The appraisal can be a stressful process and may threaten to derail transactions. Twenty-one percent of REALTORS® say “appraisal issues” delayed their sales contracts in October, according to the most recent REALTORS® Confidence Index. Appraisal issues led to 13% of contracts being terminated. The appraiser evaluates the home’s lot size, condition (both inside and out), foundation, neighborhood, and any other amenities that add or de
Home prices typically decline when economic activity constricts—but not in 2020. The economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with a booming housing market. Existing-home prices for all housing types jumped 15.5% year over year in October to $313,000, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.Home prices at all market levels are accelerating at the fastest rates in the past six years. The lowest p
The housing markets expected to be the strongest in 2021 are tech hubs with strong job creation, state capitals where home shoppers may get more square footage for their money, and smaller cities with greater affordability, according to a new analysis from realtor.com®.But none of these areas boast the cheapest home prices in the nation. In most of them, buyers will pay more than the national median home price of $348,000, realtor.com® notes.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has extended its foreclosure and real estate owned eviction moratoriums for borrowers with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac-backed mortgages until at least Jan. 31, 2021. The protections were put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.This is the fourth time that the FHFA has extended protections to homeowners. The previous moratoriums were going to expire on Dec. 31.“Extending Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s foreclosu
Nearly half of more than 2,000 Americans recently surveyed by Lendingtree say they plan to move soon to reduce living expenses. Forty-six percent of those respondents say they plan to relocate within the next year.ApartmentGuide.com recently analyzed 250 of the largest metro cities in the U.S. to find out where the cost of living is going down. Researchers factored in groceries, housing, utilities, transportation costs, healthcare, and
Many homeowners have spruced up their homes during the pandemic. But major remodeling upgrades could result in homeowners needing to update their insurance, too. Otherwise, the home may be under-insured if a disaster ever strikes.“Remodeling your home can lead to higher insurance rates, since a home remodel often increases the rebuild cost of a home,” a new report from QuoteWizard.com states. “Your dwelling coverage limit should match the r
Mortgage rates are on a continuing streak of record lows. For the fourteenth time this year, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged its lowest on record: 2.71%, Freddie Mac reports. The previous record low of 2.72% was set just last month.Could home buyers be starting to take the low rates for granted?“Despite persistently low mortgage rates, home sales have hit a wall,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While home b
The Federal Housing Administration announced on Wednesday that it would be raising its loan limits in the new year to keep pace with climbing home prices.The FHA national loan limit, or floor, will increase from $331,760 to $356,362 for single-family home loans, marking about a $25,000 increase over 2020’s limits. The FHA’s loan limit is set at 65% of the national conforming loan limit of $548,250.In about 65 high-cost areas of the country, t
Buying a home in a small town isn’t necessarily cheaper than purchasing in a big city. Sometimes, small-town living can come with the higher price tag, according to a new study from LendingTree.The online lending marketplace recently analyzed 50 towns with populations under 50,000 that had the most expensive median home values. Researchers then ranked the towns based on where home values were the highest. They also compared home values in these
Home shoppers are taking advantage of some discounts occurring in the condo market, fueling the sector’s recovery since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.Many home buyers have been drawn to upsizing during the pandemic, heading to the suburbs in favor of larger single-family homes with greater privacy. But as single-family home prices soar, some buyers are being priced out and drawn back to condos for their affordability. The average single-fa
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