Insurance, property taxes taking a bigger bite of buyers’ budgets

With the average homeowner spending $442 a month on property taxes and insurance, real estate agents and mortgage lenders are urged to help clients shop for better deals. Continue reading

Home values have surged at 2X the normal rate since pandemic

Since 2020, U.S. home values have risen by 45.3 percent. In other words, more than 10 years of typical home value growth has been packed into a five-year period, a new report from Zillow shows. Continue reading

Homebuyers gain leverage as sellers cut prices: Zillow

Prospective homebuyers have a better shot at securing a dream home as sellers continue to lower listing prices, according to a recent analysis by Zillow. Despite persistently high mortgage rates, buyers are capitalizing on these price reductions to neg… Continue reading

Louisiana agents latest to file suit over divisive NAR 3-way agreement

Industry members argue in the new lawsuit that NAR and other defendants have engaged in anticompetitive practices. They want restitution — and an end to rules they don’t support. Continue reading

Compass acquires 3,100-agent Gulf Coast giant Latter & Blum

Latter & Blum has been an indie for more than 100 years and today boasts more than 3,100 agents. The deal pushes Compass into Louisiana and Mississippi for the first time. Continue reading

ERA Real Estate expands presence in NOLA with veteran-owned firm

Slidell-based firm Top Agent Realty is now part of ERA Real Estate. Military veteran Stephen Molero purchased the firm in 2013 and serves consumers throughout Southeastern Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Continue reading

What does it cost to live near the country’s biggest landmarks?

In some markets, prime real estate close to one of the nation’s leading destinations can be had for as little as $110,000. Elsewhere, it might cost a homebuyer several millions of dollars to live next to their favorite landmark. Continue reading

Lack of access to credit keeps Black neighborhoods in rental loop

Access to safe, traditional credit building is especially limited in Black neighborhoods, a report from Zillow shows, highlighting lingering effects from redlining that keep those households renting instead of owning a home. Continue reading

Keller Williams scoops up top New Orleans agent

Chris Smith joins Keller Williams from Latter & Blum. The move comes as major real estate brands compete intensely for top talent. Continue reading

Baton Rouge agent sentenced to 30 years, beating death of 60-year-old

Prosecutors suggested the attack may have been racially motivated, claiming Ward, who is white, yelled racial slurs at Arnold Jackson, a Black man, as he beat him so severely in 2018 that he later died from his injuries. Continue reading