Category: Uncategorized

By Susanne Dwyer

One of the many advantages of owning a home is the ability to add—and recoup—value. A recent study by Hearth, a FinTech startup, ranked the states with the most homeowners planning to renovate in 2017, with the top 20 states mostly concentrated in the East, Midwest and West:

1. Hawaii
2. Kansas
3. Montana
4. Rhode Island
5. New Hampshire
6. Utah
7. Michigan
8. Connecticut
9. Missouri
10. Maine
11. Arkansas
12. Minnesota
13. Idaho
14. Kentucky
15. Iowa
16. Nebraska
17. Massachusetts
18. Alabama
19. Tennessee
20. South Dakota

A sizable share of those in the study reported they would redo their kitchen if their budget were unlimited, as well as their bathrooms, basement and/or living room.

The study also shed light on the ways homeowners plan to finance their projects, with 62 percent of those in the study using cash or savings, 26 percent using a loan, and 12 percent using a credit card. Twenty-eight percent, specifically, use bank loans, while 17 percent use credit union loans and 15 percent use personal loans.

Source: Hearth

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post Top 20 States for Home Renovations appeared first on RISMedia.

…read more

From:: Real Estate News

By Susanne Dwyer

Consumer confidence ticked back up in June, posting a 118.9 reading in the latest Consumer Confidence Index® from The Conference Board. The Expectations reading of the Index fell to 100.6, while the Present Situation reading rose to 146.3. May’s reading was 117.6.

“Consumer confidence increased moderately in June following a small decline in May,” said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, in a statement. “Consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved to a nearly 16-year high. Expectations for the short-term have eased somewhat, but are still upbeat. Overall, consumers anticipate the economy will continue expanding in the months ahead, but they do not foresee the pace of growth accelerating.”

The percentage of consumers who believe business conditions are “good,” as defined by the Index, increased from 29.8 percent in May to 30.8 percent in June; the percentage of those who believe business conditions are “bad,” decreased from 13.9 percent in May to 12.7 percent in June. The percentage of those who expect business conditions to improve decreased from 21.5 percent in May to 20.4 percent in June; the percentage of those who expect business conditions to worsen also decreased, from 10.3 percent in May to 9.9 percent in June.

The percentage of consumers who believe jobs are “plentiful” increased from 30 percent in May to 32.8 percent in June, according to the Index; the percentage of those who believe jobs are “hard to get” decreased, from 18.3 percent in May to 18 percent in June. The percentage of those who expect more jobs in the coming months increased from 18.6 percent in May to 19.3 percent in June; the percentage of those who expect less jobs in the coming months, however, also increased, from 12.1 percent in May to 14.6 percent in June.

The percentage of consumers who expect higher incomes, as well, increased from 19.1 percent in May to 22.2 percent in June; the percentage of those who expect a decrease also increased, from 8.7 percent in May to 9.2 percent in June.

Source: The Conference Board

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post Consumer Confidence Ticks Back Up appeared first on RISMedia.

…read more

From:: Finance and Economy

By Susanne Dwyer

Consumer confidence ticked back up in June, posting a 118.9 reading in the latest Consumer Confidence Index® from The Conference Board. The Expectations reading of the Index fell to 100.6, while the Present Situation reading rose to 146.3. May’s reading was 117.6.

“Consumer confidence increased moderately in June following a small decline in May,” said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, in a statement. “Consumers’ assessment of current conditions improved to a nearly 16-year high. Expectations for the short-term have eased somewhat, but are still upbeat. Overall, consumers anticipate the economy will continue expanding in the months ahead, but they do not foresee the pace of growth accelerating.”

The percentage of consumers who believe business conditions are “good,” as defined by the Index, increased from 29.8 percent in May to 30.8 percent in June; the percentage of those who believe business conditions are “bad,” decreased from 13.9 percent in May to 12.7 percent in June. The percentage of those who expect business conditions to improve decreased from 21.5 percent in May to 20.4 percent in June; the percentage of those who expect business conditions to worsen also decreased, from 10.3 percent in May to 9.9 percent in June.

The percentage of consumers who believe jobs are “plentiful” increased from 30 percent in May to 32.8 percent in June, according to the Index; the percentage of those who believe jobs are “hard to get” decreased, from 18.3 percent in May to 18 percent in June. The percentage of those who expect more jobs in the coming months increased from 18.6 percent in May to 19.3 percent in June; the percentage of those who expect less jobs in the coming months, however, also increased, from 12.1 percent in May to 14.6 percent in June.

The percentage of consumers who expect higher incomes, as well, increased from 19.1 percent in May to 22.2 percent in June; the percentage of those who expect a decrease also increased, from 8.7 percent in May to 9.2 percent in June.

Source: The Conference Board

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post Consumer Confidence Ticks Back Up appeared first on RISMedia.

…read more

From:: Real Estate News

By Susanne Dwyer

Editor’s Note: This is part of a monthly video series from the National Association of REALTORS® to inform and educate members about important aspects of being a real estate professional. Watch for this series each month in RISMedia’s Daily e-News.

Watch the Window to the Law video from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) to learn more about the new requirement that all copyright agents must be digitally registered with the U.S. Copyright Office by the end of 2017.

View a slide presentation of the video.

View the video at www.nar.realtor.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post Window to the Law: Changes to DMCA Safe Harbor appeared first on RISMedia.

…read more

From:: Real Estate News

By Susanne Dwyer

How low will they go? Mortgage rates limboed down again this week, with the 30-year, fixed rate—3.88 percent—marking a new low for 2017, according to Freddie Mac’s recently released Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®). Both the 15-year, fixed rate and the 5-year, Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable rate moved down to 3.17 percent.

“The 30-year mortgage rate fell two basis points to 3.88 percent this week,” says Sean Becketti, chief economist at Freddie Mac. “However, the majority of our survey was conducted prior to Tuesday’s sell-off in the bond market which drove Treasury yields higher. Mortgage rates may increase in next week’s survey if Treasury yields continue to rise.”

Source: Freddie Mac

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post Mortgage Rates: How Low Will They Go? appeared first on RISMedia.

…read more

From:: Finance and Economy