1. When considering a new home purchase, there are some places in the country (and the world) you look for some shade to keep cool from the hot summer sun. While there are other places where sun is of paramount importance for those long, dark winters. The NYT just published an article There Goes the Sun suggesting how sun is an amenity many New Yorkers can not afford. If the amount of sun is an important criteria for you, it’s really important to view properties at different times of day to ensure you’ll get the daily dose of vitamin D you require.
2. SEPTEMBER FALL
Why Are Home Sales Falling? What Buyers and Sellers Should Know. Realtor.com reports “In September, sales of existing (previously lived in) homes dropped 4.1% compared with the previous year, according to the seasonally adjusted numbers in the most recent National Association of Realtors® report. The 5.15 million sales were also down 3.4% from August. That’s the fewest number of existing homes sold since November 2015.” Hint: It may have something to do with mortgage rates…
3. NORTH OF THE BORDER
CTV News reports Canadians are bracing for another interest rate hike “And younger Canadians appear to be among the most vulnerable, with the Ipsos survey showing 62 per cent of millennials (those aged 18 to 34) are worried about paying their bills, and 46 per cent are concerned about bankruptcy.” Although, One-third of Canadians fear bankruptcy ahead of expected interest rate hike, in general, Canadians are optimistic, they will just put a bit more thought into how they are spending their money.
4. CALIFONIA EXODUS
“For some Californians, the state’s punishing housing costs, high taxes, and constant threat of natural disaster have all become too much. They’re making their escape to areas such as Boise, Phoenix, and Reno, Nev., fueling some of the biggest home-price gains in the country. While the moves are motivated mainly by economics, they’re also highlighting political divides as conservatives from the blue state seek friendlier areas and liberal transplants find themselves in sometimes hostile territory.” Read the Bloomberg Quint article about what is alluring Califonian’s, and why Boise and Reno Capitalize on the California Real Estate Exodus.
5. HEATH CARING
Fast Company reported this week Why this startup chose to help its independent contractors get healthcare. Compass is a rapidly growing real estate startup. The just received another round of funding and it appears they are trying to find a way to keep their top producing agents healthy. “Across the real estate industry, it’s estimated that 14% of agents don’t have health insurance, and 57% of agents believe they pay too much for it. Compass in particular earns revenue by collecting a percentage of what each of their agents make, so the company needs these individuals performing at a high level.” We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out.
6. BUYERS LOGIC
“Mortgage rates are expected to keep rising, too. CoreLogic researchers predict a nearly 10 percent increase in buyers’ mortgage payments by next July, twice the rate expected for home prices. Rates are expected to increase by about 0.43 percentage points between July 2018 and July 2019. Housing forecasters predict median home sale prices to continue to rise by 1.8 percent in real terms over that same period.” Realtor Magazine is turning up the heat for buyers in their article, Why Home Buyers Need to Hurry.
7. SIXTH SENSE
Hiring A Real Estate Agent? Ask These 6 Questions First. “We’ve listed six questions aimed at helping you find the real estate agent that’s right for you. Feel free to ask these of the agents you interview and to make your own evaluations before settling on who to hire,” writes Tara Mastroeni for Forbes. These are a few of the basic questions you should ask especially if your a first time home buyer.
8. EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS
Growing up, my dad used to say everything is big in Texas. In fact, he used to tell a joke about it too. “Over the past few decades, American homes have been getting larger. The median size of a new single-family house grew from 1,525 square feet in 1973 to a peak of 2,488 square feet in 2015, according to census data. As of the second quarter of 2018, that figure had leveled off to 2,412 square feet — hardly a tiny house. Where are you likely to find the biggest houses? In Texas, of course.” In this short NYT article, Yes, Houses Are Bigger in Texas you can see where some U.S. cities stack up when it comes to size.
9. PROPERTY BRO’S
This is one of my pet peeves at home and I’m relieved to finally have The Property Brothers Reveal One Thing All Homeowners Should Hide. “What’s the one thing all homeowners should hide? TVcords. Jason and Julie’s house has a big flat-screen TV mounted over the fireplace, with black cords trailing down a white wall to the mantel, the VCR and the electrical outlet.” Yup that’s it, exposed TV cords really bug me. Check out the Realtor.com article to see a bit more advice that could help many home buyers and sellers.
10. MICKEY WHO?
Realtor.com just posted a Disney-Inspired Home With Mickey Mouse Pool Makes a Splash as Week’s Most Popular Home. “Other cool homes generating clicks this week include a private island in Connecticut asking a cool $120 million, a pricey urban estate in the Windy City, and one of the oldest homes in Salem, MA. We believe you’ll find all of this week’s most popular properties equally bewitching” …
