Seattle ranks sixth for investing the most in high-density housing, study finds

Seattle ranked as one of the top 10 metro areas across the country that has invested the most in high-density housing, according to a new study.

https://www.seattlepi.com/realestate/slideshow/seattle-sixth-for-invest-in-high-density-housing-212245.php

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Even as Seattle home market dips, heated competition by homebuyers spreads to neighboring counties

October brought a degree of reprieve from seemingly relentless price increases for Seattle-area home shoppers

https://www.newsbreak.com/washington/seattle/news/2097100730673/even-as-seattle-home-market-dips-heated-competition-by-homebuyers-spreads-to-neighboring-counties

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Seattle Ranks Highly in CBRE’s Annual Tech-30 Report

CBRE’s annual Tech-30 report shows tech employment has proven resilient during the pandemic. The tech industry’s share of U.S. office-leasing activity in this year’s first half inched down to 20% from 21% last year.

https://www.connect.media/seattle-ranks-highly-in-cbres-annual-tech-30-report/

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These Are the Home Features Buyers Want in the COVID-19 Era

There are still plenty of buyers eager to find a new home, but certain features have become more important than ever amid the pandemic. Find out what you need to play up—or upgrade.

https://www.realtor.com/videos/video-these-are-the-home-features-buyers-want-in-the-covid-19-era/1380828b-0ca4-419d-8f09-15da6be694d6/

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Seattle startup vets raise $1M and reveal more details about home valuation platform Plunk

Will that bathroom remodel increase your home’s value by more than $20,000? What about replacing the floors or adding a garage? How about the bad traffic that’s getting worse around your neighborhood?

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/seattle-startup-vets-raise-1m-reveal-details-home-valuation-platform-plunk/

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The Property Brothers Reveal Where Extra Space Is Hiding in a House

"Property Brothers: Forever Home" has returned for Season 4—and while this show has spotlighted plenty of renovations to accommodate growing families, this season premiere challenges Drew and Jonathan Scott to find space to fit four kids who've arrived all at once!

https://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/the-property-brothers-reveal-where-extra-space-is-hiding-in-a-house/

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Anxiety among home buyers “incredibly high” as they vie for unpreceded shortage of homes across much of Washington state

– “Finding and buying a home today is more difficult than at any time in the past 40 years”

http://members.nwmls.com/library/content/PressReleases/2020/NWMLS%20NR_November%202020.pdf

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Buyers Under Pressure as Homes Continue to Sell Quickly

House hunters who see a home they like should consider making an offer quickly or risk losing out. Homes in October sold 13 days faster than a year ago, an unseasonable trend, a new report from realtor.com® notes.

https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/11/06/buyers-under-pressure-as-homes-continue-to-sell-quickly

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30-Year Rates Dip to New Low: 2.78%

For the 12th time this year, mortgage rates have hit a record low. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to an average of 2.78%, the lowest ever recorded in Freddie Mac’s books dating back to 1971.

https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/11/06/30-year-rates-dip-to-new-low-278

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The Real Estate Debate Over TV Placement in a Living Room

Watch your TV placement when staging a home. Real estate professionals faced with the issue are divided over where in the living room a TV should go—or even whether it belongs there at all.

https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/11/04/the-real-estate-debate-over-tv-placement-in-a-living-room

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On the market: Homes for sale with energy-efficient, app-enabled door locks, lighting, sprinklers

Smart devices — app-enabled door locks, lighting, thermostats, sprinklers — add convenience and can cut utility costs, but do they also add value to a home?

https://www.oregonlive.com/realestate/2020/10/on-the-market-homes-for-sale-with-energy-efficient-app-enabled-door-locks-lighting-sprinklers.html

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Zillow Group crushes Q3 estimates with $657M in revenue and record traffic amid housing boom

The U.S. housing boom is helping boost business at Zillow Group, which beat Wall Street expectations for its third fiscal quarter.

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/zillow-group-crushes-q3-estimates-657m-revenue-record-traffic-amid-housing-boom/

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Lack of Inventory, Higher Prices Push Housing Affordability Near Two-Year Low

Record-low mortgage rates were not enough to offset inventory shortages and rising home prices as housing affordability continued to decline in the third quarter of 2020, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI).

http://eyeonhousing.org/2020/11/lack-of-inventory-higher-prices-push-housing-affordability-near-two-year-low/

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Share of Home Buyers Getting Outbid Almost Doubles

An earlier post revealed that 62% of buyers who were actively engaged in the process of finding a home in the third quarter of 2020 have spent upwards of 3 months searching for a home without success. Although the top reason long-time searchers haven’t pulled the trigger continues to be the inability to find an affordable home (38%), that share is lower than a year ago (45%).

http://eyeonhousing.org/2020/11/share-of-home-buyers-getting-outbid-almost-doubles/

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55+ Housing Market Index Reaches All-Time High in Third Quarter

Builder confidence in the single-family 55+ housing market reached an all-time high, jumping 18 points to 83 in the third quarter of 2020

http://eyeonhousing.org/2020/10/29181/

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Low Mortgage Rates Continue to Convert Passive Buyers into Active Buyers

Of the 13% of American adults considering a future home purchase in the third quarter of 2020, 50% have moved beyond planning and are actively trying to find one to buy. That is a solid gain from the comparable figure a year ago (44%), which suggests that the COVID-19 crisis and its accompanying record-low mortgage rates continue to convert some passive buyers into active buyers.

http://eyeonhousing.org/2020/10/low-mortgage-rates-continue-to-convert-passive-buyers-into-active-buyers/

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In Winter Resort Markets, Sellers Have the Upper Hand

In second-home markets both in the U.S. and abroad, the coronavirus pandemic has led to skyrocketing activity from buyers seeking comfort and space in the midst of an ongoing crisis.

https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/in-winter-resort-markets-sellers-have-the-upper-hand-220929

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Private Islands Offer Safety and Status, But Not Investment Stability

High overhead, a limited buyer pool, and volatile pricing make islands more of a luxury item than long-term investment

https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/private-islands-offer-safety-and-status-but-not-investment-stability-212961

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Charting 20 Years of Home Price Changes in Every U.S. City

At the turn of the century, the average U.S. home value was $126,000. Today, that figure is at a record high $259,000 – a 106% increase in just two decades.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/20-years-of-home-price-changes-in-every-u-s-city/

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Home Prices Post Another 15% Gain

The median home sale price increased 15% year over year to $320,625—the highest on record, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. In the week ending October 18, home prices were up 16% from the same week a year earlier. Home prices continue to buck their typical seasonal pattern.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/home-prices-post-another-15-gain-301158684.html

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Extreme living: tough homes at the end of the Earth

Remote homes in the rugged wilderness

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/extreme-living-tough-homes-at-the-end-of-the-earth/ss-BB1ayyts#image=1

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Weekly Housing Market Monitor

NAR Research compiles the latest housing market data in this weekly monitor, based on what REALTORS® are seeing in their market, mortgage data, jobless claims, foot traffic, and the latest home sales numbers.

https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/weekly-housing-market-monitor

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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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Local Market Reports

All real estate is local and every market is unique. To help REALTORS® and other housing market analysts get the most out of the plethora of data that is available, NAR Research produces a series of Local Market Reports (LMRs) which provide insights into the fundamentals and direction of the nation's largest metropolitan housing markets. Each report evaluates a number of factors affecting home prices, including:

https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/local-market-reports

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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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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