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Business Outlook Archive
Baby boomers are becoming seniors at a rate of 10,000 per day, 4 million per year. By 2020, 80 million people in the U.S. will be 65 or older. Many will uproot to flee ice storms and frost heaves, move closer to kids and grandkids, or seek gated retirement communities for security and social activities.
It should matter to REALTORS® where boomers choose to live. Seniors commit fewer crimes and drive less, but require more medical facilities, which will increasingly affect municipal and federal spending. A study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University states
Whether the market is good or not, real estate is always a hot topic. People crave real estate information, because it often hits close to home, as well as the pocketbook. Brokers and agents can capitalize on that interest by creating videos
With annual sales of more than $82 billion, international buyers who are interested in purchasing properties in the U.S. provide a tremendous opportunity for brokers and agents looking to expand their business this year.
Housing affordability conditions have reached the highest level since recordkeeping began in 1970, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
NAR's Housing Affordability Index rose to a record high 206.1 in January, based on the relationship between median home price, median family income and average mortgage interest rate. The higher the index, the greater the household purchasing power.
An index of 100 is defined as the point where a median-income household has exactly enough income to qualify for the purchase of a median-priced existing single-family home, assuming a 20 percent downpayment and 25 percent
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently announced a new comprehensive framework for housing finance system reform that would transition Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to a new mortgage securitization system
There’s a new genre of brokers taking the real estate stage, and they are striking the right chords within the industry. These next generation brokers are infusing innovation and vitality into the real estate market and bringing with them
When I ask sales reps to boil down the entire "selling process" into a one word answer, I get a wide variety of interesting responses such as service, education, or consulting. Seldom do I get the answer that I'm expecting to hear: relationship.
Regardless of your industry, at the end of the day you're in the "people business." As the old saying goes, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
The key to making a successful sale is not a transfer of information, but the establishment of a working relationship.
(MCT)—The U.S. housing market disappointed Warren Buffett last year, but he hasn’t given up hope.
Buffett said in his annual shareholder letter, posted this weekend, that he was “dead wrong” when he predicted last year that the rebound in U.S. home prices would begin within a year.
This year, though, he’s betting again that the housing market will recover, and for an interesting reason: hormones.
In the wake of U.S. District Court approval of a class action lawsuit settlement agreement, American Home Shield officials said they were pleased that the court confirmed the compliancy
Rob Barber, CEO of Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR), a leader in property-specific environmental information and risk management solutions, recently announced the launch of the EDR City Directory Image Report.
Pending home sales are on an upward trend, which has been uneven but meaningful since reaching a cyclical low last April, and are well above a year ago, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 2.0 percent to 97.0 in January from a downwardly revised 95.1 in December and is 8.0 percent higher than January 2011 when it was 89.8. The data reflects contracts but not closings.
The January index is the highest since April 2010 when it reached 111.3 as buyers were rushing to take advantage of the home buyer tax credit.
Regional Spotlight—Florida's housing market reported gains in median sales prices and a reduced inventory of homes for sale in January, according to the latest housing data released by Florida REALTORS®.
Regional Spotlight—Not only were central Ohio housing sales up in January, but they showed the highest activity for that month since 2008. The 1,125 sales showed a 6.0 percent increase over January of 2011 according to the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.
Regional Spotlight—Illinois Home sales in January were the strongest for the month since 2007, according to data released today by the Illinois Association of REALTORS®.
Statewide home sales (including single-family homes and condominiums) in January 2012 totaled 6,435 homes sold, up 16.1 percent from 5,543 home sales in January 2011. The statewide median price in January was $122,500, down 9.3 percent from $135,000 in January 2011. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more and half sold for less.
Freddie Mac (OTC:FMCC) recently released its U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for February showing cautious signs of the economy and housing market moving in a positive direction fueled by an environment of low interest rates and more favorable job prospects for Americans. ...
