Offseason May Be New Homebuying Season

​ SEATTLE – Lower mortgage rates and rising inventory are giving home buyers a window of opportunity at an unusual time of year, according to the latest market report from Zillow. Affordability has improved substantially for home buyers, and competition among them could extend into the fall instead of fading away as is typical at […]

TikTok Ban Effort Heads to Federal Appeals Court

​ WASHINGTON – Bipartisan efforts to ban TikTok nationwide will be scrutinized Monday by a federal appeals court tasked with weighing whether axing the social media giant’s U.S. presence runs afoul of the First Amendment. The social media platform and a group of content creators have sued over a new law that could ban the […]

Fed Rate Cuts to Deliver Economic Boost

​ WASHINGTON – American consumers and home buyers, businesspeople and political leaders have been waiting for months for what the Federal Reserve is poised to announce this week: That it’s cutting its key interest rate from a two-decade peak. It’s likely to be just the first in a series of rate cuts that should make […]

Web Domain Listing Scam Targets NAR Members

​ News & Media By Melissa Dittmann Tracey CHICAGO – Members of the National Association of Realtors® have reported receiving deceptive mailers that mimic invoices and claim to offer web domains with the .realestate address. The mailers are not being sent by NAR and are coming from DomainNetworks.com, according to a warning posted on the […]

Stay Informed: New Practice Resources Available

​ News & Media ORLANDO, Fla. – This week, Florida Realtors will host two webinars to help Realtors® navigate the recent industry changes and gain key insights to strengthen buyer trust. In addition, the National Association of Realtors® released a new Consumer Guide that further demonstrates the value of working with a Realtor. Links to […]

Renovations With a Strong Return on Investment

​ News & Media NEW YORK – Renovations that make homeowners and residents of a home happy are always worth the investment. Though it’s certainly true that projects that create more functional, usable space and add comfort and convenience are worth the price, such renovations are even more beneficial if they provide a good return […]

Web Domain Listing Scam Targeting NAR Members

​ News & Media By Melissa Dittmann Tracey CHICAGO – Members of the National Association of Realtors® have reported receiving deceptive mailers that mimic invoices and claim to offer web domains with the .realestate address. The mailers are not being sent by NAR and are coming from DomainNetworks.com, according to a warning posted on the […]

Demand for Second-Home Mortgages Fall

​ News & Media SEATTLE – Mortgage-rate locks for second homes fell 13.1% year over year in August to the lowest level since March 2016 on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to a new report from the brokerage Redfin. By comparison, mortgage-rate locks for primary homes declined 5.2%. Rate locks for second homes were down […]

The Upcoming Rate Cut: 5 Things to Consider

​ WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve has kept its interest rates unchanged for over a year. However, this is expected to change in the coming week. The economy has consistently indicated that it may no longer need the cooling effects of high interest rates. Inflation has dropped below 3%, while job creation has slowed to […]

U.S. Consumer Sentiment Ticks Higher

​ News & Media By Christopher Rugaber WASHINGTON — Americans’ outlook on the economy improved for the second straight month in September, bolstered by lower prices for long-lasting goods such as cars and furniture. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index ticked up to 69 in its preliminary reading, from 67.9 in August and its […]

Why Credit Scores Are Crucial to Home Buying

​ NEW YORK – Strictly speaking, you don’t need a credit score to buy a house. If you’re paying cash, for example, no one necessarily cares whether you have good credit. However, if – like most aspiring American homeowners – you’ll need financing, then your credit score is crucial. Your credit score is one of […]

How Do Interest Rate Cuts Help Housing?

​ WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve has played a key role in the roller coaster nature of the housing market since 2020. After a period of hiking, and then holding, rates that kept home sales muted, the Fed is set to return to rate cuts this month. When that happens, what will happen to the […]