Following two consecutive months of declines, existing-home sales rebounded 3% in February month over month and reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.54 million, the National Association of REALTORS® reported last week. Sales of existing homes, which include single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and co-ops, are now 1.1% higher than a year ago. “A big jump […]
REALTORS®, Builders Clash Over Spending Bill
The housing industry disagrees over the contents of the $1.3 trillion budget passed by Congress on Friday, with the National Association of REALTORS® approving, while builders say it doesn’t go far enough in meeting the needs of the housing industry. The bill allots $4.6 billion in additional funding compared to fiscal year 2017 for the U.S. Department […]
Now What? Fight to Alter Tax Bill Has Just Begun
Last week the House passed a tax reform package that the National Association of REALTORS® calls a tax hike on many middle-class homeowners and says would lower property values for all homeowners. “It’s disappointing to see this legislation move forward, but the real work to shape this debate is just getting started,” NAR President Elizabeth […]
The Right Way to Approach FSBOs
Eighty-nine percent of sellers work with a real estate agent to sell their home, according to the NAR’s 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. That says there’s an opportunity to convert For Sale By Owner properties (FSBOs), which made up only 8 percent of total home sales in 2016. The majority of homeowners who […]
NAR Urges Congress to Support Net Neutrality
NAR sent a letter to the House and Senate Commerce committees in March reiterating its support for the FCC’s Open Internet Order implemented in 2015. NAR urged the committees to oppose legislation and regulatory efforts that would threaten network neutrality and rollback important protections put in place by the FCC in 2015. Net neutrality is […]
Interest Rates on Rise in 2017
Following several weeks of decreases, mortgage rates were back on the rise this week. “The 10-year Treasury yield increased more than 10 basis points this week,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “The 30-year mortgage rate moved up as well to 4.19 percent, a 10 basis point jump. This week marks the first […]
Which Keywords Sell Homes Fastest?
When it comes to listing a home, choose your words carefully. Seattle-based Zillow analyzed more than 60 keywords used in 2 million real estate listings between January 2014 and March 2016 and concluded that buyers jumped at certain features more than others. For example, the real-estate research firm found that home listings that contained the […]
Protect Clients From Wire Fraud
In this video, the National Association of REALTORS®’s General Counsel Katherine Johnson explains how scammers are using a common scheme to steal money from your home buying clients via email during real estate transactions. By sending an email with “new wiring instructions,” buyers are being duped into transferring money to fraudulent accounts, ultimately losing their […]