Knowledgebase

All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.

Knowledgebase

All of Think Realty's extensive content archive is at your fingertips. Filter by media type and keyword to hone in on exactly what you need.

2018 Redfin Report Open Houses

Report: Homes with Open Houses Sell for More and Spend Less Time Market

According to a recent analysis of 2018 home sales and open houses, Redfin found that houses for sale that had an open house in their first week on the market sold for up to $9,046 more. They also discovered that those homes spent seven fewer days on the market versus ...
Hottest Housing Markets

A Look at March’s 20 Hottest Housing Markets

Spring home sales may be in a funk, but there are still plenty of cities where homes are selling fast. Spring is typically the most active season in real estate, however, the broader housing market showed signs of slowing in March compared to a year ago despite some “unexpected hot ...
foreclosure starts

Despite Rate Dip, These Counties Lead Foreclosure Starts

While mortgage delinquency rates continue to decline around the U.S., there are still a handful of counties seeing relatively high rates of foreclosure starts. For the first quarter of 2019, a total of 161,875 U.S. properties began the foreclosure process, which is a drop of 23 percent from the previous ...
Austin Best Places to Live

U.S. News Unveils Familiar Cities on Best Places to Live

National rankings continue to love the Lone Star State’s capital city. For three years running, Austin, Texas, topped U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Places to Live in the USA” list, lauding the city’s vibrant music scene and booming economy. “People are drawn to the Texas capital's music, outdoor ...
Solar power

Report: Homes with Solar Power Enjoy Solid Value Bump

As the cost of sustainably powering homes continues to decrease around the U.S., more landlords and homeowners are exploring the value of installing solar panels. In addition to curbing emissions, Zillow Research found that within the last year, homes with solar-energy systems sold for 4.1 percent more on average than ...
Flipping

Flipping Back: New Investor Approach Increases Rate of Home Flips

Real estate investors are fixing and flipping more homes in hopes of quickly turning a profit, according to a recent report. The rate of home flipping has increased on a year-over-year basis for a dozen consecutive quarters, however, investors are going about the process differently since 2002, real estate analytics ...
DIY Improvement projects

Report Ranks Homeowners Most Costly DIY Mistakes

In their efforts to save money, some homeowners end up making far more costly DIY mistakes as they try to revamp their properties, a recent report found. In a survey of 1,187 homeowners, Porch.com found a variety of expensive — and avoidable — mishaps that homeowners make as they attempt to ...
Climate Change Flooded Homes

Report: Climate Change Will Devastate Unprepared Real Estate Investors

Real estate investors that aren’t preparing their properties for climate change and increasingly extreme weather may face steep costs, according to a recent report from the Urban Land Institute. In 2017, insurers around the world paid out a record-breaking $135 billion for damage to real estate caused by storms and ...
PeerStreet

PeerStreet Lowers Minimum Real Estate Investment to $100

The burgeoning peer-to-peer lending platform PeerStreet has unveiled product updates that enable investments of only $100. The company recently announced it’s lowered the minimum investment to $100 for “small balance reinvestments” when using its automated investing product. The upgrade also expands the investment types available for automated investing to include ...
CoreVest Beth O'Brien

Real Estate Investment Lender CoreVest Soars Past $5B in Loans

Now a top private lender to residential real estate investors across the U.S., CoreVest recently surpassed a whopping $5 billion in closed loans. CoreVest has significantly expanded its loan offerings over the last year, helping to serve a growing client base with a wide range of real estate strategies, said ...
Indiana State Capitol Landlord Fees

Indiana Lawmakers Firmly Reject Landlord Fee Hike

Landlords in Indiana have an extra reason to smile this Spring. Indiana lawmakers forcefully rejected a measure that would increase the maximum registration fee municipalities can charge rental property owners each year. Senate Bill 171 aimed to increase the highest allowable fee per rental property from the current $5 fee ...
List Prices

List Prices Hit Record High and Could Continue to Grow

As the Spring selling season picks up, list prices are soaring. The median list prices for homes in the United States spiked to $300,000 in March for the first time ever, according to Realtor Magazine. And even despite a slowing market, it’s likely that list prices will continue to grow, ...
Dallas real estate market New Home Construction

New Home Construction Increases in 7 Big U.S. Metros

To the delight of buyers and real estate investors, new-home construction is starting to pick up in large cities throughout the United States. As more new homes enter the market, home buyers could see expanded inventories and less competition in certain in big metros across the nation, according to data ...
real estate taxes

Study Finds Large Metros with Highest, Lowest Real Estate Taxes

Significant changes in tax law mean a world of change for real estate investors. Taking effect in 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the biggest shift in U.S. tax law since the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and creates several advantages for investors. In addition to a favorable ...
Save on Mortgages Mortgage-Options

Report: After Big Rate Drop, Millions can Save on Mortgages

After a steep 30-year fixed-rate mortgage drop to close out March, nearly 5 million homeowners could save if they refinanced their homes. In the week ending on March 29, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 22 basis points, from a 4.28 percent average the week prior to and averaged 4.06 percent ...
New York Opportunity Zones

Hot Neighborhood Targets for Investors Eyeing Opportunity Zones

Created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, so-called “Opportunity Zones” are providing lucrative prospects for investors to reap tax incentives while also spurring economic revitalization in low-income communities. Opportunity Zones offer investors in about 8,700 lower-income areas a deferral on capital gains taxes and an exemption on ...
Jasmine-Roth

Three Habits Builder & HGTV Star Jasmine Roth Swears By

Between building, designing, filming, interviews and traveling, Jasmine Roth’s packed schedule leaves little space for downtime. Now in the midst of filming her second season of HGTV’s “Hidden Potential,” Roth still prioritizes a daily routine that helps her stave off stress, produce energy and stay healthy. Here are three habits ...
Think Realty Housing News Report April/May 2019

Think Realty Housing News Report April/May 2019

+ WHAT'S INSIDE Think Realty |  News & Events • Citrix-Podio Provides a Secure File-Sharing Solution Investor Stories |  From Serving America to Owning a Piece of It • Will AVMs Create a World Without Appraisers? Strategy |  Gathering Risks Make 2019 a Challenging Year for Mortgage Lenders •Rental Markets ...
Think Realty Housing News Report April 2019

Think Realty Housing News Report April 2019

+ WHAT'S INSIDE Housing News Report |  FEATURED ARTICLE: GSE REFORM: HOUSING FINANCE SAVIOR OR LOOMING DISASTER? •MY TAKE: GATHERING RISKS MAKE 2019 A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR MORTGAGE LENDERS •SPOTLIGHT: MARYLAND STILL AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO INVEST •BIG DATA SANDBOX: BUY OR RENT? THAT IS THE QUESTION • DATA IN ...
Vacation Rental investment

Report Finds Best Cities for Vacation Rental Investment

As short-term rentals grow in popularity around the U.S., more investors are eyeing opportunities in the fast-expanding industry. And thanks to a recent analysis from rented.com, real estate investors have more insight into what cities can provide the biggest upside for short-term rental investments. The company, which provides services to help ...
WallStreet_Missing_Baltimore_Upside

Wall Street is Missing Baltimore’s Huge Upside

My favorite part of being in the business of picking winners in the real estate market is when I find a market hiding in plain sight. Baltimore is just such a market. But what makes it a great market, and why are so many people missing it? Whenever we analyze ...
Real estate crowdfunding

Invest from the Couch: 7 Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms

Whether you’re looking to cut a seven-figure check or buy a small share of a building, more crowdfunding platforms are entering the world of real estate to fuel the next generation of investing. Leveraging a law enacted in 2013, real estate crowdfunding tools have significantly grown in popularity with dozens ...
Report Reveals Best Counties for Single-Family Rental Investment

Report Reveals Best Counties for Single-Family Rental Investment

As lifestyles and buying behaviors evolve, more people are looking at renting instead of owning a home. In general, Americans are tending to move jobs more frequently, wait longer to buy their first home, and get married and have children later in life — shifts that are creating opportunities for ...
AVMs

Will AVMs Create a World Without Appraisers?

The real estate market has had a good run during the past few years, but for one group the story has been different. Appraisers are facing tough times. Their job numbers are in decline, business is being lost to high-tech competitors, management companies are cannibalizing fees, and HUD has questioned ...
Active-Retirement

10 Small Towns for Retirees Eyeing Active Lifestyle, Affordability

| Bobby Burch | Article | Operations
More retirees are looking for affordable cities in which they can enjoy retirement. 55places.com, a resource for active adult communities in the U.S., conducted a survey that found 62 percent of retirees want to spend less than $300,000 on their next home, and 30 percent want to spend less than ...