Level of competition is fierce as home hunters who started their search earlier in the year are still trying to purchase. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator that tracks homes sales when a contract is signed however the sale hasn't ... » Learn More about Pending home sales produced tiny gain in November
Home buyers
9 grants and services which will help obtain a first home
Money issues often stand in the way of home-ownership. Market research by rental service Apartment List discovered that 80% of millennial renters want to purchase a home, but the majority say they are unable to afford to. What you may not realize is that many first-time home buyer programs and ... » Learn More about 9 grants and services which will help obtain a first home
Are 5,000-Square-Foot Homes Too Large?
The share of new homes which are 5,000 square feet or larger is dropping. It’s now at its lowest point since 2012, throughout the Great Recession. The percentage has dropped from 3.9% in 2015 to 3.1% in 2016. In absolute terms, that’s 28,000 units reduced to 24,000, respectively, in accordance with ... » Learn More about Are 5,000-Square-Foot Homes Too Large?
90% of US Counties Will Receive FHA Loan Limit Boost
Loan limits are going to be rising in 2018 for loans guaranteed by the FHA. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced on Thursday that it was boosting limits for those loans in more than 3,000 counties. This provides FHA loans consistent with those of Fannie Mae and Freddie ... » Learn More about 90% of US Counties Will Receive FHA Loan Limit Boost
Have to have flood insurance? Procedure could actually become challenging
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is scheduled to expire Friday night if Congress doesn't act, a lapse which may roil real estate markets and inject uncertainty into the lives of homeowners in flood-prone areas. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are eyeing a short lived, two-week extension of ... » Learn More about Have to have flood insurance? Procedure could actually become challenging