October 2019 Newsletter
34 Home Decor Trends That Will Rule 2019
34 Home Decor Trends That Will Rule 2019. We all know that fashion changes all the time. It seems like every season (sometimes mid-season), designers are suggesting that you stop wearing something and wear the new thing instead. Well, home décor sort of does the same thing. Furniture, paint, and everything involved with home décor goes through periods where it's either "in" or "out." The biggest difference is that between the two, home décor trends don’t always change as often. There are yearly things that … [Read more...]
The Week’s Top Kitchen Trends on Instagram Are a Minimalist’s Dream
If you’re anything like us, fall and spring feel like the best times of the year for cleaning house. Maybe it’s the transition of the seasons that inspires the change, or maybe we’re just preparing some extra space for Halloween candy and Christmas decorations. If you need some inspiration to get started, though, look no further than the tastemakers on Instagram. As we do every week, we scrolled through hundreds of decor posts on IG to uncover the most liked looks, this time with a focus on the kitchen. What we … [Read more...]
Mortgage Rates Fall Again
Mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level since October 2016 due to weaker economic data over the past week. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.49% during the week ending Sept. 5, down 9 basis points from the previous week, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Rates for 30-year home loans have only increased nine times so far this year — otherwise, they have dropped or remained flat from week to week. Mortgage rates roughly track the direction of the 10-year Treasury note. The yield on the 10-year … [Read more...]
The One Thing That Can Make or Break How People Feel About Your House
Considering the time and energy homeowners put toward making their house look great (particularly if they're trying to sell), many make the critical mistake of neglecting another one of our senses that can be far more powerful: smell. Even if you’ve decorated or staged your home perfectly, if potential buyers walk in and detect an unpleasant odor, they could skedaddle fast. Good scents, on the other hand, entice them to linger. “One of the easiest ways to evoke pleasant feelings about a space is … [Read more...]
How Homebuyers Can Cut Closing Costs
You hear a lot about the down payment required to buy a home, but closing costs are also a significant consideration. You can’t eliminate all or even most of these costs, but there are steps you can take to reduce them. You can do this by understanding how much closing costs amount to early in the purchase process. Several factors go into determining your closing costs. These vary depending on the state in which the property is located, local market traditions and from lender to lender. You … [Read more...]
What are buyers looking for in a home?
Perhaps you are a homeowner preparing to sell your home and are curious what features will make your home standout to potential buyers. You wonder if things like appliance updates really will grab more attention in listing photos and if you should do a bathroom remodel instead of updating the kitchen. At realtor.com, home is everything and we can help. Based on a recent survey by our consumer insights team, which took into account such factors as where people live by state as well as location type (urban, … [Read more...]
Confidence in housing boosts Economic Sentiment Index
Consumer confidence improved over the past two weeks, according to the Microsoft News-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI), powered by Hamilton Place Strategies. Following a drop of 1.2 points toward the end of July, the ESI increased by 0.7 points to reach 53.9. The increase was driven by a 3.1-point bump in consumer confidence in the housing market, moving the indicator up to 52.9 points – its highest level since September 2016. Three of the ESI's five indicators increased during the reading. Consumer … [Read more...]
August 2019 Newsletter
6 Tiny Details That Make or Break How Great Your Bathroom Looks
Bathroom remodels are hard to get just right. There are so many choices—tubs, sinks, and tile, to name a few. But it's the small things that can make or break a design. “During a bathroom remodel, both beauty and function matter here, so it’s important to care about both," says Rob McDowell, a master plumber with All Star Plumbing in Columbia, MO. In this latest installment of our Dream Bathroom Remodeling Guide, we gathered the last little touches you need to make that … [Read more...]
