The construction of new homes increased in October to meet the rising homebuyer demand, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Privately-owned housing starts increased in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.29 million, up a full 13.7% from September’s revised
It’s never easy to restore an old home, but redesigning a home built in the 1980s – an era not particularly loved for its style – requires imagination. Debbie Cederlind and Lora Lindberg, Seattle house-flipping pros and owners of Urban Squirrel, recently tackled a Bothell, WA home built in 1989 that didn’t have much going
Your kitchen is likely the most loved room in your home – and the wear and tear proves it. It’s the hangout for hungry teenagers, the conversation station during the holidays and the catch-up room after a busy workday. A functional and appealing kitchen is important not only for your family but for your guests,
Millennials continue to surge into the housing market, their demand rising unchecked by rising home prices or increasing mortgage rates. Ellie Mae’s Millennial Tracker showed these first-time homebuyers saw a jump of more than .5 percentage points from their mortgage rates last year, yet they continue to buy homes. Now, a new infographic from the
Zillow. Trulia. Realtor.com. Redfin. All household names in the real estate listings world, right? Well, those companies now have some serious competition from a company that boasts an audience that dwarfs all of those sites put together – Facebook. That’s right. Facebook is coming to real estate listings. Now, anyone who’s “friends” with a real
If cleaning the house seems like one big chore, you’re probably doing it wrong. Before you put off cleaning for yet another month, here are some ways to make housework a comfortable and even enjoyable part of your daily routine. Start small If you begin and end each day with a little picking up, you’ll
Before buying a home, most borrowers look to save up for a down payment and build up their credit, however, in some areas, buying may actually require a lower FICO than when trying to rent. Nationwide, the average credit score needed to rent an apartment was 650, while those with a score of 538 and below
A bathroom should be a place of comfort – the optimal environment for a relaxing soak or getting ready efficiently during a harried morning. “You’re going to spend time in there every day,” says Sarah Hurd, part of the mother-daughter team behind Short Story Renovations, a Baltimore-area design, rehab and staging company. “You should not
Home prices increased across the nation, causing nearly half of the nation’s top 50 markets to become overvalued, according to the latest Home Price Index from CoreLogic, a property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider. The HPI showed home prices increased 7% from September 2016 to September 2017 and 0.9% from August. And CoreLogic predicts
Home prices continue to increase, yet affordability actually improved since July, according to the latest Mortgage Monitor report from Black Knight. As of September, the average homeowner needed 21.4% of their median income to purchase a home. This is actually down from July’s post-recession peak of 21.7% and low by historical standards. For comparison, an