House renovation and design television programs may be prompting more buyers to shed some of their fixer-upper fears. Nearly 60 percent of home shoppers recently surveyed said that home renovation television has made them more optimistic about renovations, according to a new realtor.com® survey of about 1,000 consumers who are planning to buy a home in the next 12 months.As inventories remain tight in some markets, home buyers are eyei
When newcomers move into low-income neighborhoods and begin rehabbing homes, it can prompt a much-needed rush of investment into the community. But with gentrification comes higher home prices—and the possibility that long-term residents will be priced out of the market.Gentrification isn't without controversy, but it has transformed many cities such as New York and San Francisco. Realtor.com® notes that gentrification can be a double-edged sw
Get ready for Gen Z. People between the ages of 18 and 23 are eager to become homeowners, and many are already setting aside money for a down payment.More than half of Gen Zers surveyed said they are saving for a home, and 59 percent say they plan to buy a home within the next five years—before they reach the age of 30—according to Bank of America's Homebuyer Insights Report, which is based on responses from nearly 2,000 people. Fur
Mortgage rates have hovered at multi-month lows in recent weeks, but this week, rates inched up across the board. However, economists say they expect overall borrowing costs to remain low, despite the slight uptick.“Rates moved up slightly this week while mortgage applications decreased following last week’s jump in rates—indicating borrower sensitivity to changing mortgage rates,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
Many homeowners may be one leaky or burst pipe away from a financial crisis.Nearly 20 percent of homeowners admit they have no money put aside for an emergency home repair, according to a survey of more than 1,400 homeowners by HomeServe USA. Yet more than half of the respondents say they’ve had a home repair emergency in the last 12 months.“Part of that can be attributed to the fact that the median age of a home is about 40 years, so th
April 11 marks National Pet Day, and it’s time to find a pet to appreciate, if not your own.After all, pets have a big say in real estate. Eighty-one percent of Americans say animal-related considerations play a role when deciding on their next living situation, according to a 2017 report from the National Association of REALTORS®. Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed said they would not give up their animal because of housing restr
Foreclosures are still disappearing from most markets. In March, foreclosure filings posted a 7 percent increase from the month prior, but economists say that percentage needs to be put in perspective: Activity is still down from prerecession levels. Foreclosure filings are also down 21 percent from a year ago, according to a new report from ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm. CoreLogic, another real estate research company, recently s
Austin, Texas, once again topped U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Places to Live in the USA” list for 2019. The Texas capital has topped the list for the past three years.Austin, known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” scored highest on desirability for its music venues and local bands, as well as its food scene and accessibility to outdoor activities (it boasts more than 250 parks). It also has become a major tech hub
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) -- a planet-scale array of eight ground-based radio telescopes forged through international collaboration -- was designed to capture images of a black hole.Today, in coordinated press conferences across the globe, EHT researchers reveal that they have succeeded, unveiling the first direct visual evidence of a supermassive black hole and its shadow.This breakthrough was announced in a series of
The housing market showed signs of slowing in March compared to a year ago, even as some “unexpected hot spots emerged,” realtor.com® notes in its latest housing report. Each month, realtor.com® releases its “hottest metro” list based on where homes are selling the fastest and the markets seeing some of the biggest online listings traffic at its site.In March, several Ohio markets known for affordability topped realtor.com®’s list. T
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