Potential buyers want real information about the communities they’re shopping in. And while agents may feel like experts, their answers must always comply with fair housing laws. To help, the National Association of REALTORS® released some advice.

The firm’s subsidiaries include Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran Group and Sotheby’s International.

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Baird & Warner broke ground on its new Naperville office on Nov. 30. Located at 1528 Aurora Ave. The 155,000-square-foot building will house up to 500 agents upon completion late next year.

Chicago home values have also rose above affordability norms.

The National Association of REALTORS® expects existing-home sales to close 2022 15.2% lower compared to 2021, thanks to economic uncertainty and rising mortgage rates. 

Sales of new homes in the U.S. jumped 28.8% between July and August, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  

The median existing-home price for all housing types in August was $389,500, a 7.7% rise from the year before. 

New-home construction posted a 12.2% month-over-month increase in August, thanks in large part to a significant jump in multifamily building.  

A continuing combination of increased interest rates, supply-chain disruptions and high home prices has sapped homebuilder sentiment every month this year. 

Christie’s International Real Estate making coastal moves. Following recent expansion to Newport, R.I., the brokerage is coming to Naples.

Mortgage applications declined 1.2% during the week ended Sept. 9, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. 

The modest 1% decline could indicate the current housing cycle is reaching a bottom as mortgage rates recede from their recent high, the National Association of REALTORS® said. 

The median price of a new home sold during the month was up 5.9%, however, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

Nationally, the median sales price slid 2.9% from June but rose 8.1% from July 2021, while closed transactions were down 16.6% on a monthly basis and 26.3% on a yearly one, RE/MAX said in its National Housing Report.

A recent decline in mortgage rates could return some purchasing power to buyers going forward, National Association of REALTORS® chief economist Lawrence Yun said.