Home Buying

RE Q&A: Cosign if a Boyfriend Has Lousy Credit?

A man with a good job failed to qualify for a home loan because he has bad credit. What are the pros/cons if his less wealthy, creditworthy girlfriend cosigns? FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Question: My long-term boyfriend has lousy credit but makes a good living and wants to buy a house and stop renting. I … Read more

AI Has Visible Role In Home Buying Process

Buyers can now describe their dream home to a computer. You won’t be replaced by AI, says one broker, you’ll be replaced by people who use AI better than you. LAS VEGAS – Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a bigger role in helping consumers buy and sell homes, as it moves from behind the scenes … Read more

An Innovative Way to Own a Home? Land Trusts

ATLANTA – Makeisha Robey grew up in a three-bedroom house and always wanted to provide the same for her children. But on a preschool teacher’s salary in Atlanta, that dream was out of reach. Her family moved from rental to rental as costs continued to rise. That changed after Robey learned about the Atlanta Land … Read more

Co-ops Cut Solar Power Cost for Some Fla. Owners

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MIAMI – Nearly everything in Robert Burr’s house is solar-powered. Solar-powered pumps burble water through fountains and bird feeders in his yard, which at night is lit by the glow of 125 solar-powered lights. On his roof, an array of 39 solar panels power his house and charge the electric car parked in his garage. … Read more

Webinar: Changes to the Hometown Hero Program

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Mark T. Pease with Florida Housing is hosting four webinars to help Realtors understand recent changes to a program that helps community-support workers buy a home. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The “Live Local Act” passed during the 2023 session of the Florida Legislature made some changes to the state’s Hometown Hero Program, including an expansion of … Read more

Study: 2 Out of 5 Sellers Make Buyer Concessions

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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?

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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?

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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

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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