Americans know more about Kim Kardashian than homebuying

Nearly 90 percent of Americans know how many children Kim Kardashian has, but fewer than 33 percent know how to get pre-approved for a mortgage, according to a new survey from Zillow. Continue reading

How do we help first-time homebuyers without driving up costs?

More and more lower-income or even middle-class households are going to be renting the American dream. This is bad for the economy and it should be a red flag for our industry. Continue reading

Fueled by climbing mortgage rates, existing-home sales rise again

The median existing-home sales price, meanwhile, soared 13.9 percent year over year in November as inventory plunged 13.3 percent, according to data released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. Continue reading

Zillow listings now link buyers with down-payment assistance info

The Seattle-based home portal has added a new listing feature that connects a buyer with details about down-payment programs in their area. Continue reading

2021 on pace to tally biggest year in existing-homes sales since 2006

Inventory across all housing types fell 0.8 percent from the month previous and 12 percent year over year to 1.25 million units. Nonetheless, home sales are expected to exceed 6 million by the end of the year. Continue reading

Knock’s GO mortgage offers appraisal coverage and cash-offer close certainty

Knock GO, which stands for Guaranteed Offer, is a “cash-like” conventional mortgage product that allows buyers to write an offer on a home without including a financing contingency. Continue reading

The homebuyer in 2021? Middle-aged, married and college educated

Zillow Group’s 2021 Consumer Housing Trends Report breaks down what buyers looked like in 2021, what they wanted most and how that compared to previous years. Continue reading

How to reach stalled homebuyers

Whether they’re ready to spend their quarantine savings or are restarting an abandoned home search, here’s how to talk to these eager buyers. Continue reading

First-time buyers still eager, despite snags on path to homeownership

A Chase survey revealed nearly 4 in 10 potential first-time buyers lost income during the pandemic, setting back their homeownership goals. Continue reading