Homeowners care about the entertainment value a backyard offers, and they’re devoting money to sprucing these spaces up, according to the latest Houzz Landscaping Survey, based on responses by more than 750 homeowners who are either in the middle of a landscaping project or planning one.Homeowners are investing in several landscaping projects to make their outdoor areas more livable, such as adding more seating with lounge furniture, dining fur
Homeowners in many markets are getting a strong realistic view of home prices in their markets. Appraised values were, on average, just 0.36 percent lower than what homeowners expected in March, according to Quicken Loans’ National Home Price Perception Index. Further, more than 80 percent of the metro areas analyzed showed appraisals at, or higher than, the owner’s estimates.“This month’s HPPI is great news for homeowners who may be thin
Real estate professional Laura Lucky was showing a home to a couple in Scottsdale, Ariz., when they drove up on a sight taken straight from the Wild West: a hungry bobcat versus an undeterred rattlesnake along the road.Lucky began recording the snake as it took a bite out of the bobcat. The two fought for several minutes. She posted her video on social media. As of Thursday, the video had nearly 1 million views.“The rattlesnake had come up and
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The multifamily sector has seen a frenzy of apartment construction over the last decade, but it’s single-family homes that were the fastest growing type of rental between 2007 and 2016, according to a new study by RentCafe. Over the last decade, single-family rentals rose by 31 percent, while the multifamily sector grew by 14 percent. In net gain, the growth makes up 3.6 million units versus 3.2 million units added, respectively.Single-family r
The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that total mortgage application volume for refinancings and home purchases dropped 1.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to the previous week. Volume is now 5.5 percent lower than a year ago.Refinancings were the cause of most of that drop. The share of refinancing applications fell to the lowest level in a decade, and applications are now nearly 13 percent lower than a year ago, according t
About one in five conventional mortgage loans issued this winter went to borrowers who spent more than 45 percent of their monthly incomes on their mortgage payment and other debts. This is the highest proportion since the housing crisis, according to CoreLogic, a real estate data firm. Further, that is nearly triple the proportion of such loans issued in 2016 and the first half of 2017.Real estate professionals told WSJ that they are concerned a
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a tax on steel and aluminum from China and other countries. Both sides have threatened to impose tariffs on multiple products. In reaction, the stock market has been volatile. But will the trade disputes leave Chinese buyers skittish about U.S. real estate?“At this point, most Chinese buyers are cautiously optimistic,” Carrie Law, CEO of Juwai.com, a Chinese international real estate website, to
A jury in California ruled that a Coldwell Banker real estate agent did not breach his fiduciary duty in a case involving discrepancies in a home’s reported square footage. The case stems from a dispute that arose after Hong Kong millionaire Hiroshi Horiike purchased a Malibu mansion for $12.25 million in cash in 2007. Chris Cortazzo, the listing agent, provided Horiike with a flier that stated the home had 15,000 square feet of living space
Austin, Texas, ranked number one for the second year in a row as the top place to live in the United States, according to new rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine ranks the 125 largest metros based on affordability, employment prospects, and quality of life each year.“When deciding on a place to settle down, it’s important to understand that where a person lives can impact their well-being,” says Kim Castro, execu
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