National News

Lennar and CalAtlantic merger creates nation’s largest homebuilder

Lennar and CalAtlantic Group announced a $5.7 billion stock-and-cash deal on Oct. 29 to create the largest homebuilder in the United States. This is the largest homebuilder merger since the financial crisis. With this deal, the companies said it

Home builders group changes stance on GOP tax plan

The National Association of Home Builders announced on Oct. 30 that it does not support the forthcoming GOP tax plan, which would ax the mortgage interest tax deduction (MID), eliminating an estimated $80 billion in homeowner subsidies annually. Until

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U.S. homes shrinking while prices remain the same

Home developers around the country are having to be more resourceful, as the amount of available land in the United States shrinks while builders require higher wages and the price of materials increase. The result, according to a recent

NAR reports increase in buyer, seller confidence

The National Association of Realtors recently released its Realtors Confidence Index (RCI) to gauge Realtors’ feelings about the overall market, including local real estate market conditions, characteristics of buyers and sellers, and external factors affecting homeownership and sales. Overall, the confidence index

New app to boost agent safety would ‘Forewarn’ of potential risks

Despite all the technology that’s involved in the real estate industry today, there still remains a human element that won’t be going away any time soon. House hunters and potential buyers can search for homes all they want, but

Lenders, agents trump online sources as top mortgage influencers

The internet offers scores of tips and resources for finding a mortgage, but according to a recent survey conducted by Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research group, homebuyers feel more comfortable shopping for mortgages with assistance from specialists. According

NAR invests in new e-closing platform

The National Association of Realtors’ investment branch, Second Century Ventures, recently announced its investment in Notarize, an online notarizing service bringing mortgage signings and closings into the 21st century. “As one of the only 13 investments SCV has made

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How many working hours does it take to buy a home?

The ability to own your own home is a dream for most Americans, but depending on which part of the country you live in, that may require more working hours than in other locations. A recent report from How Much

Olympian Michael Phelps to speak at National Association of Realtors conference

More than 20,000 Realtors, industry experts and guests will be in Chicago from November 3-6 at the 2017 Realtors Conference & Expo, themed “The Sky is the Limit.” Saturday’s general session keynote address will be presented by 23-time Olympic

Home sales decline for third consecutive month while prices rise

For third month in a row, there was a decline in home sales in September. However, the average home sale price continues to rise. A recent Redfin report shows that in September, home sales fell by 8.1 percent — the

Rising sea levels pose biggest threat to owners of less-expensive homes

It’s common knowledge that ships and boats can sink, but can you imagine a sunken community? A recent report revealed that $916 billion worth of U.S. homes could end up underwater due to the sea level increasing by just

Single-family rental investors should look to Atlanta

Single-family rental homes are a great investment choice, but buying property in the right location is key. ATTOM Data Solutions recently put together a list of the top 25 U.S. ZIP codes for investing in single-family rental homes, and a

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Suburban rules: Majority of new homes built in community association

A recent survey shows about six out of every 10 homes built in 2016 were built within homeowner’s or community associations. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) defined homeowner’s associations as “formal legal entities created to maintain common

Predictive analytics preferred over realty AI, says survey

According to a recent survey from Imprev Thought Leadership, two out of three real estate executives favor newer technology such as Predictive Analytics, Marketing Automation, and Big Data for future business, while less than half are willing to invest

Home value perception gap narrows for fourth consecutive month

Although homeowners and appraisers don’t see exactly eye to eye on home values, the gap is narrowing, according to the latest National Quicken Loans Home Price Perception Index (HPPI). According to the September update, appraisers’ valuations were 1.14 percent

Alexa, order me a house?

After becoming everyone’s go-to online shopping mecca, formidably contending with Hulu and Netflix and even upending the grocery industry by buying Whole Foods, it’s clear that Amazon is in the business of disrupting just about any industry it chooses.

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