-
Housing Market Continues to Heal as Home Prices Rise Again
Tweet Share on Facebook August 28, 2012 CommentIt's a steep upward climb, but home prices continue to gain ground, according to the widely followed S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices released Tuesday.
Nationally, property values inched up more than 1 percent in the second quarter, while both the 10- and 20-city composites the indices track saw month-over-month gains of more than 2 percent. It's the first time all three readings showed positive annual growth since 2010.
Only the Charlotte, N.C. and Dallas, Texas metro areas saw a slowdown in their annual price appreciation rates.
-
Riskiest Real Estate Markets for Investors
Tweet Share on Facebook August 27, 2012 CommentNow that home prices are rising, house hunters and real estate investors are starting to feel a little more comfortable about dipping their toes into the housing market.
But just because home values are rising in some markets doesn't mean real estate isn't a game without risk, especially for those seeking an income stream from their investment. Although rents across the country are rising due to heightened demand, finding renters who will pay a high enough rent to offset an investor's carry costs isn't always a sure thing.
[Read: Property in College Towns a Boon to Real Estate Investors, Parents.]
-
Housing's Achilles Heel: Under 40 and Underwater
Tweet Share on Facebook August 24, 2012 CommentWith encouraging news about home prices finally rising and sales picking up, it's easy to think that the housing market is finally coming out of the dark ages.
But there's at least one trillion-dollar problem that lingers on: negative equity.
Though rising home values have shaved $42 billion off the nationwide total—about $1.15 trillion, according to the latest data from real estate information site Zillow—millions of Americans still owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, also known as being "underwater."
Just shy of 31 percent of American homeowners with mortgages are underwater, according to Zillow, and nearly half of them are under 40 years old. But although a good chunk of that age group has underwater mortgages, they are some of the least likely borrowers to skip payments.
-
Oops! Realtors Break Own Embargo on July Existing-Home Sales; but They're Up
Tweet Share on Facebook August 22, 2012 CommentExisting-home sales data for July went out a little earlier than expected Wednesday morning, after Bloomberg reporters spotted the updated numbers on the National Association of Realtors' website ahead of the usual release time.
"The National Association of Realtors inadvertently released existing-home sales data early on their public website and broke their own embargo. As soon as Bloomberg notified the NAR that this information was on their website and verified its accuracy, we published the story," Bloomberg said in a statement, according to the Wall Street Journal.
[Read: Property in College Towns a Boon to Real Estate Investors, Parents.]
-
Property in College Towns a Boon to Real Estate Investors, Parents
Tweet Share on Facebook August 22, 2012 CommentFor some parents, sending kids off to college means equipping the budding academics with a laptop and carting their stuff to a closet-sized dorm room on the far side of campus.
For others, it involves making a different kind of investment: real estate.
According to Realtors in some of the nation's hottest rental markets, more parents are opting to purchase property for students to live in during their four-year college stint instead of forking over big bucks for on-campus housing or sky-high rents.
-
Rising Building Material Costs Could Crimp Construction Gains
Tweet Share on Facebook August 16, 2012 CommentIt would seem the winds of fortune have finally changed for the better when it comes to the construction industry.
Builder confidence edged up to a five-year high in August and permits—an indicator of future construction—rose almost 7 percent in July to their highest level since August 2008, helping cement the notion that the homebuilding industry will be a major contributor to the nation's economic growth in coming months.
Although builders broke ground on slightly fewer homes last month—starts fell by more than 1 percent according to a report released Thursday by the Commerce Department—the pullback doesn't worry economists.
-
Builder Confidence Blooms to 5-Year High in August
Tweet Share on Facebook August 15, 2012 CommentConfidence among America's homebuilders shot up to a five-year high in August, thanks in part to a burgeoning recovery in property values across the nation, with builders reporting current prospective sales conditions the best since the housing market tanked.
-
Average Closing Costs Dip Nationwide
Tweet Share on Facebook August 6, 2012 CommentAlthough home prices and sales figures are now on the rise, there's one thing that's sinking in the housing market, and it's actually a good thing.
-
"Honey-Do" Lists Making a Comeback: Home Remodeling on the Rise
Tweet Share on Facebook August 3, 2012 CommentIs it time to unearth those long-lost plans for a gourmet kitchen remodel? More and more Americans are starting to think so, according to a recent report on remodeling trends.
After enduring gut-wrenching home price drops over the past few years, property values are beginning to inch up again, giving homeowners a confidence boost when it comes to the thought of pouring more money into their abodes.
According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, business is picking up after being in the doldrums for years, with members feeling more positive about the business climate and projecting steady growth through the end of the year.
