Mark your calendar: Certain times of the year can offer seller premiums of 10 percent or more, and a majority of those days are during summer months.ATTOM Data Solutions analyzed more than 28 million single-family home and condo sales over the past eight years to find the best time of year to sell. They found that the summer tends to be hot in real estate for more reasons than just the weather.“Since summer is a time for vacations and outi
The Federal Reserve voted unanimously on Wednesday to leave borrowing costs unchanged and says it will continue to be “patient” about making any moves to its benchmark rate. The Fed’s vote came despite increased calls from the White House to cut interest rates. But the central bank left rates unchanged on Wednesday, citing the lack of inflation pressure.The Fed’s closely watched benchmark rate will remain in a range of between 2.25% and 2
Pending home sales were back on track last month, reversing course after last month’s drop. Three of the four major regions saw an uptick in contract signs in March, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Tuesday.NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 3.8 percent last month over February, and contract signings reached a reading of 105.8. Still, contract signings are down 1.2
Homeowners continue to reap profits off their home sales. U.S. homeowners who sold in the first quarter of this year realized an average home price gain since purchase of $57,500. That is up slightly from an average of $56,733 a year ago, according to ATTOM Data Solutions’ Q1 2019 Home Sales Report. The gains represented an average 31.5 percent return as a percentage of the original purchase price.Markets along the West coast saw some of the gr
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, an overhaul of the U.S. tax code enacted in 2017 that puts a cap on some deductions for homeowners, has “negatively impacted the housing market” by tamping down sales volume, according to a new study from the New York Federal Reserve. A slowdown in home sales from late 2017 through the third quarter of 2018 can be partially attributed to the changes in the tax law, in addition to interest rate hikes during that time
A growing number of Americans who lost their homes to foreclosure or a short sale during the housing crisis are re-emerging in the housing market and buying a home again, USA Today reports. “Boomerang buyers,” as they’re nicknamed, are coming back, and some economists contend they are a critical component to driving a big uptick in the housing market over the next few years.“I think the next phase of the housing recovery will be
Mortgage rates have slowly been inching up over the past month, but they remain below their levels a year ago.“Despite the recent rise in mortgage rates, both existing- and new-home sales continue to show strength—indicating the lagged effect of lower rates on housing demand,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “This, along with improved affordability, should push housing activity higher in the coming months.”Freddie Mac
Affordability and a good job market are the two chief influencers for moving millennials, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ new report “Most Popular Areas for Millennials: Where They Move and Stay.” Millennials, those between the ages of 21 and 38, account for 37 percent of all home purchases—making up the largest buying force in the housing industry, according to NAR.Other Key Findings on Millennial MoversOne out of 2
Renters aren’t always honest with landlords. For example, nearly a quarter of renters recently surveyed admitted to not disclosing a pet to their landlord—their top lie. They also were prone to not telling their landlord that they broke household items when moving out or that someone else was living in the home who wasn’t on their lease, according to a new survey from Porch.com, a home remodeling website.Porch.com surveyed 563 renters and 5
A Native American group in Utah is suing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over its newly issued down payment assistance rules for Federal Housing Administration mortgages. The groups argue that the new rules are unlawfully targeting Native American tribes and bands by prohibiting them from participating in home-purchase assistance programs.The Cedar Band of Paiutes, the Cedar Band Corporation, and the CBC Mortgage Agency filed
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