National News

Real estate in brief: Flipping, remodeling and more

Ridesharing and house flipping: A perfect pair? Houses suitable for a flip can be in short supply these days, but services are sprouting up to find them using a unique business model. In a recent article, The Wall Street

3 indicators leading you into the summer market

It’s clear we’re in a transitional real estate market at the moment, but the destination isn’t quite as obvious. While this year has been notoriously difficult to predict in terms of home sales, there are three indicators that can

The view from D.C.: Top takeaways from NAR’s ‘Midyear’

While much of the buzz around the National Association of Realtors’ Legislative Meetings revolved around the fact that President Donald Trump would be the first sitting president to accept the organization’s invitation to address members in their annual pilgrimage

Real estate in brief: Tariffs hit remodeling, explaining REOs and more

Tariffs cause growing concern in remodeling industry The escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China continues to make headlines. While the actual effects of the new tariffs introduced by both countries are myriad, they are having a discernible

Real Estate in Brief: Trump at NAR, Redfin-RE/MAX split and more

President Trump to speak at NAR conference The National Association of Realtors announced in a May 12 press release that President Donald Trump would address attendees of its Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C. this week. While

Redfin unveils latest move against buyer agent commissions

Redfin has been testing a pilot program that will allow homebuyers to make offers on homes listed on its platform without an agent representing them. The program, dubbed Redfin Direct, has been in testing phases in the Boston market

Boosting the middle class through smarter housing policy

The American middle class is considered a crucial demographic in the political, economic and social sense. But defining who, or what, is middle-class has never been easy for experts or ordinary people. Most Americans consider themselves middle-class, even if

Survey: Home sellers are confident, but need agents’ help

It turns out that sellers may need you more than you might realize. A new survey by SOLD.com found that 94 percent of home sellers are confident about selling their home, yet over half are unfamiliar with the options

Builders bullish on 55+ market, but labor shortages loom

Industry confidence in the single-family housing market for older adults reached an all-time high last quarter. The National Association of Home Builders’ 55+ Housing Market Index continued its recent incline with a reading of 72, up six points from

Real Estate in Brief: Cooler prices, association hires and more

Redfin sees first annual home price decrease since 2012 While most national indicators have shown home price growth falling over the last several months, Redfin is the first to report that price increases have hit negative territory. In its

Price growth slows as pending sales pick up nationally

After the release of the Case-Shiller Index and the National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales report, it seems like the spring market is finally ready to take off. The CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index reported a 4 percent annual gain

Real Estate in Brief: FHFA plans, new-home sales and more

New FHFA director discusses plans for mortgage market Earlier this month, the Senate confirmed Mark Calabria as the new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The FHFA oversees government-owned mortgage insurers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which together

Keller Williams plans its own iBuyer service

Since Opendoor unveiled its instant-offer home listing service in 2014, other companies have been working to develop versions of the service that’s come to be dubbed iBuying. Most recently, Keller Williams announced the opening of its own iBuyer program, Keller

Why Americans aren’t moving as much

Residential migration and mobility, both interstate and domestic, has been declining steadily for a few years now. About 10 percent of Americans on average moved out of state, in the last five years. But between the 1940s through the

Home sales fall back to earth in March

After a strong nationwide rebound in February’s home sales figures, purchase activity resumed its downward trajectory in March. According to the National Association of Realtors’ existing-home sales report released April 22, completed transactions fell 4.9 percent between February and

Real Estate In Brief: Opportunity Zone rules, purchase activity and more

Updates on Opportunity Zone rules, tax breaks The Treasury Department released a document April 17 offering the first detailed look into regulations it is proposing around the new Opportunity Zones program. Announced as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts

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