June 5, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

Housing Bubble? Despite Rising Prices, Most Economists Still Say No

The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index released recently was the latest report to show a relentless rise in housing prices, causing some economists to ask: Is another bubble forming?

According to Tuesday’s data housing prices have been climbing for 35 consecutive months, but economists pointed to several reasons why that isn’t a concern, namely that while prices keep rising the rate of growth has slowed. In the first three months of this year home prices gained 0.8%, according to the S&P Case-Shiller national index. That’s down from 2.8% in the first three months of 2013 and 1.2% during the same period of last year.

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May 28, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

8 Ways to Turn Tired into Trendy

If you’re longing to give your home a fresh look, upcycling is the way to go. Turning something old into something new and useful can save you money and give you a beautiful look for less. Let these ideas transform your eyesore into a stunner.

May 25, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

Happy Memorial Day!

Here’s a list of events in the Puget Sound region.

May 21, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

The World’s 25 Biggest Companies

You know what they say: size matters.

The Forbes Global 2000 is a comprehensive list of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenues, profits, assets and market value. We use a composite score that weighs those four metrics equally, as one barometer alone would present a biased and incomplete account.

This year’s Global 2000 companies hail from 61 countries and account for combined revenues of $39 trillion, profits of $3 trillion, with assets worth $162 trillion, and a market value of $48 trillion. Thanks to a bull market, the total market value of Global 2000 companies grew 9% year-over-year, the most among the four metrics.

Click here to view the slideshow and see Forbes’ list of the world’s 25 largest companies.

May 15, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

31 Small Space Decorating Don’ts

Sometimes it’s just a matter of turning a decorating “don’t” into a “do” to make close quarters feel a whole lot bigger. Here, top designers and HGTV stars share their favorite insider tricks.

May 7, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

Baby Boomers to Face Big Housing Problem

As the baby boomers age, the population aged 65 and older is projected to climb to 73 million by 2030 – a rise of 33 million in just 20 years.

That surge is also expected to bring about an alarming number of lower-income older adults who may face several housing challenges in the years ahead, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Within a decade, JCHS researchers predict that households aged 65 and over earning less than $15,000 will rise by 37 percent to 6.5 million.

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May 4, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

Home Prices Are Climbing Faster and Faster, but This Is Not a Bubble

This spring buying season is off to a strong start—in fact, prices are going up faster than they were just a few months ago, according to nearly every recent metric. So does that mean we’re in a bubble?

Nope, that’s just what happens when demand increases faster than supply. After all, existing-home sales were up 9% year over year in March, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Inventory is also increasing, but not as fast as sales, resulting in a tight supply getting even tighter.

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May 1, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

The 5 Hottest Single-Family Markets Are…

The national housing market is regaining steam after a slowdown in late 2013 and early 2014 and a handful of areas are seeing a surge in home prices and sales growth.

Auction.com highlights the “hottest” major single-family markets based on current and expected future housing measures. Of the 49 largest U.S. markets, the five emerging at the top of the rankings have shown consistently strong demand, home price appreciation, and economic and demographic growth. Three of the top five ranking markets are located within the Southwest region, and two are located in the Southeast.

Read where they are…

April 28, 2015 by Managing The Real Estate Details

Americans Again Say Real Estate Is Best Long-Term Investment

For the second straight year, more Americans name real estate than stocks, gold, savings accounts/CDs or bonds as the best long-term investment. Real estate leads with 31% of Americans choosing it, followed by stocks/mutual funds, at 25%. Meanwhile, gold dropped to third this year, a significant change from 2011 and 2012, when it was the runaway leader.

The percentages of Americans choosing real estate and stocks are steady this year compared with 2014. This follows three years, from 2011 to 2014, of increasing partiality toward both investments as the housing and stock markets recovered and gold’s appeal waned. The public’s preference for gold fell five percentage points in the past year, bringing its overall decline since 2011 to 15 points, the largest shift seen among the five investments tracked.

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