Real Estate Blog

money.cnn.com - Borrowers who lost homes to foreclosure during the housing bust are starting to buy again.

Since the housing bubble burst, 4.8 million borrowers have lost their homes to foreclosure, and another 2.2 million gave them up in short sales, according to RealtyTrac. While many are still struggling to recover financially, a growing number are starting to bounce back -- and they are looking for a new place to call home.

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money.cnn.com - It's official: After years of little activity, homebuilders are dusting off their jackhammers.

Last year housing permits hit their highest level since 2008, according to the Census Bureau, and new-home sales grew 20% from the prior year.

An untouched abode offers advantages, of course, such as a sleek modern layout and few repairs. Buying an existing home, however, may allow you to seal the deal faster and can offer better short-term price appreciation.

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money.ccn.com - Anticipating the real estate recovery that surfaced in the fall -- home prices in October were up 6.3% from a year earlier, and new-home construction reached a four-year high -- housing-related stocks led the market in 2012.

Homebuilders (returning 77% through early December), the lumber industry (74%), and home-improvement stores (55%) were the top-performing industries in 2012, according to Morningstar. And the Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction ETF traded in December at a lofty 27 times projected earnings -- nearly double the figure for the S&P 500.

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Americans continued to view housing as a relative bright spot in the economy, even as their sentiment towards the broader economy and household finances limped along, according to Fannie Mae's February 2013 National Housing Survey.

Americans who believe home prices will increase over the next year and home price expectations for 2013 both hit their highest levels since the survey's inception in June 2010, the survey found. But confidence in personal finances, household income and the health of the overall economy kept pat or dipped, according to the survey.

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The better-than-expected February jobs report got a big lift from 48,000 new jobs in the construction industry. Builders have added 151,000 jobs over the last five months, the sector's best hiring surge since the 2006 housing bubble.

The employment numbers reiterate what other housing reports have found: Home prices are up, as are home sales. Near record low mortgage rates and a drop in foreclosures have created a much better market for builders. In January, they filed for the greatest number of building permits since 2008.

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zillowblog.com - Your home’s been on the market for a while now and you’re not getting any offers.  You might consider a staging consultation. Many home stagers will provide room-by-room assessments for homeowners, offering tips about paint colors, furniture placement, improving traffic patterns and more. Most consultations last about two hours and won’t break the bank at $150 to $250.

Or, you can use these five low-cost, do-it-yourself staging tips to create a space that sells:  No. 1: Cut the clutter, No. 2: Let the sunshine in,  No. 3: Clean, then clean some more, No. 4: Set the scene,  No. 5: Take new photos.  

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Insanely low mortgage interest rates—and the knowledge that they’ll eventually go up again—make a lot of people feel like it’s time to buy a house right now. And maybe it is … if you go about it the right way.

Buying a home is a major purchase (to put it mildly), and there are plenty of ways to trip up. But don’t worry—we’ve got your primer right here. 1. Don’t … buy a house if you’re planning to move again soon.  2. Don’t … bust your budget.  3. Don’t … forget about added costs.  4. Don’t … put down a nominal down payment.  5. Don’t … neglect to get everything in writing.  6. Don’t … skip the inspection.  7. Don’t … think a brand-new home entitles you to brand-new everything.

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When Kellie and Michael May decided to refinance their home in the New York suburbs, they wanted to take advantage of historically low interest rates. But before landing a new 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, they had to get through a home appraisal.

But the appraisal came back roughly $70,000 less than the $1,230,000 the Mays were expecting, and too low to support their new loan.

Here are eight ways you can bolster your appraisal:  MAKE SURE APPRAISER KNOWS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, PROVIDE YOUR OWN COMPARABLES, KNOW WHAT ADDS THE MOST VALUE, DOCUMENT YOUR FIX-UPS, TALK UP YOUR TOWN, DISTINGUISH BETWEEN UPSTAIRS AND DOWNSTAIRS, CLEAN UP, GIVE THE APPRAISER SOME SPACE

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The latest forecast from Fiserv (FISV) Case-Shiller predicts home prices will increase by an average of 3.3% annually over the five years ending September, 2017.

"2012 was the first year since 1997 that the housing market has resembled something [close to] normal," said David Stiff, Fiserv's chief economist. "For the past 15 years, home price changes and sales volumes have either been boosted by a bubble mentality or crushed by crash psychology."

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money.cnn.com - Homeowners can compare costs of similar remodeling jobs based on the size and type of the room, where they live and the materials they want to use with a new tool from real estate web site Zillow.