By Clare Trapasso | REALTOR.COM
Homebuyers received an unexpected gift around the holidays as mortgage rates dropped rapidly late last year.
They fell from a peak of about 8% in the fall to the mid-6% range in late December, a level many economists and forecasters hadn’t anticipated until the end of 2024—if they were being optimistic. Now with the U.S. Federal Reserve poised to cut its own rates this year, the question on the minds of many aspiring homebuyers is just how low mortgage rates will drop this year.
Most of the real estate experts who spoke with Realtor.com® say they expect rates will stay in the 6% range this year, but some believe...
Read More
By Patricia-Anne Tom | REALTOR.COM
Most energy-saving tips are designed to save you a few bucks throughout the year, but how do you know which tips to up your energy efficiency are going to offer the most bang for your buck?
Some tips cost you absolutely nothing, and yet you save money. Other tips will cost you a little, but can help you hold onto as much as 10% of the money you’re currently paying out of pocket. Ready to dive in?
Energy saving tips that really save
Consider these eight energy-saving tips below, so you aren’t sweating when your winter gas bills come, and as the weather warms, evaluate your...
Read More
From our friends in KCM:
The idea of owning a home has always been a big part of the American Dream. It’s a symbol of stability, independence, and having a place to truly call your own. But for Gen Z, the “Zoomers” born between 1997 and 2012, making that dream a reality can feel like quite the challenge today with higher mortgage rates and rising home prices.
But achieving that goal of owning your first home can still be attainable, even today, with some strategic planning and resourcefulness.
Explore Down Payment Assistance Options
With prices rising all around you, it can be hard to save up for a home. If you’ve been struggling to...
Read More
By Kimberly Dawn Neumann | REALTOR.COM
Selling a house can be a stressful process, particularly in today’s rapidly changing market. Although sellers enjoyed a strong seller’s market throughout much of the COVID-19-fueled housing boom rich with bidding wars and record-high prices, rising interest rates have shifted these power dynamics to the point that many prospective sellers might feel downright paralyzed by home-selling “what ifs.”
Like: What if I sell now, but then home prices rise? Or: What if I sell now, but then can’t find a new house? Will I regret selling so soon, or regret not selling soon enough?
What if, what if, what if?
In fact, sellers hesitating to put their homes on the...
Read More
From our friends in KCM
In today’s world of rising housing costs, many buyers are looking for ways to still be able to buy a home. Some of them have found a solution in multi-generational living.
Multi-generational living is when two or more adult generations live together under one roof. This includes siblings, parents, or even grandparents. Here’s an in-depth look at why more buyers are choosing this option today, so you can see if it may be right for you too.
Reasons To Buy a Multi-Generational Home
According to a recent study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the top two reasons people are opting for multi-generational homes today have to do with affordability...
Read More
From our friends in KCM
Are you considering buying your first home? If so, it can be helpful to know what led other people to make that decision. According to a recent survey of first-time homebuyers by PulteGroup:
“When asked why they purchased their first home recently, the answer was simple: because they wanted to. Either the desire to stop renting or recognition that homeownership is a smart financial investment was the main motivator for 72% of respondents.”
While that survey looked specifically at first-time homebuyers buying newly built homes, the same sentiment is true for just about anyone buying their first home. Here’s a bit more information to help you think about those two...
Read More
From our friends in KCM
If you’re planning to buy a home, one thing to consider is what experts project home prices will do in the future and how that might affect your investment. While you may have seen negative news over the past year about home prices, they’re doing far better than expected and are rising across the country. And data shows, experts forecast home prices will keep appreciating.
Experts Project Ongoing Appreciation
Pulsenomics polled over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts in the latest quarterly Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES). The results show what the panelists project will happen with home prices over the next five years. Here are those expert forecasts saying home...
Read More
From our friends in KCM
You might remember the housing crash in 2008, even if you didn’t own a home at the time. If you’re worried there’s going to be a repeat of what happened back then, there’s good news – the housing market now is different from 2008.
One important reason is there aren’t enough homes for sale. That means there’s an undersupply, not an oversupply like the last time. For the market to crash, there would have to be too many houses for sale, but the data doesn’t show that happening.
Housing supply comes from three main sources:
Homeowners deciding to sell their houses
Newly built homes
Distressed properties (foreclosures or...
Read More
BY: KCM
Are you putting off selling your house because you’re worried no one’s buying because of where mortgage rates are? If so, know this: the latest data shows plenty of buyers are still out there, and they’re purchasing homes today. Here’s the data to prove it.
The ShowingTime Showing Index is a measure of buyers touring homes. The graph below uses the latest numbers available and compares them to the same month in the last normal years to show just how active today’s buyers still are:
As you can see, when June 2023 numbers are stacked alongside what’s typical for the housing market at this time of year, it’s clear buyers are still active. And,...
Read More
By: Leandra Beabout | Realtor Magazine
Infinitely recyclable glass is going mainstream in core building and design materials.
These days, you don’t have to look far to see upcycled glass. Caterers and restaurants use Mason jars for cocktails and lemonade. DIYers repurpose wine bottles into candle holders or melt them down to create coasters or spoon rests. Glass can also be recycled for large-scale home products like countertops, wall panels and sculptured art.
By some measures, glass is one of the most sustainable materials on the planet. According to the National Institutes of Health’s Chemical Waste Services(link is external) (CWS), it can be recycled infinitely without losing its purity or durability. That...
Read More
