Best Time to Sell? More Americans Say 'Yes'

Seller confidence is surging: The number of home sellers who say now is a good time to sell doubled in the second quarter, according to a new survey of nearly 2,000 owners conducted by real estate brokerage Redfin. In the first quarter of 2013, 22 percent surveyed said it was a good time to sell compared to 45 percent in the second quarter.

Nearly 32 percent of home owners surveyed said they have no concerns about selling right now. Eighty-five percent of sellers say they believe home prices will rise in their area for the next year — up from 81 percent in the first quarter, according to the survey. 


Full Article:Best Time to Sell? More Americans Say 'Yes'

Home prices increases in 1Q for most Wilmington areas

The average selling price for a residence was up in five of the six major zip codes in the Wilmington area during the first quarter of the year, according to a report released this week by the Wilmington Regional Association of Realtors. 

The report, which tracks residential sales in the 28403, 28405, 28409, 28411, 28412 and 28451 zip codes in the Wilmington Multiple Listing Service (MLS), showed a 6 percent increase in the average list price for a home.

The average list price for all sold properties throughout the six zip code-area was $234,489 in the quarter, according to the report. 

Full Article: Home prices increases in 1Q for most Wilmington areas

4 Reasons Your Listing Might Not Be Selling

Here are four common reasons listings don’t sell in a timely manner, according to the MSN survey:

1. Unreasonable price
2. Bad decor: Loud patterns, bold colors, and dated decor styles
3. Strange or dated floorplans 
4. Awful photos

Full Story: 4 Reasons Your Listing Might Not Be Selling

88% of U.S. Cities See Housing Price Gains

As the housing recovery broadened in the fourth quarter of 2012, the National Association of REALTORS® reports that prices for single-family homes rose in nearly 88 percent of U.S. cities. 

According to the report, the median sales price rose on an annual basis in 133 of 152 metro areas tracked. In the July-through-September period, by comparison, just 120 areas had registered gains. 

Researchers cite low interest rates coupled with an improving job market as the main reasons for the higher home prices.  Those two factors combined have fueled demand for a tightening supply of listings. 

According to NAR, the national median price for an existing single-family home was $178,900 in the last three months of 2012 — a 10 percent increase from the fourth quarter a year prior and the biggest gain since 2005. 

Here's a look at the top-performing metro areas:

• Phoenix: Prices soared 34 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011 
• Detroit: Prices rose 31 percent
• San Francisco: Prices rose 28 percent 
• Cape Coral, Fla.: Prices rose 26 percent 

The Kingston, N.Y., area had the biggest decline in the NAR report — down 7.9 percent in the quarter — followed by Kankakee, Ill., with an 7 percent drop.

Source: "Home Prices Increase in Most Metro Areas" Fort Worth Star-Telegram (02/12/13)

(c) Copyright 2013 Informtaion, Inc. 

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As Prices Rise, Home Owners Tap Into Equity88% of U.S. Cities See Housing Price Gains

The Best Industry to Work in? Real Estate

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 01, 2013

Real estate is the best industry to work in nationwide, according to the 2013 Top National Workplaces rankings by WorkplaceDynamics. 

Despite real estate professionals facing a “down market for the past five years, they continue to love their jobs and the companies they work for,” according to a press release announcing the results. “REALTORS® and others working in the real estate industry appreciate that they have a great deal of control over their own destiny, a strong connection to their work, and a sense of personal accomplishment each and every day. All of which led them to highly rank their workplaces.” 

The survey was conducted with 30 major newspapers across the country. It polled 1 million employees from 872 companies in generating a list of top workplaces in America. Rankings are based on employee responses to survey questions. 

The Best Industry to Work in? Real Estate

What's the Best Season for Home Buying?

After the holidays, buyers tend to start getting more aggressive with their house hunting. Search activity usually peaks around March or April in most states, according to a new study of home searches from 2007 to 2012 conducted by Trulia. 

In September, searches slow down. By December buyer searches ebb to their lowest point of the year. 

“Home-search activity swings with the seasons in every state,” says Jed Kolko, chief economist of Trulia. “Buyers and sellers can use these ups and downs to their advantage. Sellers looking for the most buyers should list when real estate search traffic peaks. Buyers, however, should think about searching off-season, when there is less competition from other searchers.”

The study revealed seasonal patterns of search activity state to state. Here are the months when online real estate searches peak in every U.S. state:

• January: Hawaii
• February: Florida
• March: Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington
• April: Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin
• May: Real estate activity does not peak in any state
• June: Mississippi
• July: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wyoming
• August: Montana and Oregon
• September-December: Real estate activity does not peak in any state

Source: “Trulia Reveals Best Home-Searching Season,” HousingWire (Jan. 29, 2013)

6 Must-Haves for Women in Home Shopping

Women are a big part of the housing market and often times the decision-makers when it comes to the design of the home. Consequently, more real estate professionals, designers, and marketers are taking notice of women’s home preferences. 

What do women want in a home? Consumer research experts from Coldwell Banker Real Estate, John Burns Real Estate, and others weigh in to women’s home preferences in a recent article at MSN:

• Big closets
• A great kitchen: That entails “big open kitchens that include space for dining, entertaining, doing homework, using computers, watching TV, and hanging out together,”  the article says.
• Great location: Women usually care more about location and less about the size, says Mollie Carmichael, consumer research expert at John Burns Real Estate Consulting.  
• A comfortable place for socializing: It could be a kitchen island or counter, a comfortable den, or a corner with some chairs and sofa in front of a fireplace.
• Low maintenance, such as “no-paint exterior siding, no-fuss landscaping, and homes that are new or recently renovated,” according to MSN
• A two-car garage

Source: “11 Things Woman Want in a Home,” MSN (January 2013)