California housing markets were the all-stars in 2017, claiming more than half of the top 20 spots for booming markets this year.But recent wildfires in the state may be taking a toll. Santa Rosa, which faced destructive blazes this fall, dropped seven spots and fell out of the top 10, landing at number 16 on realtor.com®’s top housing market list for 2017.Realtor.com®’s research team identified the hottest metro housing markets in the coun
Counter to seasonal trends, demand for home showings posted a strong increase in November amid steady consumer confidence and low unemployment, according to the ShowingTime Showing Index, which measures buyer demand based on showing appointments. The index showed an 8 percent year-over-year rise in November.“Although the residential real estate industry has entered its regular seasonal slowdown period, demand continues to be strong relative to
Mortgage financing giant Freddie Mac announced a new plan to tackle the affordable housing crisis by financing more rural and manufactured housing and preserving more affordable housing for home buyers and renters across the country. Its Duty to Serve plan will include increasing loan purchases in such underserved markets.Freddie says it will team with the mortgage industry, community nonprofits, organizations, and government officials to expand
Home buyers in a small town in western Wisconsin are suing the owners of a nearby farm for using propane-fueled cannons to blast blackbirds away from corn crops. The buyers allege in a lawsuit that the farm owners—Mark Klein, Wendell Klein, and Carlton Klein—concealed their use of the cannons while the couple had been negotiating to buy a neighboring home, which was also owned by Mark Klein.The lawsuit further alleges that Klein had fired his
One of the best defenses against hacking is a unique password, but many aren't heeding the call. Indeed, “123456” and “password” continue to rank as the most-leaked passwords, according to SplashData, a password management firm. “Starwars,” “monkey,” and “iloveyou” are new to the list this year, which is based on millions of stolen logins made public in the past year.“Hackers are using common terms from pop culture and sport
Living in areas that are close to shops and restaurants is becoming increasingly attractive for both young and older generations, according to the 2017 National Community and Transportation Preference Survey conducted by American Strategies and Meyers Research on behalf of the National Association of REALTORS®. Researchers polled 3,000 adults from across the United States to find out what they are looking for in a community.Fifty-three percent o
California wildfires continue to scorch the Golden State’s southern cities, and now officials in the state fear that some insurers will drop homeowners’ coverage.Wildfires in Southern California and earlier this fall in northern California have resulted in billions of dollars in claims. In the Sierra Nevada foothills, many homes were dropped after wildfires swept through in recent years, and some northern California homes also have seen their
The winter season brings more foot traffic, which can be risky on a home—holiday parties, family gatherings and even open houses in the winter can bring tears and marks on the floors. How do you prevent scratches and stains that result in costly floor repairs?After all, refinishing hardwood floors could cost more than $1,000. A carpet repair could cost about $200, according to HomeAdvisor, which provides average cost estimates of repair and r
Facebook announced that it will no longer tolerate “engagement bait” by making sure posts that solicit likes and comments in sensational ways are demoted from news feeds, thereby reaching fewer people. Facebook is referring to posts that specifically call users to act such as by liking, commenting, or sharing with enticing statements or offers. Brands may use it to generate more responses to a post, with posts such as “SHARE this post with
Pittsburgh, Boston, and Los Angeles may be surprising cities to top the list of best places for retirees. But a new study by Bankrate.com says the numbers show that these nontraditional retiree havens may make a perfect spot for retirement.Bankrate.com scored the 50 largest metros on factors like health care quality; tax burdens; crime rates; living costs; weather; public transportation; cultural activities; percentage of the population over the
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