In this evolving market, it’s even more important for Realtors to understand how to maximize their borrower’s purchasing power. Although I am of the belief that outstanding service, customized mortgage product offerings and timely closings should be the primary

There are rumors around Washington that the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 (MFA) will be extended yet again. Such an extension would be very good news to our improving real estate market for a variety of reasons; however,

It is hard to believe it is already 2014, but it is almost harder to believe we have a full year of upswing recovery under our real estate belts. At this point, I’m sure sellers have caught wind of

What kinds of factors did homebuyers consider in 2013 when making their purchase? Homebuyers have a multitude of factors to consider when deciding upon a home purchase, but inevitably, certain factors will be more important than others. For an

No two years in real estate are ever the same. With the changing regulations, market and economy comes a new focus for Realtors each year. Here are five recommended areas to focus on for 2014: 1. Calm Anxiety Over

When you look up “Stalking” in the dictionary you will find various definitions. But the context I’m referring to is, “to pursue obsessively” or “to track an every move.” Our buyer clients tend to be “All In” or “All

Well, it’s finally happened: Bob Corcoran has lost his marbles. Sell more by selling less? Yeah, right Bob, how about you also tell me how to lose weight be eating a Dairy Queen ice cream cake?  Okay, I hear

 What did home sellers want from their real estate agents in 2013? The method of selling homes has changed dramatically in the last 10 years, but the role of the real estate agent in the process – to market

First-time homebuyers play a big role in the housing market, but where are they in the scheme of the housing recovery? Twenty-eight percent – that was the share of first-time homebuyers in November, according to NAR’s latest existing-home sales

What luxury home features are hot right now with homebuyers? And which ones are riding off into the sunset? What luxury amenities are most popular with consumers in today’s housing market? In a fascinating new study by Trulia, the

Recently, Crain’s Chicago Business ran an article with the tagline “Uh Oh. Downtown Apartment Rents Drop.” That might be bad news for developers who aren’t able to maintain the high pricing and low vacancies of Summer 2013, but it’s a great

Home sellers have been on a roller coaster ride the last five years, and new research shows they’re as nuanced a group as ever. Home sellers in the U.S. housing market have – let’s put it kindly – journeyed

Research on the subject could not make the point more clearly – not all home remodeling projects are created equal. Last week, we took a broad view of home remodeling activity in 2013, but for our next story on

There were a number of interesting details regarding how homebuyers financed their purchases in 2013. The world of home financing has undergone some radical changes in the last 10 years, with consumers experiencing both the loosest and most restrictive credit

There are oodles of possible remodeling projects for prospective home sellers, but which ones yield the greatest return on investment? Consumers are always looking for ways to increase the returns on their investments, and for most consumers, few investments

Are real estate agents still an integral part of the homebuying process, or is the Internet impeding on their influence? It’s been one of the more prevalent themes in housing the last 15 years – when will the Internet