Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips - Deborah Morrison - iPro Real Estate

REALTORS: Help Millennial Buyers Make Smart Decisions

Homeownership rates and rental occupancy have a strong correlation. If you want to make projections about your real estate market, be sure to pay attention to certain statistics, says Michael Lim, senior director of analytics at TransUnion. When rental occupancy dips, homeownership typically rises, and vice versa. And, within the past year, market dynamics have become favorable supporting the potential rise in homeownership, he says.For the fir

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Owners Say HOAs Protect Home Values

Many Americans recently surveyed say they prefer to live in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, also called a community association, according to the 2018 Homeowner Satisfaction Survey, conducted by Zogby Analytics on behalf of the Foundation for Community Association Research. Ninety percent of survey respondents say their association’s rules protect their investment and enhance their property values, according to the survey.Survey

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Homeownership Still Vital to Build Wealth

Homeownership remains a major component to financial security and continues to be the largest asset of the majority of households in the U.S. Primary residences account for a quarter of all household wealth, according to data from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System’s Survey of Consumer Finances.“Homeownership is a primary source of net worth for many Americans, and is an important step in accumulating personal financial asse

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‘Hypervacancy’ Reaches ‘Epidemic Levels’

Vacant buildings—especially ones that stretch through blocks of neighborhoods—have reached “epidemic levels” in some cities, according to a new report by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy titled “The Empty House Next Door.” Formerly industrial cities in the Rust Belt are seeing the highest levels of what researchers call “hypervacancy.” Hypervacancy consists of blocks and neighborhoods of vacant buildings and lots that comprise

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First-Time Buyers Account for More Mortgages

First-time home buyers are flocking to the real estate market in larger numbers, comprising 46 percent of mortgages backed by Freddie Mac—excluding refinancings—that were issued in the first quarter of this year. That marks the largest quarterly share that Freddie Mac has recorded, dating back to 2012.“This is a millennial-driven rise,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, told Bloomberg. “You’ve got a strong economy that’s

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Higher Prices, Rates Are Unsustainable

Recent income growth has not been enough to keep up with rising mortgage rates and home prices, according to a new report by Black Knight, a real estate technology and data firm. Rising home prices and mortgage rates have increased the monthly payment of a median-priced home purchased with a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year mortgage by $150 per month. That marks about a 14 percent increase since the start of 2018.While housing affordability s

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New-Home Features Change as Inventory Rises

New construction inventory has reached its highest point since the Great Recession, with the number of new single-family homes rising 7.7 percent between 2016 and 2017 to 795,000 units, according to the Census Bureau’s 2017 Characteristics of New Housing report. “It’s good that there’s more construction, but there’s still plenty of room for more building,” says realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “Builders are obviously c

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Where to Find Homes for Less Than $100K

Home shoppers looking for a bargain can still score deals in some areas of the country. The Rust Belt and Midwest regions tend to have the highest percentage of homes listed for less than $100,000—properties with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a yard. “Bargains definitely exist,” says realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale. “But buyers should go in with their eyes open. In some of those areas, $100,000 can buy a pretty decent hom

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Most Baby Boomers Plan to Delay Retirement

The majority of working baby boomers ages 50 and over say they expect to delay retirement, according to a survey by The NHP Foundation, a nonprofit real estate corporation supporting affordable housing. The cost of housing may be one reason why.Prospective retirees say their top three concerns are an inability to afford quality health care (36 percent); dependency on children (28 percent); and being forced to choose a living situation inferior to

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Vermont Joins Effort to Attract Relo Buyers

Several states and cities have been offering relocation buyers financial incentives—including paying off student loan debt—to move there. Now Vermont joins the list.Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill into law last week that will give certain people who relocate there from another state up to $10,000 to cover moving expenses. The money is part of a grant program aimed at attracting tech workers and revitalizing the state’s aging work for

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