Mortgage rates were back down across the board again this week, offering some temporary relief to home buyers. Rates posted a rapid increase throughout most of the spring but have recently reversed course, declining in five of the past six weeks. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now at its lowest average since April.“The run-up in mortgage rates earlier this year represented not just a rise in risk-free borrowing costs, but for investors, the
More real estate transactions are reportedly tying in a “bump clause” to give sellers some assurance that they are receiving the best offer. A bump clause allows sellers to enter into a contract with a buyer but continue to market the property. If the seller then receives a better offer, they can bump the original buyer to get them to waive their contingency or offer more.The bump clauses are usually used when a contingency is involved in the
Homeowners in some affluent neighborhoods across the country are lobbying city and state representatives to fight against noise from overhead planes that fly over their communities since new flight routes were recently implemented. Owners are posting signs in their yards and have even developed technology to make filing complaints as easy as the press of a button.In 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Next Generation Air Transportation
An invention by a 3D printing company may raise the ante for how smart a building can be.NOWlab, a branch of the 3D printing company BigRep, has developed concrete walls that respond to touch. In its model, a slab of 3D-printed concrete with a honeycomb design, three LED lights embedded in the hexagonal holes light up when skin touches the concrete.The design uses capacitive sensors in the concrete to turn the entire wall into a light switch; the
Vacancies are growing in the retail sector after the closings across the country of former toy giant, Toys ‘R’ Us. The retail sector saw its largest quarterly declines since 2009, according to a newly released report by Reis Inc.The amount of occupied retail real estate in 77 major metro areas fell by 3.8 million square feet in the second quarter, Reis reported. Toys ‘R’ Us closures were mostly blamed for driving the national retail vacan
Having a roommate is a growing trend among young adults, according to new research from the National Association of Home Builders. About 7.5 percent of young adults aged 25 to 34 years old shared a house with roommates, housemates, or other nonrelatives in 2016—up from only 4 percent in 1990. In addition, more young adults nowadays are living with their relatives (other than parents)—3 percent in 1990 compared to 5 percent in 2016. More are l
Yelp’s local search and reviews site does not need to remove negative comments posted by a user about businesses or services, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday, in a 4-to-3 decision. The closely watched case in California could have implications nationally.The court ruled that federal law protected internet companies from liability for statements written by others. As such, the decision to remove posts is at the company’s discretion,
A sharp drop in mortgage interest rates last week wasn’t enough to get overall mortgage applications moving. Total mortgage application volume—for refinancing and home purchases—eased 0.5 percent last week on a seasonally adjusted annual basis compared to the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported. Loan volume is now 13.5 percent lower than a year ago.Broken out, refinance applications were down 2 percent for the week and
Californian cities no longer dominate realtor.com®’s top-performing housing markets list as they have for the past six years. Instead, higher home prices may be prompting more home buyers to look elsewhere.Overall, home prices nationwide continued to escalate in June, with the median listing price nationwide at $299,000, a 9 percent year-over-year increase, according to realtor.com®. The higher home prices are prompting more buyers to face af
For green, vibrant grass, it is essential for homeowners to learn about aerating, seeding, and watering their lawns to keep the curb appeal intact, according to realtor.com®’s Lawn Lover’s Guide.“When you don’t give your lawn enough water, it grows with shallow roots,” says Don Botts, the president of Quality All-Care Services in Bonner Springs, Kan. “This can stunt the growth of your grass and make it harder for your lawn to su
This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.
