National News

Real Estate in Brief: Majority of loans made up by first-time buyers, home equity spike and more

Nearly half of all mortgages issued by Freddie Mac are made up by first-time homebuyers in the first quarter of 2018, according to an article from Bloomberg. With a median homebuying age of 32, first-time buyers are anxious to

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Household wealth at all-time high thanks to rising home values

American household wealth is the highest it has ever been at $101 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve 2018 Q1 release, an approximate $1 trillion increase from last quarter. Reports show that the significant increase in household wealth is

Birth rates fall fastest in appreciating areas

Contrary to typical trends, the number of births across the country are dropping despite appreciating housing markets, according to Zillow. Home values are appreciating the fastest they have in 12 years and are projected to rise another 6.5 percent

Millennials are spending less on weddings to buy a home sooner

As June is the peak homebuying month of the year in major metro real estate markets and the beginning of wedding season, trends relating the two have been discovered. Data from OpenListings.com found that couples are ultimately spending less

What Americans want in their dream home

A recent survey by Northshore Fireplace asked 2,000 people to find out exactly what Americans would want in their ultimate dream home. Among those surveyed, the most important component of an American dream home was a view with peace

Mortgage giants want to help ‘gig economy’ workers qualify for home loans

Millennials are finally aging into homebuying, which is one of the reasons why the housing industry is seeing strong sales growth throughout the country. But millennials are also more prone to be members of the “gig economy,” and that

The top neighborhood vibes homebuyers are looking for

Contrary to previous homebuying beliefs, choosing where to live is more than simply choosing the perfect location. According to a recent Ally Homes survey, 88 percent of Americans said that the vibe of a neighborhood is a very important

Real Estate in Brief: Zillow begins Premier Agent program changes, enhanced reverse mortgages available and more

Zillow has just begun the changes to its Premier Agent program after announcing them back in April. Zillow will now have its own representatives screening incoming calls regarding leads. Previously, the process of purchasing leads had its downfalls, including

What factors might be threatening the Fair Housing Act?

When the Fair Housing Act was passed on April 11, 1968, the goal was to both eliminate housing discrimination as well as encourage residential integration. While some progress has been made over the past 50 years, there is still

Cover story: The Fair Housing Act at 50

Before the federal Fair Housing Act could be signed into law on April 11, 1968, political compromises to ensure its passage in the Senate significantly reduced the impact of the legislation. The change eliminated the government’s ability to bring

Active-service homeowners buy sooner than non-military buyers

A recent study by the National Association of Realtors found that there are significant differences between active-service and veteran home buyers and sellers compared to those who have never served. Active-service military members are the youngest group by far

Underwater mortgage rate falls below 10 percent

For the first time since the housing market fell, the share of homeowners who are underwater on their mortgage fell below 10 percent, according to Zillow 2017 Q4 Negative Equity Report. Just 9.1 percent of homeowners owe more than

The outdoor remodeling projects that produce the highest resale value

An outdoor remodeling project is one way homeowners can increase the value of their property, but the return on those projects can vary, according to the National Association of Realtors and National Association of Landscape Professionals’ 2018 Remodeling Report:

Real Estate in Brief: Zillow’s first home purchase, political shifts and more

Zillow Group purchased its first home as a part of the Instant Offers program expansion. The purchase marks Zillow’s transition from its role as a real estate media company to a company that partakes in the direct buying and

How Miami’s real estate market ranks among the top 20 HQ2 city finalists

If Miami were chosen to be the home of Amazon’s HQ2, the demand for housing would skyrocket. Along with the 50,000 jobs that the new headquarters would bring to the city, home prices would increase significantly as people from around

NAR pulls President’s Circle support of Congressman after anti-LGBTQ comments

The National Association of Realtors pulled its endorsement of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) after he made comments saying it was acceptable for people to refuse to sell their homes to gays and lesbians. Wayne Woodyard, a former Orange County

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