Category Archives: Selling a Home

Pending home sales rose in July to the highest level in over two years and remain well above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 2.4 percent to 101.7 in July from 99.3 in June and is 12.4 percent above July 2011 when it was 90.5. The data reflect contracts but not closings. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the index is at the highest level since April 2010, which was shortly before the closing […]

The latest industry reports are showing housing prices on the rise, and it has made more sellers want to raise their asking price, according to industry insiders. Shrinking inventories of for-sale homes with pent-up demand is allowing sellers to charge about 5 percent more than they could have just six months ago, Everett King, president of ERA King Real Estate in Birmingham, Ala., told USA Today. Real estate companies are reporting that sellers are having more luck with their higher asking prices, too. For example, in Tucson, Ariz., home sellers […]

The average number of days homes are spending on the market has dropped by nearly 10 percent nationwide in the last year, according to June housing data from REALTOR.com. The average U.S. home now spends 84 days on the market. But in some housing markets, homes are selling even faster, spending an average of 45 days or less on the market before they sell. What’s more, many of these housing markets are having not only some of the speediest home sales but also some of the largest increases in median […]

Fewer distressed homes on the market are contributing to inventory shortages in California, the California Association of REALTORS® reports. CAR reported that its Pending Home Sales Index dropped 3.8 percent from May to June. Still, it was up 4.7 percent year-over-year. REOs made up 20.2 percent of the state’s pending home sales in June, which is a decline from 29.2 percent a year ago. All distressed properties — which includes REOs, short sales, and others — made up 42 percent of June’s pending sales. That’s down from 49.5 percent a […]

Wealthy home owners are reportedly contacting their real estate agents with an urgent request: They must sell their home within the next five months, CNBC reports. Why are they suddenly in such a rush to sell? Wealthy home owners—those with million-plus home values—are seeing Jan. 1 as a deadline to sell their home in case Congress allows the Bush tax cuts to expire and for capital-gains taxes to rise (the current 15 percent rate could rise to 20 percent). If these go into effect, wealthy home owners could owe millions […]

Green homes can net higher sales prices, according to a new study conducted by the University of California. Researchers analyzed 1.6 million home sales from 2007 to 2012 and found that green-certified, single-family homes sold for $34,800 more — or 9 percent more — than comparable non-green-certified homes in California. In California, cities that also had the most electric vehicles and most eco-conscious, the sales price of  homes with eco-friendly construction was even higher. “We observed a phenomenon we’ve termed the ‘Prius effect’ — a positive correlation between the value […]

A Zillow Inc. analysis of home values in different zip codes for the three months ended in April—taking into account home sales and appraisals, among other factors—shows an unbalanced housing recovery and emphasizes the influence of location on residential values. As home sales grow and available supply narrows, home values have held up or are beginning to rise in neighborhoods with good public school systems, low crime rates, and nearby transportation corridors.  However, other neighborhoods—especially in the exurbs—are not yet in recovery mode. The report shows that home values during […]

The nation’s 70-million strong Generation-Y demographic is more likely than other generations to spend money on hobbies, electronics and video games, but they also may be the homebuyers strapped sellers are looking for. Those who are looking to source quality electronics may consider contacting reliable sellers like Rebound Electronics. Western Union released a study Wednesday showing that 47% of Gen-Y plan to buy a home within the next five years or less, compared to 29% of the overall population. At the same time, this generation is dealing with higher student […]

Studies have suggested that staged homes sell faster, and as such, more sellers may be willing to give it a try. So what are some staging ideas for sprucing up a property? Thomas Rouse, a design producer at “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” offered the following tips in a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. 1. Paint: A fresh coat of paint in a neutral palette can be an inexpensive upgrade with big impact. Another great idea is covering up the wall with a mural to give it a more […]

Pending home sales retrenched in April following three consecutive monthly gains, but are notably higher than a year ago, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, declined 5.5 percent to 95.5 from a downwardly revised 101.1 in March but is 14.4 percent above April 2011 when it was 83.5. The data reflect contracts but not closings. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said a one-month setback in light of many months of gains does not change the fundamentally improving […]