REAL ESTATE BLOG

Follow these five tips to prepare your property’s trees for the cooler months ahead. By Katie Dubow, president of Garden Media Group In many areas of the country, the weather has cooled and the leaves have fallen, and the trees are now bare. Tree experts say now is the perfect time to go outside and check the health of a property’s trees. “Think of winterizing as preparation for spring,” says David Horvath, sales arborist in Chicago for the Davey Tree...

A new study identifies the improvement projects homeowners prioritize based on how old their home is. By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey A home’s age may influence the type of renovation projects the owner prioritizes, according to the 2022 Houzz & Home Renovations By Age(link is external) study. Houzz researchers analyzed the renovation activity of more than 70,000 respondents to understand the types of projects that typically arise when a home reaches a certain...

By: Michael Hyman At the national level, housing affordability fell in September compared to the previous month, according to NAR's Housing Affordability Index. Compared to the prior month, the monthly mortgage payment increased by 8.0% while the median family income increased by 0.6%, making home buying less affordable in September. The monthly mortgage payment increased by $142 from last month. Compared to one year ago, affordability fell in September as the monthly...

By: Emily Swenson These titles will inspire your business no matter where you are in your career. © Fotografía de eLuVe - Moment/Getty Images So many books—and audiobooks, podcasts, TV shows, streaming services, Tik Tok videos, etc.—so little time. In a world with overwhelming options, sometimes you just need someone to tell you what to read. Have no fear, your librarian is here! The National Association of REALTORS® is home to the...

By: Graham Wood © Dimitris66 - E+/Getty Images We asked our readers about their scariest experiences in real estate, and the horrifying stories poured in. We shared a few of the most frightening, but we can’t get enough. Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, and to stay in the “spirit” as long as we can, we’ve decided to bring you more of your fellow practitioners’ freakiest moments on the job. This batch of tales is more...

By: Graham Wood © Westend61 - Getty Images It’s the witching month once again, and as Halloween approaches, now’s the time to tell tales of ghosts, goblins, and ghouls. But some scary stories aren’t fake — and real estate professionals have some of the creepiest real-life anecdotes. Anything can happen when you’re out in the field, and we’ve heard horrifying tales of vacant properties where “someone’s...

By: Lawrence Yun Housing starts weakened in September, driven by insufficient single-family home construction and multifamily apartment building. Single-family units fell by 4.7%, and multifamily units by 13.2%. It is understandable for homebuilders to be cautious in light of slowing home sales and some recent private sector data that indicates softening lease signings for new apartments. Nonetheless, the latest monthly annualized rate of 1.44 million is lower than the historical...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey Every year, there are new and evolving home design fads that should “scare” you to death. Last year, there were moss-covered accent walls (gasp!), acrylic furniture (shriek!), and Tuscan-style kitchens (yelp!). This year, it’s the “cloffice”—a pandemic-era closet-turned-office—and many others. With Halloween around the corner, Styled Staged & Sold presents its annual countdown of the top 10 home trends...

By: Catherine Mesick Location scout and manager Jamie Vesay hunts for real-world settings to help filmmakers bring their creative visions to life. Photo courtesy of Jamie Vesay. Location work for “Downsizing.” Top: the scouting photo. Bottom: the movie set. You may not realize it—but you’ve probably seen Jamie Vesay’s work.  Perhaps you watched as Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig’s characters Paul and Audrey Safranek toured an...

By: Meredith Dunn, Sidnee Holmes Last month, NAR Research released the 2022 REALTORS® and Sustainability: Commercial report, which presents information regarding sustainability issues facing the industry as reported by our members. For example, a majority of agents and brokers (71%) said that energy efficiency promotion in listings was very or somewhat valuable. I spoke with my colleague Sidnee Holmes, Research Associate, about the 2022 report's essential...

By: Michael Hyman NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity this August fell modestly (0.4%) from July 2022. August's existing-home sales reached a 4.80 million seasonally adjusted annual rates. August's sales of existing homes declined 19.9% from August 2021. August's sales represent the seventh consecutive month of declines, and sales were the weakest since May 2020. The national median existing-home price for...

By: Maddie Love The City of Lebanon, Indiana, is in the midst of growth and change. With the help of a $1,500 Placemaking Grant from the National Association of REALTORS®, the MIBOR REALTOR® Association and the Heart of Lebanon Main Street organization used color as a catalyst for growth and change in areas of art, culture, and inclusivity in their community. Elements of color were injected into the downtown area through the celebration of the metamorphosis of a butterfly....

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey Home improvement projects don’t have to include knocking down walls or high-priced upgrades. There are several simple, affordable DIY home improvement projects that can give a home an entirely new feeling, says Amber Shay, national vice president of Design Studios at Meritage Homes. Shay offers up her tips for giving a home a fresh update without breaking the bank. Create a Spa-Like Bathroom  Most homeowners consider a primary bath as...

By: Dan Weisman For over half a century there have been major strides in increasing housing through government support and private investment in communities, all with the goal of providing opportunities for people to have decent, safe and affordable housing. The location of one’s home has direct and indirect implications when it comes to health, education, job access, transportation, stability, and the opportunity for individuals and families to prosper.  Technology...

By: Michael Hyman NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity this July fell 5.9% from June 2022. July's existing-home sales reached 4.81 million at seasonally adjusted annual rates. July's sales of existing homes declined 20.2% from July 2021. July's sales represent the sixth consecutive month of decline. The national median existing-home price for all housing types reached $403,800 in June, up 10.8% from a year...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey Photo credit: Getty Images Indoor-outdoor spaces have become a staple in home design as more people look to enjoy the outside. By paying attention to the design, you can create a natural flow between the interior and exterior of a house. It’ll feel like you added more square footage and extra spots for lounging and entertaining. Manuel Munoz, a production designer at Living Spaces, offers a few ideas for achieving the right...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey First impressions matter and the outside of a home has become a key area to spotlight to make sure a property gets noticed. The startup Dzinly offers virtual exterior renderings done by designers that give homeowners ideas of the possibilities before they commit to a pricey remodel. Matt Mosher, the founder of Dzinly, offers the following tips on sprucing up the outside of the home as well as some before and after virtual renderings to show...

By: Dave Conroy As the world continues to move increasingly toward digital, other industries are beginning to recognize the potential use cases of blockchain-powered digital assets like NFTs (nonfungible tokens), but will it pass the proof-of-concept phase and have an impact on global real estate transactions? Blockchain in Action While this technology can be difficult to understand, blockchain is an independent, verifiable, and trustworthy record of events or transactions....

Written by: Alex Lange, Vice President, Strategy and Innovation The word “metaverse” has entered common usage, inspiring a lively debate about what it represents, whether it’s already here and who will own it. Yet, there’s still not one accepted definition. As we understand, the metaverse is an interactive, hyper-realistic environment that allows us to immerse ourselves in the digital world. It’s a combination of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR),...

By: Dan Weisman 5G is expected to have a major impact on the way we live, where we live, and how we operate our businesses in real estate. With increased speeds, lower latency, and broader access, 5G will change the connectivity landscape. 5G will lead to the development of innovative technology that will power our future and increase our ability to effectively interact as a society. The Evolution of 5G The next generation of wireless internet, 5G, is in full swing. Verizon,...

by NAR Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun Consumer price inflation is the highest in over 40 years and showed no sign of slowing down in June. It rose by 9.1% and is accelerating. The annualized inflation rate (one month change multiplied by 12 months) was an eye-popping 17%. The Fed may be forced to raise interest rates even more aggressively than planned, even with a rising possibility of a recession on the horizon. The mortgage market had already factored in several additional rounds of the...

Home stager Annie Carolin stayed true to this 4,753-square-foot home’s architecture when getting it ready for the market. Annie Carolin, a Los Angeles home stager with Pride of Place Design(link is external) who works with the real estate brokerage Brock + Lori,(link is external) remodeled a $3.5 million home into a buyer’s dream. About the house: A 4,753-square-foot, three-story home perched above the Silver Lake reservoir in Los Angeles. The five-bedroom,...

By: Nadia Evangelou Mortgage rates fell this week. It appears that rates have already accounted for some of the effects of the Fed's tightening policy. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 5.7% from 5.81% the previous week. Although rates are significantly higher than last year, they are still historically low, remaining below 6%. As the second quarter draws to a close, the housing market has cooled. Nearly 12,000 fewer homes were sold during...

Emerging technologies can make aging in place a safer and more viable option for older adults By: Nadia Evangelou Major changes in the demographic profile of the United States are underway, and these changes are expected to accelerate in the next several decades. The number of households aged 65 and older increased by 38% between 2010 and 2020. In contrast, households aged below 65 rose by just 1%. Meanwhile, in less than a decade, the year 2030 will mark a demographic turning...

By: Lawrence Yun Today's announcement by the Federal Reserve set a big increase in interest rates and means several more rounds of rate hikes are on the way in upcoming months. So far, the short-term fed funds rate that the Fed directly controls has risen by 175 basis points. But the 30-year fixed rate mortgage has risen even more – by nearly 300 basis points. On the same $300,000 mortgage, the monthly payment has risen from $1265 in December to $1800 today. That's...

"Old" is becoming "new" again in home design. By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey The grandmillennial style—also known as “granny chic”—is resurrecting grandma’s living room, bringing back wallpaper, antiques, and lots of florals. The look of the familiar and cozy has grown popular among homeowners in recent years and is becoming even more prevalent in 2022. Trends from years past are re-emerging but often with a more modern spin and...

By: Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton Single-family existing-home prices rose at a faster pace of 20.6% in the three months ending in March, according to the Case-Shiller index. The latest data shows prices continued to heat up over the 3-month period even as mortgage rates started to rise to, and over, 4% in March. This torrid pace of appreciation reflects the tight inventory conditions seen during the period in January–February 2022 when single-family homes for sale hit their...

There’s an old saying, “if you like sausages and laws, you better not watch how they are made.” Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see how something else is made, something more like laws than sausages, but unlike either, it didn’t make me want to look away.  On the contrary, it was worthwhile to see. I had an opportunity to attend an “Existing Housing Needs Expert Panel” hosted by the Southern California Association of...

Find tips on how to style the curvier shapes that are growing more popular in home design. May 16, 2022 Design Trends There’s no denying that the curved sofa trend is having a moment. But why are curved couches and chairs suddenly all the rage? And, how do you best style them for the biggest impact? Top interior designers offer their tips. Brittany Farinas, House of One,(link is external) Miami What’s behind the hype: Curved sofas “are part of...

By: Nadia Evangelou After last week's surge, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose slightly to 5.30% from 5.27% the previous week. Unyielding inflation and the Fed's tightening policy seem to be the main drivers of today's mortgage rates. Although inflation eased in April, it continues to rise faster than expected. In the meantime, inflation is affecting not only prices at the pump and in grocery stores, but it has also spread to housing as well. Both owning and...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey Variations of green are a hot color trend, including for dressing up the living room. More than half of interior designers chose sage as the most popular living room paint color for 2022, according to a survey from Fixr,(link is external) a home improvement website. Sage can serve as a background color to enhance wood furniture and floors, and it can work in harmony with many other shades in a room, including blue, yellow, or gold, designers...

By: Michael Hyman NAR released a summary of pending home sales data showing that March’s pending home sales pace decreased 1.2% last month and dropped 8.2% from a year ago. Pending sales represent homes that have a signed contract to purchase them but have yet to close. They tend to lead Existing Home Sales data by 1 to 2 months. All of the four regions showed declines from a year ago. The South had the largest dip of 9.5% followed by the Northeast with a drop in...

By: Michael Hyman NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity this March weakened 2.7% from February 2022. March's existing-home sales reached a 5.77 million seasonally adjusted annual rates. March's sales of existing homes declined 4.5 % from March 2021. The national median existing-home price for all housing types reached its highest point, at $375,300, in March, up 15% from a year ago. Home prices have continued to...

It’s a hot decor trend, and using it in small but bold ways can elevate a home’s style. It's no secret that wallpaper is having a comeback. Although the powder room remains the top spot for this decor element, designers continue to push boundaries and incorporate wallpaper in bold and unexpected ways throughout the home. That being said, we've caught up with top interior designers to ask them to share their favorite wallpaper trends. Go Bold in...

By: Catherine Mesick From the 1870s to the 1970s, a bustling African American business district flourished in the town of Orange, Va. The southeastern quadrant of Orange was home to a variety of successful Black-owned businesses, including retail establishments, entertainment venues, and service-related businesses, such as a taxi service and a barbershop. The neighborhood was also an area where Black residents lived and worshipped, building churches and homes, and creating a...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey The most popular kitchen backsplash in 2022 is slab—which can make the wall seem like a vertical extension of your countertop, according to designers recently surveyed by Fixr, a home improvement website. The site recently released its “2022 Backsplash Trends(link is external)” report. These slab backsplashes may be an extension of a marble or quartz countertop. It creates a cohesive look in the kitchen. Also, since the backsplash...

By: Nadia Evangelou Mortgage rates continued their upward trek. Specifically, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate surged to 4.42% from 4.16% the previous week. Elevated inflation and the Federal Reserve's tightening policy pushed up mortgage rates. Since the beginning of the year, rates have already increased by 1.2%. As a result, the typical home buyer needs to spend $250 more every month to be able to purchase a home. Impact of higher rates on home sales Both new and...

By: Anne-Marie Siudzinski How do you pull together a disparate group of individuals and get the best from your team? In his book The High-Performing Real Estate Team,(link is external) Brian Icenhower, a real estate coach and CEO of Icenhower Coaching & Consulting (ICC),(link is external) discusses five actions to provide team growth: Establish a viral goal, focus on activities first,  cultivate personal responsibility through public...

Pantone chose periwinkle blue—a shade the company is calling “Very Peri”—as its 2022 Color of the Year, while several other paint firms favor green: Sherwin-Williams: “Evergreen Fog” Benjamin Moore: “October Mist” Glidden: “Guacamole” PPG: “Olive Sprig” How are these colors showing up in home design this year? Interior designers offered their opinions on what’s hot and how to pair 2022 colors...

By: Audra Slinkey Kitchen remodeling is surging in popularity, and the Home Staging Resource’s(link is external) January “Best of the Best” winners are showcasing plenty of amazing kitchen transformations. The staging examples(link is external) from our recent winners demonstrate the scale of projects they’re taking on, from simple decluttering to full kitchen remodels. View their kitchen makeovers. Dated Tuscan to Total...

By: Nadia Evangelou Following the trend of the 10-year Treasury yield, mortgage rates dropped slightly this week. Specifically, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 3.89% from 3.92% the previous week. However, due to expectations of even higher inflation, mortgage rates will continue their upward trek. Although mortgage rates are still historically low, rising mortgage rates may impact affordability, especially for first-time homebuyers in minority groups. Comparing housing...

 Melissa Dittmann Tracey Each year paint firms offer up their top pick for the color of the year that will freshen up interiors and exteriors. The overwhelming favorite hue for 2022: Green—all shades of it. Besides the greens, some paint firms chose bold color pops to add more memorable marks on an interior. Check out the Styled, Staged & Sold blog’s round up of the 2022 Colors of the Year from the various paint firms. Breezeway: Behr A silvery...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey The foyer is the first room inside the house that people see as they enter. So, make a statement. Hillary Stamm with HMS Interiors(link is external) and Jessica Nicastro with Jessica Nicastro Design(link is external) show off how to make a great first impression that welcomes guests with a few unique touches in the foyer. Hillary Stamm is the owner of HMS Interiors, a full-service design firm based in Manhattan Beach, Calif....

By: Nadia Evangelou "Mortgage rates remained unchanged from the previous week at 3.55%. Following the trend of the 10-year Treasury yield, rates took a pause from their recent rally. While January's job data will be weak, the market is already prepared to see slower employment growth due to the omicron effect. As a result, rates were relatively flat over the last couple of weeks. Meanwhile, since mortgage rates are still near historic lows, many people are rushing to...

By: Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton   The fraction of buyers who are waiving appraisal and inspection contract contingencies has been trending downwards in recent months, according to NAR’s December 2021 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey, a survey of REALTOR® transactions. In the December survey, 19% of buyers waived the inspection contract contingency, down from a peak of 27% in July 2021, while 21% of buyers waived...

By: Marlo Paventi Dilts   Written by Marlo Paventi Dilts, Senior Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs, Long Island Board of REALTORS® COVID-19 showed us that we needed to think fast about how we can gather in a way that is safe and takes into consideration open-air concepts and physical distance – and, for us,  parklets were the answer! In collaboration with Street Plans, the Rockaway Brewing...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   Are you maximizing your outdoor space? Outdoor rooms are becoming a prime entertainment and relaxation spot, no matter the season. Firepits and patio heaters help to extend the time homeowners can enjoy these areas throughout the year.   Home remodeling site Houzz highlighted “outdoor living rooms that look like indoor rooms” as one of the top home trends to watch in 2022. Houzz...

    By: Catherine Mesick   Lisa and Michel Zujar, a married couple from Richmond, Va., sit side by side and exclaim over the colorful, hand-drawn illustrations that have just been presented to them. Created for a book they had self-published, the original images had been lost for years. The Zujars are guests on the second season of the Emmy-nominated(link is external) PBS series, “Legacy List with...

By: Holly Moskerintz   It’s a new year and it’s time to think about what you can do to make your community a better place to live and to reflect back on how REALTORS® did just that. “REALTORS® don’t only sell homes; they sell neighborhoods and communities. REALTORS® aid in improving and revitalizing neighborhoods with smart growth initiatives, helping create walkable, urban centers,...

By: Michael Hyman   NAR released a summary of existing-home sales data showing that housing market activity this November increased 1.9% from October 2021, the third consecutive month of increase. November’s existing-home sales reached a 6.46 million seasonally adjusted annual rates. November’s sales of existing homes declined 2.2% from November 2020, reflecting the off-season bump in sales in the second half of 2020 as...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   During the holidays, the dining room often becomes a showpiece when entertaining family and friends. Top designers from across the country show off their favorite looks and offer up tips for spotlighting this entertainment space in a glamorous way. Painted Walls Mary Patton of Mary Patton Design(link is external) loves incorporating head-turning wall color, dramatic drapery, and unique...

Credit to the creator of this article. Festive holiday decor doesn’t have to be limited to the traditional red-and-green motif. In fact, the latest trends trade in the traditional holiday accents for more subtle decor that blends into a home’s existing style. Here are a few trending holiday looks this year: 1. Metallics with blue. Metallics continue to be a huge holiday decorating trend. Silver and gold are popular colors for shiny ornaments and accessories....

By Dave Adams, BDI Furniture The home office is one of the most coveted spaces in a home. Find out what styles are trending for this room or how to create one when square footage is tight. 1. Home buyers are looking for homes with dedicated office spaces. Photo courtesy: BDI Furniture With the housing market exploding, many homebuyers who work remotely need a dedicated office space. Home offices are no longer an afterthought; it’s now essential, and you should pay...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   Photo credit: Center of It All, Centerofitalldesigns.com A home stager may ask that owners remove festive decor when listing a home during the holidays. But such displays are being used to accentuate a home’s best features, conjure up warm and cozy vibes, or even draw attention to a structural element in the home. Get inspired with some holiday decorations from the design work...

By: Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton   Apartment demand is soaring at a decade-high level, while office vacancy rates have spiked, and hybrid working-from-home situations are emerging to be the new normal. This has prompted the question of converting vacant office buildings into housing, particularly multifamily rental housing or owner-occupied condominiums. NAR's latest study―Analysis and Case Studies on Office-to-Housing...

By: Audra Slinkey   Fall is in the air, and it’s a great time to get some inspiration for making your listings cozier. The Home Staging Resource’s monthly “Best of the Best” program recognizes top designs from its members, and October’s honorees are noted for using earthy, nature-inspired colors and textured fabrics. Take some pointers from their designs and apply them to your own listing. Wallpaper...

By: Nadia Evangelou   According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 3.09% from 3.14%. This is good news for homebuyers and homeowners who want to refinance. Although mortgage rates dropped this week, expect rates to rise in the following months due to the Fed's policies and persistently elevated inflation. Starting later this month, the Fed will slowly reduce its monthly bond purchases. This strategy is...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   Home trends come and go, but designers hope some will vanish faster. At the Styled, Staged & Sold blog, we compile an annual list of the “scariest” home design fads. This year, we’re highlighting trends that may start to make a property look dated. Here’s what’s giving home designers the frights. 10. Sliding Barn Doors As the farmhouse style loses traction, barn...

Bathroom renovations are among the most valuable home improvement projects your clients can undertake. A mid-range bathroom remodel can return up to 57% of the investment at the time of resale, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2019 Remodeling Impact Report. REALTORS® also cites remodeled bathrooms as one of the top-selling points to home buyers. Interior designers and bathroom renovation experts offer their best tips and tricks for creating a bathroom...

By: Dale Meller   Written by Dale Meller, Association Executive, Beaver Creek Area Association of REALTORS® In the Fall of 2019, I approached Lisbon, Ohio Mayor Roger Gallo to present a copy of "On Common Ground" and discuss how the Beaver Creek Area Association of REALTORS® (BCAAR) might serve the community. Not long after that visit, Village Councilman (and now Mayor) Peter Wilson contacted me to follow up....

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   Make a bold statement with just one wall. The accent or statement wall is coming back as a home trend in 2021, says Brian Santos, director of education for Fresh Coat Painters, a nationwide painting firm, who are also known as the “Wall Wizard.” Statement walls also pay homage to another hot trend emerging in home design: the influence of the “Roaring Twenties.” Santos says...

By: Nadia Evangelou   Mortgage rates rose sharply this week following the trend of the 10-year Treasury yield. Specifically, according to the finance mortgage provider Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 3.01% from 2.88% the previous week. While rates were below 3% for the last nearly four months, it seems that rates at the 2% range are likely over. Inflation has risen above the 2% target since April....

By: Audra Slinkey   Get inspired for your own listings with the Home Staging Resource’s(link is external) “Best of the Best” awards, recognizing home stagers for their designs. The before and after photos(link is external) from August entries on HSR’s Facebook Group, Stagers Connect,(link is external) show the impact staging can make on a home. Peruse...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   With more time spent on activities in the home, flexible design is becoming increasingly important to homeowners. Also, homeowners are looking for ways to bring more outdoor elements inside. These are among the latest home trends, according to Houzz, a home design and remodeling resource. Houzz researchers identified the top emerging home design trends based on search insights from homeowners and...

A small bar area in a home can offer up some fancy design. After all, you may be celebrating happy hour more often at home after a long day of remote work. So, don’t overlook the bar as a staging area. Top designers weigh in with some of their favorite inspirations and tips for a home bar. Find Your Entertaining Corner Photo credit: Patrick Cline "When first deciding where to install your home bar, think about the areas in your home where you do the most entertaining...

By: Nadia Evangelou   "Mortgage rates showed little movement this week despite positive news on the Delta variant. According to the mortgage finance provider Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate inched up to 2.87% from 2.86% the previous week. Thus, mortgage rates stayed below 3% for the last 9 weeks. What comes next? Mortgage rates will likely rise in the following months as inflation may last longer than expected....

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   Outdoor furniture made of concrete has become trendy. At first, it can seem like a harsh, gray addition to an outdoor space. But a touch of concrete—like in tables or pavers—can actually offer a very contemporary vibe. You don’t want all cement furnishings outside; that would be too heavy of a look. But concrete can offer great contrast when mixed with wicker and teak furniture. If...

Although PARK(ing) Day(link is external) isn’t until September, specifically the third Friday in September, now is the perfect time to start planning.    So first, what is PARK(ing) Day? PARK(ing) Day is an annual worldwide one-day event where citizens convert metered parking spaces into public parks and open spaces sometimes referred to as parklets(link is external).  The day is intended to encourage creative placemaking, particularly in places where...

By: Nadia Evangelou   "A strong labor market and higher consumer and producer prices overshadowed COVID-19 concerns, raising yield and mortgage rates. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 1.35% from 1.19% the previous week. Respectively, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to 2.87% from 2.77%. Nevertheless, even with this increase, mortgage rates are still near historic lows. A year ago, the 30-year fixed-mortgage rate was...

By Krisztina Bell, No Vacancy Home Staging Inc. The kitchen is the third most popular room to stage, behind the master bedroom and the living room, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2021 Profile of Home Staging. It’s also one of the most important spaces that potential buyers look at when choosing a home to buy. Several kitchen trends are gaining traction, including intense, veiny countertop designs, statement lighting with a contemporary twist, and...

By: Catherine Mesick   REALTOR® Tina Newby hosts an online cooking show in her sellers’ kitchens, and buyers are eating it up. You will too when you see the recipe Newby shared with Culture Scan! Baking a fresh batch of cookies in a house for sale is a time-honored method of making a kitchen seem more enticing to buyers. But Tina Newby, an agent with Team Realty and Investment Solutions in Tampa Bay, Fla., takes it a...

By: Michael Hyman   NAR released a summary of pending home sales data showing that June's pending home sales pace declined 1.9% last month and fell 1.9% from a year ago. Pending sales represent homes that have a signed contract to purchase on them but have yet to close. They tend to lead existing-home sales data by 1 to 2 months. Three of the four regions showed declines from a year ago. The South had the...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   You don’t have to spend a fortune to give your outdoor space more impact. Shelby Greene, a studio stylist at furniture retailer Living Spaces, offers some tips to transform the yard—whether big or small—on a tight budget. Lounging space: “Create a space where you and your guests can relax and soak up the nice weather,” Greene says. “To turn a backyard into a...

By: Melissa Kolodziej   Written by Melissa Kolodziej, Director of Community Relations, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® In late 2019, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® (RRAR) started a new journey in community engagement and relationship building. We recognized that if we truly wanted to be the best advocates for our members and ask the “tough” questions of our elected leaders, we needed to...

By: Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton   Apartment occupancy has increased in nearly all markets since the pandemic The apartment market is booming. Based on NAR's analysis of CoStar market data in 138 markets1, net absorption (change in number of occupied units) rose by 207,035 units in 2021 Q2 from the prior quarter. In 2019 Q2, a pre-pandemic period, net absorption was only 116,526 units, about half the current pace of...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey   Since the pandemic began, homeowners have had to figure out how to make every square inch of their properties usable. Lately, they’re looking to the garage, adding functionality to the space besides just for parking. The garage also could serve as a gym, play area, or home office. Aaron Cash, cofounder of home improvement firm Garage Living, says homeowners are taking a particular interest in...

By: Michael Hyman   At the national level, housing affordability declined in May compared to a year ago according to NAR's Housing Affordability Index, as the median family incomes rose modestly by 1.2% while the monthly mortgage payment increased 20%. The effective 30-year fixed mortgage rate1 was 3.01% this May compared to 3.29% one year ago, but the median existing-home sales price rose 24.4% from one year...

By: Catherine Mesick   “There are three places we can be in life financially,” said Ian Pruckner, speaking to host Aaron Amuchastegui, in a recent episode of the Real Estate Rockstars podcast(link is external). “We can live in the land of not enough. I remember what that’s like…The lack of money consumes you. Every decision you make is being made out of a position of lack. “The second...

Submitted by HomeLight(link is external) If you’re looking to cash in on this booming seller’s housing market,(link is external) you may want to put more focus on the home’s exterior. A home’s outward appearance plays a big role in whether potential buyers want to tour the interior. HomeLight, a real estate referral company, offers up several ways to give the home’s curb appeal an instant makeover: Lisa Romerein / Stone / Getty...

By: Lawrence Yun   “A strong 850,000 net new jobs were added in June. Residential construction workers and general contractors rose by 15,200, showing that more homes will be completed in the upcoming months and more housing inventory will be added. Commercial real estate shaved 11,700 construction and contractor jobs in June, marking a third straight month of decline, which assures no oversupply in the office and retail...

By: Scholastica (Gay) Cororaton   Homebuyers who make a 20% down payment and waive appraisal and inspection contingencies are on the rise, based on the May 2021 REALTORS® Confidence Index (RCI) Survey which reports monthly transactions from a random sample of REALTORS®1. Among all buyers2 who obtained a mortgage in May, the share of mortgages associated with at least a 20% down payment rose to 52% in May...

By: Holly Moskerintz   The National Association of REALTORS® encourages our state and local REALTOR® Associations to partner with others to make their communities better places to live. Our Placemaking Grant is available to our REALTOR® Associations to help fund the creation of new public spaces and destinations in a community. Since the launch of the grant in 2014, we have approved over $1.2 million in funding in over...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey (link is external) Interior designer Esther Dormer sought to give an old space a new life. She bought a dilapidated unit in an abandoned, 80-year-old building in Pittsburgh in March 2020, recognizing the potential in its stunning cityscape views and desirable location near restaurants and shops. Dormer spent last summer rehabbing the place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every room in the house needed work. The...

Submitted by A Design Partnership(link is external) A Design Partnership, a public relations firm for designers, asked some of its leading clients nationwide to show off their favorite dad-inspired home designs. Use their creative works below as inspiration to make a Father’s Day gift list for dads who may be looking to spruce up their homes. The Pampered Dad Designer Marlaina Teich(link is external) recently completed a project for a professional New York baseball...

By: Nadia Evangelou Mortgage rates dropped further this week, although the Fed revised upward their forecast about inflation. Specifically, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 2.93% from 2.96% the previous week. In fact, mortgage rates remain at or below 3.00% for the ninth straight week. Thus, many homebuyers can benefit from these low rates while home prices are reaching record highs. Since 85% of buyers finance their home...

"The job market continues to make progress with 551,000 net new additions in May. Another 7 million jobs are still needed to get us back to pre-pandemic conditions. Construction jobs got a boost of 4,400 from homebuilding but were lower by 2,500 for residential general contractors. More lumber is needed but there were 1,100 fewer workers in the logging industry. In commercial real estate, there were 500 more jobs in the construction of buildings but a reduction of 16,800 general...

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Our homes are so much more than the houses we live in. For many, they’ve also become our workplaces, schools for our children, and safe harbors in which we’ve weathered the toughest moments of a global pandemic. Today, 65.6% of Americans call their homes their own, a rate that has risen to its highest point in 8 years. As National Homeownership Month kicks off this June, homeowners have every reason to celebrate. A survey by Gallup just ranked real estate as...

By: Melissa Dittmann Tracey     Windows are becoming a greater focal point in home design. Trendy black-trimmed exterior windows are gaining popularity, and more emphasis is being placed on showcasing windows from inside as well. Windows connect the indoors and outdoors and satisfy yearnings for nature for homeowners quarantining inside. Here are some ways windows are being showcased more in home design. 1. Black-trimmed,...