Homes.com|By Caroline Broderick
Mike Carson of Inspired Closets Chicago sees rising demand as clutter grows
Key takeaways
Mike Carson of Inspired Closets Chicago has been in the organization business for almost 40 years and sees the industry expanding.
Whole-home organization is growing in demand as more consumers accumulate items.
Homeowners with custom closets are drawn to specialty lighting and two-tone cabinets.
Mike Carson is president of Inspired Closets Chicago and has been in the organization business for nearly 40 years. (Inspired Closets Chicago)
The closet organization industry is in its teenage years and growing, as Michael Carson, president of Inspired Closets Chicago, describes it. “We’re on the upswing right now with awareness,”...
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From our friends at the KCM Blog
Did you know? According to a recent study, 72% of people with student loans think their debt will delay their ability to buy a home. Maybe you’re one of them and you’re wondering:
Do you have to wait until you’ve paid off those loans before you can buy your first home?
Or is it possible you could still qualify for a home loan even with that debt?
Having questions like these is normal, especially when you’re thinking about making such a big purchase. But you should know, you may be putting your homeownership goals on the backburner unnecessarily.
Can You Qualify for a Home Loan...
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By Clare Trapasso | REALTOR.COM
Homebuyers received an unexpected gift around the holidays as mortgage rates dropped rapidly late last year.
They fell from a peak of about 8% in the fall to the mid-6% range in late December, a level many economists and forecasters hadn’t anticipated until the end of 2024—if they were being optimistic. Now with the U.S. Federal Reserve poised to cut its own rates this year, the question on the minds of many aspiring homebuyers is just how low mortgage rates will drop this year.
Most of the real estate experts who spoke with Realtor.com® say they expect rates will stay in the 6% range this year, but some believe...
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By Dave Gallagher | Real Estate News
A collection of reports show that high mortgage rates weren’t enough to dampen price increases as demand continues to outpace supply.
Key points:
Case-Shiller, FHFA and Redfin indexes reported higher home prices in September and into October.
Combined with elevated mortgage rates, affordability is hitting record lows.
This highlights a widening gap between the "haves" and the "have nots," says Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant.
Even as mortgage interest rates were spiking earlier this fall, home prices continued climbing through the end of September and into October, according to data from three new reports.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller index found that national home prices rose...
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By: The Real Deal
Bay Area regulators look to private sector to fill $105B funding gap for mitigation
When Landsea Homes acquired a development site fronting the Alameda Estuary in 2021, it knew it would have to pay for more than just the land. The site faced a projected 24 inches of sea rise, so Landsea spent another $12 million on resilience projects to keep its development safe. It built an $8.7 million sea wall, and spent several million more on an underground storm drain system and utilities, according to its Northern California President Josh Santos. It also shouldered time-related costs for the additional coastal approvals.
There was something in...
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By Rob Chrisman, Senior Advisor
If we’ve learned anything from 2022 and 2023, it is that they are not 2020 and 2021. Volumes and margins have dropped, as have profits. The number of lenders and originators have dropped as well. And those originators, whether they are brokers, IMB loan officers (LOs) or bank and credit union LOs, have had to adapt to a changed environment where they not only can’t sit at their desk waiting for the phone to ring but must go out and actively look for new business.
Where can LOs find the elusive purchase borrower? Many lenders have originators who are looking for leads in unconventional places....
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Received an email from our friends in KCM and here are my thoughts about this:
Thinking about using your 401(k) to buy a home can be a big decision. While it may seem like a quick fix to achieve your dream of homeownership, it's important to weigh the pros and cons before making any moves. Below are some factors to consider:
Pros:
- Access to funds: Using your 401(k) can give you quick access to a large sum of money for your down payment.
- No credit check: Unlike with traditional loans, borrowing from your 401(k) doesn't require a credit check.
- Interest paid back to yourself: When you borrow from your...
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By Patricia-Anne Tom | REALTOR.COM
Most energy-saving tips are designed to save you a few bucks throughout the year, but how do you know which tips to up your energy efficiency are going to offer the most bang for your buck?
Some tips cost you absolutely nothing, and yet you save money. Other tips will cost you a little, but can help you hold onto as much as 10% of the money you’re currently paying out of pocket. Ready to dive in?
Energy saving tips that really save
Consider these eight energy-saving tips below, so you aren’t sweating when your winter gas bills come, and as the weather warms, evaluate your...
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From our friends in KCM:
The idea of owning a home has always been a big part of the American Dream. It’s a symbol of stability, independence, and having a place to truly call your own. But for Gen Z, the “Zoomers” born between 1997 and 2012, making that dream a reality can feel like quite the challenge today with higher mortgage rates and rising home prices.
But achieving that goal of owning your first home can still be attainable, even today, with some strategic planning and resourcefulness.
Explore Down Payment Assistance Options
With prices rising all around you, it can be hard to save up for a home. If you’ve been struggling to...
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By Kimberly Dawn Neumann | REALTOR.COM
Selling a house can be a stressful process, particularly in today’s rapidly changing market. Although sellers enjoyed a strong seller’s market throughout much of the COVID-19-fueled housing boom rich with bidding wars and record-high prices, rising interest rates have shifted these power dynamics to the point that many prospective sellers might feel downright paralyzed by home-selling “what ifs.”
Like: What if I sell now, but then home prices rise? Or: What if I sell now, but then can’t find a new house? Will I regret selling so soon, or regret not selling soon enough?
What if, what if, what if?
In fact, sellers hesitating to put their homes on the...
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