30 Weird Real Estate Listings From Zillow – Bored Panda

Weird Real Estate - Bored Panda

Zillow is a holy database of “more than 110 million US homes for sale, for rent, and those ones that are not even on the market.” Now, keeping in mind this number, imagine the chances of stumbling across a property listing that transgresses the borders of common sense, practicality, and something as basic as taste. You say high? We say, tremendous.

Thanks to the new fan-favorite Instagram page “Zillow Gone Wild,” we now have this hand-picked collection of seriously weird real estate findings that’ll make you look twice, thrice, and think of something nice to say about it. Because many times, money can get you a mansion, but it won’t buy you taste.

525,000 followers are in for a daily treat of zillionaire-approved Zillow listings and trust me, each one seems better than the previous one. From the real-life Flintstones house and mushroom house unit to a $399,900 house featuring all the planet’s windows, and a roof house that looks how it sounds, 100% pure roof, the listings are ready for some cringe treatment.

See the full story at Bored Panda

Forecasting the Fall Real Estate Market – Forbes

Forecasting the Fall Real Estate Market - Pixabay

Today’s hot housing market is one of the peculiar outcrops of the pandemic. Housing supply was already low before Covid-19, but it was further hampered as lockdowns took place and people began looking for new homes, driven by a host of reasons—from the desire to leave populated cities to better home offices or just fear of missing out (FOMO). So what does the Fall real estate market have to offer?

The Federal Reserve’s steps last year to keep the financial markets liquid and to ensure mortgage rates stayed low have continued. But the low mortgage rates pale in comparison to soaring housing prices in the past year.

Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, grew by 17.2% in June 2021 compared with June 2020—a record high, according to the latest CoreLogic report. And while there have certainly been hot seller’s markets in the past, none quite compare to the current market where more than 50% of homes for sale have fetched over the asking price.

“We’ve been tracking housing prices for over 20 years, and we’ve never seen anything like this,” says Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic.

Historically, the Fall real estate market ushers in less competition and better deals as children return to school and the holidays overtake schedules. But the pandemic altered that trend last year, and many cities are going through double-digit percentage increases in housing prices.

To get some insight into what prospective buyers and sellers can expect as we enter the midpoint of summer, Forbes Advisor spoke to housing experts across the country to get their forecast on home prices, rates and buyer appetite in the Fall real estate market.

Full Story From Forbes

Real Estate Trends for the Rest of 2021

real estate trends - deposit photos

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the real estate market into a wild domain. If you’re looking to buy or sell a home, you’re likely eager to know how long this will last and what the latest real estate trends are.

In June 2021, home prices across the U.S. surged 24.8% year-over-year — to a median sale price of $386,888 — according to Redfin. During the same time period, the number of homes sold increased 20.6% and the number of homes for sale tumbled 39.6%.

Mortgage rates have reached record lows during the pandemic and have once again been on the decline since late June. Specifically, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.02% on June 24, dropping to 2.78% on July 22.

While an economic upturn was predicted, the Delta variant could send that to a screeching halt. On July 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reinstated their recommendation that fully vaccinated people in areas of substantial or high transmission wear a mask indoors.

Only time will tell if additional COVID-19 restrictions will return, and how this could impact the housing market and real estate trends. However, several real estate agents and experts have weighed in with their opinion of what the market will look like for the rest of the year.

Preparing Yourself in a Seller’s Market – Washington Blade

home for sale and piggy bank - deposit photos

For the first time, Millennials are cutting back on spending money on multiple streaming subscriptions, $10 drinks, and avocado toast. They are dipping their feet into purchasing their first home. The current “seller’s market” conditions can be tough for some buyers though, so being prepared is more important now than ever. 

Buying in a Seller’s Market

The first step in the home buying process is finding the right real estate agent. Your agent should be trustworthy and someone who is knowledgeable about the area, sales contract, and local programs that may be able to save you money. Once you find the perfect agent, ask them to refer you to their preferred local lenders. When talking with lenders, not only should you focus on interest rates, but also ask about their in-house processing and underwriting. This may be able to give you a competitive advantage against other offers in a seller’s market. 

Once you’ve decided on your lender, they will need several documents to help them determine your eligible purchase price. Now is the perfect time to get your documents in order, including 30 days of pay stubs, two years of tax returns and/or W2s and 1099s, and two consecutive bank statements. Providing these documents in a timely manner can help expedite the pre-approval process and prevent delays once you’re under contract.

The lender will also look at your median credit score from the three major credit bureaus. Since your credit score has a direct effect on your interest rate, it’s important to pay close attention to your score. If your credit score needs a little help, talk to your Realtor and lender to see if they have recommendations on how to boost your score or programs that may be able to help.

Full Story From the Washington Blade