Mortgage fraud climbed 12.4 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2018, and about one out of every 109 mortgage applications has been found to contain false or misleading information, according to real estate data firm CoreLogic. “Because home prices are rising and demand is strong, most mortgage fraud in this type of market is motivated by bona fide borrowers trying to qualify for a mortgage,” says Bridget Berg, CoreLogic’s prin
Capital cities tend to have the strongest economies in their respective states, as well as a rich history and broader cultural offerings, according to a new study by personal finance website SmartAsset. But many state capitals also tend to have less affordable housing options. SmartAsset sought to pinpoint the most livable capital cities in the U.S., comparing them based on residents’ discretionary income, unemployment rates, dining and enterta
What would you be willing to do in order to keep a real estate transaction from falling through? Would you literally put your life on the line to save a deal?Ask any agent or broker, and the answer likely will be an easy “no.” But according to real estate safety instructor Cheryl Knowlton, president of Elite Edge Real Estate Training, practitioners most commonly cite fear of losing the deal as the reason they don’t follow safety protocols o
A waterfront home in the suburbs that has nearly 5,000 square feet and a one-story ranch may be at the top of American consumers’ real estate wishlists, according to findings from a Porch.com survey of more than 600 Americans and Europeans about their ideal home designs, amenities, and locations.Forty-five percent of Americans surveyed say if they could get their top choice they’d have a waterfront view, whether that’s a lakefront or ocean
Striking down a growth of ordinances in municipalities across the country attempting to make homelessness illegal, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that it’s not a crime to sleep outside on city streets when not enough shelters are available. Several cities had been fining or arresting people who slept on city sidewalks or in parks. In the decision, the court defines such legal action as “cruel and unusual punishment” and said it
Low home prices along with affluent buyers, more investors, and those wanting to bypass appraisals are prompting all-cash transactions to surge in Detroit. Eighty-seven percent of all single-family home and condo purchases in the city during the first half of 2018 were cash deals compared to 28 percent nationwide, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm. “The city of Detroit has an absurdly low share of financed home purchase
Get ready for a flood of retirees. With 74 million members, baby boomers are the largest generation on record to retire. And if they follow previous generations, retirement will prompt them to want to move. Many will head to warmer climates, but they’re also—unlike previous generations—in search of more active lifestyles too, looking for social and recreational opportunities, nearby restaurants, and shopping.“It’s going to be a tsunami
Real estate signs say more about you and your residential or commercial business than they do about the properties you’re advertising. That’s why Katie Lundin, a customer support specialist with crowdspring, a marketplace for crowdsourced logo, web, graphic, and product design, has four best practices for creating custom real estate signs that raise awareness about your brand and start a conversation with your potential clients.1. Real estat
The jump in home prices has prompted the cost of homeownership to outpace that of renting in more places across the country. The monthly costs of owning a home have increased by 14 percent over the past year—more than three times the 4 percent increase in monthly rental costs, according to a new analysis by realtor.com®.Only 41 percent of the U.S. population now lives in a county where a median-income household can afford to buy a home at the
A federal judge ruled on Thursday that federal aid to house more than 1,000 Puerto Rican families who fled to the mainland U.S. after Hurricane Maria must end in two weeks. The families have been living in U.S.-funded housing in hotels and motels across the country since leaving Puerto Rico following the storm September 20, 2017. Hurricane Maria caused massive destruction to the island, killing nearly 3,000 people, destroying homes and businesses
This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.
