Seattle area’s home-price increases lag most big cities

Seattle-area home prices rose only 1.6% in the 12 months through March 2019, a sharp contrast from the 13% growth they experienced in the previous year.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/seattle-areas-home-price-increases-lag-most-big-cities/

Home-price increases in the Seattle area slow along with the rest of the country

Though locally home prices still lag behind major cities

https://www.seattlepi.com/realestate/article/Home-price-increase-Seattle-Case-Shiller-real-13901214.php

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Portland-area home prices edge higher; West Coast leads national housing slowdown

Home prices are merely inching higher in the West Coast metros, including Portland, where they once soared.

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2019/05/portland-area-home-prices-edge-higher-in-march.html

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30-Year Mortgage Rate at Recent Lows

For the fifth straight month, information compiled by Freddie Mac shows that mortgage rates continued to fall. As of April 2019, the 30-year FRM – Commitment rate, fell by thirteen basis points to 4.14 percent from 4.27 percent in March. The cycle peak was 4.87 percent in November.

http://eyeonhousing.org/2019/05/30-year-mortgage-rate-at-recent-lows/

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Six Art Trends For Your Home Right Now

Art is so subjective that it’s hard to think of it as following a trend line.

http://blog.coldwellbankerluxury.com/six-art-trends-for-your-home-right-now/

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Pending Home Sales Trail Off 1.5% in April

Pending home sales declined in April, a modest change from the growth seen a month before, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Only one of the four major regions – the Midwest – experienced growth, while the remaining three regions reported a drop in their respective contract activity.

https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/pending-home-sales-trail-off-1-5-in-april

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Pending Home Sales Snapshot

In April 2019, pending home sales were down 2.0 percent year-over-year.

https://www.nar.realtor/infographics/pending-home-sales-snapshot

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May 2019 Economic & Real Estate Outlook: Lawrence Yun's Presentation Slides

These presentation slides are from Lawrence Yun's talk at the Residential Real Estate Economic Issues and Trends Forum at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, DC, on May 16, 2019.

https://www.nar.realtor/presentations/may-2019-economic-real-estate-outlook-lawrence-yuns-presentation-slides

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Realtors® Midyear Forecast: Home Sales Expected to be Stronger

Continued economic expansion, rising home sales and an increase in wage growth that is on par with home price growth are some of the expectations for the second half of 2019, according to speakers at today's residential real estate forum at the 2019 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.

https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/realtors-midyear-forecast-home-sales-expected-to-be-stronger

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With interest rates at 2019 lows, how to decide whether to refinance your mortgage

More people are pursuing refinances as mortgage rates have dropped

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/with-interest-rates-at-2019-lows-how-to-decide-whether-to-refinance-your-mortgage-2019-05-22

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Falling Mortgage Rates Are Enticing U.S. Homebuyers to Trade Up

This year’s plunge in mortgage rates is giving Americans an incentive to upgrade to pricier houses.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-30/falling-mortgage-rates-are-enticing-u-s-homebuyers-to-trade-up

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U.S. opens antitrust probe of real estate brokerage industry

U.S. antitrust officials are investigating potentially anti-competitive practices in the residential real estate brokerage business, with a focus on compensation to brokers and restrictions on their access to listings.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/us-opens-antitrust-probe-of-real-estate-brokerage-industry/

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iBuyer and Conflicts of Interest

One of the issues that the agents could use help on from the MLS and the Association is the tricky balancing act they have to walk when presenting an iBuyer offer at the same time they are trying to secure a listing agreement.

 

Glenn Kelman discussed the awkwardness above. On the one hand, the agent needs to act in the seller’s best interests, but on the other hand, the agent represents a potential counterparty (who is her employer).

https://notorious-rob.com/2019/05/ibuyer-and-conflicts-of-interest/

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Tacoma’s housing market is now the hottest in U.S. — and Seattle knows why

After years as an oasis of affordability, Tacoma is rapidly losing its status as a refuge for homebuyers priced out of places like Seattle.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/tacomas-housing-market-is-now-the-hottest-in-u-s-and-seattle-knows-why/

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New ban on ‘McMansions’ would dramatically change Seattle’s house-building rules

The council member is championing legislation that would ease restrictions on backyard cottages and parent-in-law apartments while at the same time tightening restrictions on large, detached single-family houses.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/new-ban-on-mcmansions-would-dramatically-change-seattles-house-building-rules/

Seattle councilmember proposes houses not be bigger than 50% of lot size

A Seattle City Council committee on Wednesday discussed sweeping changes that could change the landscape of city neighborhoods for years to come.

https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-councilmember-proposes-houses-not-be-bigger-than-50-of-lot-size

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Nearly Half of Prospective Buyers Are Actively House Hunting

Home price appreciation continued to slow in March. Five out of the 20 metro areas experienced price declines while Boston led the way with a 14.0% annual growth rate in March.

http://eyeonhousing.org/2019/05/home-price-gains-continued-to-slow-in-march/

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Home Price Gains Continued to Slow in March

Home price appreciation continued to slow in March. Five out of the 20 metro areas experienced price declines while Boston led the way with a 14.0% annual growth rate in March.

http://eyeonhousing.org/2019/05/home-price-gains-continued-to-slow-in-march/

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S&P/Case-Shiller WA-Seattle Home Price Index

Updated: May 28, 2019

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/SEXRNSA

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S&P/Case-Shiller OR-Portland Home Price Index

Updated: May 28, 2019

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/POXRSA

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U.S. House Prices Rise 1.1 Percent in First Quarter

The FHFA House Price Index (HPI) is a broad measure of the movement of single-family house prices. The HPI is a weighted, repeat-sales index, meaning that it measures average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same properties. This information is obtained by reviewing repeat mortgage transactions on single-family properties whose mortgages have been purchased or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac since January 1975.

https://www.fhfa.gov/AboutUs/Reports/Pages/US-House-Price-Index-Report-1Q2019-March.aspx

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Just Released: NAHB Remodeling by Zip Code Estimates for 2019

NAHB recently released its latest estimates of spending on improvements to owner-occupied housing by zip code.

http://eyeonhousing.org/2019/05/just-released-nahb-remodeling-by-zip-code-estimates-for-2019/

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14 Housing Markets Where Home Prices Might Have Peaked

Earlier this month, the real estate research team at Zillow published a report that showed U.S. home prices dropped from March to April 2019. That was the first month-over-month drop in home values since February of 2012.

http://www.homebuyinginstitute.com/news/markets-that-might-have-peaked-2019/

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Portland Looks To Cap Income-To-Rent Ratios, And Landlords Push Back

It requires landlords to use a standard set of screening criteria that are more permissive than what the private market typically uses to review prospective tenants. For example, people wouldn’t be turned away for having a felony conviction more than 7 years old or for a misdemeanor more than 3 years old. A poor credit score also wouldn’t be disqualifying.

https://www.opb.org/news/article/income-rent-ratio-landlords-portland/

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Seattle councilmember proposes houses not be bigger than 50% of lot size

A Seattle City Council committee on Wednesday discussed sweeping changes that could change the landscape of city neighborhoods for years to come.

https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-councilmember-proposes-houses-not-be-bigger-than-50-of-lot-size

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Market Hotness Index

Metro Hotness - Zip Code and County Hotness

https://www.realtor.com/research/reports/hottest-markets/

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HOUSING STATISTICS

Housing Statistics offers 43 different sets of data, downloadable either as Excel or PDF files (updated weekly). Housing data and primary indicators of the industry are housed in one easy-to navigate location containing historical and current sets of statistics such as: Housing Starts (by Region & Structure Type), Homes Sold by Region, Producer Price Indexes (for Building Materials), Manufactured Homes, New Home Characteristics, Residential Vacancy & Absorption Rates, Units Under Construction, Value of New Construction, and many more.

http://www.nahbclassic.org/reference_list.aspx?sectionID=819&channelID=311

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Economic Indicators

U.S. Census Bureau Economic Indicators

https://www.census.gov/economic-indicators/

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CoreLogic Home Price Insights

The most geographically comprehensive and current home price index.

http://www.corelogic.com/about-us/researchtrends/corelogic-home-price-insights.aspx?WT.mc_id=crlg_151103_aHqc0&elq=d6379903117d41bcbe7b9f6a82f2189a&elqCampaignId=2692&elqaid=7659&elqat=1&elqTrackId=097f671c98fc48249757d8ddbd229326#.Vj1WlvnnuUl

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Bureau of Economic Analysis

U.S. Economy at a Glance

http://www.bea.gov/index.htm

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U.S. Housing Market Tracker

The U.S. housing market has struggled to find equilibrium after the bubble of the past decade. Here’s a look at where various gauges of supply and demand stand today.

http://graphics.wsj.com/us-housing-market/

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Mortgage Market Survey Archive

Compilation of Weekly Survey Data for 2015

http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/archive.html

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Housing Economics

NAHB produces in-depth economic analyses of the home building industry based on private and government data. Our economics group surveys builders, home buyers, and renters to gain insight into the issues and trends driving the industry.

https://www.nahb.org/en/research/housing-economics.aspx