USE TECHNOLOGY TO ATTRACT HIGH END HOME BUYERS ERA Real Estate and HGTV reported 46 percent of consumers see smart-home technology as important for their current and future residences. But luxury homebuyers are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. According to Digital Interiors, 94 percent of buyers surveyed would sacrifice 1,000 square feet of living…

HIRING A HANDYMAN WHEN SELLING YOUR HOME As you get ready to sell your home, you may discover the need to make numerous repairs and updates. But when do you have the time? Most jobs you can do yourself, but others require a little more skill. Maybe it's time to consider hiring a handyman. According…

FIVE WAYS BIG DATA IS CHANGING REAL ESTATE The term big data is used to refer to very big sets of data that can be analyzed and computed to reveal trends and patterns. These patterns are of particular importance as they relate to human behavior and interactions. In the current world of commerce, there is…

Mortgage applications jump 7% as rates drop on weak GDP Lower interest rates driven by a weak GDP reading for the second quarter boosted mortgage applications last week, a sharp reversal from the previous week. Total mortgage application volume increased 7.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis last week from the previous week, when applications…

Pending home sales eked out 0.2% gain in June A significant bump higher in June home sales failed to materialize as expected, because potential buyers were met with precious little supply of available listings. A monthly index of so-called pending home sales, based on signed contracts, rose just 0.2 percent in June compared to May…

Mortgage applications to buy and refinance drop 11% Interest rates are rising and so are home prices. That is putting pressure on borrowers and buyers alike. Mortgage application volume fell 11.2 percent last week from the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Volume is up 42 percent compared…

NICHE STAGING FOR YOUR HOME You won't always know who your buyer is going to be when listing a home for sale. But, with many homes, you have a good idea of the general target group. While many homes for sale attempt to appeal to the largest number of buyers, niche staging may actually get…

Why Brexit is great news for U.S. homebuyers It's now even cheaper to get a mortgage.The average rate of a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 3.48% — the lowest level since May 2013, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the rate was 4.08%. The drop comes in the wake of the U.K.'s decision to…

Foreign buyers flood US real estate, but buy cheaper homes The appetite for U.S. real estate continues to flourish, but international buyers are shifting their sights from luxury to less-pricey properties. This may be due to overall higher home prices, along with a stronger U.S. dollar, which both cost foreign buyers more at the negotiating…

US existing home sales hit 9-year high U.S. home resales rose in May to a more than nine-year high as improving supply increased choice for buyers, suggesting the economy remains on solid footing despite a sharp slowdown in job growth last month. The National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday existing home sales increased 1.8…