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America’s 20 Fastest-Growing Cities

US

To cull the list, they began with the 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the U.S., geographic areas designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget that include cities and their surrounding suburbs. They rated these places based on six metrics. Using data from Moody’s Analytics, they assessed the estimated rates of population growth for 2013 and 2014, year-over-year job growth for 2013, and the rate of gross metro product growth—a.k.a. the economic growth rate–for 2013. They also considered federal unemployment data and median salaries for local college-educated workers, courtesy of Payscale.com. The result is a list of the 20 fastest growing metro areas in America in terms of population and economy.

See where Seattle lands on the list!

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Want to Sell Your Home? The Spring Selling Season May Be Coming Early This Year

If you’re considering selling your home in 2014, now is the time to get ready. Not next month, not next week, not tomorrow. Right now.

Why? Because buyers are already on the hunt.

Read more…

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Foreclosure Pipeline Gradually Being Cleaned Out

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As the foreclosure crisis continues to recede, some parts of the country remain at elevated levels. Five states now account for nearly half of all the completed foreclosures in the nation —Florida, Michigan, California, Texas, and Georgia, according to CoreLogic’s latest foreclosure report.

Foreclosures made up 10 percent of sales in December, while short sales comprised 4 percent of sales, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ existing-home sales report for December.

On average, foreclosures sold for an average discount of 18 percent below market value in December, while short sales were discounted 13 percent, NAR reports.

Read more…

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Wealthy Americans pick Real Estate as Best Investment for 2014

Money

Millionaires across the U.S. say commercial and residential real estate is the best alternative-asset investment option for 2014.

One-third of millionaires surveyed in a new Morgan Stanley study plan to purchase real estate this year, Bloomberg reports. And 23 percent say they’ll invest in real estate investment trusts.

Read more…

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Why We Fall in Love – With Houses

Home

Falling in love can be wonderful—and finding the perfect house can make a house-hunter weak in the knees.

A survey by Realtor.com shows that falling head-over-heels for a house is fairly common—69% of respondents reported that they have had a home crush. House-hunters with a “home crush,” as defined in the survey, are drawn to the same house again and again. Realtor.com surveyed 1,082 individuals from Jan. 9 to Jan. 20 who reported having had a home crush.

Read the article…

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10 Best Cities To Dine With Your Valentine

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Trulia’s analysts and editors put their heads together to choose the most romantic, interesting, and exciting locales from the “A” of metropolitan areas with the highest density of restaurants and bars. Seattle made the list! Here are their reservation recommendations…

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New Low for First-Time Home Buyers

New Homeowners

First-time home buyers accounted for 27 percent of sales nationally in December, the lowest since the National Association of REALTORS® began tracking them in 2008. Typically, first-time home buyers account for 40 percent of the market.

Why are their numbers dwindling? Housing experts point to several hurdles, such as high student loan debt, less-than-perfect credit, low employment and wage growth, and the double-digit growth in home prices this past year.

Read more…

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Top Real Estate Agents Understand that Selling is Dead and Serving is Alive

The real estate industry is changing faster than we know. We can keep our eyes on the new technologies that are coming out, but the changes in consumer habits are what will influence our industry the most.

We will see enhanced ways to shoot video, more efficient ways to process paperwork, and cheaper ways to brand ourselves. We see the same changes occurring year after year. But, the game changer is how the consumer attitude matures without the industry taking notice.

Here are a few changes…

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Know Your Mortgage Options Before Buying Your First Home

Money

Applying for and getting a mortgage is one of the most daunting obstacles to overcome when shopping for a home. The process can be especially scary and confusing for first timers who may be unfamiliar with the various programs out there, or the advantages and disadvantages of each. Here is a quick rundown of the types of mortgages available, to help decide which may be the best option for your own situation.

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5 Ways to Pick the Perfect Time to Sell

Savvy sellers try to time their listing just right by waiting until buyers are ready, willing, and able to pay a good price for the property. But there’s one factor that’s often overlooked: time of year. Boost your sale price with these five calendar considerations.