Market & Trends
The world of real estate investing moves quickly. Catch the must-know news, market information, and trends for the industry here.
Back To: All Topics
Market & Trends
The world of real estate investing moves quickly. Catch the must-know news, market information, and trends for the industry here.
Back To: All Topics
What Does Hurricane Florence Mean for Investors in the Carolinas?
Most of the U.S. experienced significant declines in serious mortgage delinquency rates this summer. A serious delinquency — one that extends more than 90 days — is a sign of significant distress on the part of the homeowner and, as such, is a strong indicator for the health of a ...
Sellers with Children Usually More Motivated to Sell
About one in every four home-sellers with children describe their need to sell as “very urgent.” This is compared to about one in seven homeowners without children at home. According to a new survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homeowners with children under 18 have very different real estate ...
FHA Loans Shifting Toward Lower-Credit Approvals
Underwriting standards appear to be loosening for FHA loans according to a new report from credit developer FICO. The report indicated that borrowers with FICO scores dipping down into the 400s rose from 21.9% in 2009 to 29.7% in 2017. The FICO score is one of the standard measures of ...
Home Flipping Rates Plunge During Q2 of 2018
Home flipping in the United States hit a four-year low during the second quarter of 2018 according to ATTOM Data Solutions. About one in 20 home sales transacted from April to June of 2018 was a flip—down slightly from last year. ATTOM Data defines a “flip” as a property that ...
Hurricane Florence Approaches Southeastern U.S.
The National Hurricane Center is warning that Hurricane Florence, a Category 4 storm off the East Coast of the United States, will hit the Southeastern U.S. late this week. Although forecasters predict the hurricane will hit North Carolina first, its tail includes parts of Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. While ...
Rising Home Prices May be Discouraging California Buyers
Rising home prices and higher interest rates may be discouraging housing activity in California markets. Although median home prices in Southern California still rose nearly 6% in July, this was the weakest annual growth in 18 months. While prices are still much higher this year than last, there is an ...
As the resident expert on foreclosure statistics and trends at real estate data giant ATTOM Data Solutions, Daren Blomquist, the company’s senior vice president for communications, spends a lot of time focused on trends. “I’m always looking for indicators about where the housing market is going,” he said. “Sometimes I’m ...
As New Home Lots Shrink, Investors Should Question a Yard’s Value
As lot sizes for new homes remain relatively small by historical norms, the amount of yard space most developers are allotting for new homes is shrinking. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), median lot size fell below 8,600 square feet in 2015 and has remained there ...
New Data Reveals the Most Valuable Remodeling Projects, Upgrades
As the home-remodeling boom maintains momentum, Houzz.com estimates more than half of all homeowners will either begin or continue a home renovation project for the remainder of 2018. Homeowners are opting to spend a median dollar amount of $10,000—a number actually down slightly from the year prior. But homeowners do ...
Think Realty-sponsored NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb featured in video game
Jennifer Jo Cobb, American NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, is represented in “NASCAR Heat 3,” a video game by Monster Games and published by 704Games. The third game in the popular NASCAR Heat series became available September 7, 2018 at retailers Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Game Stop and through ...
The 5 Least Affordable Cities for Middle Class Households
Some of the most attractive metro areas in which to live are completely inaccessible to middle-class homeowners, a trend which is becoming more pronounced. Families paying over 30 percent of their incomes toward housing are considered “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Furthermore, cities in ...
Facebook Buying Up Real Estate in the Bay Area
Facebook is getting plenty of negative attention from the media and investors, but they continue to expand their real estate in the Bay Area. This comes in the wake of ongoing issues with speculation that the company’s user growth may have hit a wall. However, that does not appear to ...
Five Financial Benefits of Owning Residential Real Estate Investments
For the last 25 years, I have been helping families and individuals identify goals, establish a plan and determine a clear vision of their financial future. While a financial plan is a future road map that is normally put into writing, it is also a guideline that is used to ...
How Much Longer Can Atlanta’s Hot Housing Market Last?
This past July, Atlanta, Georgia’s housing market posted a historic high when the metro area’s median home price exceeded a quarter of a million dollars for the first time in history. Where does this latest real estate benchmark leave Atlanta-area investors? To answer this question, we must examine not just ...
More Digital Mortgage Opportunities
In a growing world of technology, borrowers are looking for more digital mortgage opportunities. In the 21st Century, consumers can buy just about anything from a device. Now, they’re looking to expedite the process for one of their biggest purchases. Henry Cason, SVP of digital products for Fannie Mae’s Single-Family ...
One-Third of Homeowners Have “Neighborhood Regret”
You’ve heard of buyer’s remorse—now there is a more specialized form of angst for homebuyers: “neighborhood regret.” According to a study from Trulia, 36 percent of recently relocated Americans say they would have moved to a different neighborhood if they could do it again. Homebuyers in metro areas feel particularly regretful, ...
Housing Dollar Value Varies Widely Across Country
“A dollar today isn’t what it used to be, particularly when it comes to real estate,” says Zillow Senior Economist Aaron Terrazas. This comes from a recent report from Zillow Research regarding home values around the country. However, according to the study, a dollar can buy nearly 20 times more ...
Think Realty Magazine September 2018
+ WHAT'S INSIDE Think Realty | How Much Longer Can Atlanta's Hot Housing Market Last? •Out of the Ordinary Design Point | Renovation Rockstar (Multifamily Edition): The Park at LeBlanc •Vinyl Flooring Decisions Made in the Field • Tuned Into the Market • How the Latest Kitchen Cabinetry Trend Could ...
The 5 Best College Towns for Real Estate Investors
Most investors think of college towns as good places for real estate investments because they tend to have relatively affordable housing, a steady stream of potential tenants and buyers, and are somewhat recession-resistant. However, as CNBC Money reporter Sarah Berger put it, “Some college towns make for much savvier investments ...
The Most Underwater and Equity Rich U.S. Housing Markets
More than 5.2 million (5,206,446) U.S. properties were seriously underwater (where the combined balance of loans secured by the property was at least 25 percent higher than the property’s estimated market value) at the end of Q1 2018, down by more than 291,000 properties from a year ago — the ...
Buyers Undeterred by Wildfires
Historically, the occurrence of wildfires has dampened home-value appreciation in the immediate area of the fire. This holds true even in neighborhoods with no evacuations or property damage. However, the 2018 wildfire season appears to be a different case entirely. According to a new study released by University of Las ...
Luxury Vinyl Tile Producers Push for Tariffs
Real estate investors like luxury vinyl tile (LVT) for many reasons, but affordability and durability top the list. But if two LVT manufacturers who recently testified in Washington, D.C. get their way, the affordability aspect may disappear. Even with a price increase, some experts believe the benefits may well outweigh ...
32,000 Smart Homes Susceptible to Hacking
According to reports from security and risk management data provider CSO, some 32,000 smart homes can be “easily hacked” by “cyberthugs [who] could gain complete access to a home.” Once inside, hackers can manipulate entertainment systems, voice assistants, household devices, and even physically open smart doors. Avast blogger and IT ...
Top Cities for Housing Market Stability
SmartAsset’s 2018 list of the top cities for growth and stability in housing was recently published. Typically when a housing market appreciates, often property owners start fearing the wors. They wonder when the correction will come. According to quarterly data from 1993 to 2017, certain cities were most likely to ...
Flood Risk Hurts Home Values in Multiple States
Living near the water has traditionally been a pleasant dream for home-buyers, but research from a nonprofit group evaluating the impact of rising sea levels indicates home values may be suffering as buyers start avoiding the water. First Street Foundation (FSF) is a group based around the cause of advocating for ...
