Millennials are a huge socio-demographic group of over 83 million people. Many of them want to buy a home but face challenges that their parents did not necessarily have. Homes are more expensive. In most places, home prices rebounded to exceed the pre-2008 economic collapse values. Moreover, home prices continue to go up. The encouraging news is that there is home financing readily available and mortgage interest rates are still reasonable. Even if it is more challenging, the greatest investment that most Americans can make is buying a home. Paying rent is only helping the landlord get rich. … [Read More...]
Last week’s economic reports included readings from Case-Schiller Home Price Indices and National Association of Realtors® data on pending home sales. The Conference Board of the U.S. Senate also released its Consumer Confidence Index. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released. Case-Shiller Reports 0.10 Percent Uptick in National Home Price Index The National Home Price Index issued by Case-Shiller for October reported a year-over-year increase of 3.20 percent in home prices. Case-Shiller’s 20-City Home Price Index reflected … [Read More...]
Commuting for hours in traffic on a daily basis is a waste of resources, time, and money. It is stressful and bad for the environment. The infrastructure in many parts of the United States is falling apart. The roads and highways do not have sufficient capacity to handle the demands of the traffic load that continues to increase each year. Many busy professionals and families are turning to a solution of owning two homes for the convenience of enjoying dual-location living. What Is Dual-Location Living? The most common form of dual-location living is having a home and also owning a vacation … [Read More...]
One of the dreams that many people have is to eventually retire. People work their entire lives and save diligently to be able to enjoy those golden years. When the time finally comes, people need to think about the community that is right for them. With this goal in mind, there are a few common questions that everyone should ask to find their ideal retirement community. Important Questions To Consider Some of the key questions that retirees should be asking include: Do I Want A Communal Setting? Many retirement homes are built in a communal setting. Think about a bunch of condos that open up … [Read More...]
Last week’s economic reports were limited due to the Christmas holiday. New home sales data was released along with a weekly reading on mortgage rates. Census Bureau: New Home Sales Hit Highest Level Since 1999 Mortgage rates below 4.00 percent propelled the highest number of new homes sold since 1999. 719,000 new homes were sold on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis in November. Analysts expected November sales of new homes to reach 740,000 sales based on October’s original reading of 733,000 sales, but this reading was later revised to 710,000 sales. New home sales reported are … [Read More...]
Sellers of homes often make mistakes that are not in their best interests. Here are common mistakes people make when selling a home and how to avoid them. Using Bad Photography Using lousy photos or no photos to promote the property for sale is foolish. Professional photography is not so difficult or expensive that sellers should settle for the use of bad photos. Sometimes all the potential buyers will see is the photos they find online. If the photos are bad or not there at all, then that is the end of their interests. To stimulate interest in a property, it is even better to use a … [Read More...]
