Do you plan to sell a home in a torrid real estate market -- a place where prospects line up with offers? Are buyers there so eager they’re willing to waive the right to a home inspection?... more
On the national level, property values continue to rise. Indeed, homes in half the country’s metro areas gained more than $10,000 in value within a year. What’s more, there’s a severe scarcity of prop... more
After the financial crisis, homes were on the market at a deep discount, and potential buyers were scared property values would drop further. Now the situation has flipped, and starter home buyers fre... more
Across America, first marriages are on the decline. But oddly, remarriages are increasing, according to the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank. More than 60 percent of previously married me... more
A young lawyer and his wife were living in the two-bedroom condo they bought in a downtown area right after their wedding. Now the proud parents of a baby girl, they plan to keep the condo at least un... more
Many first-time homeowners now feel trapped in the original property they bought several years ago. They’d love to upgrade to a larger place with more amenities. But as home prices continue to rise an... more
Just days after retiring, a couple in their mid-60s sold the 1,200-square-foot Cape Cod where they’d raised their daughter. But rather than step down to a condo, they shocked friends by upsizing to a ... more
Homebuyers who grew up with a sizable backyard typically envision their kids also frolicking in open space. But there are increasing barriers to this idealized vision, says Felipe Chacon, an economist... more
Much of the demand for mortgage refinancing has dropped off in recent months as rates have trended slightly higher. But one refi category that lets homeowners draw on their equity remains relatively s... more
Kai Anderson is just 47, but she’s already amassed enough income-producing real estate to retire from her government job as early as age 60. Rents collected on the six townhouses she owns -- coupled w... more
Are you intending to sell a home in a neighborhood where buyers have long outnumbered sellers, and properties have flown off the market in recent years? If so, you could be at risk for overconfidence ... more
A couple of years before the real estate downturn hit, a big city pediatrician bought a modest townhouse in a rapidly developing outer suburb where he’d been offered a job. But the job proved disappoi... more
Many homebuyers are extremely frustrated by the dearth of available houses on the market, and that’s putting a damper on overall sales. One reason for the lack of supply is that many owners are clingi... more
The Great Recession is fading into memory. But many of the young adults who came of age during that austere period are still living in a spare bedroom in their family home. What happens when their par... more
There’s still a severe shortage of available homes -- especially in popular starter-level neighborhoods. Does this justify overconfidence on the part of potential sellers? Not at all, says Lawrence Yu... more
Despite escalating prices, available homes in popular neighborhoods have been “flying off the market” in recent months, according to the National Association of Realtors (realtor.org).... more
By the time a successful lobbyist and his wife, a nurse, reached their 70s, they’d acquired many of the prizes that come with prosperity: an opulent house and a nest egg large enough for a plush retir... more
A couple in their late 50s, a teacher married to an accountant, experienced a double whammy medically. To survive financially, there was only one solution: sell their sky-blue bungalow in a hurry and ... more
All across the nation, baby boomers age 60 and above are grappling with a thorny choice: should they renovate the family home or sell and downsize?... more
A retired army officer of 84 was thrilled recently with a couple of real estate transactions that allowed him to sell his 1980s era multi-level house for a strong price and then move up to a much newe... more
A woman in her late 20s -- a graphic artist married to a marketing manager -- struggled through sleepless nights for nearly a week after the couple bought a townhouse in a hip city neighborhood.... more
Competition for affordable entry-level homes in desirable neighborhoods remains intense, due to a shortage of available property. This has many first-time buyers very frustrated.... more
When it comes to statistics, housing economists are hyper-focused on two age groups: millennials and baby boomers. A look at data makes it obvious why this is the case. Each year, 12 percent of millen... more
No, after selling their suburban manse, Grandma and Grandpa won’t necessarily wish to live in a compact apartment in a retirement community, where they’ll spend their days playing bridge and pickle ba... more
No matter your age or income level, if you need to get rid of some possessions due to downsizing, you’re likely to be tormented by the process.... more
After completing a Ph.D. from an Ivy League university and landing a job with a government agency, a scientist of 31 never imagined he’d be spending his free evening and weekend hours cleaning houses ... more
Before retiring, many people look forward to blissful years without work demands. But a huge job awaits retirees who wish to downsize and must declutter to sell their property.... more