Mortgage applications for refinancings and home purchases remained elevated last week as mortgage rates continued to give consumers incentive to make a move."Both the 10-year Treasury yield and the 30-year conventional mortgage fixed rate held steady last week, keeping rates well below the recent highs," says Lynn Fisher, the Mortgage Bankers Association's vice president of research and economics. "The recent pause in the upward movement of inter
Net-zero construction is growing rapidly: In 2016, 33 percent more net-zero units were built across the United States and Canada than in the previous year. In total, that's 8,023 new single-family and multifamily net-zero units added to the pipeline in one year.Net-zero homes are structures that produce at least as much energy as they consume. More builders are experimenting with net-zero construction; prominent examples include a big suburban de
The majority of Americans and Canadians say their nations are not doing enough to address and solve affordable housing needs, according to the Habitat for Humanity’s Affordable Housing Survey. Escalating costs remain a top barrier preventing families from accessing decent homes with affordable mortgages, the survey says.“In many ways, housing is an invisible crisis,” says Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “T
Home prices are surging in most of the country, but in a few select cities home shoppers may find affordability headed slightly in their favor. GOBankingRates analyzed the 250 largest U.S. cities by population to determine where home prices are dropping the most. Nine major cities saw prices drop by $5,000 or more year over year.1. Sugar Land, Texas April 2016 median list price: $415,495 April 2017 median list price: $399,500 Year-over-year chan
RentHop, an online rental listing platform, conducted a study that unveiled the most common rental scams and how to avoid them. Property managers and agents who work with renters should pass these warning signs and tips on to their clients. Money wiring: If potential renters are ever asked to wire funds via Western Union or Money Gram or through an “escrow service” before they’ve even seen the property, then the apartment probably doesn't e
Engage your audience with a mix of personal and helpful contentWhen was the last time you checked your Facebook feed?If it’s been more than a few minutes, you’re one of the few who can resist the allure. Real estate agents live on Facebook, and it makes perfect sense. That’s where their sphere is. And that’s where they can make new connections quickly and inexpensively.But posting on Facebook is another thing. It’s tricky to strike the
Fannie Mae, the largest source of mortgage funds in the U.S., made changes last month to its underwriting requirements that aim to make it easier for home buyers with college debt to qualify for financing.The company is no longer factoring in debt that’s being paid by someone else when calculating a loan applicant’s debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. If loan applicants are getting their car payments or student debts taken care of by someone else, f
A butler’s pantry could be a strong selling point for your listing. These spaces are often used as staging areas for meal prep and typically include a countertop and cabinets for storing tableware, dishes, serving pieces, and other items. More upscale butler’s pantries may include a dishwasher, small refrigerator, or sink.Reba Haas, a real estate professional with RE/MAX Metro Realty in Seattle, says buyers are drawn to the accessibility of
The paint on the wall may soon be a source of energy for a home. Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, say “solar paint” will be available to homeowners in the next few years.It’s a sunlight-absorbing paint developed by RMIT researchers that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air. Even a brick wall could potentially be turned into an energy-harvesting form of real estate, says lead researcher Torben Daene
Coliving arrangements—which, in essence, are adult dorms or micro apartments that incorporate a social element—are soaring in popularity, and more developers are designing units to better accommodate and provide social interaction for strangers who choose to move in together as rental costs surge.Property Markets Group, an apartment developer in New York City, Miami, and Chicago, says it has built one of its first rental apartment buildings
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