Why is the housing market thriving in a pandemic?
The deadliest pandemic in more than a century has failed to derail the housing market because of the lowest mortgage rates ever recorded coupled with a shift in how people … Continue reading
Pandemic Could Drop Demand for Open Floor Plans
An open floor plan encourages intimacy, but extended social isolation and a greater demand for home offices could lead to long-term lifestyle changes – and more walls. The rise in … Continue reading
IRS Tax Breaks for Working from Home Have Changed
Independent contractors can deduct a home office, and any pandemic-era upgrades probably can be deducted too. There are two ways to calculate the tax amount. Struggling to teach a Zoom … Continue reading
Still-Employed Americans Saved Lots of Money This Year
Federal payouts, no commuting costs, stay-at-home orders and recession fears pushed Americans to stockpile money – the savings rate skyrocketed to 33.5% in April and a still-respectable 19% in June. … Continue reading
New interest from city dwellers raising home prices in rural areas
The pandemic is pushing homeowners out of the big cities and into rural and suburban areas, pushing up home prices in previously sleepy towns. In July, less densely populated areas … Continue reading
Looking for a bargain? There’s still time to find houses that are “pandemic priced”
Home prices are responding to buyer demand in many parts of the country, but that doesn’t mean homebuyers can’t still find a bargain, especially for more expensive homes. According to … Continue reading
Realtor.com launches Housing Market Recovery Index
Realtor.com released a way to track the progress of the housing market amid the COVID-19 pandemic: The Housing Market Recovery Index. The creation of the index was triggered by COVID-19 … Continue reading
Four Ways the Coronavirus Is Changing Commercial Real Estate
The pandemic had an immediate effect on commercial real estate, but some changes will continue to have an impact, such as working trends and retail sales. COVID-19 has upended the … Continue reading
Short-term rentals are outperforming hotels, here’s how one company is helping property owners
After COVID-19 paused travel, short-term rentals actually fared much better than hotels year-over-year, a new study said. As of June 21, short-term rental revenue per available room was down just … Continue reading
NAR: July Existing-Home Sales Soar 24.7% Higher
“The housing market is well past the recovery phase and now booming,” says NAR. And current owners seeking larger homes will “drive demand even into 2021.” National existing-home sales continued … Continue reading