Home sellers expecting the quickest sales may want to make sure the house is in tip-top shape for showings because a big week in the housing market is quickly coming. The best week to put a home on the market is March 31 to April 6, according to a new analysis from realtor.com®. Researchers analyzed the 50 largest real estate markets in the nation over the past three years to determine the best week to sell.During the week of March 31 to April 6
Home builders are lowering their prices to appeal to a growing number of home shoppers. In January, 66 percent of new single-family homes were priced between $200,000 and $400,000, compared with 22 percent of homes that were in the $400,000 to $750,000 range, according to U.S. Commerce Department data. A year ago, 51 percent of homes sold in the $200,000 to $400,000 range, while 29 percent sold in the $400,000 to $750,000 price points.
Americans who are self-employed and freelance or contract workers have long had to struggle to qualify for a mortgage compared with those with W-2 forms or pay stubs that lenders can use to verify their incomes. For the self-employed, the mortgage process can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Lenders often require extra paperwork, such as full documentation of tax returns from the last couple of years (not just the electronic copy submitted to th
A living room is to be a comfortable, welcoming place in the home. But there’s an art to decorating it, according to a new article at Houzz, a home remodeling website. Houzz offers up some of the following designer tips on how to decorate a living room to make the space more inviting and stylish:1. Mix light and dark colors.An all-white living room can feel too “clean” and unapproachable, while a dark living room can feel like a cave, the a
The growing complaints over the condition of privatized housing among U.S. military members have prompted lawmakers to respond. The U.S. House and Senate have introduced bipartisan legislation to add greater safeguards for those in the military who face inadequate housing conditions.More than half of 16,000 military respondents recently surveyed by the Military Family Advisory Network say they’ve had a negative experience with privatized h
Real estate pros often anxiously await for the spring selling season, a time known for an uptick in home sales. But will spring be as hot for the housing market this year as it has been in the past?Since the end of last year, home sales have slowed (a decline of 10 percent in December compared to a year prior), and properties have been sitting on the market for longer (46 days compared to 30 days a year ago).Nevertheless, Lawrence Yun, chief
Home staging is key to attracting home shoppers, and maybe even more so in an era where consumers are used to watching TV home-makeover shows, according to the newly released 2019 Profile of Home Staging report from the National Association of REALTORS®.Eighty-three percent of buyers’ agents say that staging a home makes it easier for buyers to visualize a property as their future home. More than half of sellers’ agents say th
Home shoppers are finding some of the lowest mortgage rates in more than a year.“Mortgage rates declined decisively this week amid various market reports, a strong bond auction, and further uncertainty around the Brexit deal, which all contributed to driving bond yields lower,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “At 4.31 percent, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is at its lowest since February of last year. While these
A pool could potentially boost a home’s sales price by nearly six figures in some locales, according to a new analysis by the real estate brokerage Redfin. In Los Angeles, for example, homes with pools sell for nearly $100,000 more than comparable homes without one.Swimming pools were found to be most valuable at resale in Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; and Orange County, Calif. All three of these metro areas saw pools add a premium of more than $
Painting a room can be one of the most budget-friendly ways to makeover a space. But some commonly held myths about choosing the right paint may prevent some homeowners from finding the truly perfect hue to enhance their space.Realtor.com® recently spoke with painting experts to address some of these common myths about painting a home. Some of those include:Dark paint colors make a room look small.In fact, it’s just the opposite in many cases,
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