Millennial Subcategory: “Baby Boomerangers” One of the factors holding back the housing market is the (relative) dearth of first-time Buyers. Typically, such Buyers account for 40% of all residential real estate sales; the last few years, however, the percentage is closer to 33% (one-third). What accounts for the slippage? Three Theories Given that the average...Read More
vs. “Family Home”(?) “Starter home“: a relatively small, economical house or condominium that meets the requirements of young people buying their first home. My association with “starter home” — and I’m sure many others’ — is a small house, usually two Bedrooms (or three very small ones), that may (or may not) be in rough condition....Read More
Complying With The Golden Rule (Still) Admittedly, it’s not a perfect analogy: I’m hardly suggesting that all Realtors are wizards, and that lenders are all witches (sometimes, it’s the other way around). But, at least from the perspective of a Buyer’s agent, clients (especially first-time Buyers) can seem a little bit like Dorothy, and the process...Read More
Edina Realty “Expo 2014” One of the reasons Edina Realty’s annual meeting (called “Expo 2014”) is a “must-attend” for company agents is that it affords us rank-and-file a chance to hear what the brass thinks is in store for the upcoming year. So, what did Bob and Ron Peltier — Home Services of America CEO...Read More
Taking Advantage of a 1st-Time Buyer (Or Trying To) First-time Buyers may not know prevailing lender fees — but experienced Realtors do. In that vein, a colleague recently reported that, to his chagrin, he discovered that the lender he referred his client to quoted her lender fees (origination, underwriting, appraisal, etc.) easily double the industry...Read More
Overreaching Sellers (& Their Side Effects) The big story in the housing market so far this year has been (lack of) inventory. As previously discussed on this blog, that has resulted — at least in the lower price rungs dominated by first-time Buyers — in multiple offers, upward price pressure, and lots of frayed Buyers (and...Read More
