Author: Brad Beckett

S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller recently released their National Home Price NSA Index which showed that home prices rose at 5.8% annually in February, representing a 32-month high.  Their 10-City Composite posted a 5.2% annual increase and their 20-City Composite reported a year-over-year gain of 5.9%.  Seattle, Portland, and Dallas reported the highest year-over-year gains among the 20 cities. Fifteen cities reported greater price increases in the year ending February 2017 versus the year ending January 2017. “Housing and home prices continue to advance…The S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index and the two composite indices accelerated since the national index set…

This has to be one of the strangest things we’ve come across in a while.  According to cutting edge news site New Atlas, a Canadian company called Modpools is repurposing shipping containers into trendy above-ground swimming pools, complete with LED lighting and window.  The pools are relocatable, designed to take advantage of the container’s strength & portability, and can be installed with “minutes” of delivery.  Indeed….We’ve might have seen everything now. “What we mean when we say it can be set up in minutes, is that it delivers as fully functional, so all the plumbing, heater and electrical are all…

Black Knight Financial Services recently released their February, 2017 Home Price Index (HPI) reporting that U.S. home prices were up 5.7% year over year in February and up .08% for the month.  The HPI value for February was $268k – a new post-crisis peak!  In addition, home prices in six of the nation’s 20 largest states (Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington) and nine of the 14 largest metros hit new peaks (Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Nashville, TN; Portland, OR; San Antonio, TX; San…

CNBC’s Diana Olick is reporting that this Spring’s housing market is the “strongest seller’s market ever.”  She says that, nationwide, as more homes come on the market they’re “flying off fast.”  As we’ve posted over the past couple weeks, home prices are at new peaks and inventory levels are at record lows. “In order to compete, buyers are coming in with cash and dropping contingencies. That is because in such a hot market, homes are appraising well below the sale price. That makes it even harder for first-time, mortgage-dependent buyers to succeed.” Click here to read the full story.

A new report form the U.S. Census Bureau confirms what many of us have long suspected;  more young adults aged 18-34 are living at home with their parents versus on their own with a spouse.  Furthermore, of those young people living in their parent’s basement (home), 1 in 4 are idle (neither working or going to school) – which represent about 2.2 million 25-34 year-olds.  Data also show that while young people are delaying marriage, 8 out of 10 do finally get married by the age of 30.  This report used two Census Bureau surveys to look at the demographic…

A recent article in the Washington Post poses an interesting question that they say, traditionally, has had an easy answer;  Do single-family detached homes appreciate faster than condominiums?  Using new data provided by Trulia, they suggest that old assumptions might be giving way to changing market trends.  According to the data, between February 2012 and February 2017, median condo values rose 38.4% while single family detached homes only rose 27.9%. In other words, condos are (or seem to be) appreciating faster.  Predictably, the Post also reports that the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Home Builders disagree…

According to new data released by the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales in March were at their highest pace in a decade, with the average price coming in at $236,400 – up 6.8% from one year ago!  March’s gains also mark the 61st consecutive month of year-over-year increases.  Total existing-home sales (completed transactions of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops), climbed 4.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.71 million in March. March’s sales pace was 5.9% above a year ago.  March also saw the strongest month of sales since February, 2007.  Total housing inventory at the…

If you’ve read anything about short-term rentals and New York City you’ve discovered that the Big Apple is probably not the friendliest place (regulatory-wise) to begin your Airbnb foray.  However, a recent New York Times article digs deeper into this growing segment of the sharing-economy to show how, for some hosts, it has been profitable enough to replace their income. “Airbnb helps thousands of New Yorkers get by in an increasingly expensive city,” he said. “Unfortunately, the current law groups responsible New Yorkers, who occasionally share their own home, with illegal hotels that remove permanent housing from the market.”  Said…

We’ve said it before; Drones are hot…and they’re not the radio-controlled toys you might remember from your childhood.  A recent item on FOX News says that drones are taking the real estate industry to new heights.   What investor hasn’t used Google Earth or Maps to check out the nuances from above? Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com “Whether you’re buying or selling, drones provide not only a unique view of the property, but they also allow the buyer to view the surrounding area and gain a bit of perspective on how the property fits into the landscape,”  said Tom England,…

So, earlier this week we posted that vacation home sales were down 21% in 2016.  Today’s infographic from the National Association of Realtors takes a look at just who is buying those investment & vacation homes, their location, and what size & how much.  Happy Friday! Click here to read more.