Real Estate Today Real Estate Today

Let’s find out the best way to get a great mortgage to buy the home of your dreams. REALTOR® Arlene Castellano from Springfield, Massachusetts shares why it’s important to get preapproved for a mortgage before you search for a new house. Bob Walters, the recently retired CEO of Rocket Mortgage, discusses Rocket’s ONE+ home loan, which only requires a 1% down payment, while they enact a 2% down payment grant. To boot, the loan won’t require any mortgage insurance. Credit expert Gerri Detweiler explains the importance of your credit score, and Down Payment Resource’s Marcy Ash discusses some down payment assistance programs that can help buyers get into a home. Also, Melissa Dittmann Tracey talks about kitchen trends and whether colorful kitchen appliances or stainless steel kitchen cabinets and pantries are hot or not.

What does it take to buy a second home? How does today’s real estate market impact the vacation home market? NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun discusses the decline in existing-home sales and the rise in median home sales prices and what it means for home buyers and sellers. REALTOR® Sindy Ready from Scottsdale, Arizona discusses what it takes to find opportunities for home buyers looking to get a second home in a balanced real estate market. REALTOR® Beth Foley from West Michigan discusses how higher interest rates for mortgages are impacting the second home market and the purchase of short-term rentals. Also, she talks about how legislation impacts buyers’ plans to run an Airbnb, Vrbo or HomeAway property. And Melissa Dittmann Tracey shares whether cane webbing and see-through glass kitchen cabinets are hot or not.

It’s time to get your home ready for the holidays! Interior designer Mary Patton shares the latest holiday decorating trends and how to transform your home for the holidays. Angela Moscaritolo from PC Mag shares what smart tech devices will help you keep your home clean so you’re ready to host guests. REALTOR® Donna Evers tackles one of the toughest questions facing buyers and sellers every year at this time: Should you stay in the market over the holidays? Melissa Dittmann Tracey keeps us trendy by sharing whether keeping holiday lights up all year or Scandinavian home decor is hot or not.

How do you save money around your house? We give tips to save money on utility expenses, cable bills, and other household costs. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun shares the outlook for the 2024 real estate market to give home buyers and sellers an idea of what they can expect in housing inventory and median home prices. REALTOR® Chris Pelkola Lee from Idaho shares how homeowners are updating windows and appliances to make their homes more energy efficient and discusses how new homes are being built to account for where the sun faces, to cut down costs. Financial advice author and host of “Money Girl Podcast” Laura Adams gives tips on how to save money on your home insurance. Zamir Ahmed from the National Association of Broadcasters talks NextGen TV and the impact it may have on your cable bill. And is cardboard or bouclé furniture hot or not? Melissa Dittmann Tracey lets us know. 

What does it take to buy a home? We’ll go to buyer boot camp with REALTOR® Cheryl Malandrinos from Massachusetts who explains real estate terms like contingencies and clean contracts. REALTOR® Natalie Davis from Colorado shares what steps renters can and should take to become home buyers. Danielle Hale goes over realtor.com’s “The Hottest Zip Codes of 2023” report to see which parts of the country are doing well. Also, Melissa Dittmann Tracey shares whether brutalism home decor or the man cave is hot or not.
This episode of Real Estate today is brought to you by realtor.com, the #1 most trusted site for real estate professionals. Your partners for industry insights and marketing solutions.
 

Buying and selling real estate gives many people a fright. REALTOR® Pam McKee from Salem, Massachusetts shares what it’s like to work in real estate in a town synonymous with Halloween. Credit expert Gerri Detweiler explains what you need to do to make sure you aren’t afraid of your credit score and home inspector Frank Lesh talks about the importance of a home inspection in ensuring your house purchase doesn’t become a horror story. And Melissa Dittmann Tracey lets us know if blue or rose gold are hot or not.