Real Estate - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

New Loan Helps Reduce Down Payments

Many renters say saving for the down payment is a major obstacle that is preventing them from purchasing a home. A new mortgage offering says it wants to help remove some of that burden for renters.Home Partners of America, a rent-to-own firm, is touting its new mortgage product that allows tenants to apply some of the appreciation in their home’s value during the time they live there to reducing the down payment. In some cases, it could reduce

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These Markets Are Getting the Most Movers

Markets in Colorado, New Hampshire, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Tennessee are likely to see the biggest amount of new movers in the fourth quarter, according to a new analysis from ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm.The top 10 metros in the country that are attracting the most new residents: Colorado Springs, Colo.; Manchester-Nashua, N.H.; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Nashville; Reno, Nev.; Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.; Las Vegas; Jac

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Non-Creepy Ways To Stalk A Future Home

Home buyers and renters can turn up plenty of information about their new home with just a little digging online. Curbed.com offers a few tips on how home shoppers can scour the internet to discover more about a property’s history before making an offer:Look closer at the online listings.Plenty of sites—like realtor.com®—are available to help them search for properties. Many of these sites also track the property’s listing history. Buye

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5 Overlooked Dirt Spots Buyers Will Notice

Jan M. Dougherty, author of The Lost Art of House Cleaning: A Clean House Is a Happy Home, shared with HouseLogic several spots that homeowners are likely missing, including:1. Light fixturesLight fixtures can be a magnet for dust and dead bugs. Spritz and wipe them with a cleaning solution to get them shining again.2. The body of the toiletDougherty recommends washing the porcelain thrones all over. Start with the top of the tank and spray al

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How Neighborly Are Americans? Not Very

Nearly 30 percent of Americans admit they don’t know their neighbor’s first name. But at least 90 percent have smiled or spoken to their neighbors—at least once, according to a new survey of more than 1,000 Americans released by Safehome.org, a home security systems review resource.Fifty-three percent of Americans say they’ve introduced themselves when a new neighbor initially moved in, but they won’t likely become best buddies. Only

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1 Month Left to Sell Before Possible Tax Hike

Some home sellers would need a sale contract inked before the end of 2017 in order to avoid a big tax bill that would be imposed if the GOP tax reform proposals become law. Both the House and Senate bills would require sellers to have lived in their residence for a longer period of time before qualifying for the capital gains tax exclusion on the sale of a primary home. They would have to live in their house at least five years out of the last ei

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Top 100 Metros Ranked by Price Growth

Home prices are expected to slow in the new year. Prices nationwide are forecasted to increase 3.2 percent year over year in 2018, which is slower than the forecasted 5.5 percent year-over-year jump forecasted to round out 2017, according to realtor.com®’s 2018 National Housing Forecast.Several metros likely won’t see much of a slowdown in home prices or sales in the new year. Realtor.com® has ranked the top 100 largest metros by the fore

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New Lender Devoting Loans to Clean Energy

A new consumer credit union will soon allow consumers in all 50 states to take out loans for going green, such as installing solar panels, making energy-efficient retrofits, or even purchasing an electric car. Clean Energy Credit Union is set to open by the end of the year.The credit union is being touted as the first of its kind for clean energy lending.Clean energy retrofits are gaining popularity among homeowners. The U.S. solar market alone

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The Front Porch Is in Demand

The front porch—a classic feature of American homes—is making a comeback but with a twist.Younger crowds are literally turning porches into stages. “Porchfest” is growing in popularity across the country, in which neighborhood music festivals pop up that are enjoyed from homeowners’ front porches.The Atlantic Monthly’s CityLab reports: “In the Instagram age, the front steps have become places to see and be seen, throw a rocking conc

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The Good and Bad Behind Latest Home Sales Report

Following three consecutive months of declines, pending home sales rebounded strongly in October. But contract signings are still sliding behind levels from a year ago as potential home buyers continue to get frustrated at the lack of inventory.The National Association of REALTORS® reported that its Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 3.5 percent to a reading of 109.3 in October. The index

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