New homes are expected to be a “primary driver of sales in 2018,” as 1.33 million housing starts are predicted next year—up from 1.22 million in 2017, according to Freddie Mac’s September Outlook report, which gauges future real estate activity. Total home sales are expected to increase about 2 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to the report.Economists also predict that the uptick in housing starts, coupled with a moderate increase in
Report shows agents appear to be prioritizing Facebook, LinkedIn over any single portalWill Facebook have its real estate cake and eat Zillow’s, too?In what appears to mark a significant shift in the real estate marketing landscape, real estate agents and brokerages are more likely to buy ads on social media than on all other forms of digital media, including listing portals, a new report and Inman data suggest.The report, which was released by
Buying a home in a new state or city can be daunting for a client, especially if they don’t know much about the area. A family moving for a new job will probably focus their home search on practical factors: house size, school districts, and proximity to the office. But a solid real estate professional knows there’s so much more to consider when finding the right place to live.Sometimes clients may not think it’s relevant or important to sh
Realtor.com® and Veterans United Home Loans, a VA purchase lender, have teamed up to launch a $250,000 Veterans Day Home Giveaway Sweepstakes.The contest will award up to $250,000 toward a home purchase to a U.S. military service member or veteran.Veterans and current members of the military can enter the sweepstakes until Oct. 29 at realtor.com/homegiveaway.The winner will be announced on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.“We all owe so much to the incr
Eighty-four percent of more than 2,800 U.S. apartment residents said that living in a sustainable, green home is important to them, according to the AMLI Sustainable Living Index. Eighty-five percent say they believe that living in a sustainable, green home would be beneficial to their health.Further, 64 percent of apartment dwellers said they’d pay slightly more in order to live in a green community.AMLI, a multifamily real estate company, con
The Federal Reserve voted to leave its short-term rates unchanged on Wednesday but it did indicate that a rise to its short-term interest rates is likely on track for later this year."The basic message here is U.S. economic performance has been good," Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen said at a press conference following the Fed’s two-day policy meeting. "The American people should feel the steps we have taken to normalize monetary policy ... are w
A slower fall season in home buying may help more lingering home buyers to jump in.Prices are easing somewhat. For the second month in a row, the median price of an existing home dropped. It reached $253,500 in August, after reaching a record high of $263,300 in June, according to the latest data from the National Association of REALTORS®.“Median sales prices typically decline a bit heading into the fall,” says Danielle Hale, realtor.com®
Whether you're considering the heart of the city or nearby suburbs, many enjoy or depend on bikes for recreation and commuting. New technology can widen the horizon as you scope out new homes.While a number of companies make e-bikes, with electric motors that typically have a range of 30 miles or so, Delfast plans to introduce a new model with a range of well over 200 miles, potentially offering a week's worth of commutes on one charge. Curbed de
Mortgage applications dropped last week, slammed by back-to-back major hurricanes and higher interest rates. Total mortgage application volume, which includes for home purchases and refinances, dropped 9.7 percent week-over-week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. Further, weekly applications were 21.5 percent lower than the same week a year ago.Broken out, applications to buy a home dropped 11 per
During September’s REALTOR® Safety Month, be sure to take precautions to protect yourself from physical harm—and to protect both yourself and your clients in today’s digital world, says Marc Gould, vice president of business specialties for the National Association of REALTORS® and executive director of REBAC.Gould warns in a recent column at RISMedia about the threats cybercrime is posing to real estate transactions. An email-based sche
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