Forget the Open Floor Plan--It's Time to Bring Back Walls

Every Morning: 1. Make Your Bed   Try to make your bed each morning before you become distracted by the demands of the day. Even if the rest of your room is less than tidy, having your bed made sets an orderly tone for the entire room. Studio G+S Architects 2. Squeegee Your Shower Glass and Hang Up Your Towel  If your shower has a glass surround or door, consider using a squeegee to clean it after your morning shower. I do this daily, and it takes less than a minute. It keeps the glass looking fresh and  free of water droplets and  also makes cleaning it at the end of the week easier.  I also recommend hanging your wet towel neatly using the full length of the towel rack. This keeps it smelling fresher as it will dry more quickly than a doubled-over towel. As a bonus, this practice reduces the need to launder your towel as often. Cefalia Development 3. Put Away Toiletries and Wipe the Counter Every morning before you leave the bath...

According to  Freddie Mac ’s July forecast, home sales will be dampened this year due to a shortage of inventory and  rising prices . Existing home sales in 2019 probably will total 5.34 million, matching the number in 2018. New-home sales probably will grow to 650,000, compared with 620,000 last year, the mortgage financier said. There likely will be 1.26 million housing starts, including single-family and multifamily, in 2019 compared with 1.25 million last year, the group said in the forecast. Next year, that number probably will grow to 1.34 million, Freddie Mac said. Mortgage rates are expected to stay low. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage probably will average at 4.1% in 2019, then decrease to 4% in 2020, Freddie Mac said. Last year, the rate averaged 4.6%. The refinance share of origination volume probably will rise to 34% from 30% last year, according to the forecast. Total origination volume, including refis and purchase loans, ...

America’s homeownership rate  fell  to 64.1% in the second quarter of the year, sliding from the first quarter’s 64.2% rate. While the nation's senior population still had the highest rate – 78% for Americans 65 and older, falling from 78.5% –  an analysis from  Zillow  indicates the younger generation is warming up to homeownership. The rate for Americans under 35 years old rose to 36.4% from 35.4% in the prior quarter, the largest increase of any age bracket, according to Census data.  “Homeownership rates repeated the declines of the previous quarter, albeit less dramatically," Zillow said. "The declines we’ve seen in recent quarters are erasing gains we started to see in 2016. The continued decline was more dramatic in older age brackets. In a surprising turn, while their older peers have apparently been pulling back, the homeownership rate in the under-35 age bracket increased.” Homeownership for 35- to 44-year-olds dropped...

The homeownership rate for black Americans fell to 40.6% in the three months through June, the lowest level in the  Census Bureau ’s quarterly data going back to 1994, according to a government report on Thursday. It was the smallest share recorded for black households since the 1950 decennial Census when it was 34.5%. The rate for black households in Thursday’s report dropped from 41.6% in 2018’s second quarter. It compares with a homeownership rate of 46.6% for Hispanics in the three months through June, which matched the year-ago number, and a 73.1% rate for white households, up from 72.9% a year earlier, according to the Census report. After the 1968 Fair Housing Act banned discrimination in real estate practices, the homeownership rate for black Americans climbed steadily to a record high of 49.7% in 2004’s second quarter and stayed near that level for two years, according to Census data.  The downward trajectory began in 2007 when predatory home loans start...

The number of homes selling above listing has declined, a sign that the housing market may be balancing out. According to the latest  quarterly report  from h ome trade-in company  Knock , 61.52% of U.S. homes sold below their original listing price in the second quarter of 2019. During that time, 15% of the homes sold at their original listing price, 23.48% sold above listing and the average discount was 2.65%. For Q3, 65.41% of homes are forecasted to sell below their marketed price, 13.11% are expected to sell at asking, and 21.48% are predicted to sell above asking. The average discount is expected to be 3.13%. Seven of the top 10 markets are located in the south, with four of them located in Florida alone.  “While we’re not necessarily seeing the same jump in homes selling below original list prices that we forecasted going into Q2, the good news is that there has been a steady drop in homes selling above their origi...

The average American is estimated to move 11.4 times in their lifetime.  What causes a person to move that many times? What is the driving force behind the decision to relocate where they did? To determine the most family-friendly places in America,  WalletHub  used 47 key metrics to compare the 182 cities put into consideration, including the top 150 to live.  The key factors for families include playgrounds, crime rates, quality of schools and proximity to work. WalletHub came out with a list of the best and worst places for families to live in 2019, which was found based on family fun, health and safety, education and childcare, affordability and socioeconomics ranking.  Ranked first overall, Overland Park, Kansas was highest on the list in regard to affordability and fifth for socioeconomics. It also has the lowest share of families receiving food stamps, 3.09%, which is 15.2 times lower than the city with the highest percentage, ...

Home  » Amazon and Realogy gang up on Zillow to entice homebuyers REAL ESTATE HOMEOWNERS TECHNOLOGY IN THE MONEY Amazon and Realogy gang up on Zillow to entice homebuyers It's a battle of the titans, and yes, Alexa has a role July 23, 2019   Kathleen Howley KEYWORDS  AMAZON   BUYING A HOUSE   HOME FOR SALE   HOME SALES   HOUSES FOR SALE   HOUSING MARKET   REAL ESTATE AGENT REAL ESTATE AGENTS   REALOGY   TURNKEY   ZILLOW You buy toilet paper, computers and paper towels through the  Amazon  website. Now, you can buy your next house. The world’s largest retailer is partnering with  Realogy , the largest U.S. residential brokerage, to match homebuyers with real estate agents through a program called  TurnKey .  Potential buyers will be able to go through their Amazon account, click on TurnKey, put in details about the size, price and location of the home they want to buy, and then be m...

In June, existing-home sales  reversed course  from last month, sliding nearly 2% in total sales gains, according to the latest report from the  National Association of Realtors. Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – fell 1.7% from May to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.27 million in June. Sales were 2.2% below June 2018’s rate. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said the nation is in the midst of a  housing shortage  and much more inventory is needed. “Imbalance persists for mid-to-lower priced homes with solid demand and insufficient supply, which is consequently pushing up home prices,” he said. The median existing-home price for all housing types increased to an all-time high at $285,700, a gain of 4.3% from last June’s rate of $273,800. This marks the 88th straight month of year-over-year gains. Total homes available for sal...

Here are the top 10 markets projected to appreciate the most through June 1, 2020: Odessa, TX........... ........................................................ +9.7% Coeur D'Alene, ID........................................................... +9.5% Idaho Falls, ID................................................................. +9.4% Boise City-Nampa, ID .................................................... +9.1% Midland, TX..................................................................... +8.0% Bellingham, WA ............................................................. +7.8% Spokane, WA.................................................................. +7.4% Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA ................................... +7.2% Pocatello, ID................................................................... +7.2% Yakima, WA ................................................................... +7.2...

1. Bocce Ball Court With a bocce ball court, fire pit and minimal plantings, this water-wise Austin, Texas, backyard by is primed for parties.  String lights  around the perimeter illuminate the court at night and add to the ambiance. B. Jane Gardens 2. Small on Lawn, Big on Play A central rectangle of lawn offers comfy play space for little ones without giving over the entire backyard to grass. Surrounding the center green in this design are cement and gravel paths leading to a fire pit, covered seating area and deck. Find a landscape designer on Houzz Seed Studio Landscape Design 3. Cool Urban Hangout This small San Francisco backyard  was transformed from a jumbled mishmash of potted plants and wonky brickwork into a flowing space ideal for relaxing with friends. An outdoor living room positioned at the highest point in the yard provides a lookout over neighboring Bernal Hill, while the Cor-Ten steel fire pit creates a welcoming spot to gathe...