Finance - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Rents Post Largest Uptick since COVID-19 Onset

The median rent in the 50 largest metros nationwide increased 2.7% year over year, the largest growth since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a new report from realtor.com®. The nation’s largest tech hubs are seeing some of the biggest rebounds in rental prices as more technology firms announce return-to-the-office plans.The U.S. median rent in April averaged $1,483, the fastest growth since March 2020. Prior to the pan

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Sellers Expect Bidding Wars, Other Perks in Hot Market

Home sellers have big expectations of multiple offers, bidding wars, and high prices when they list their home for sale, according to a new survey from realtor.com® of 657 homeowners planning to sell in the next 12 months. Twenty-four percent of homeowners expect to get more than their asking price, and 29% of sellers plan to ask for more than what they think their home is worth, the survey shows.Home sellers are looking to cash out on the red-h

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Where Property Taxes are Highest

Property taxes can vary considerably based on where you live. Homeowners in some metro areas pay thousands of dollars more per year than owners elsewhere. Home shoppers will want to factor in these added costs when they buy to avoid unexpected tax surprises.For example, the median real estate tax in Las Vegas—the lowest of the 50 largest metros analyzed—is about $7,700 cheaper than in New York, where property taxes are highest, according to a

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More Buyers Paying Cash to Win Bidding Wars

Cash is often king. Buyers who can make an all-cash offer on a home can stand out when competition is tight. Cash purchases tend to pose less risk that a deal will fall through from a low appraisal, have fewer financing hang-ups, and tend to make for faster transactions.All-cash deals comprised 20% of sales over the first two months of this year, up about 5% compared to a year ago, according to a new analysis from realtor.com®. The majority of c

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Demand Surges for Cheapest Homes on the Market

Demand for homes in some of the lowest-cost neighborhoods in the country is surging in the red-hot housing market, prompting neighborhood revitalization projects to spread.U.S. ZIP codes where the median home price is less than $100,000 have posted a 42% jump in home values in the past three years, according to an analysis by CoreLogic and The Wall Street Journal. That’s double the increase in ZIP codes where the median price was between $

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5G Network Availability Becomes Major Selling Point for Homes

Super-fast 5G connection speeds could become a future selling point for homes. Eighty-seven percent of consumers say that a home with access to fifth-generation cellular internet speeds and networks makes the property more valuable, according to a new survey of 1,000 U.S. adults commissioned by Verizon. What’s more, 62% of real estate agents believe that the next year or two will bring more opportunities to advertise home access to a 5G network

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The Biggest Hurdle for Buyers? Winning a Bidding War

Home searches are lengthening as buyers find themselves up against steep competition. Sixty-four percent of buyers who are actively engaged in the homebuying process reported searching for three months or longer without success, according to research from the National Association of Home Builders reflecting first-quarter data.These long-term home searchers increasingly are blaming bidding wars. Forty-five percent of house hunters looking for thre

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REALTORS: 5 Appraisal Topics Every Agent Should Know

Appraisers are an integral part of the real estate sales process. It’s imperative that agents not only understand the fundamentals of the appraisal system but also follow the best practices for communicating with appraisers, especially while navigating today’s market.At an interactive session Thursday called “Ask an Appraiser” during the 2021 virtual REALTORS® Legislative Meetings, panelists shared best tactics for working with appr

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Forecast Bright for Commercial Real Estate in 2021

After one of the swiftest economic declines in history at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. economy has experienced a significant recovery that began in the third quarter of 2020 and is continuing into 2021, experts said on Friday at the Commercial Economic Issues and Trends Forum. The panel discussion during the virtual REALTORS® Legislative Meetings explored the implications of the recovery for commercial real estate, pred

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4 Ways to Reduce Risk Amid Multiple Offers

Across the country, listings are being scooped up so quickly that there’s little inventory accumulation. Contract signings increased 23.3% year over year in March, according to the National Association of REALTORS® Pending Home Sales Index. Buyer demand has indeed created a hot market, but it’s also putting pressure on agents to help their clients compete amid multiple offers.Unfortunately, multiple-offer situations can lead to some bumps in

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