or more? Just because home prices are elevated doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goal of home ownership. Believe it or not, but the median home price in the U.S. in Q1 2023 was $429,000. That means that most folks […]

Articles Information to Help You in the Aftermath of Hurricane Idalia Resources to help you recover and rebuild. A message from the Florida Realtors® president: Click to watch the video. Federal disaster declaration: President Joe Biden approved a federal disaster declaration to help state and local recovery efforts after Category 3 Hurricane Idalia slammed into North Florida’s Big Bend region and caused widespread damage. The disaster declaration […]

Appraisals NAR Hosts Policy Forum on the Current Housing Market and Affordability WASHINGTON (March 16, 2023) – The National Association of Realtors® hosted a policy forum Thursday entitled The Current Housing Market: Implications for Home Buyers and the Economy at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. The opening session, Promoting Homeownership, Affordable Rentals, and Investor Involvement All at Once, featured a keynote fireside chat with the Director of […]

Articles N. Y. Coldwell Banker Settles Discrimination Allegation N.Y. Coldwell Banker Settles Discrimination Allegation By Robert Abruzzese A Newsday report on Long Island, N.Y., housing discrimination led the state’s attorney general to investigate. This week she announced a settlement with Coldwell Banker. NEW YORK – Attorney General Letitia James announced on Wednesday a settlement with Coldwell Banker, putting an end to the real […]

Articles Stubbornly High Inflation Pushes Mortgage Rates Up Borrowing costs may see temporary increases in the coming weeks but are expected to stabilize. Mortgage rates jumped this week, driven up by a record number of jobs and higher-than-expected inflation, says Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of real estate research for the National Association of REALTORS®. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.32%, up […]

Articles NAR: Existing Sales Dropped 1.5% in Dec. Image: Coldwell Banker Brandsrv Sales rose in Jan. 2022 and then fell for the next 11 months. Based mainly on rising mortgage rates, 2022 U.S. home sales were down 17.8% year-to-year. WASHINGTON – Existing home sales retreated for the eleventh consecutive month in December, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Three of the […]

Articles Florida Still No. 1 for International Buyers About one in four (24%) international buyers opt for a home in Fla., finds Coldwell Banker study, compared to No. 2 Calif. (11%) and No. 3 Texas (8%). MIAMI – Florida is still the No. 1 choice for international home buyers, according to the Coldwell Banker International Buyers Guide. About one in four 24% of international […]

Articles Home Staging Mistakes to Avoid Stage Your House Like a Pro If you’ve talked to real estate agents or watched any home selling show, you know that prepping your home for potential buyers means decluttering, depersonalizing, and deep cleaning. But these are only the basics, and there is so much more you can do to stage your home. Successful home […]

Articles Ring in the New Year in a New Home Listing your home for sale during the holiday season Are you looking for a fresh start in 2023? You can ring in the new year in a new home if you start now. The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, especially when it comes to selling your home and making a […]

Appraisals Common Myths About the Home Buying Process In today’s increasingly competitive real estate market, understanding the appraisal process cannot be overstated. Appraisals are required for all real estate transactions with loans involving $250,000 or more from federally-insured financial institutions, which impacts millions of Americans. Although appraisals are one of the most important parts of the home-buying process, they are often one of […]

Articles Mortgage rates top 7% in 21-year high, tank applications A spell isn’t going to wash away rising mortgage rates, which are at their highest point since “Harry Potter” premiered in theaters — the first one. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose for the 10th straight week to hit 7.16 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The figure for the week ending on Oct. 21 […]

Articles 7 Reasons to be Thankful in this Year’s Housing Market Thanksgiving is on the horizon, a time of food, family, and turkey-induced power naps. It’s also that time to count our blessings and consider the things we are thankful for during the year. From a housing perspective, this year has certainly been…interesting. We’ve covered the specifics elsewhere on the website, but suffice it to say […]