National News

2014-homebuilding-market-permits-starts-complections-housing-recovery-2013
Why home remodelers are thinking like real estate brokers in 2019

Homebuilders today are finding their business prospects increasingly pressured by higher costs for materials and skilled labor. Those costs — and financial strain — inevitably trickle down to real estate developers, homebuyers themselves and even the real estate agents

agents-clients-working-office-buyers-sellers-people
December home sales show market headwinds subsiding

The most recent existing home sales report from the National Association of Realtors found sales volumes decline on both a monthly and annual basis in the final weeks of 2018. December home closings touched their lowest annual rate since

Getting buyers off the fence in the new year

With limited inventory and rising interest rates, clients who have been thinking about buying a home in 2019 may feel cautious about jumping in. In fact, Fannie Mae’s most recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index recorded a 12-percentage point decrease in

What agents and their clients should know about moving scams

Agents have a responsibility to do right by their clients in every way possible, but in the complex, lengthy process of buying and selling a home, not everything may be within an agent’s full control. Criminals and con artists

Home listing growth accelerates to near 4-year high

At a key moment for the U.S. housing market, Redfin found more evidence that homebuyers are entering 2019 in perhaps the strongest position in years. The number of homes for sale in the nation’s largest markets grew 4.8 percent

Real Estate in Brief: Opportunity Zone delays, single-family rents and more

New federal tax breaks available to real estate investors and developers under the Opportunity Zone program have already attracted billions of dollars from funds set up to utilize them. But the program’s complex, unfamiliar rules has also generated questions,

Real Estate in Brief: Shutdown studies, interest rate insights and more

The partial shutdown of the federal government is entering its 20th day, and reports of its myriad ripple effects continue to surface. The latest bit of insight from the real estate industry is a Jan. 7 survey by the

gary keller real estate CFPB mortgage lender redfin disruptive trends
Gary Keller returning to Keller Williams as CEO

In an email sent to associates late in the evening Jan. 8, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. announced co-founder Gary W. Keller would return to his role as CEO after having left that same post in 1995 and serving on

Century 21 CEO will step down in March

Century 21 CEO and president Nick Bailey announced this week that he will be leaving the company. The company’s chief growth officer, Michael Miedler, will be tapped for the role of chief executive and president. The transition to new leadership

Real Estate in Brief: Buyer confidence, nonstop flights and more

Economic news was decidedly mixed near the end of 2018, and that trend looks to continue for the housing market. Fannie Mae’s December Home Purchase Sentiment Index, released Jan. 7, adds to that feeling. According to surveys compiled for

Home tech in the spotlight at CES 2019

The long-running consumer tech trade show CES returns to Las Vegas once again this year, hosting some 180,000 people who come to see the latest technology of all kinds. While the four days of CES feature more than 4,500

construction-worker-high-rise-building-builders
How Opportunity Zones could spur housing growth

More than a year after being signed into law, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act remains among the most well-known and hotly debated achievements of President Donald Trump’s administration. As the first tax filing season under the new law

The national view: An interview with NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun

When it comes to getting a clear view of the intersection of real estate and the economy, Lawrence Yun is perfectly suited to the task. The chief economist of the National Association of Realtors recently talked with us to

Real Estate In Brief: Shutdown effects, moving trends and more

The partial shutdown of the federal government continued into its 13th day as the House of Representatives’ new Democratic majority was sworn in Jan. 3. With scarce hope for a quick resolution to the funding lapse, federal agencies continue

Tax reform’s winners (and losers) manifest in luxury real estate

No piece of financial legislation can benefit all players, but it’s clear that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 is having widespread impact on residential real estate across the country. Case in point: Williamson County, Tennessee. The

In reversal, FEMA will fund new NFIP policies during shutdown

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from the original to reflect FEMA’s policy change. The ongoing shutdown of parts of the federal government will have a minimal impact on home sales that require flood insurance, thanks to the

Oops! We could not locate your form.