Home Buying

Study: 2 Out of 5 Sellers Make Buyer Concessions

Galleria International Realty Thumbnail Image

In 1Q 2023, 42.9% of sellers made a buyer concession; in 1Q 2022, it was 25.5%. Some do it to keep a transaction moving forward, others to match homebuilders’ freebies. SEATTLE – Home sellers gave concessions to buyers in 42.9% of U.S. home sales during the three months ending April 30, up from 25.5% a … Read more

How Are Investors Rethinking The Financial Future?

Galleria International Realty Thumbnail Image

Nearly eight in 10 (78%) are reviewing their finances, with at least 44% interested in learning more about investing in real estate and other opportunities. MARIETTA, Ga. – Nearly eight in 10 (78%) American investors are rethinking their financial future – especially high earners. That’s according to a recent poll of 1,000 US investors, which … Read more

How Can You Downsize on a Tight Schedule?

Galleria International Realty Thumbnail Image

Most people shed possessions slowly over time, but a change in circumstances sometimes requires that it be done quickly. A three-step triage plan can help. NEW YORK – Ideally, you’d spend months or even years carefully purging excess belongings – but life may have other plans. Maybe you or someone you love has a health … Read more

A Loss of Small Banks Could Hurt Homebuyers

Galleria International Realty Thumbnail Image

NEW YORK – Canandaigua and Manhattan’s Chinatown are about as different from each other as two places in the same state can be. One is a small town in New York’s bucolic Finger Lakes region, where almost everyone is a white English-speaker. Chinatown packs nearly 10 times as many residents, many of them foreign-born and … Read more

NAR Board Meets, Approves Changes

The board met May 11 during NAR’s legislative meetings in Washington, D.C. Votes focused on the 2024 budget, dues, fair housing training requirements and more. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Board of Directors met in Washington, D.C. on May 11 and took the following actions: Fair housing and diversity training The … Read more

It’s a Tough Market for Buyers – Many Don’t Care

Survey: Most would-be buyers (55%) know it’s a really tough market right now, but a majority (54%) still plan to maintain current goals or speed up the buying process. CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Many hopeful homebuyers – especially those in their 40s and younger – are forging ahead with plans to buy homes despite believing the … Read more

More S. Fla. Homeowners Gaining Home Equity

The market slowed a bit nationally, but not in S. Fla., which is seeing slower, yet positive home value gains. About 2 out of 3 homeowners (65.3%) are “equity rich.” MIAMI – Homeowners across South Florida are seeing equity gains in their homes, despite the national housing market slowing down. About 65.3% of residential properties … Read more

Fannie’s Housing Confidence Index Hits 1-Year High

Attitudes rise and fall, but Fannie Mae’s April index saw a rise in all six sub-components. Overall, however, attitudes still fall into pessimism territory. WASHINGTON – Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) in April increased to its highest level since May 2022, jumping 5.5 points to 66.8. All six components that make up the … Read more

RE Issues: Debt Ceiling, Institutional Investors

Galleria International Realty Thumbnail Image

Buyers would be hurt financially if the U.S. defaults on its debt June 1 – and institutional investors are a “tremendous threat” to the American dream. WASHINGTON – The Realtors® Legislative Meetings kicked off Sunday morning in Washington, D.C., with a discussion on the debt limit, an issue currently enveloping Washington that could have a … Read more

Expect More Bank Mergers and Acquisitions

It’s not a sign of huge problems so much as a normal part of the economic cycle. Some of the weaker banks simply don’t have enough funds to weather a slowdown. NEW YORK – Few investors and bankers could have imagined regulators would allow the largest U.S. lender to buy another bank and become even … Read more