11
Apr
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

FOMC Minutes Reveal Fed Policymakers U-Turn

Members of the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee voted to hold the target range of the federal funds rate to its current range of 2.25 to 2.50 percent. The minutes of the most recent Committee meeting cited softening domestic and global economic conditions as reason for not raising the target federal funds range. While labor markets remained strong, the minutes noted that household spending and business investment slowed in the first quarter of 2019. FOMC members expected Gross Domestic Product growth to slow as compared to its 2018 pace. While current inflation and the national unemployment rate fell in…
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03
Apr
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Real Estate Investing 101: Identify Your Investing Style

Are you just starting on your real estate investing journey? Many newcomers are surprised to learn that there's more to making money on the real estate market than buying and selling. These are some of the most popular strategies real estate investors use to create profits. Which one is right for you? Buy And Hold Buy and hold investors play the market like stocks. They buy properties when prices are low, then hold them until values are high. During the holding period, some investors choose to offer their properties as rentals. Apartment buildings are also a popular option for buy…
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28
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Case-Shiller Home Price Growth Slower in January

Home price indices issued by S&P Case-Shiller showed further slowing in home price growth in January. The national home price index showed 4.30 percent home price growth for the three months ended in January. Analysts expected home prices to grow 4.20 percent for the same period in cities surveyed by Case-Shiller. More cities reported declines in home prices than those that posted gains in home prices. The top cities posting year-over-year home price gains in the 20-City Home Price Index were Las Vegas, Nevada with 10.50 percent growth; Phoenix, Arizona posted a year-over-year home price gain of 7.50 percent. Three…
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20
Mar
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

NAHB: Housing Market Index Flat in March

Builder sentiment held steady in March as headwinds in housing markets affected homebuilder confidence, but National Association of Home Builders Chairman Greg Ugalde said that builders were looking forward to a "solid spring home-buying season." Builder sentiment mirrored February's index reading of 62; analysts expected an uptick to 63. Any Housing Market Index reading over 50 indicates that more builders than fewer have a positive outlook on housing market conditions. The average reading for 2018 was 67, which indicated that builders were less confident current market conditions for new homes than in 2018. HMI Component Readings Mixed in March Three…
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27
Feb
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Case-Shiller: December Home Price Growth Slowest in 4 Years

Case-Shiller Home Price Indices reported the slowest rate of U.S. home price growth since November 2014. According to the 20-City Home Price Index, Home prices grew by 4.20 percent year-over-year and were 0.20 percent higher in December as compared to November. The 20-City Home Price Index fell short of analysts' expected gain of 4.80 percent year-over-year. Case-Shiller's National Home Price Index reported home prices increased 4.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. While home price growth is sluggish, home prices continued to rise faster than wages. This creates obstacles to affordability for many would-be home buyers. Fears about rising…
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06
Feb
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

3 Green and Gorgeous Trends in Home Design

These days, people want energy-efficient homes that look great. To answer the call of passionate environmentalists, developer are rising to the occasion and designing home features that minimize waste, save energy and reuse reclaimed materials. The results are gorgeous, green homes that help move the sustainable living trend forward. Hidden Solar Panels Solar panels are a great way to save energy, but not everyone loves the optics. A series of solar panels on the roof may save you money on your utilities, but it can detract from the natural shape of your home. As an alternative, innovative in-roof solar panels…
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