December 2017

One of the most challenging aspects of the home-buying process is getting access to financing. Securing a loan can be even more difficult when you’re planning to build a house from the ground up instead of getting a mortgage to purchase an existing property.

If you’re building instead of buying the home of your dreams, here are some things that you’ll need to keep in mind.

1. You’ll Need a Construction Loan

Conventional mortgage loans are issued when there’s a tangible asset that can be used as collateral. If you fall behind on your mortgage payments, the bank can take the house you purchased and sell it to recoup the cost of their investment.

When you’re building a house, on the other hand, the home doesn’t physically exist. So you’ll need to

The relationship you have with your real estate agent can set the tone for the entire home buying process. Your agent is supposed to help you find a property you can afford and work with the seller to negotiate the details of the purchase. But problems could arise if you’re on different wavelengths. If you want everything to run smoothly, here are five bad habits to steer clear of.

1. Being Too Nit Picky

Buying a home is a big financial commitment. And even if you want to get the best possible deal, you’ll need to pick your battles. If you’re trying to force the seller to agree to a minor contingency, you could lose sight of the big picture. And you could eventually lose the home you want altogether if the seller decides to find a buyer who’s less

Overall availability in the Southern Nevada resale housing market continued to tighten through November 2017, which contributed to rising prices.

The single family market posted 1.8 months of effective inventory, while the condo/townhouse segment reported 1.3 months.

Median single family pricing reached $261,500 during the month (+9.0 percent from a year ago), while condo/townhouse prices appreciated 19.9 percent on the year to a new high of $141,500.

The number of trustee deeds (foreclosures) spiked in November largely due to regulatory adjustments.

As 2017 comes to a close, the expectation heading into early-2018 would suggest current trends will prevail as economic and housing fundamentals remain stable. 

The housing market has made some significant strides over the last several years and home sales have been on a steady climb in most locations. That’s encouraging if you’re planning to sell but it doesn’t guarantee that buyers will come flooding in once your home hits the market. If you’ve already listed your property and the months have been dragging by without the slightest nibble from buyers, it may be due to one of these five things.

1. You’re asking too much.

If you’re never sold a home before, figuring out how to price it can be tricky. Your real estate agent’s job is to help you pinpoint a number that makes the home attractive to buyers but also puts money in your pocket once the sale is complete.The only problem is that the agent also has an

A lackluster credit score could bring up your interest rate and set the stage for years of higher payments. But if you work on improving your score, you'll end up paying less for your home loan.

Many of us don't pay attention to our credit scores until the time comes to borrow money. But what you may not know is that having a credit score that's good, but not great, could cost you thousands of dollars in mortgage interest.

In a recent LendingTree report, borrowers with the best credit scores (760 and above) were offered APRs of 4.18% in October, versus 4.44% for those whose scores ranged from 680 to 719. All told, those with better credit will end up saving over $12,000 over the life of their loans, assuming their borrowing is on par with the average.

What are the hot markets where you can still afford to buy?
Which are ones where home prices are almost certain to appreciate?
Which ones have burgeoning economies and lots of job growth?
Which are the ones where you actually want to live?

To determine our predictions for the best real estate markets of 2018, realtor.com's® economic data team took a look at the number of sales of existing homes and their prices, along with the amount of new home construction in the 100 largest markets. We also analyzed the local economies of each area, along with population trends, unemployment rates, median household incomes, and other factors.

"People are going to continue to seek out pockets of affordability that remain in the market," says Danielle Hale, chief

October 2017 Single Family Residential (SFR) closed sales were down 12.8% from October and down 4.6% compared to November 2016.

Year to date 2017 closed sales are still up nearly 9% over 2016.

The median closed sales price of a SFR dipped to $261,400 while the average closed sales price of an SFR dropped to $312,465 which is virtually flat.

Residential resale activity cooled only slightly – leaving us with approximately 1.9 months of inventory.

Year-to-Date luxury sales closings are have surpassed both 2013 and 2015 sales.  

If you're looking to purchase a property in a neighborhood, community or building with shared common areas (like a pool, clubhouse, parking garage, etc.) or even a security gate, it's likely the community or neighborhood is maintained by a homeowners association, also known as a HOA. When you move into a community maintained by a HOA, you are obligated to join the association and are responsible for any monthly, annual, or special HOA fees that come along with the association. But what is a homeowners association, and what can a HOA do for your community?

The Basics

The primary purpose of a homeowners association is to manage a neighborhood's common areas such as roads, parks and pools. The HOA ensures the community looks its best and functions

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in 2018, you should know what to expect the housing markets will look like next spring.

Not long ago, before the housing boom and bust, forecasting housing markets was a relatively easy matter for most economists. Real estate prices were a matter of supply and demand. As supplies increase, prices decline. As demand increases, prices rise. Mortgage interest rates, income levels and demographic factors all impact housing demand, and economists can forecast it.

Lately, that formula hasn’t worked very well. The healthier economy is providing better incomes, and millennials are ready to buy their first homes. Mortgage rates remain relatively low, so demand should be high, and therefore prices will rise. However,