General News - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

While Houses Get Bigger, Apartments Get Smaller

New homes have gotten larger, many with a room dedicated to each family member, plus a guest bedroom. On the other hand, apartments are feeling more cramped.New single-family homes have increased 18% in size, or 143 square feet, over the last decade, according to new research from STORAGECafe. That’s about the size of a new bedroom, says STORAGECafe, which analyzed the evolution of new-home and apartment sizes from 2010 to 2019.The average size

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The 15 Most Affordable College Towns for Renters

Columbia, Mo., home to the University of Missouri, offers the cheapest housing costs of college towns in the U.S., according to a new analysis from Apartment Guide. The average one-bedroom apartment rents for $714 and the average two-bedroom apartment rent is $850.College towns have long been viewed as a steady sector for investors to own rentals. The pandemic has challenged that over recent months, but housing analysts still view college to

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Mortgage Applications are 40% Higher than a Year Ago

The home shopping spree continues. Typically, the end of August sees a slowdown in the housing market, but this year, real estate has shown no signs of letting up.Mortgage applications to purchase a home increased 3% last week compared to the previous week. But it’s the year-over-year jump of 40% that has surprised economists. Year-over-year comparisons are usually in the single digits.“There continues to be resiliency in the purchase market,

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5 Timeless Kitchen Trends

Kitchens can be expensive to renovate, so help homeowners choose upgrades that will stand the test of time—and outlast trends that come and go.Life Rejoice, a home improvement blog, has offered up 40 timeless kitchen trends. Here's a peek at five.1. QuartzEngineered quartz will continue to be a popular countertop option for a long time. It’s less prone to damage than other countertop materials and doesn’t stain from acidic substances, makin

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Renters Face Growing Affordability Issues

Every year since 2010, fewer than 10% of units have been deemed affordable to renter households that earn 50% of the median renter income, according to a new report released from Freddie Mac.The “Rental Affordability Reexamined” study found that despite some claims otherwise, affordability levels in the rental sector have not improved in recent years.Freddie Mac researchers isolated renter income to capture the availability of affordable hous

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Condo Inventory Grows, Sales Stay Strong

As COVID-19 outbreak took hold earlier this year the U.S., sales of condominiums took one of the biggest hits. Condos reached a low year-over-year point in May. That was after in late 2019—pre-pandemic for the U.S.—where condo sales were accelerating at a faster rate than single-family detached homes, reports CoreLogic, a real estate research firm.“While the pandemic has impacted our views on the desirability of density, it is clear that ho

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How to Make a Cramped Backyard Appear Bigger

Backyard space has become a premium for buyers during the pandemic. Be sure to make every square inch of it count in your listings. After all, however small that concrete slab or back deck is, homeowners can still show it off as usable entertaining or relaxation space.HouseLogic, a home improvement resource, offered up several ideas for living large in a small backyard footprint.One way to make the space feel larger may seem counterintuitive: Div

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Americans Say It’s a Good Time to Buy and Sell

In a seller’s market, it’s not too surprising Americans have expressed optimism toward home selling. But Americans also say it’s a good time to be a buyer—in fact, more Americans are bullish over buying than selling.Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index, which reflects the attitudes of more than 1,000 respondents toward housing, shows consumer sentiment over five of six housing indicators increased in August. Consumers are expressi

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Demand for Single-Family Rentals is Surging

The single-family rental market posted strong growth during the initial months of the pandemic, from April through June, according to the National Rental Home Council and John Burns Real Estate Consulting's latest reading from the Single-Family Rental Market Index during the second quarter.“As the COVID crisis reverberated throughout the economy in the second quarter this year, demand for single-family rental homes surged,” says David Howard,

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Where Inventory is Shrinking, Expanding Most

The number of homes for sale nationwide is in record low territory. When the pandemic hit, many homeowners took their homes off the market and many are still waiting to sell. That has created a frenzy in many markets as buyers compete for a limited number of homes for sale.Some of the nation’s most affordable areas are seeing the largest drops in housing inventories.Among the 50 most populous U.S. metros, San Antonio, Texas, has experienced som

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