Tag: home buyers
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Compass Just Became the World’s Largest Brokerage. What Buyers and Sellers Should Know
Compass Inc. announced this month that it successfully acquired Anywhere Real Estate for $1.6 billion. A bargain. Consider the high-profile brands that AnywhereSM holds: Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby’s International, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, and Corcoran. Headquartered in New York, Compass is now the biggest real estate brokerage on Earth.
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Judge Forces White House Budget Director to Keep Consumer Bureau on Life Support
Begrudgingly, Russell T. Vought just requested $145 million from the Federal Reserve to keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — which he runs — alive. Barely. Only a few months of the CFPB’s work will be covered by that $145 million. Judge Amy Berman Jackson declared in a December 30, 2025 federal court order that…
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From Now On, Home Inspections Can’t Be Waived Upfront in Massachusetts
New law this year! It’s about waiving home inspections (and about Massachusetts not liking that). It took effect on October 15, with the purpose of stopping home sellers and their agents from expecting buyers to waive home inspections. Here, we outline what it means for you, if you’re thinking about a Massachusetts real estate transaction.…
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Real Estate Update: Housing Agencies, States Suffer “Staggering” Blows in Shutdown
The U.S. federal government has been shut down for three weeks now. The impact on everyday life for many has been serious. What might not be obvious is the impact on federal housing agencies and state-based real estate industries. Sellers and buyers are feeling the effects as well. In some states, the impacts are outsized…
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FHA Layoffs? Here’s What Home Buyers Want to Know
A powerhouse of the U.S. housing market seems at the brink of a major staff cut. HUD is the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It oversees the country’s FHA-backed loans. And it’s in for some turbulence.
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Seller-Paid Agent Commissions Are Over in August. How Will Buying Homes Change?
Effective August 17, sellers won’t have to agree to pay both sides’ commissions up front when they list their homes for sale. And agents can no longer communicate “offers of compensation” to other agents through their local Multiple Listing Services. August will mark “a time of adjustment,” says Kevin Sears, who recently took the role…
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Builders Meet Buyers Where They Are—With Smaller Homes
At Elm Trails, a subdivision of San Antonio, the giant developer Lennar sells compact homes for just $150K or so. The houses themselves take up less than 700 square feet. They’re placed on 20-foot lots with little backyards and no garages. The least expensive offering is a new, 350-square-foot house for $130K. So far, 55…
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It’s Election Year. How Will This Affect Sellers and Buyers?
As we enter an election year the current administration points to how strong the economy is. But there’s a disconnect between these regular public assurances and people’s life experiences. So many are either locked into their current mortgages or just completely sidelined from the market. This is no joke: High mortgage rates. Wages lagging while…
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State of the Home Buyer: White House Promotes New Set of Tax Credits
Housing affordability remains out of reach for many in the U.S. population today. What’s the matter? Joe Biden’s March 2024 State of the Union address laid out the latest plan to help. Here’s an update on the issue, and how the administration intends to deal with it.
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Update! Fed Signals 2024 “Pivot” on Interest Rates. What Should Home Sellers and Seekers Know?
As we’ve all noticed, deed transfers really got stuck in a rut in 2023. Too few owners are selling their homes. Supply is down. Prices are up. A core issue? The Federal Reserve. Over the past two years, the Fed has hiked rates in order to banish inflation and to tighten up the economy. So,…
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How Today’s Demand for Pet-Friendly Homes Impacts Buyers, Sellers, and Agents
It’s a steadily growing trend in real estate: the demand for pet-friendly homes. It impacts the way we create, furnish, and market homes. Let’s explore how this phenomenon is evolving. Then we’ll look at what matters most from the perspective of a buyer, a seller, or a real estate agent.
