Both parties cannot save the commission. The buyer feels they have earned it because they’ve had to find the home, determine its value and negotiate with the seller. They had to arrange their own financing, title and inspections.

The seller equally feels that they have earned the commission because they too have had to research value, financing and title work.  They have incurred all of the marketing expenses and have invested hours upon hours to be available to show the property, hold open houses and answer inquiries. 

There is certainly value in all of the things that buyers and sellers are willing to do.  However, only one person can save the commission assuming the buyer and seller can reach a written agreement.

The Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey reports that 14% of sales were For-Sale-by-Owners in 2003 and 2004 compared to just 9% in 2012. The trend shows that agent-assisted sales rose to 88% in 2012 from 82% in 2004.

The three most difficult tasks identified by for-sale-by-owners is attracting potential buyers, getting the price right and understanding and performing the paperwork. When surveyed, sellers most value the home selling in an anticipated time frame and for an expected amount.

Experienced, third-party advocates helping buyers and sellers is a valuable contribution to the transaction which may determine whose commission it is.

The post Whose Commission Is It? appeared first on Chandra Hall.

 Information from The Pew Charitable Trusts report: The Geographic Distribution of the Mortgage Interest Deduction

The post Mortgage Interest Deduction: By State [INFOGRAPHIC] appeared first on Chandra Hall.

Recently the research team at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) looked at studies done by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Census Bureau, Macroeconomic Advisors and the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. After reviewing the data, they determined the total economic impact of a typical home sale in the United States is an astonishing $56,464.

Here is the breakdown of their report:

Economic Contributions are derived from:

• Home construction
• Real estate brokerage
• Mortgage lending
• Title insurance
• Rental and Leasing
• Home appraisal
• Moving truck service
• Other related activities

When a House is Sold in the United States:

$14,958 – Income generated from real estate related industries

$5,647 – Additional expenditure on consumer items such as on furniture, appliances, and paint service

$3,509 – Expenditure on remodeling within 2 years of purchase

It generates an economic multiplier impact. There is a greater spending at restaurants, sports games, and charity events. The size of this “multiplier” effect is estimated to be: $11,575

Additional home sales induce additional home production. Typically one new home is constructed for every 8 existing home sales. Therefore, for each existing home sale, 1/8 of new home value is added to the economy which is estimated in the U.S. to be: $20,775

When you add the numbers up it comes to over $56,000!

The post U.S. Home Sale Has $56,464 Impact on Economy appeared first on Chandra Hall.

Recently the research team at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) looked at studies done by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Census Bureau, Macroeconomic Advisors and the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. After reviewing the data, they determined the total economic impact of a typical home sale in the United States is an astonishing $56,464.

Here is the breakdown of their report:

Economic Contributions are derived from:

• Home construction
• Real estate brokerage
• Mortgage lending
• Title insurance
• Rental and Leasing
• Home appraisal
• Moving truck service
• Other related activities

When a House is Sold in the United States:

$14,958 – Income generated from real estate related industries

$5,647 – Additional expenditure on consumer items such as on furniture, appliances, and paint service

$3,509 – Expenditure on remodeling within 2 years of purchase

It generates an economic multiplier impact. There is a greater spending at restaurants, sports games, and charity events. The size of this “multiplier” effect is estimated to be: $11,575

Additional home sales induce additional home production. Typically one new home is constructed for every 8 existing home sales. Therefore, for each existing home sale, 1/8 of new home value is added to the economy which is estimated in the U.S. to be: $20,775

When you add the numbers up it comes to over $56,000!

The post U.S. Home Sale Has $56,464 Impact on Economy appeared first on Chandra Hall.

Recently the research team at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) looked at studies done by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Census Bureau, Macroeconomic Advisors and the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. After reviewing the data, they determined the total economic impact of a typical home sale in the United States is an astonishing $56,464.

Here is the breakdown of their report:

Economic Contributions are derived from:

• Home construction
• Real estate brokerage
• Mortgage lending
• Title insurance
• Rental and Leasing
• Home appraisal
• Moving truck service
• Other related activities

When a House is Sold in the United States:

$14,958 – Income generated from real estate related industries

$5,647 – Additional expenditure on consumer items such as on furniture, appliances, and paint service

$3,509 – Expenditure on remodeling within 2 years of purchase

It generates an economic multiplier impact. There is a greater spending at restaurants, sports games, and charity events. The size of this “multiplier” effect is estimated to be: $11,575

Additional home sales induce additional home production. Typically one new home is constructed for every 8 existing home sales. Therefore, for each existing home sale, 1/8 of new home value is added to the economy which is estimated in the U.S. to be: $20,775

When you add the numbers up it comes to over $56,000!

The post U.S. Home Sale Has $56,464 Impact on Economy appeared first on Chandra Hall.

TD Bank recently announced the results of their inaugural Mortgage Service Index. The index was designed to identify best practices and trouble areas in home financing and act as a service indicator for lending institutions. Below are some of the key findings of the survey.

Positive Experiences

The index identified the percentage of respondents who had a positive (“excellent” or “very good”) experience in certain parts of the home buying experience:

• 64% had a positive experience during the home buying experience
• 55% finding a good Realtor
• 55% with the home appraisal/inspection process
• 53% finding the right lender
• 53% with the length of the entire home buying process

What Creates an Overall Positive Experience?

Certain key aspects of the relationship with the lender were important to those who said they had a very positive overall home buying experience. They rated their lender as “excellent” or “very good” in the following categories:

• Responsive 74%
• Accessible 76%
• Honest and transparent 76%
• Instilled confidence throughout the process 73%
• Helped buyers understand the process 73%
• Kept buyer informed during process 73%
• Explained the mortgage and available options 72%

Other Key Findings:

1. On average, home buyers considered approximately two banks or lenders when applying for a mortgage

2. An equal number of those surveyed (43%) obtained information on the lending process from their bank and from their Realtor, demonstrating that Realtors are used as informative resources by consumers during the mortgage process

3. Only 34% of home buyers obtained a mortgage at their primary bank

Michael Copley, Executive Vice President, Retail Lending at TD Bank concluded:

“As the housing market continues to rebound, the growing number of buyers should be aware of what to look for in a mortgage partner and seek out a lender who will best guide them through the home financing process in order to create a positive home buying experience.”

The post How Difficult Is the Mortgage Process for Buyers? appeared first on Chandra Hall.

TD Bank recently announced the results of their inaugural Mortgage Service Index. The index was designed to identify best practices and trouble areas in home financing and act as a service indicator for lending institutions. Below are some of the key findings of the survey.

Positive Experiences

The index identified the percentage of respondents who had a positive (“excellent” or “very good”) experience in certain parts of the home buying experience:

• 64% had a positive experience during the home buying experience
• 55% finding a good Realtor
• 55% with the home appraisal/inspection process
• 53% finding the right lender
• 53% with the length of the entire home buying process

What Creates an Overall Positive Experience?

Certain key aspects of the relationship with the lender were important to those who said they had a very positive overall home buying experience. They rated their lender as “excellent” or “very good” in the following categories:

• Responsive 74%
• Accessible 76%
• Honest and transparent 76%
• Instilled confidence throughout the process 73%
• Helped buyers understand the process 73%
• Kept buyer informed during process 73%
• Explained the mortgage and available options 72%

Other Key Findings:

1. On average, home buyers considered approximately two banks or lenders when applying for a mortgage

2. An equal number of those surveyed (43%) obtained information on the lending process from their bank and from their Realtor, demonstrating that Realtors are used as informative resources by consumers during the mortgage process

3. Only 34% of home buyers obtained a mortgage at their primary bank

Michael Copley, Executive Vice President, Retail Lending at TD Bank concluded:

“As the housing market continues to rebound, the growing number of buyers should be aware of what to look for in a mortgage partner and seek out a lender who will best guide them through the home financing process in order to create a positive home buying experience.”

The post How Difficult Is the Mortgage Process for Buyers? appeared first on Chandra Hall.

The cover story of last month’s Barron’s Magazine discussed the Millennial generation and the impact they will have on the economy including the housing sector. There have been many contrasting views about this age group and their feelings on whether or not homeownership is a part of their personal American Dream.

Here are few questions about this generation that have been debated over the last several years… along with some current findings.

Is the Number of Millennials Large Enough to Make an Impact?

The Barron’s article quantifies their potential impact:

“Millennials sometimes called Generation Y, and defined by many demographers as ranging from ages 18 to 37 — make up the largest population cohort the U.S. has ever seen. Eighty-six million strong, it is 7% larger than the baby-boom generation, which came of age in the 1970s and ’80s. And the Millennial population could keep growing to 88.5 million people by 2020, owing to immigration, says demographer Peter Francese, an analyst at the MetLife Mature Market Institute.”

Do Millennials Even Believe in Homeownership?

There have been many recent studies showing this generation’s belief in homeownership is as strong as previous generations. Just last month, Gallup released a poll, American Dream of Owning Home Lives On, Even for Young, which revealed that 91% of young adults between 18 and 29 years old either own a home or plan to buy one. The report says:

“Nearly 7 in 10 Americans aged 18 to 29 currently do not own a home, but plan on buying one… Coupling this with the 21% of younger Americans who say they already are homeowners leaves few adults under 30 who say they don’t own a home and have no plans on buying one.”

What about Student Debt?

Barron’s explains the challenge may not be as crippling as some think.

“There is almost $1 trillion of student debt outstanding in the U.S. today, which could limit the purchasing power of Millennials…But, total figures are misleading. The average student loan among Gen Y-ers is $25,000, and the median loan is nearly $14,000, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Less than 1% of student loans are larger than $100,000.”

Are They Ready to Leave Mom & Dad’s?

The economy forced many young adults to return home after college to live with their parents. Barron’s explains that, as the economy improves, this anomaly will correct itself:

“As the millennials’ employment situation improves, more young adults living at home will pack their bags and move out. That could spur an increase in U.S. household formation, which turned negative in 2007-08. Since then, the number of newly created households has recovered to about a million a year, still well below an annual average of 1.5 million since the 1970s, according to Census Bureau data.”

According to the latest CoreLogic Market Pulse Report, this correction is already occurring. They explain:

“The recession curtailed household formations, causing doubling-up in living arrangements and driving young potential buyers back to their parents. More recent data shows a shift with household formations returning in force.”

Also, Freddie Mac recently projected new household formations to again return to the 1.5 million levels in 2013.

Will They Prefer Owning over Renting?

The Barron’s story gives a good reason why they might:

“Greater financial security could mean an increase in the birth rate, which typically slumps during economic downturns. Francese sees the average birth rate for U.S. women rising to 2.1-2.2 in coming years from a depressed 1.9 recently. ‘A lot of Millennials put off having babies, and now they will get to work,’ he says. That suggests they will also start buying homes.”

CoreLogic believes that the first time homebuyer is poised to return to the market this year. They explain:

“As new renter-households are formed, rental prices are bid up, making the prospect of owning more attractive to existing renters. Sustained low interest rates add to the appeal for current renters to convert to homeownership. The expectation this spring is that more renters will take advantage of historically low interest rates and low home prices to become homeowners.”

We agree.

The post Will Millennials Drive House Sales in 2013? appeared first on Chandra Hall.

The cover story of last month’s Barron’s Magazine discussed the Millennial generation and the impact they will have on the economy including the housing sector. There have been many contrasting views about this age group and their feelings on whether or not homeownership is a part of their personal American Dream.

Here are few questions about this generation that have been debated over the last several years… along with some current findings.

Is the Number of Millennials Large Enough to Make an Impact?

The Barron’s article quantifies their potential impact:

“Millennials sometimes called Generation Y, and defined by many demographers as ranging from ages 18 to 37 — make up the largest population cohort the U.S. has ever seen. Eighty-six million strong, it is 7% larger than the baby-boom generation, which came of age in the 1970s and ’80s. And the Millennial population could keep growing to 88.5 million people by 2020, owing to immigration, says demographer Peter Francese, an analyst at the MetLife Mature Market Institute.”

Do Millennials Even Believe in Homeownership?

There have been many recent studies showing this generation’s belief in homeownership is as strong as previous generations. Just last month, Gallup released a poll, American Dream of Owning Home Lives On, Even for Young, which revealed that 91% of young adults between 18 and 29 years old either own a home or plan to buy one. The report says:

“Nearly 7 in 10 Americans aged 18 to 29 currently do not own a home, but plan on buying one… Coupling this with the 21% of younger Americans who say they already are homeowners leaves few adults under 30 who say they don’t own a home and have no plans on buying one.”

What about Student Debt?

Barron’s explains the challenge may not be as crippling as some think.

“There is almost $1 trillion of student debt outstanding in the U.S. today, which could limit the purchasing power of Millennials…But, total figures are misleading. The average student loan among Gen Y-ers is $25,000, and the median loan is nearly $14,000, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Less than 1% of student loans are larger than $100,000.”

Are They Ready to Leave Mom & Dad’s?

The economy forced many young adults to return home after college to live with their parents. Barron’s explains that, as the economy improves, this anomaly will correct itself:

“As the millennials’ employment situation improves, more young adults living at home will pack their bags and move out. That could spur an increase in U.S. household formation, which turned negative in 2007-08. Since then, the number of newly created households has recovered to about a million a year, still well below an annual average of 1.5 million since the 1970s, according to Census Bureau data.”

According to the latest CoreLogic Market Pulse Report, this correction is already occurring. They explain:

“The recession curtailed household formations, causing doubling-up in living arrangements and driving young potential buyers back to their parents. More recent data shows a shift with household formations returning in force.”

Also, Freddie Mac recently projected new household formations to again return to the 1.5 million levels in 2013.

Will They Prefer Owning over Renting?

The Barron’s story gives a good reason why they might:

“Greater financial security could mean an increase in the birth rate, which typically slumps during economic downturns. Francese sees the average birth rate for U.S. women rising to 2.1-2.2 in coming years from a depressed 1.9 recently. ‘A lot of Millennials put off having babies, and now they will get to work,’ he says. That suggests they will also start buying homes.”

CoreLogic believes that the first time homebuyer is poised to return to the market this year. They explain:

“As new renter-households are formed, rental prices are bid up, making the prospect of owning more attractive to existing renters. Sustained low interest rates add to the appeal for current renters to convert to homeownership. The expectation this spring is that more renters will take advantage of historically low interest rates and low home prices to become homeowners.”

We agree.

The post Will Millennials Drive House Sales in 2013? appeared first on Chandra Hall.

Gallup just released its poll, American Dream of Owning Home Lives On. Their conclusion?

“Gallup data on homeownership provide strong support for the idea that the American Dream of owning a home continues to be alive and well.

The majority of Americans who own a home plan on continuing to do so in the future, and most of those who don’t own a home plan on buying one.”

The post Nothing Else Needs to Be Added appeared first on Chandra Hall.