“baby boomers are expected to continue to have a major impact on the housing market …” Baby boomers say first impressions count when they enter a new community. They are closely sizing up neighborhood amenities like the pool, clubhouse area, and walking trails. They’re also looking at the location of the community, judging how near […]
“a down payment is often the largest single payment a consumer makes in their lifetime…” Saving for a down payment can pose one of the biggest challenges for potential home buyers. Indeed, “a down payment is often the largest single payment a consumer makes in their lifetime and saving for it isn’t easy,” says Corey […]
“Maintaining a strong credit score is one of the most important things potential buyers can do if they want to qualify for a mortgage” … Maintaining a strong credit score is one of the most important things potential buyers can do if they want to qualify for a mortgage, since credit scores are used by […]
The ability to sign a contract on a home is slightly exceeding expectations this spring even with the affordability stresses and inventory squeezes affecting buyers in a number of markets… Contract signings for home purchases rose for the third consecutive month, with upticks in the South and West regions of the country providing the bulk […]
The Buyers Are Coming … Mortgage rates may have inched up slightly but that didn’t seem to deter home buyers from shopping for a loan last week. Mortgage application volume rose 2.3 percent week-over-week on a seasonally adjusted basis, driven by an uptick in home purchase applications, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports. Mortgage applications are nearly […]
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.57 percent in the most recent week, the lowest average in three years, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. “Disappointing April employment data once again kept a lid on Treasury yields, which have struggled to stay above 1.8 percent since late March,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s […]
4 Factors Boosting The Housing Market This Month … Warmer weather across the country is drawing more people to look at open houses and available homes this month, says Jonathan Smoke, realtor.com®’s chief economist. Here are four current housing market factors that will likely translate into greater sales: 1. Low mortgage rates: Mortgage rates have moved lower […]
How To Buy A Home When You’re In Debt … With mortgage rates remaining near historic lows, many financial experts are making the case that student-loan debt doesn’t have to hold back millennials from buying a home. But the message isn’t getting across: Nearly 70 percent of millennials say they are delaying a real estate […]
Buyer Cheat Sheet For A Seller’s Market … In a seller’s market, home buyers need to be willing and able to act fast to snag the home they want. This spring, areas across the country are facing a limited number of homes for sale. Realtor.com® offers up a cheat sheet for surviving a seller’s market. […]
First-Time Buyers Love These Home Features … Real estate professionals are bullish on the housing market this spring, particularly due to the growing number of first-time home buyers entering the market. In its 2016 Mid-Atlantic Housing Market Survey, MRIS – one of the nation’s largest multiple listing services – found that 57 percent of nearly […]