Housing sales in London, Ont., hit ‘historic’ low in November

Residential home sales in London, Ont., declined in November, with the number of transactions down to nearly half of what they were during the peak of the pandemic three years ago, according to a local realtor.

It’s a ‘historic low’ — and a trend that’s expected to continue into the first quarter of 2024, as more home buyers feel cautious amid inflation and high interest rates on mortgages, said Marcus Plowright, owner of RE/MAX Hallmark A Team real estate brokerage in London.

“We had 420 transactions residentially in London in November of this year, and that was a pretty significant

Continue Reading

Realtors reach historic $418M settlement, upending profitable commission system

Critics say the system locks in high commissions — typically the agents for the seller and buyer split a commission of 5 percent to 6 percent — that inflates the cost of housing even as technology has allowed consumers to find homes online.

The trade association, which represents 1.6 million real estate agents nationwide, said in a statement Friday that it continues to deny wrongdoing on the rule.

“NAR has worked hard for years to resolve this litigation in a manner that benefits our members and American consumers,” said Nykia Wright, NAR’s interim CEO. “It has always been our goal

Continue Reading

Real estate investor warns US is entering the ‘greatest’ correction of his lifetime

One real estate investor is bearing witness to the start of the industry’s “greatest” correction he’s ever seen.

“I just want to say that we’re entering the largest real estate correction in my lifetime,” private equity fund manager Grant Cardone told “FOX & Friends” on Thursday while discussing the state of the industry.

“It’s [real estate correction] going to be a great opportunity for individuals, regular, everyday people to actually grab trophy real estate

Continue Reading

What to Expect in the Housing Market for the Rest of the Year

What a difference a few months can make in the housing market.

Late last year when Realtor.com® issued its housing forecast for 2023, our economics team believed the number of homes for sale would jump substantially, home prices would continue climbing, and rising rents would continue to bedevil tenants across the country.

Clearly, not all of our predictions came true. That’s why Realtor.com has revised its forecast to reflect some new realities in the housing market that are having an outsized impact on buyers struggling with higher costs, sellers reluctant to give up their rock-bottom mortgage rates, and shell-shocked tenants

Continue Reading

Here Are the 6 Cities Where You Should Avoid Buying a Home This Summer

cristianl / Getty Images/iStockphoto

cristianl / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Summer is one of the hottest times of the year to buy a home. The months of May, June, July and August are popular with potential buyers thanks to factors including kids being out of school for summer break and families being more likely to commit to purchasing a home and moving in before the start of the school year.

I’m a Financial Expert: Always Buy the Cheapest Version of These 10 Things
Also: 7 Tips Frugal People Use To Save Money When Dining Out

While housing inventory is typically at its peak during the summer

Continue Reading

Call Kurtis Investigates: Homeowner shocked to find liens on their property after signing deal with MV Realty

ELK GROVE — A cold call last year grabbed the attention of veteran and father Miguel Hall. The caller offered to pay him $1,250 now if he agreed to let them list his home in the next 40 years if he chose to sell.

“I was like, is this a loan in any way?” Hall recalled. “They said, ‘no, ‘because I don’t plan on selling. And so, I was like, hey, free money. I’m not going to turn it down.”

The company, MV Realty, backs up the promise in a corporate video: “This is not a loan. You never have

Continue Reading

Selling a home is about getting cheaper after historic settlement

The cost of selling a home could soon go down after the National Association of Realtors agreed to a historic settlement.

The powerful trade group, which represents more than 1.5 million real estate agents, reached a nationwide settlement with groups of home sellers who accused the NAR of conspiring to keep broker fees artificially high.

In addition to paying $418 million in damages, the NAR agreed to stop requiring that sellers pay both their broker and a buyer’s broker. Housing experts say the longtime industry standard of a 6% commission is expected to fall 25% to 50%, according to TD

Continue Reading

Buy Property In These 5 States and You’ll Be Rich in 5 Years

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Countless millionaires built their fortunes from a single property, and you can too. But when choosing a state, remember that location is everything.

See: 7 Safest and Cheapest Cities To Live in Florida
Find Out: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000

“Investing in real estate has long been considered a reliable avenue for building wealth,” said Mike Qiu, owner of Good as Sold Homebuyers in Seattle.

“While the real estate market can be unpredictable, certain states have consistently demonstrated promising potential for real estate investment. In the next five years, several states

Continue Reading