Americans Living Farther from Work in Bigger Homes

​ NEW YORK – Freed, perhaps, from a daily jaunt to the office, the average American worker now lives almost three times farther from their job than they did before the pandemic, research shows. Workers’ average distance to their employer increased from 10 miles in 2019 to 27 miles in 2023, according to a study […]

U.S. Consumer Sentiment Ticks Down Slightly

​ News & Media By Christopher Rugaber WASHINGTON — Consumers became slightly less optimistic about the economy this month, though they continue to expect inflation to cool further, a potential sign that price increases will keep slowing. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, slipped to 76.5 in March, […]

NAR Agrees to Proposed Litigation Settlement

​ ORLANDO – The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) announced a proposed $418 million settlement agreement to the Sitzer-Burnett verdict that would end litigation of claims brought by home sellers related to broker commissions. The agreement resolves claims against NAR, more than one million NAR members, state/territorial and local Realtor® associations, all association-owned MLSs and […]

Tips for Breaking Into the High-End Market

​ News & Media NEW YORK – Real-estate professionals have their own networking and lead generation strategies, but most believe that they can “will” their luxury market success into being. Whether that means following up with a potential home buyer that initially ghosted you or you enter the room with confidence you may not feel. […]

Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Credit Score

​ NEW YORK – Your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your financial life. It plays a crucial role in determining individuals’ access and eligibility for loans, credit cards, mortgages, rental applications, and more. However, it’s not a static number and requires continuous monitoring and maintenance by individuals. As data breaches […]

Helping Loved Ones from Home to Assisted Living

​ NEW YORK – Families must make a number of important decisions when an aging relative decides the time is right to move into an assisted living facility. Such facilities help older individuals who are having troubling living independently. In addition to finding the right facility for a loved one, many families have to decide […]

Bold Home Décor Trends for 2024

​ CHICAGO – Allie LeFevere describes her maximalist Chicago home as colorful and eclectic. When she and her husband moved into their home four years ago, she didn’t have a specific design in mind. “I just wanted the house to feel vibrant,” says LeFevere, founder of branding agency Obedient. She wanted “a representation of our […]

Tips for First-Time Buyers Entering the Market

​ NEW YORK – Real estate has garnered considerable attention since 2020, and for good reason. Though speculators and real estate professionals may point to a number of variables that have affected the market for homes in recent years, the pandemic certainly was among those factors. Real estate prices and mortgage interest rates increased significantly […]

Florida Realtors, MREA Partner for the Future

​ CANNES, France–Florida Realtors® and the Manitoba Real Estate Association (MREA) today signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as leaders of the two real estate professional organizations attended the 2024 MIPIM in Cannes, France. MIPIM is the premier real estate event for the international property industry. The MoU agreement establishes the cooperation of the two […]

Florida Home to Fastest Growing Metro Areas

​ WASHINGTON – Florida was home to four of the nation’s top five fastest-growing metropolitan statistical areas and three of the top 10 that gained the largest number of people from 2022 to 2023, reflecting continued population growth across the South. The increases in Florida — the nation’s third most populous state — were fueled […]

Mortgage Rate Declines for Second Week

​ LOS ANGELES — Home loan borrowing costs fell for the second week in a row, pulling the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to its lowest level since early February — good news for prospective home shoppers as the spring homebuying season gets underway. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped to 6.74% from […]

All-Cash Buyers Surge to Decade High

​ WASHINGTON – Home buyers who paid cash accounted for 32% of home sales in January, marking the highest rate since 2014, the National Association of Realtors® reports. Many leveraged the equity from a prior home sale. Vacation-home buyers and real estate investors made up the bulk of all-cash buyers over the last six months, […]