Since the first quarter of 2013, more than 3 million homeowners have regained positive equity, as home prices have shot up, CoreLogic reported.
In the third quarter, 791,000 more residential properties moved into positive equity, the data aggregator said. But CoreLogic reported that there were still 6.4 million homes with underwater mortgages remaining, or 13 percent of all properties with a mortgage. That’s down from 14.7 percent in the second quarter.
Everyone loves a great story. What stories are you telling customers to make yourself more memorable?
Once upon a time, there was a real estate agent named Joe. Joe went to listing presentations prepared. He was armed with lots of data about recent home sales and price trajectories. He’d also make big promises to clients, vowing that if they put their trust in him he’d get their home sold.
So, why would clients pass Joe up?
Joe didn’t have a story. His promises sounded empty. He wasn’t memorable.
Since the housing crisis began in 2008, approximately 4.6 million homes were lost to foreclosure, according to CoreLogic. The vast majority of those homeowners became renters. Even as housing recovered, credit tightened, pushing even more potential buyers out of homeownership and into rentals, both apartments and single-family rental homes.
There are now 43 million renter households, or 35 percent of all U.S. households, the highest rate in over a decade for all age groups, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies; 4 million more renters today than there were in 2007. For those aged 25 to 54, rental rates are the highest since the center began record keeping in the early 1970s.
As a result, rental vacancies have fallen dramatically, and rents have skyrocketed.
Last summer a Realtor got an email from a local real estate attorney who wanted to buy a house. He’d just gotten engaged and wanted to save some money by representing himself.
This attorney wanted to do all the work an agent would do to find and buy his first home, and get paid a commission for his work. She explained to him that the commission is payable to the listing agent who agrees to pay a portion of it to the Realtor representing a buyer.
2 bedrooms; 2 bathrooms; 1277 square feet
Absolutely Beautiful! You will love this unique 1-level home located in a desirable, small, secluded & secure community! Live the good life as the exterior & grounds are maintained by the HOA. Enjoy the cozy gas fireplace, vaulted ceilings, skylights, A/C, private & fully-fenced yard, spacious 5-piece master bath & walk-in closet. Well maintained with all newer furnace, water heater & appliances. Convenient den/office could be a 3rd bedrm. Light & bright kitchen; pull-out shelves in the pantry.
Real estate agents see it all.
From the unmade beds to the overstuffed garages to the “What were they thinking?” decor. Over the years, they learn a thing or two: Why some houses sell, while others linger on the market. Why some promising buyers never make it to the closing table. How to get a better deal on the mortgage. Even just how much the other agents stand to make on your home. And the good news is, they want to share. Whether you’re a buyer, seller or both, here are six things real estate agents wish you already knew.
With the holidays approaching, sellers often wonder if they should keep their properties on the market or take them off? Or if they haven’t listed their homes yet, should they wait until after the first of the year? Maybe hold off until spring?
Conventional wisdom used to be that you shouldn’t even try to sell your home during the busy holiday season. Potential homebuyers were too preoccupied with attending parties, cooking meals, buying presents or planning vacations. With all that going on, there just wasn’t time to ride around with a real estate agent, looking at properties.
But with the Internet, smartphones, tablets and our always-on lifestyle, that conventional wisdom isn’t relevant anymore. The reality is, the homebuying season is now year-round. Here’s why you should consider listing your home during the holidays, or even in January.
There’s always some new technology bandwagon to hop onto, with tech faddists telling you that if you don’t use this app or blog constantly, you’ll never grow your business. Well, that’s a lie — because nothing works better than you being you. Here are three of the most common tech marketing misconceptions that you should stop buying into right now.
Selling your first home can feel like a real estate roller coaster: it has lots of twists and turns — and even some points where you just hold your breath and wait to see how things turn out. However, you have more control over this wild ride than you may realize. Here are a few facts that can minimize the anxiety and maximize the outcome of your first home-selling experience.
