National News

Airbnb dips its toes into real estate with branded apartments

Airbnb is getting more involved in the real estate industry, as it recently announced its partnership with Newgard, a Florida developer, to create a new residential rental complex called Niido. Located in Kissimmee, Florida, the multifamily building includes 324

The 2017 buyer and seller: Who are they?

With just one month left in the year, it’s clear that the dominant characteristic of the 2017 housing market has been low inventory. While that’s resulted in higher prices and fewer sales overall, one thing is clear: People are

Lennar and CalAtlantic merger creates nation’s largest homebuilder

Lennar and CalAtlantic Group announced a $5.7 billion stock-and-cash deal on Oct. 29 to create the largest homebuilder in the United States. This is the largest homebuilder merger since the financial crisis. With this deal, the companies said it

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U.S. homes shrinking while prices remain the same

Home developers around the country are having to be more resourceful, as the amount of available land in the United States shrinks while builders require higher wages and the price of materials increase. The result, according to a recent

NAR reports increase in buyer, seller confidence

The National Association of Realtors recently released its REALTORS Confidence Index (RCI) to gauge Realtors’ feelings about the overall market, including local real estate market conditions, characteristics of buyers and sellers, and external factors affecting homeownership and sales. Overall, the confidence index

New app to boost agent safety would ‘Forewarn’ of potential risks

House hunters and potential buyers can search for homes all they want, but most still need and want to view a home with an agent. Sometimes the two parties have been in contact throughout the process, and sometimes, the

Past-due mortgages increase after Harvey and Irma

Following the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the amount of non-current mortgages and mortgage delinquencies in Texas and Florida have risen significantly since this past September. Since the storms hit, disaster-afflicted areas have seen a 9 percent spike

Lenders, agents trump online sources as top mortgage influencers

The internet offers scores of tips and resources for finding a mortgage, but according to a recent survey conducted by Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research group, homebuyers feel more comfortable shopping for mortgages with assistance from specialists. According

NAR invests in new e-closing platform

The National Association of Realtors’ investment branch, Second Century Ventures, recently announced its investment in Notarize, an online notarizing service bringing mortgage signings and closings into the 21st century. “As one of the only 13 investments SCV has made

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How many working hours does it take to buy a home?

The ability to own your own home is a dream for most Americans, but depending on which part of the country you live in, that may require more working hours than in other locations. A recent report from How Much

Home sales decline for third consecutive month while prices rise

For third month in a row, there was a decline in home sales in September. However, the average home sale price continues to rise. A recent Redfin report shows that in September, home sales fell by 8.1 percent — the

Rising sea levels pose biggest threat to owners of less-expensive homes

It’s common knowledge that ships and boats can sink, but can you imagine a sunken community? A recent report revealed that $916 billion worth of U.S. homes could end up underwater due to the sea level increasing by just

Single-family rental investors should look in this Houston ZIP code

Single-family rental homes are a great investment choice, but buying property in the right location is key. ATTOM Data Solutions recently put together a list of the top 25 U.S. ZIP codes for investing in single-family rental homes, and a

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Suburban rules: Majority of new homes built in community association

A recent survey shows about six out of every 10 homes built in 2016 were built within homeowner’s or community associations. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) defined homeowner’s associations as “formal legal entities created to maintain common

Predictive analytics preferred over realty AI, says survey

According to a recent survey from Imprev Thought Leadership, two out of three real estate executives favor newer technology such as Predictive Analytics, Marketing Automation, and Big Data for future business, while less than half are willing to invest

Home value perception gap narrows for fourth consecutive month

Although homeowners and appraisers don’t see exactly eye to eye on home values, the gap is narrowing, according to the latest National Quicken Loans Home Price Perception Index (HPPI). According to the September update, appraisers’ valuations were 1.14 percent