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Low-ball Offers Decline In Some Housing Markets
It’s not something that economists routinely track, but it provides a rough sense of what’s happening in local real estate markets. Call it the low-ball index. A year ago, according to researchers at the National Assn. of Realtors, 1 out of 10 members surveyed in a monthly poll complained about low-ball offers on houses listed Read More
It’s Safe To Sell Your Home Again
Given everything they knew about the lackluster housing market, Meghann and Cort Battles didn’t expect much when they listed their four-bedroom home in Centennial, a Denver suburb, for sale in January. So they were taken aback by the onslaught of interest. Meghann, at home on maternity leave with their two sons, juggled 32 showings in Read More
Report Signals Start Of Broad-based Housing Recovery
Could it be that housing has emerged from its funk? While some hard-hit markets still lag, overall, a number of key indicators are pointing in that direction and could confirm “the beginning of a broad-based housing recovery,” according to the latest report from Realtor.com. “We’re seeing some hope,” says Steve Berkowitz, the company’s chief executive Read More
As Home Rents Head Higher, Owning Regains Its Appeal
Climbing rents for apartments are combining with a continued decline in home prices to push once-reluctant home buyers into finally taking the plunge, say economists and real-estate agents, helping what appears to be a good start to the housing industry’s all-important spring selling season. Although increased buying activity from investors and second-home purchasers are also Read More
Elusive Bottom For Home Prices Near, Forecast Says
Improving economic data and government-policy developments have led Bank of America/Merrill Lynch to call for the long-awaited bottom in housing prices this year. The firm tweaked its forecast from November, when it expected home prices to fall 3.5% in 2012. Now, it expects a modest gain of 0.5%, a good sign for the sector that Read More
Homeownership Can Translate Into Tax Savings
Mortgage interest is just the beginning. Owning a home can provide some significant advantages when it’s time to file your federal tax return. From green energy credits to deductions for damage from natural disasters, there are a number of items homeowners may be able to claim that could reduce a tax bill. Most homeowners know Read More
Wealthy Home Buyers Demand Bathrooms; Lots Of Bathrooms
Here’s another way the rich are different: They have more bathrooms. Real estate brokers who cater to the moneyed say their clients typically want homes that have at least two bathrooms for every bedroom. And with spacious tubs, floor lamps, dressing areas and seating, some bathrooms rival bedrooms in size. “The bathroom has become the Read More
As Home Prices Fall Further, Is It Time To Buy?
Nobody wants to catch a falling knife. It is as simple as that. If potential buyers see continued home price erosion, they will stay parked on the sidelines. But as with everything else in this unique and historic housing market, perhaps the usual logic doesn’t apply. “Housing is one of the great investments right now. Read More
Points Lose Favor
With interest rates at or near record lows, many borrowers are seeing little reason to pay points when buying or refinancing a home. Some are even opting for what’s known as “negative points,” agreeing to a slightly higher rate to help pay closing costs. The trend away from points, which buy down the interest rate Read More
What Happens When You Walk Away From Your Home?
It was just last summer that Charlotte Perkins made the hardest decision of her life as she and her husband Jim were caught in the vise of the housing bust. Wanting to downsize their lives as they headed toward retirement, they bought a new house in Mesa, Arizona, before they sold the old one, also Read More
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