Best-Kept Secret in Rural Housing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service's Section 502 direct 
loan program is a longstanding loan product that's intended to help relatively low-income households get safe and affordable financing. The
agency has the flexibility to make loans to lower-income households
because it makes the loans directly rather than through a lender as a
guaranteed loan. The agency's director, Cathy Glower, came to the
National Association of REALTORS®' offices in Washington, D.C., last
week to talk about the opportunities that many rural home buyers might
be missing out on because of the program's low profile, read more.
Home Prices are Rising at a Rapid Pace
Existing-home
sales surged 9 percent year-over-year in March and home prices
were up 8
percent over last year, according to the National Association of
REALTORS®. Home prices are rising at a more rapid pace than they
were just a few months ago, as demand outpaces supply. What’s more, with tight inventories plaguing many markets, the median list price in March climbed 11 percent over last year, reaching $220,000, reports. With home prices heating up again, could the housing market be heading for another bubble? 'This Is No Housing Bubble,' read more.
Cost-Effective Renovations, Keep it Simple
When it comes to remodeling, it's best to keep it simple. Small cost-effective 
home
renovations will likely get the best return on investment, according to
surveys, appraisers, and real estate professionals. According to the 2015 Cost vs. Value Report, large-scale home remodeling projects are often a gamble, and aren't likely to return their full cost. Small home improvements like upgrading to a steel door, updating the garage door, replacing wood windows, and making small updates to the kitchen will recoup nearly 100 percent of their cost. Bottom line? Simple replacements cost a lot less and provide a bigger payback, read more.
Cost-Effective Renovations, Keep it Simple
When it comes to remodeling, it's best to keep it simple. Small cost-effective home
renovations will likely get the best return on investment, according to
surveys, appraisers, and real estate professionals. According to the 2015 Cost vs. Value Report, large-scale home remodeling projects are often a gamble, and aren't likely to return their full cost. Small home improvements like upgrading to a steel door, updating the garage door, replacing wood windows, and making small updates to the kitchen will recoup nearly 100 percent of their cost. Bottom line? Simple replacements cost a lot less and provide a bigger payback, read more.
What are Stale Listing?
Stale' Listings Are Finding Buyers: "A home that’s been sitting for 30 days is 
more likely to be overpriced, in need of renovation, or have other problems that prevent it from selling." A limited number of homes for-sale has been plaguing housing markets for months.
And despite recent gains, for-sale inventories remain a big concern,
particularly when you "take the quality of the inventory into account," according to a new report by the real estate brokerages. The number of both fresh and dated listings remains low, painting a bleak picture for buyers in many cities. When new buyers find out they're going to have to beat other offers on the newer stuff, they adjust and start looking for things on the market, read more.
New-Home Sales Tumble
Temporary Setback? Sales of newly built single-family homes plunged 11.4 
percent in March, led by large dips in the Midwest and South, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. It was the largest drop in new home sales since July 2013 and follows three consecutive months of large gains. "After two robust months of new home sales, some readjustment is inevitable," says David Crowe, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders.Still, "this is the best first quarter since 2008, and attractive mortgage rates and pent-up demand should keep the market moving in the right direction." Read more.
How to Finance Nontraditional Home
Earthship, Yurt, or Other Weird (i.e., Nontraditional) Home: (or, depending on 
your POV, downright weird) homes you can buy right now.
That is, if you have cash If not, you’ll need to get the right kind of financing to
step through your atypical front door. We looked at types of
unusual properties to see what kind of financing challenges to expect if
you’re looking to go the route of log cabins, Earthships, and
extremely remote locations. That’s why seller financing can be the way to go, Richter said. Just don’t expect to get market rates or
choose your loan type. Seller financers can (and will) charge higher
rates, set specific terms, and require a substantial down payment to make sure you have enough skin in the game.See how Students Build $500 House
Landlords Are Raising Rents Again
“In the 2015 rental season, we’re really seeing the ability to move rents,” 
David Singelyn, chief executive —the largest publicly-traded single-family landlord. CEOs of the largest companies renting out single-family homes say they plan to raise rents this year. Investors are switching their focus from buying properties to optimizing the revenue from the thousands of properties they bought, taking advantage of the increased demand for rental homes. “There’s a supply imbalance in some markets. See How Much.
Yes, This Housing Market Is Tight
Sales and Prices Suggest Housing is Gaining Momentum in Spring: April's 
target annual sales rate for existing homes is an increase of 2.3 percent from March and 11.8 percent from April 2014.
"Among
the factors contributing to the jump in March's existing home sales,
pent-up demand from weak sales in January and February probably played a
significant role," EVP Rick Sharga said. " Consumer psychology is likely also at play here: with talk of the Fed hiking interest rates as early as June, buyers who've been sitting on the sidelines may have decided to buy now and lock in today's historically low interest rates." Read more.
Flipping House Edges Out Renting
Price Jumps Leading to More Flips: More investors are flipping properties 
again,
a trend that started last year and is building momentum across the
country, according to First Quarter 2015 Real Estate Investor Activity
Report. Investors lately are showing more interest in purchasing a home to flip than renting it out. In fact there was a 6.5 percent quarter-over-quarter increase in favor of flipping in the first quarter of 2015. "It seems clear that the unusually low inventory of homes for sale has led to higher home prices, which makes it challenging for investors to rent homes out at a rate that’s profitable, and still affordable for tenants, Read more.
Credit Unions Offer Tempting Mortgage Deals,
Credit unions are aggressively expanding their mortgage business by more 
than quadrupling their share of total mortgage market volume in the last nine years, according to the National Association of Federal Credit Unions. More than half – 59 percent – of the loans it issued
went to first-time buyers too. Navy Federal is available to all
branches of the armed services, active and retired, civilian employees,
contractors, and relatives. Other credit unions are offering similar programs too in expanding their mortgage business, Read more.
Is Mortgage Credit Easing Up
Credit-worthy borrowers are being denied a chance at home ownership due to "unnecessary regulatory burdens" that are preventing 
them
from qualifying for a mortgage, leaders testified Thursday before the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and
Urban Affairs Committee. "REALTORS®
support strong underwriting standards to protect consumers from the
risky lending practices of the past, but we are concerned that the
pendulum has swung too far." In some cases, well-intentioned,
but over-corrective policies are severely hampering the ability of
millions of qualified buyers to purchase a home. Our members believe, that we have yet to strike the right balance between regulation and opportunity." Mortgage rates continue to hover near historical lows,Read more.
Remodel or Relocate?
Should Retirees: The decision on whether to renovate or relocate in retirement 
can be complex and emotional. A recent report revealed that as people edge towards retirement age, the more they value the emotional connection to their home rather than the financial value.
The Merrill Lynch and Age Wave report asked 3,600 people if they planned to stay in their homes after retirement. 36 percent of those surveyed said that they would. Most
respondents planned to stay put because they felt a strong connection
to their home and their neighborhood, and had relatives and friends
living in the area.
Reports have shown a lack of affordable housing options for baby boomers, and a lack of overall housing inventory remains a problem in many areas of the country.
First-Time Buyers May Request Up to 3%* Closing Cost
HomePath Ready Buyer Education Program, a comprehensive online 
homebuyer education course. First-Time Homebuyers who complete this education course by their initial offer may request up to 3%* closing cost assistance toward the purchase of a HomePath property and reimbursement of the HomePath Ready Buyer training cost. Must
be a First-Time Homebuyer (did not own a property in the past three
years) and plan to reside in the property as their primary residence, eligible.
When Selling Don't Overprice Your Home
Your Home’s First Price Should Be Its Best Price: Home owners can get 
emotional
about their home when it's time to sell. Here are a few mistakes
sellers often make in letting emotions override logic during a
transaction. A reasonable price would be based on comparable properties that are selling for and the home's appraised value. "No offers within a 30-day period means the price is too high." The longer the home lingers on a market, the more likely it will receive a deeper discount. 3 Mistakes Sellers Make.
Be a Little Bit Country to Get Your Mortgage Paid for a Year?
Mortgage Assistance Plays with Country Music. For fans of country music, they 
may
be able to get a mortgage payoff, at least for a year. Grammy
Award-winning country trio Lady Antebellum has teamed with Quicken Loans
to offer seven fans some help with their mortgage. The band is using the mortgage assistance contest to kick off its upcoming Wheels Up 2015 Tour. "You might even be able to use the money to pay extra on your mortgage and save money on interest in the long run. To apply for the band's 7FOR7 Sweepstakes, read more.
Cash Sales Rebounds From Seasonal Decline
This will be Fannie Mae's first bulk sale: Fannie Mae announced on Wednesday that it will make available for purchase to qualified bidders a bundle 
of approximately 3,200 non-performing single-family residential mortgage loans totaling about $786 million in unpaid principal balance. NPLs as the GSEs push to clear deeply delinquent loans from their mortgage portfolios at the behest of their conservator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Still,
REO sales had a small influence on overall cash sales were up from all home sales in January – marking the 25th consecutive
month of year-over-year decline, read more.
In Most Places Buying Is Cheaper Than Renting
Many renters would be better off buying a home than continuing to pay 
steep rental costs,
finds a new study. The monthly payment on a median priced home is more
affordable than the monthly fair market rent on a three-bedroom property
in 76 percent of the U.S. counties, according to Residential Rental
Property Analysis, which encompassed 461 counties nationwide with
populations of at least 100,000. Overall Researchers found that fair market rents represented 28 percent of the estimated median household income, read more.
It will take a Village to Close Your Mortgage
A Look at Mortgages In 2015, Home loan regulations will change in August:
The separate entities involved in the mortgage process needs to work together
as a “village” to make a closing happen. Instead of letting the process
undermine everyone’s hard work, it needs to be reconstructed into an
automated and collaborative system. The
mortgage industry needs to rethink the process of closing a home loan
in 2015 — on a fundamental level. And it needs to be ready to use that
new process by August. It will take a village. What would that look like?
Which States Have Lowest, Highest Property Taxes
Ask the Experts: Property taxes are an extremely important issue considering their impact on all of our lives. But
how should we incorporate them into our financial decision-making and
how should policy makers across the country approach them as well? For answers to those questions and more, we consulted a panel of leading tax and public policy experts. Property taxes can make up a big chunk of a household's annual expenses, and it can vary considerably depending on where you live. You can check out what we asked them as well as their responses below. See where your State Property Taxes Rank.
No Private Mortgage Insurance
Program is know as HomeBuyer’s Choice: Navy Federal Credit Union, the 
world's largest credit union, announced its mortgage closings in March, its best month ever. The credit union’s offerings mostly cater to first-time home buyers and military families. For example, Navy Federal offers a conventional 100 percent financing fixed payment option with no private mortgage insurance that is known as HomeBuyer’s Choice. As Home prices are on the move this spring, as many markets inch closer to prices they haven't reached since the peak during the housing boom. "Our goal is to bring awareness and opportunity to members." Read more.
Backlog of Shadow Inventory Hitting Markets
REO Experience Largest Increase in Three Years:The percentage of short sales and REO sales jumped by 2.2 percentage points in the first quarter of 2015, the largest increase
since the first quarter of 2012, according to data released by Monday. Three
years ago, the last time distressed saturation rate experienced an
increase that large, nationwide distressed saturation hit a peak of 38
percent. For Q1 2015, the distressed saturation was reported at 19.8
percent nationwide with the largest share in the South at 23.2 percent.
The smallest share was in the West at 13.7 percent. All four regions – the
South, the Northeast, the West, and the Midwest – saw an increase in
distressed saturation rate in Q1 from the fourth quarter of 2014, Read more.
Sweet Sound of Normal Real Estate Rhythms
Songs That Sum Up Housing Trends Right Now: Real estate’s big 
generational
mashup. The two biggest generations in U.S. history, baby boomers and
millennials, will determine what happens in housing this year—and for
the foreseeable future. Last year, millennials were already the largest share of buyers, and they are not yet buying at normal levels for 25- to 34-year-olds.
Add in the boomer share, and you’re up to almost two-thirds of
purchases. Let’s hope the generational mashup in real estate works out as
well. Listen to Kelly Clarkson’s upbeat “Heartbeat Song” and other signers illustrate real estate returning.
Is This the Calm Before the Storm?
Mortgage Rates Unchanged:Home buyers enjoyed another week of low rates 
as
we headed deeper into the spring home-buying season. Freddie Mac
reported interest rates largely unchanged from last week, even as
pending home sales increased. So, while you can, please enjoy a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at about 3.70% for the week ending April 2. Last week, rates averaged 3.69%, down from 4.41% a year ago this time. Buyers are out shopping, yet they still have very few homes to choose from in most markets. How to Win or Lose a Bidding War:
Effective Date Aug 1 ‘Know Before You Owe’
CFPB Launches Tool Kit : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau debuted 
a new tool kit this week that
sets out to turn home buyers into smarter mortgage shoppers. The tool
kit is part of the CFPB’s “Know Before You Owe” mortgage initiative and
allows home buyers to use the new Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure forms, which lenders will be required to provide starting Aug. 1. The CFPB is requiring creditors to provide the tool kit to mortgage applicants when they apply for a mortgage. Did You Know: Credit Unions and Real Estate: A Perfect Pairing?
West: Pending Home Sales Rose
Existing-Home Sales for March: Pending home sales in February surged to 
the highest level since June 2013, led by significant gains in contract signings in the Midwest and West, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings. Total existing-home sales, rose 1.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.88 million in February from 4.82 million in January. Sales are 4.7 percent higher than a year ago and above year-over-year totals for the fifth consecutive month. “With all indications pointing to a rate increase from the Federal Reserve this year – perhaps as early as this summer – affordability
concerns could heighten as home prices and rents both continue to rise,” Read more.
Don't Ignore 7.3 Million Potential Boomerang Buyers
The housing market is ignoring the largest pool of prospects: Boomerang buyers. Boomerang buyers are former home owners who lost their home to a 
foreclosure or short sale. After sitting out of the market for several years to rebuild their credit, these buyers may be inching back to the market looking for a second chance at home ownership. There are an estimated 7.3 million potential boomerang buyers, Blomquist says. "If we magically had 7.3 million more home owners, the
home owner rate would be back to historic norms," he notes. Boomerang buyers mostly consist of Generation Xers and Baby Boomers. "They are the ones who are likely to come back and become home owners again than the millennials," read more.
Many Smart Homes Sell Faster Today
The Technology of Tomorrow Helps: Smart home appliances and technology are becoming more common, and home buyers are increasingly 
choosing homes that boast the latest tech savvy features. An uncovered what smart features home buyers most desire, and how those features are impacting a home’s sale. Buyers today are more interested in homes with smart home features and technology
than they were two to five years ago. Respondents say they’re seeing
more buyers interested in controlling their home technology through
their smart phone or tablet. Highlighting smart home technology can really pay off. One in three noted that homes with smart home features and technology tend to sell faster than homes without them, See Smart Home Features.
The Next Big Thing?
Micro Apartments: Tiny studio apartments may be the next trend for the 
multifamily sector.
Developers see the small apartments -- averaging about 380 square feet
-- as a big draw to urban-dwelling millennials as they break out to form
new households. Developers built about 1,000 micro units in 2013 and 2014 and about 2,200 more are under construction.
Just like the overall rental market, rents for micro units are rising rapidly.
or proposed. Many of these
micro apartments are mostly centered in high-cost housing markets. Continuing to rent is not a great solution to the affordability problem, either. Mortgage Rates Drop Even Lower This Week (Interested in learning about mortgages? Check out our video.
How High Can A Landlord Raise The Rent?
When news broke last week that a San Francisco woman’s rent was increasing by 400% (yes, you read that right, 400%), we all clutched our 
pearls and muttered through clenched jaws, “Only in the Bay Area.” Except it’s not. While
the Bernal Heights woman’s situation is somewhat nuanced and unique
(her place had been rent-controlled, but the landlord got the building
rezoned so those regulations would no longer apply), the issue of skyrocketing rent is affecting people across the country. In 2014, rents nationwide increased an average of 3.6%, and nearly 11% over the past three years, Read more.
Attention Potential Sellers Sitting On The Fence
It could be time to make a move. Do potential sellers in your market need convincing? An article in CNN Money highlighted several reasons why this spring would be the perfect time for home owners to get off the fence. After all, many markets across the country are still tilting in sellers’ favor. Here’s why: Less competition: A limited number of homes on the market will help sellers nab top dollar, and may even spur bidding wars and multiple offers. Inventory levels nationwide were at a 4.6-month supply in February. A balanced market is considered to fall between a five- to seven-month supply. Mortgage rate hikes loom and Soaring rental costs, read more.
It's Spring-and Home Buyers are Shopping!
How can you get a deal in a seller's market? When it’s time to sell your 
house, conventional wisdom says selling in the prime season, which begins in spring and lasts through summer, is the best way to go. But what if you wanted to wait until the off-season—is that a savvy move, or would you be leaving money on the table? Spring marks the beginning of the busiest home-selling and home-buying season in most areas.
With the warmer weather, more daylight, and the impetus to get a new
house, buyers are more likely to shop during this time of year,
with home buying peaking in June. Bidding wars mean, They also usually mean buyers are less likely to make repair requests or other demands, read more.
Home Prices Surge, Higher Than a Year Ago
Existing-home sales showed some improvement in February, but remain 
constrained by low inventories of homes for-sale that are pushing price growth to the fastest pace in a year. The median existing-home price for all housing types was $202,600 in February – 7.5 percent higher than a year ago.
"Stronger price growth is a boon for home owners looking to build
additional equity, but it continues to be an obstacle for current buyers
looking to close before [mortgage] rates rise." "Insufficient supply appears to be hampering prospective buyers in several areas of the country and is hiking prices to near unsustainable levels." Read more.
Hot Housing Market Trails a Hot Job Market in Utah
Here's Where Hiring is on the Rise: Usually a hot housing market trails a 
hot job market. Could the same hold true for these booming employment centers? The top two places garnering the most jobs lately: Austin, Texas, and Salt Lake City, according to Gallup’s Salt
Lake City are attractive places for tech workers since the salaries are
more competitive and the cities boast a lower cost of living than
in
the traditional tech-hub of California, according to the Gallup index.
Salt Lake City is also seeing a growth in tourism and energy sector
jobs.index, read more.
Foreclosure Starts Retreat After Spiking
The number of foreclosure starts nationwide did an about-face in February 
after jumping to their highest level in 13 months in January. Foreclosure
starts dropped by 15 percent month-over-month in February, down to
79,700, the lowest level since November 2014 and their third lowest
total for any month in at least seven years, according to Black Knight. In addition to the decline foreclosure starts experienced. In February,
a couple of other foreclosure statistics dropped to pre-recession
levels for the month. Foreclosure inventory fell below 800,000 (a nearly
30 percent decline) for the first time since December 2007, Learn more watch our video.
Utah Makes the List "America’s Affordable Homes"
Affordable homes were mostly centered in inland areas of the U.S., such as Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, as well as other Midwestern states. Affordability was also found to be highest in parts of Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Fifty-four percent of for-sale listings of existing homes are within reach for a median-income household in
the U.S., according to a new analysis. "So
far this year we are hearing from home shoppers that finding a home
that meets their needs or budget is the biggest impediment to buying," says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist. "The good news from this data is that more than half of the listings nationwide are by definition affordable. More good news today, Mortgage Rates Stay Low Heading Into Spring, read more.
Increasing a Home's Property Value
With the Spring selling season in full swing, now is the time for your clients 
to start making changes to improve their #home's comfort level and the way it functions to make it more appealing to potential buyers.
Where
should they start? Start with the four home improvement basics:
foundation, roof, plumbing, and electrical. Of these the roof is the
most important. "I am almost always asked 'How old is the roof?'" Smaller
replacement projects, particularly those that enhance curb appeal,
remain the most cost effective way for sellers to improve value, Tips to increase value.
Next Week Start 3% Down Payments
Freddie Mac will begin offering mortgages with down payments of only 3 percent — the first time they've been this low on the GSE's loans in nearly five years — starting March 23. The move is 
expected to make more credit available to entry-level borrowers. "By launching our 3 percent down payment mortgage now, at the start of the spring home buying season,
lenders will be ready to serve qualified working families who are ready
to buy. That means parents or relatives now can cover 100 percent of the down payment through gifts. Many local and state organizations offer down-payment assistance as well, and there are specialized programs for military vets, read more.
Renters May Be in Trouble
The gap between rental costs and household income is widening to unsustainable levels across the country. As more renters face steeper costs, it may put them even further away from home ownership,
according to a new study released by the National Association of
REALTORS®. NAR evaluated income growth, housing costs, and changes in
share of renter and owner-occupied households over the past five years
in metropolitan statistical areas across the U.S.Over
the last five years, a typical rent rose 15 percent, while the income
of renters grew by only 11 percent, according to their research. Current renters seeking relief and looking to buy are facing the same dilemma: Read more.
Emerging Trends in Home Improvement Spending
The home improvement industry could see record-breaking spending in 
2015, according to a newly released report from the for Housing Studies of Harvard University. There
are several factors behind the increase, such as the strengthening of
the economy, recovering home prices, federal and state stimulus programs that are prompting a rise in energy-efficient upgrades, and rental property owners who are reinvesting in their properties to attract new tenants. "After years of declining revenue and high failure rates, the home improvement industry is, to some extent, reinventing itself." "It’s only a matter of time before this generation becomes more active in the housing market, read more.
Mortgage Rates Edge Higher as Homebuying Season Starts
Freddie Mac economists are bullish on housing: "This month kicks off 
spring home buying season,"
says economist at Freddie Mac. "Between now
and the end of June, we’ll see about 40 percent of all home sales for
the year." It’s
that optimism that has Freddie Mac forecasters expecting 2015 "to be
the best year for home sales and new home construction since 2007,
when total home sales were about 5.8 million for the year," according
to their U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for March. Freddie Mac economists predict that rents will continue to rise at or above inflation this year. Meanwhile, Freddie Mac economists expect that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to rise this year, read more.
Stay in Mom’s Basement? Nope!
If you’ve ever read anything about millennials, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re
shiftless, underemployed ne’er-do-wells with no intention of ever
moving out of their parents’ basements. But the truth is millennials are home buyers.
In fact, they made up the largest percentage of home buyers in 2014.
Millennials—that is, adults 34 and younger—accounted for 32% of all home
purchases last year, according to the 2015 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study. In fact, the
median age of a millennial home buyer was 29, with a median income of
$76,900. What’s more, millennials were most likely to buy with their
unmarried partner. What’s driving all the home buying?
Just by Paying Rent & Utilities!
Could Improve Your Credit:If you’ve been struggling to build or repair your credit score, there are some changes in the works that may make things easier for you.
On Monday, the three largest providers of credit-reporting information announced an agreement
to change the way they handle data on your credit report. Going
forward, consumers may see fewer negative entries added to their credit
reports from secondary sources such as medical bills and collections for
non contractual payment agreements (e.g., traffic fines). According to Experian’s positive utility payments yielded the following results: Read more.
Higher Rates Aren't Deterring These Buyers
Mortgage rates jumped to the highest averages of the year last week, prompting volume to fall, the Mortgage 
Bankers Association reported Wednesday. However, many high-end home buyers weren't deterred by the higher rates. Applications for home purchases increased 2 percent for the week and are now 2 percent higher than year-ago levels,
MBA reports. The rise was mostly due to high-end home buyers, with the
average purchase loan size rising to $294,000 last week—the highest ever
recorded by MBA. Fifty-four
percent of Americans say that they believe getting a mortgage is easy. Read more about March 2015: Spring Home buying Season
Spring Is Coming, 20 Markets Are Heating Up
Just in time for spring selling season to start,
sellers are finally starting to put their homes on the market, upping
the selections for buyers, according to the latest analysis.
Higher inventories and buyer demand are expected to boost closings this month. "The biggest macro trend is that we're finally seeing inventory grow,"
says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist. "This is a very important trend
for many reasons – in particular, because it will help keep prices at a
more moderate level down the road." Affordability had become a chief concern recently in the #housing market. So what's changed and why are more sellers putting their homes on the market? Read more.
A Study Makes a Surprising Recommendation: Home prices are up. Mortgage rates are low. Housing supply is stretched thin. Suffice it to say—it’s a tight market. And in a tight market, the conventional wisdom is to price your house a little lower than its actual value, in the hopes of sparking a bidding war that will result in an above-market sale price. Homes that sold last year for $200,000 easily sell for $205,000 or more this year, he says. So while comparable sales and research might suggest lower pricing, based on last year’s data, he might suggest a slightly higher price based on the current market Not so fast! Homes priced higher might end up selling even higher, according to a study published, read more.
Salt Lake City One of the Best Downtowns
Downtowns with buzz not only have the usual office jobs but plenty of 
independently owned shops and restaurants, a vibrant night life—and people who live there. The best downtowns consistently change as our lifestyles, priorities and work patterns evolve.
A slate of construction projects ranging from renovations of historic buildings to new apartments and office towers puts downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, in a perpetual state of change. Longtime residents of this thriving downtown area have seen many new residential units added along with restaurants, coffee shops and places to find live music, See Top 10 Best Downtowns
.
Things That Are Dragging Down Your Home’s Value
Please Fix These:
There are a lot of things you can’t control in the home-selling
process. You can’t force people to come see your home or make an offer
on it. 
But you can make sure to take care of some easy repairs that would otherwise turn off prospective buyers.
Look around and make sure you haven’t ignored any of these 10 repairs
that can make a buyer think twice about your asking price. 1. Paint colors that just don’t blend in The
color of your home is one of the first things a buyer will notice. If
it’s a very different color from your neighborhood or general area, you
should paint it something more innocuous. Most buyers don’t want to live
in the only pink house in town. The same goes for the interior. If your living room is bright orange, paint over it. Choose a neutral color so buyers can project their own ideas onto it, read more.
Challenging Housing Market
Lack of Credit Availability, Low Inventory: Two challenges facing the U.S. housing market is currently facing two challenges – a dearth of credit creation 
and
a lack of available inventory, according to a report released Wednesday
by the Kroll Bond Ratings Agency (KBRA) that is scheduled to be
presented Head of Research
Christopher Whalen at the 2nd Annual Real Estate Symposium in Salt Lake
City, Utah. Whalen
said the dearth of available credit for housing is a function of
Dodd-Frank Act, which was created in part to protect consumers from
predatory and other harmful lending and financial practices by businesses Low inventory may take bloom off spring home sales. Home prices are beginning to grow at a faster pace again, which is not good for the spring market, read more.
Bidding Wars Brew
Nationwide, more people are putting their homes up for sale, but in some cities 
it’s still not enough. With too many buyers and too few properties on the market, bidding wars are heating up again. “Most markets are struggling to achieve the proper balance of #homes for sale and qualified buyers.” Under Tight Supplies housing inventories remain constrained in many markets, some buyers may face increased competition and more bidding wars heading into the spring-selling season. The reports in its latest #housing report that bidding wars are already elevated, read more.
