Energy-efficient homes built too tightly have building experts warning about the potential health impact on owners. A home sealed efficiently can be great for reducing heating and cooling costs and managing its environmental impact. But the home itself still needs to breathe, some experts warn.“Many homeowners are now having trouble with their more tightly built houses because the homes lack the ventilation necessary to get the stale insi
Seventy-one percent of homeowners say now is a good time to sell, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’s second-quarter Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey. The percentage is up considerably from the 61 percent of homeowners who said it was a good time to sell last year.Owners in the Midwest are the most excited about potentially selling at 76 percent, surpassing the West at 72 percent for the first time th
The famous abode will soon be home to the highest bidderKey Takeaways The Underwood's home in "House of Cards" is up for auction with a starting bid of $500,000.When we’re first introduced to Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood in House of Cards, we’re led into an unforgettably gorgeous, dimly-lit home — the beautiful backdrop for many of the plans and schemes that finally got him to The White House. Now, after watching for five seasons, buyer
As the weather heats up, homeowners may be looking to make the most of their outdoor space. But some cities may have a distinct advantage when it comes to hosting backyard parties. Realtor.com®’s research team analyzed 350 metro areas based on lot sizes, cool outdoor home features (e.g. hot tubs, outdoor kitchens, decks, etc.), and the number of sunny days the area sees annually.“We are seeing more people than ever really investing in the ba
Nearly 80 percent of all borrowers are paying for real estate taxes and home insurance through escrow accounts, according to a recent analysis by CoreLogic. That is up 900 basis points over the past six years.The mortgage industry has been encouraging more borrowers to use escrow accounts because it ensures they have reserves to cover the costs of the mortgage principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. It also helps to lower the risks of tax and
Home improvement projects present the biggest opportunity for scammers to take advantage of homeowners, according to the Better Business Bureau’s Risk Index. Victims of home improvement scams lost an average of $1,400 from shady contractors, painters, and other repairmen, according to the BBB’s analysis.The analysis found that such scams pose the highest risk to homeowners based on three criteria: exposure (how likely consumers are to be expo
The median gross income for a real estate professional in 2016 was $42,500, most of which came from selling homes, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2017 Member Profile. Annual income varied widely based on experience, with practitioners who had been in the real estate business less than two years earning $8,930, while those with 16 or more years of experience earned $78, 850.But what types of activities draw the most busines
The median price for a new single-family home reached a record high in May of $345,800, the Commerce Department reports. Buyers will be paying a huge premium for new construction, as new-home prices are now 16.8 percent higher than they were a year ago.So far, however, the higher price tags don’t seem to be spooking home shoppers. In May, 61,000 new homes were purchased—a 2.9 percent increase from April and an 8.9 percent increase from a year
Many people seek to downsize their home in retirement—but not their homebuying wish list. Retirees reportedly are flocking to smaller newly built homes that are customized to their personal needs and tastes.One advantage older home buyers find with these custom homes is that they can be built to accommodate medical conditions or physical restrictions, such as wider hallways to accommodate mobility devices. The home also can be outfitted with ag
Real estate professionals who want to highlight a home’s solar energy features on the MLS usually have to do so under the “other” category, which may not capture enough attention from buyers. But that may soon change.The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California is developing new data standards for a special MLS field that will automatically populate solar data within the country’s 700 MLSs. This would help mak
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