We are honored to have Chip Wagner, an icon in the appraisal industry and our good friend, as a guest blogger today. Chip recently addressed the housing inventory challenges in the Chicago region. We believe that his observations can be applied to the majority of markets in the U.S. – The KCM Crew It’s All […]
Some are questioning whether the current rally in the real estate market will fall victim to financial uncertainty regarding the impending debt ceiling debate and sequestration. However, many experts believe housing will be able to maintain its current momentum. In a March 2013 report, Someone Say House Party?, analysts at Bank of America/ Merril Lynch […]
Last Friday, we ran an InfoGraphic from RealEstate.com that showed that the real estate market was coming back. Some objected that the information was from a survey of industry players that may have a natural bias. For the doubters, here is the cover of the latest edition of Money Magazine released this past weekend. The […]
Shared with Permission: Real Estate is Back
UPDATE: We want to thank the almost 3,000 agents who accessed today’s webinar. We hope you received true value in the hour we spent together. – The KCM Crew The real estate market is definitely getting better. 2012 proved to be a pretty good year for many agents. You are almost guaranteed an even better 2013. […]
Mark Twain and homeownership are both iconic pieces of the American experience. And like what happened to Twain in 1897, recent reports of homeownership’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Ever since the housing bubble burst, many so-called experts have predicted the end of homeownership as part of the American Dream. Today, we want to expose […]
Many homeowners look back on 2006 house values and wonder why they didn’t sell at the height of the market. They lament the money they may have lost by not selling. However, there is another side to that story. If they did sell back in 2006, they would have still needed to live somewhere. Looking […]
Ivy Zelman is an industry expert consistently recognized by Institutional Investor, Greenwich Associates, StarMine and The Wall Street Journal as an industry-leading analyst. What separates her from many other analysts is the fact that she has accurately called the real estate market continuously over the last decade. Her Position in 2006 She was one of […]
Today’s post is an excerpt from our newest eGuide, Real Estate’s New Market Reality, which explains how the role of the real estate professional has changed and what you can do to successfully help more buyers and sellers. You can download the entire eGuide at www.NewMarketReality.com. – The KCM Crew Not that long ago, real […]
Yesterday, we posted on the surge of new household formations that have occurred in the last twelve months and that are projected to reach boom numbers over the next twelve months. Will these new households be renting or buying? A recent study, The National Survey of Renters, from The Opinion Research Corporation reveals that many […]
Sales of residential properties are back to the highs experienced at the expiration of the Home Buyers Tax Credit in April 2010. One of the reasons for this surge in purchasing is that young adults may again be entering the market. Over the last few years, many young adults stayed on the sidelines (some in […]
For some time now, we have attempted to shed light on the fact that pricing in today’s real estate market, as it is in the markets for every other saleable item, will be determined by the concept of ‘supply and demand’. According to dictionary.com: “The relationship between supply and demand determines the price of a […]
Today, we are reposting a blog by our friend Matthew Ferrara. – The KCM Crew Don’t make the same mistake about new technology Western Union once did. Some readers might remember a “boxing match” we did a couple of years ago in Las Vegas. It was part educational, part entertainment, but underneath there was an […]
Celia Chen, an economist for Moody’s Analytics, recently reported on her projections regarding mortgage standards throughout 2013. “The housing recovery began in earnest in 2012, despite constraints placed by a still-tight mortgage lending environment. This year promises improvements as the drivers of tough credit standards reverse. First, consumer credit quality is improving, which will help […]
With home values falling dramatically from 2006 boom prices, many homeowners have found themselves in what is called a ‘negative equity’ or ‘underwater’ situation. This means the value of their home is currently less than the mortgage amount on that home. Many of these homeowners have been ‘locked’ into their houses because they were unable […]
One of the most interesting revelations of the latest National Association of Realtors (NAR) Existing Home Sales Report is the shortage of housing inventory being reported throughout much of the country. At the same time, buyer demand is dramatically up over last year. Here are some key points: Total housing inventory at the end of January fell […]
Today’s post is an excerpt from our newest eGuide, Real Estate’s New Market Reality, which explains how the role of the real estate professional has changed and what you can do to successfully help more buyers and sellers. You can download the entire eGuide at www.NewMarketReality.com. – The KCM Crew Using visuals enables you to […]
Some believe that our coverage of the housing market at times is too optimistic. Today, we want to report on Freddie Mac’s projections for the real estate market in 2013 as per their latest U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist, explains: “Across the nation, most local […]
We are happy to post this great information from our good friend Pat Zaby’s InTouch program which is an automatic contact system creating top of mind awareness through personalized email and social networking. – The KCM Crew The 3.5% down payment on FHA loans could be more expensive for buyers than expected. Beginning April 1, 2013, the […]
Today’s post is an excerpt from our newest eGuide, Real Estate’s New Market Reality, which explains how the role of the real estate professional has changed and what you can do to successfully help more buyers and sellers. You can download the entire eGuide at www.NewMarketReality.com. – The KCM Crew Why does a buyer or […]
