As home prices heat up across the country, buyers looking to lower their monthly mortgage payment are being lured to adjustable rate mortgages.ARM originations surged over 40 percent in the second quarter compared to the first, according to Inside Mortgage Finance data.ARMs are currently offering lower interest rates than fixed-rate mortgages. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.11 percent last week; a five-year ARM averaged 3.38 per
Lot sizes on new single-family homes have reached a new record low. New homes sold in 2016 had a median lot size of 8,562 square feet, or slightly under one-fifth of an acre.The median lot size fell to under 8,600 square feet in 2015, according to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction data. Lot sizes have continued to shrink since then.Location plays a big role. For example, the median lot size in the New England region is nearly twice as
Squash these issues before they derail the saleAfter months of hard work, a home sale comes down to one make-or-break moment: the final walkthrough. That nail-biting buyer pop-by before closing can either delight or disappoint.Perhaps the last time the buyers visited the house was during the inspection, when they were likely distracted. For others, it may be the first time they’ve seen the house in the flesh, thanks to the incredibly well-conn
Amazon’s announcement that it plans to build a second headquarters in the U.S. has sent cities frantically submitting applications to try to be the chosen second home to the online retailer. Amazon plans to announce the new location next year.The reason cities are in a rush to submit proposals is that Amazon’s new headquarters promises to bring up to 50,000 new workers with an average salary topping $100,000 all over the next 10 to 15 years.
The Securities and Exchange Commission alleges that a type of “cryptocurrency” called REcoin touted for real estate is a fraud and was designed to dupe investors out of money.Cryptocurrency is a “digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security.” The most famous example is Bitcoin, which has been used in real estate transactions.The REcoin Group launched REcoin in July with an "initial coin offering," which is the first of
Mortgage applications to purchase a home and for refinancing barely budged last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. Economists are blaming the stall in loan demand on rising interest rates and rising home prices.Total mortgage application for refinances and home purchases decreased 0.4 percent last week compared to the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the MBA reported. Volume is now 24 percent lower than a year
Cyber security officials are warning Yahoo users to refresh their account passwords immediately and change their security questions and answers. And don’t do it only on Yahoo but also on all of your other accounts that use information similar to your Yahoo account.A 2013 hack of Yahoo accounts potentially stole the information of up to 3 billion users. That is triple the number of users Yahoo had first reported.The company says scammers are now
REALTORS® who give back are earning kudos by the industry for their charitable efforts within their communities and beyond. REALTOR® Magazine announced Wednesday the five winners to its 2017 Good Neighbors program.“It’s amazing how the passion of this year’s Good Neighbor Award winners spurs a ripple effect of generosity among others,” says William E. Brown, National Association of REALTORS® president. “In addition to devoting thousa
Buyers have become wiser, researching important facts not only about the houses they’re interested in but also about the communities where the homes are located. Desare Kohn-Laski, broker-owner of Skye Louis Realty in Coconut Creek, Fla., says it’s essential that real estate professionals show their value by keenly understanding the factors influencing home values in order to help and influence those research-savvy clients.Study these four
A little pen and paper goes a long wayKey Takeaways Sending handwritten notes starts with the people you already know, and what you know about them.You’ve heard about the power that a handwritten note holds for real estate agents — it’s an excellent way to build relationships and keep in touch with your sphere in a meaningful, personal way. And every time you sit down to start writing one, you feel … stuck. Or impatient.With the prolifera
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