Researchers have long suspected a connection between falling home values and spikes in arson rates, but they've lacked strong supporting evidence. Now a new study in The Journal of Risk and Insurance claims there's proof that the theory is real.Michael Eriksen, assistant professor of real estate at the University of Cincinnati, and James Carson, a University of Georgia professor of insurance, pored over records of 4.8 million fires between 1986
Some real estate pros are finding it's a benefit to highlight gyms near the condos or homes they’re selling, just like you might do for a good school.The gym impact to values may be especially pronounced in luxury apartments. The percentage of listings of luxury apartments that contained the words “gym,” “weight room,” or “workout studio” increased to 11 percent in January 2016 compared to only 7.4 percent in 2010, according to data
If your listing has two master bedrooms, you may very well have a highly desired feature that many couples want in their next home and are willing to pay extra for.Among the top 10 percent of markets nationwide, active listings that include multiple master bedrooms are priced, on average, about 9 percent higher than those with just one master, according to a realtor.com® analysis.Luxury home builders are taking notice of the growth in demand. A
The Federal Reserve is finally taking more action to raise its short-term rates. Last week, it voted to raise the Fed funds rate by 25 basis points. That is expected to add pressure to mortgage rates, too. Many housing analysts fear that rising mortgage rates could further impact home affordability and lead home buyers to pause.However, Rick Sharga, executive vice president of Ten-X and former senior vice president at RealtyTrac, disagrees. He th
Besides staging, sellers also should take a few more steps to ease the stress of their sale. Realtor.com® offers up some of the following often-overlooked tips:1. Highlight improvements and any issues.“If you’ve owned your home for a while, make a list of all the problems you’ve solved for a while, make a list of all the problems you’ve solved while you’ve lived there,” suggests Avery Boyce, a real estate pro with Compass Real Estate
Reviews.com has compiled a thorough list of the best home security systems, based on studies and surveys entailing installation, customer reviews, costs, and reliability.Review.com’s analysis recognized the following brands in the following categories: Best for recognizability and professional installation: ADT Best technology and mobile app: Vivint Best for low upfront cost and initial phone call: Protect America Best for customer service and
The downtown resurgence is reaching across the country. In the post-World War II era, Americans fled urban areas in favor of the suburbs. That left many downtowns to face some neglect, rising crime, and industrial decay, realtor.com® notes in a recent article. But it’s a new day for the American downtown.Redevelopment since the mid-1990s are putting more downtowns back on the map. Vacant office buildings are being transformed into loft apartme
Closing times were way down in February, falling from 51 days in January to 46 days for all loans last month, according to the latest Ellie Mae Origination Insight Report.Broken out, home purchase loans took an average of 45 days to close in February, down from 48 days in January. Refinanced loans took an average of 47 days to close in February, down from 53 days.Conventional loans commanded 63 percent of the market share, compared to 66 percent
Getting married and buying a home are two milestones that couples often try to achieve at the same time. But the finances involved in both of those feats can be daunting. The average wedding costs reached a record high in 2016: $35,329. That is about the equivalent of a 20 percent down payment on a $175,000 home."There are some people that can do both at the same time, but for most, you have to choose one [goal] and delay the other by a year or t
Scammers are now using utility bills to try to dupe customers.Scammers reportedly are making calls to customers posing as representatives from companies like ConEd, Duke Energy, Georgia Power, Consumers Energy, or a bogus utility company called General Electric, among others. They’ll threaten to shut off power or service if customers don’t pay immediately. They’ll offer an “energy assistance” or payment plan and ask for the customer’s
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