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
You’re ready to sell your house. But what do you need most from your real estate agent? Well, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) asked that very question to recent sellers and found one of the top things they were looking for is help marketing their house to potential buyers. Maybe that’s what you need the most help with too.
You expect your real estate agent to write a great description of your house for the listing and pair it with some high-quality photos. But that’s not all you’re going to get when you partner with a great agent.
They’ll do a lot more to make...
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By Margaret Heidenry | realtor.com
The housing market has been stagnant for several years now, with high home prices and unpredictable mortgage rates sidelining buyers and sellers alike.
But some U.S. metros seem to be defying the real estate market malaise. In these places, not only are homes selling at a quicker pace than the rest of the country, but prices are up as well.
Indeed, in its latest data analysis, which ranks the nation’s 20 hottest markets, Realtor.com® found that home prices are flat everywhere, seeing only a 2% rise in March—except for the hottest markets, which rose by 5.3% annually.
“Prices increased slightly nationwide in March, but the month’s hottest markets saw more substantial price...
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From our friends in KCM
If you’re planning to move soon, you might be wondering if there’ll be more homes to choose from, where prices and mortgage rates are headed, and how to navigate today’s market. If so, here’s what the professionals are saying about what’s in store for this season.
Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist, First American:
“. . . it seems our general expectation for the spring is that we will see a pickup in inventory. In fact, that already seems to be happening. But it won’t necessarily be enough to satiate demand.”
Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist, Bright MLS:
“There is still strong demand, as the large millennial population remains in the prime first-time homebuying range.”
Danielle Hale, Chief...
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By Clare Trapasso | Realtor.com
The housing market isn’t off to a good start this year.
The number of homes under contract that haven’t closed yet dropped 4.9% from December to January, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors®. Year-over-year pending home sales were down 8.8% in January.
The culprit? Rising mortgage rates that make it more expensive for folks to purchase homes.
“Consumers are showing extra sensitivity to changes in mortgage rates in the current cycle, and that’s impacting home sales,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun in a statement.
Mortgage rates had dropped to a low of 6.61% in late December but ticked up slightly in January, according to Freddie Mac data.
“Buyer demand...
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From our friends in KCM
If you’re taking a look at your expenses as you retire, saving money where you can has a lot of appeal. One long-standing, popular way to do that is by downsizing to a smaller home.
When you think about cutting down on your spending, odds are you think of frequent purchases, like groceries and other goods. But when you downsize your house, you often end up downsizing the bills that come with it, like your mortgage payment, energy costs, and maintenance requirements. Realtor.com shares:
“A smaller home typically means lower bills and less upkeep. Then there’s the potential windfall that comes from selling your larger home and buying something...
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By Kristine Gill | Better Homes & Gardens
Pets are a top factor in today's home purchases, and these pet-related upgrades could help sell your home.
For many Americans, a pet makes a house a home. In fact, studies show that many homebuyers report prioritizing pets’ needs when shopping for a new home. It would stand to reason then that certain pet-friendly features can not only enhance the value of your home but also help it sell faster.
“As our furry friends become ever more integrated into our families, their needs are increasingly factored into home-buying decisions,” says Scott Beaudry, broker and owner with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Universal.
We’ll take...
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From our friends in KCM
Chances are at some point in your life you’ve heard the phrase, home is where the heart is. There’s a reason that’s said so often. Becoming a homeowner is emotional.
So, if you’re trying to decide if you want to keep on renting or if you’re ready to buy a home this year, here’s why it’s so easy to fall in love with homeownership.
Customizing to Your Heart’s Desire
Your house should be a space that’s uniquely you. And, if you’re a renter, that can be hard to achieve. When you rent, the paint colors are usually the standard shade of white, you don’t have much control over the upgrades, and you’ve...
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By Patrick S. Duffy | US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Monthly costs in these locations start as low as 18% of local per capita incomes, compared with the national average of 39%.
Detroit may not be the most undervalued area for long. Its economy will continue to see steady growth in the years ahead with more jobs and higher wages for area residents.
Key Takeaways:
The most undervalued markets to purchase a home continue to be located predominantly in the Midwest and the East Coast, led by Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Oklahoma City.
The most undervalued markets to rent a home are also concentrated in the Midwest, led...
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By Kristine Gill | Better Homes
Experts outline the average cost to stage a home, including factors that affect costs and a breakdown of home staging expenses.
Preparing to sell your home includes embarking on a laundry list of tasks with conflicting advice from all sides. Friends and family might have might have told you that staging your home isn’t necessary, while your real estate agent might be suggesting it. So, do you need to stage your home? Or is a quick clean and decluttering just as effective?
“I can confidently say that staging always offers a return on investment,” says Dot Frank, a realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Alliance Group....
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