Tag: home buyers
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Seller-Paid Agent Commissions Are Over in August. How Will Buying Homes Change?
Effective August 17, sellers won’t have to agree to pay both sides’ commissions up front when they list their homes for sale. And agents can no longer communicate “offers of compensation” to other agents through their local Multiple Listing Services. August will mark “a time of adjustment,” says Kevin Sears, who recently took the role…
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Builders Meet Buyers Where They Are—With Smaller Homes
At Elm Trails, a subdivision of San Antonio, the giant developer Lennar sells compact homes for just $150K or so. The houses themselves take up less than 700 square feet. They’re placed on 20-foot lots with little backyards and no garages. The least expensive offering is a new, 350-square-foot house for $130K. So far, 55…
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It’s Election Year. How Will This Affect Sellers and Buyers?
As we enter an election year the current administration points to how strong the economy is. But there’s a disconnect between these regular public assurances and people’s life experiences. So many are either locked into their current mortgages or just completely sidelined from the market. This is no joke: High mortgage rates. Wages lagging while…
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State of the Home Buyer: White House Promotes New Set of Tax Credits
Housing affordability remains out of reach for many in the U.S. population today. What’s the matter? Joe Biden’s March 2024 State of the Union address laid out the latest plan to help. Here’s an update on the issue, and how the administration intends to deal with it.
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Update! Fed Signals 2024 “Pivot” on Interest Rates. What Should Home Sellers and Seekers Know?
As we’ve all noticed, deed transfers really got stuck in a rut in 2023. Too few owners are selling their homes. Supply is down. Prices are up. A core issue? The Federal Reserve. Over the past two years, the Fed has hiked rates in order to banish inflation and to tighten up the economy. So,…
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How Today’s Demand for Pet-Friendly Homes Impacts Buyers, Sellers, and Agents
It’s a steadily growing trend in real estate: the demand for pet-friendly homes. It impacts the way we create, furnish, and market homes. Let’s explore how this phenomenon is evolving. Then we’ll look at what matters most from the perspective of a buyer, a seller, or a real estate agent.
