With home prices softening, some are concerned that we may be headed toward the next housing crash. However, it is important to remember that today’s market is quite different than the bubble market of twelve years ago.

Here are three key metrics that will explain why:


Home Prices



Mortgage Standards



Foreclosure Rates


HOME PRICES

A decade ago, home prices depreciated dramatically, losing about 29% of their value over a four-year period (2008-2011). Today, prices are not depreciating. The level of appreciation is just decelerating.

Home values are no longer appreciating annually at a rate of 6-7%. However, they have still increased by more than 4% over the last year. Of the 100 experts reached for the latest Home Price Expectation Survey, 94 said home values would continue to appreciate through 2019. It will just occur at a lower rate.

MORTGAGE STANDARDS

Many are concerned that lending institutions are again easing standards to a lev. ...

If you choose to sell your home on your own, you'll be negotiating and relying on your own skill to finalize a contract, leaving yourself open to potential legal problems and a smaller profit when all is said and done.
Here are some of the top reasons why FSBO home sales can go very wrong.
1. Marketing your home online isn't as easy as you think
Buyers always start online, and FSBO sellers are unlikely to get the exposure they need on a number of listings websites to reach their audience, says Realtor® Wendy Hooper with Coast Realty Services in Newport Beach, CA. Sticking a sign in your yard or trying to pull off some DIY social media marketing hardly has the same effect.
How an agent can help: Using an agent automatically offers widespread exposure for your listing through the multiple listing service. Your real estate agent will also have the means to promote your house to fellow agents to share with their clients. FSBO sellers would have to shelm ...

Buying a house is a lot like shopping for a used car—you don’t always get everything that’s on your wish list.
Unless you’re going to build your dream home, you’ll probably have to make some compromises when it comes to the interior design. That’s why Northville, MI, real estate agent Daniel Gyomory always has his clients create a list of “must-haves” and “wants.” After all, “there’s no such thing as a perfect house,” he says.
Still, it’s easy to walk into a home and get distracted by flaws or minor repairs that need to be made. The stained shag carpet that causes you to pass on a house is relatively simple—and cheap—to fix.
"Cosmetic issues are a big problem for a lot of home buyers,” says Linda Sanderfoot, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, in Neenah, WI.
The key is to keep an open mind and tap into your imagination. But since that’s difficult for a lot of people, wem ...

You updated the plumbing, refinished the flooring, painted the walls. In short, your home renovation is finally finished, and you’re ready to put your flipped house on the market.
But before you do, follow these five home staging tricks that top house flippers use — if you do, you’ll likely see a quick full-offer sale coming your way!
Offer great curb appeal
Pulling up to their potential new home should be a joyful experience for buyers. Give them the great first impression they’re hoping for with curb appeal that conveys a genuinely warm welcome.
Stylish house numbers, updated porch lighting, a classy door color, charming outdoor seating, flowers in bloom, and a welcome mat seem like unimportant details, but they make all the difference.
When a house looks cared for on the outside, it lets buyers know the inside has been maintained, too.
Create ambiance
Once potential buyers step inside, give them a personal, emotional connection to the house. Remember t. ...

With the average bathroom remodel tapping in at nearly $18,000, we wouldn't blame you for throwing in the (bath) towel on retiling your loo in onyx and marble or installing a gold-plated claw-foot tub.
Luckily for all of us, it's easier than ever to fake the fancy for a fraction of the cost of a complete renovation. We've consulted with design experts from coast to coast to cull their favorite tips for making a bathroom look luxe for less.
1. Tile diagonally (or to the ceiling)

Designer Carolyn Rebuffel of Workroom C recommends diagonal tiling versus tiling along the square in a vertical or horizontal line. This trick will not only make your bathroom look fancy, it'll open up the space as well—crucial if you have a cramped look.
"This will give a custom, bespoke feel to your bathroom," she says.
Kevin Sawyers, the San Francisco–based founder of Sawyers Design, recommends fully covering a wall in tile&mdm ...