NAR

By Dale Swanton You’ve no doubt heard the term “exclusive” or “pocket listing,” referring to a listing that is not promoted on the MLS but is marketed to the listing agent’s brokerage only or to a select group of “in-the-know” agents. Although not illegal or even unethical in and of itself, the practice is rather [...]

Space photos, supervolcanoes, pickle sandwichs, planting trees by drone, and much more, compiled by Anne-Marie Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist. Goodbye Discovery’s DIY Network, Hello Chip and Joanna Gaines’ new unnamed network to be launched in 2020. Beautiful photos from the International Space Station, taken by Scott Kelly. Scientists are looking out for the next [...]

International clients are an important niche market for residential and commercial REALTORS® alike. In the latest 2019 Commercial Real Estate International Business Trends, NAR reported that foreign buyers purchased $4.8 billion of U.S. commercial real estate in 2018.[1] The median value for a buyer-side transaction was $600,000, while the median value for a seller-side transaction was $1 [...]

By Kyle Malnati I have handed keys to many people at real estate closings over my 15 year career, but my most memorable career experience happened last week. I was part of a group that gifted a house we built with our own blistered hands to a loving family of three. This experience was part [...]

At the national level, housing affordability is up from last month but down from a year ago. Mortgage rates were down from last month at 4.60 percent this February, and up 4.1 percent compared to 4.42 percent a year ago. Housing affordability declined from a year ago in February moving the index down 2.8 percent [...]

Photo Credit: VHT Studios / Chrissy Barrett The real estate professional: Cris Grayson, broker associate at Baird & Warner in Glen Ellyn, Ill. About the home: The five-bedroom home in Glen Ellyn, Ill., was built in 1975. The home has been meticulously maintained, and the homeowners had recently made some updates to the interior as well. [...]

Finding affordable housing can be a challenge. Rents are often compared to the price of housing and many of those who rent desire to own a home. The typical renter has to factor in what portion of their income will they have to commit to housing. Based on NAR’s home affordability index[1], the Midwest has [...]

Younger Boomers, buyers aged 54 to 63 years, made up 18 percent of all home buyers in 2018, consistent with the previous year. The median age for this group was 59 years old and they were born between 1955 and 1964. One in four Younger Boomers was a single female buyer (25 percent), the same [...]

Preparing for tax time, dog-proofing your car, the benefits of a robo-garage, and much more, compiled by Anne-Marie Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist. Tax time tips. Help pets by donating your old bedding to local animal shelters. Also, dog-proofing your car. Pollen haze or pollen bomb–let the sneezing begin. Matt Batchelor/flickr/2011 Locked out of your [...]

With mortgage rates on the decline and home prices appreciating at a slower pace, REALTORS® reported that homebuying traffic increased in February 2019 compared to one year ago, according to NAR’s February  2019 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey.[1] The REALTORS® Buyer Traffic Index increased to 55 in February 2019 from 52 in January 2019. The REALTORS® [...]