1.Homebuyer Traffic in March Was Down From Last Year
“What would you do if you went to a store and found bare shelves and high prices? If the answer is come back later, then you have a good idea of how home shoppers are feeling as real estate heads into the important spring selling season.”
2.Mortgage Credit Availability Increases Slightly in March
“WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 9, 2014) — Mortgage credit availability increased slightly in March according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) which analyzes data from the AllRegs® Market Clarity® product. “
3.Sanctions On Russia Take Their Toll On US Real Estate Market
“Yahoo Finance’s The Daily Ticker produced a report today, April 7th, highlighting the fact that the high-end real estate market in several U.S. cities had been hurt by the ongoing Russia/Ukraine crisis and the sanctions that have been levied against wealthy Russians. Julie Satow, who wrote an article in The New York Times on the topic, was interviewed for the report.”
4.Sam Zell: Stock market is overvalued
“Real-estate tycoon Sam Zell thinks investors are way too optimistic and that’s pushed the stock market to overvalued levels, according to CNBC, where he sat down for an interview on Tuesday”
5.Housing pain could halt stocks’ gain
“The S&P 500’s SPX +0.46% outsized gain of 30%-plus last year certainly can’t be repeated. And if the first quarter is any indication, not many investors will make much money by owning the benchmark index. “
6.Home buyers being pushed out of reach
“Zillow says high prices, climbing interest rates and flat incomes are pushing home-buying out of reach for more Southern Californians.”
7.Homebuying Factors that Mortgage Calculators Miss
“If you’re thinking about buying a home, you’ve probably used — or at least heard of — a mortgage calculator. These nifty tools can help you figure out the price range of homes you may be able to afford and estimate your monthly mortgage payment.”
8.The New World of Mortgage ‘Buffers’
“There’s a great curiosity in the real estate marketplace: interest rates are low while home values have yet to reach the prices seen in 2007 and yet borrowers are having trouble getting loans.”
9.The Three Biggest Turn-Ons For Buyers
“As a seller, you have a lot more control in pleasing buyers than you think. If you start the selling process by learning what buyers really want, you can prepare your home to come as close to their dreams as possible.”
10.Agents: Put Public Relations to Work For You!
“Historically, in the real estate industry, the work of public relations has mostly been pursued by the corporate offices of big brands. Agents and smaller office groups usually don’t put a strategic focus on this important facet of branding for many reasons. It could be a cost issue, a manpower issue or a lack of understanding about just why public relations efforts are important. “