Do you need a real estate agent to buy or sell a house? These readers bought their home and sold a vacant lot without the help of any real estate agents. Q: My husband and I sold a vacant lot in Texas this past year without any agents being involved. We have followed the market [...]
What’s scarier than buying a haunted house? Approximately 70 percent of Americans believe in the supernatural, but most of them are more afraid of this. Halloween is just around the corner and the spooky season is in full swing. While you and your family are watching some classic horror movies (Poltergeist, The Amityville Horror or [...]
5 mistakes to avoid when buying a house without a real estate agent. What to watch out for if you’re set on going through the homebuying process alone. Q: What do you think about buying a property without a buyer's agent? What tips would you share for home buyers who do not want to use [...]
Buying a house during the COVID-19 pandemic: what you should know. Some homebuyers regret rushing the process to benefit from low mortgage rates. Mortgage rates reached another all-time low in September (9th time this year!), with Freddie Mac showing the 30-year fixed rate falling to 2.86 percent. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best [...]
Why are pocket listings banned? Explaining the reasoning behind the National Association of Realtors (NAR) banning pocket listings. Q: You recently answered a question about a home seller paying the commission to an agent for a "pocket listing." You bypass the larger issue and the reason that so-called pocket listings are against the National Association [...]
Housing market trends: top 10 hottest ZIP codes in 2020. Homes in these ZIP codes get the most page views and are off the market in less than 20 days. The housing market has been a bright spot amongst the chaos that has dominated 2020. And, there are some very valid reasons for that, including [...]
Affordable housing options in 2020: granny flats and garage apartments aren’t a thing of the past, they’re in high demand all over the U.S. Affordable housing options are scarce all over the country. Americans working full-time at minimum wage can’t afford a one-bedroom rental in 95 percent of U.S. counties, according to a report by [...]
What happens to the economy when the PPP runs out of money? This reader wants to know how another rise in unemployment will impact the economy. Q: I tried to call in to WGN radio when Ilyce was on a couple of weeks ago. Do you think unemployment will skyrocket when the Paycheck Protection Program [...]
COVID-19 housing impact: which homeowners are most vulnerable? New research spotlights housing markets that are most at-risk in the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on many parts of the economy: Mortgage interest rates hit an all-time low last week (a 30-year fixed-rate loan can be had for an average of 2.98 percent) [...]
How will the coronavirus pandemic impact the spring market? Unemployment claims, mortgage rates and home buying activity in the spring of 2020. It’s been another week of dreadful news about the economic repercussions of the COVID pandemic. And, while there have been slight improvements here or there, it’s all pretty dark. How Will the Coronavirus [...]
