NAR U.S. Existing-Home Sales Drop 2.7% in April
It’s the third monthly decline in a row. NAR cites the lack of inventory for the slowdown, as well as the increase in median price to $341,600, up 19.1% year-to-year.
Tech Making Website Accessibility Easier for the Disabled
As businesses struggle to make websites accessible for disabled users, technology continues to help on the other end, creating new tools those users can tap for help.
HUD to Investigate Alleged Racial Bias in Indiana Home Appraisals
An Indiana woman in a largely Black neighborhood says comp selections affected her appraised value. As a result, advocates say blind testing will be done more often.
Text Tips: How to Engage Both Leads and Clients
Texting is common today – but also effective for marketing. Expect each text to be read, but keep content concise and reply quickly even if you don’t have an answer yet.
Fla.’s April Housing Market Strong, Reflects 2020 COVID-19 Impact
Florida Realtors’ data: April had more closed sales, more new pending sales and higher median prices (up 22.4% for single-family homes, 19.6% for condos) than a year ago. Pres. Lambert says, “keep in mind the comparison data comes from April 2020 when Fla. was experiencing the full impact of the pandemic.”
U.S. Borders With Canada, Mexico Restricted Through June 21
Fla. real estate’s top source for international business faces visiting restrictions for at least another month. Until then, only trade and essential travel is allowed.
NAR Study: Membership Hits Record High and 79% Staying Put
NAR had 1.48M Realtor members at the end of 2020, up from 1.4M one year earlier, and 4 out of 5 (79%) plan to stay in the profession at least two more years. Realtors with 16 years-plus experience made $75K, down from 2019’s $86.5K – but 1 in 4 members made $100K or more.
Opportunity Zones: How Have They Done During the Pandemic?
Overall, rising home prices lifted all boats. Homes in Opportunity Zones had first quarter price increases pretty much matched by homes in more affluent areas.
Unexpected Homebuyer Headache: Hard-to-Get Appliances
If stressed buyers somehow manage to land the home of their dreams, they may find it will take an additional nine months to secure the refrigerator of their dreams.