Opinion
Title Theft Company Lies to Consumers
By Lew Sichelman | July 14, 2022 | ReprintsCalculating people are always looking for ways to separate the rest of us from our money. Such, it appears, is the case with Home Title Lock, an outfit that promises to “protect” you from home title theft.
Listing Data Can Come Up Short
By Lew Sichelman | June 30, 2022 | ReprintsThree out of four homebuyers start their house hunt online. But if that’s the extent of your search, you could be missing out on any number of places that fit your parameters.
Signs Are Still Silent Salespeople
By Lew Sichelman | June 23, 2022 | ReprintsSome sellers have a good reason for not wanting one. But for most people, “For Sale” signs are a 24-hour marketing tool that shouldn’t be ignored, even as house hunts mostly start online.
What’s on the Other Side of the Fence?
By Lew Sichelman | June 16, 2022 | ReprintsYou can’t pick your neighbors. You can pick your neighborhood, though, and it is a good idea to give that as much thought as the house itself.
Hurricane Season Is Here Already. Are You Prepared?
By Lew Sichelman | June 9, 2022 | ReprintsThe Atlantic hurricane season is upon us – it runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 – and it could be a big one. One agency is predicting almost two dozen named storms and six to 10 hurricanes.
Signs Point to Housing Slowdown
By Lew Sichelman | June 2, 2022 | ReprintsOwners who are just now putting their homes on the market appear to be an optimistic bunch. Whether they are too hopeful remains to be seen, but the signs are pointing to a slowdown that could stop the march of ever-higher prices.
Buyers Have Alternatives as Mortgage Rates Rise
By Lew Sichelman | May 26, 2022 | ReprintsRising mortgage rates are sidelining many would-be homebuyers. But there are two ways to meet the challenge.
Mortgage Market Opens for Gig Workers
By Lew Sichelman | May 19, 2022 | ReprintsFannie Mae and Freddie Mac shut many self-employed buyers out during the pandemic. But now, those rules are gone and some lenders, perhaps sensing a grand opportunity to boost market share, are targeting gig workers directly.
Agent Fees Are Negotiable? Yeah, Right
By Lew Sichelman | May 12, 2022 | ReprintsAs far as the listing agent goes, commissions are negotiable – at least in theory. In practice, though, they hardly ever are, according to a hard-hitting report from the Consumer Federation of America.
Stopping ‘Legal’ Tax Lien Thievery
By Lew Sichelman | May 5, 2022 | ReprintsDeborah Foss is a 67-year-old grandmother who survives on a small fixed income from Social Security. She has several medical conditions, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia, COPD and neuropathy. Why did state officials take her house away?
Homebuilder Incentives on the Horizon
By Lew Sichelman | April 28, 2022 | ReprintsShort-term interest rate buy-downs and free or discounted upgrades may soon be coming to a housing market near you.
Homebuying Frenzy Continues Despite Obstacles
By Lew Sichelman | April 14, 2022 | ReprintsWits’ End would make an appropriate name for a new subdivision in today’s wild housing market. While there’s not yet such a place on the map, many would-be buyers are quickly running out of patience.
The Quest for More Square Footage Continues
By Lew Sichelman | March 31, 2022 | ReprintsIn the hunt for more space, houses are being built larger, with more amenities packed both inside and outside their walls. Last year, the average new house was 2,561 square feet.
Post-Surfside Rules Create Condo Financing Problems
By Lew Sichelman | March 24, 2022 | ReprintsBuyers in some buildings may soon be finding it difficult to secure financing because of new rules regarding deferred maintenance, structural issues and underfunded reserve accounts.
New Ways to Build Take Center Stage
By Lew Sichelman | March 17, 2022 | ReprintsHouses made out of Lego blocks? How about affordable homes built from 3D printers? All of these ideas and more have moved off the drawing board and into the marketplace.
These Days, Buyers Must Be Careful
By Lew Sichelman | March 10, 2022 | ReprintsAmid a white-hot housing market, over 100,000 rookies have joined the real estate industry to cash in on what they think is an “easy money” market.
These Days, Buyers Must Be Careful
By Lew Sichelman | March 3, 2022 | ReprintsAmid a white-hot housing market, over 100,000 rookies have joined the real estate industry to cash in on what they think is an “easy money” market.
Take Equity Without Refinancing
By Lew Sichelman | February 17, 2022 | ReprintsWith loan costs rising to their highest levels in more than two years, time may have run out on many homeowners thinking about refinancing. But could they turn to HELOCs to pay for things like renovations, instead?
Sell Now, Buy Later One Option for Homeowners
By Lew Sichelman | February 10, 2022 | ReprintsFor homeowners thinking about cashing in on today’s blistering housing market, the situation has become something like a cat chasing its tail.
Green Sometimes Raises Red Flags When It’s Cash
By Lew Sichelman | February 3, 2022 | ReprintsRoughly 1.21 million residential real estate sales were likely processed without any money laundering reporting. FinCEN wants to put a dent in that figure, and has named Boston as a region of concern.
