Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips - Kitty Mathieson - iPro Real Estate

Same-Sex Couples Denied Mortgages at High Rates, Study Shows

Lenders have been much less likely to approve same-sex couples for a mortgage than heterosexual couples, according to a new study released by Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business. Researchers analyzed national mortgage data from 1990 to 2015 and found the approval rate for same-sex couples was 3 to 8 percent lower.Researchers also factored in details about applicants’ work history and creditworthiness to see if the denial rates sti

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Consumers Still Like Going to Stores

Online shopping has surged in popularity, but don’t count brick-and-mortar stores out. Consumers still want to shop, in-person.Nearly 80 percent of consumers say they visited a store as much as or more than they did two years ago, according to a new consumer survey results conducted by ICSC, a global resource for the retail real estate industry.“We are social beings and consumers have always valued the community experience that brick-and-mort

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REALTORS: 3 Rules for Serving Mom-and-Pop Investors

Institutional investors with large rental portfolios have been receding from the market, making way for more small investors to find buying opportunities. You may see more everyday home buyers showing interest in investment purchases, and they’ll need your guidance to learn how to look at their real estate choices from a different perspective. Oliver Somoza, CEO of real estate development firm Turnkey Property Pro, offers three tips to help

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Welcome to the Team Ilana Stabbe Dealing Orange County, CA

iProcurrently deals throughout the states of California, Texas,Florida, and New York. We continue to strive and broadenopportunities for real estate professionals and consumers. Visit iprore.com for the latestinformation and links.Click here for information onbecoming a salesperson.

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Young Adults put Mortgage Before Marriage

Nearly one in four millennial buyers say they want to buy a home before deciding to tie the knot, according to a new study from LendingTree.Young adults are getting married later in life. In 1980, the median age of a first marriage for men was 24.7 and 22 for women; by 2018, those numbers rose to 29.8 for men and 27.8 for women.But young adults—those between the ages of 22 to 37—say they aren’t waiting on homeownership for marriage, accordi

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Do Homeowners Fare Better than Renters?

Affordability is a much more pertinent issue for renters than homeowners, according to new research from CoreLogic, a real estate data firm. Since 2005, the monthly cost to rent a single-family home has risen significantly, while the monthly principal-and-interest mortgage payments of homeowners dropped slightly.CoreLogic’s national rent index jumped 36 percent in December 2018 compared to December 2005. On the other hand, the typical mortgage

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Owners aren’t Saving Enough for Remodeling

Homeowners significantly underestimate the costs involved when planning a home improvement project, finds a new study from Discover Home Equity Loans, based on a survey of 1,200 Americans. Estimated Cost of Common Interior Remodeling ProjectsNew master suite/owner’s suite: $125,000Kitchen upgrade: $35,000Complete kitchen renovation: $65,000Bathroom renovation: $30,000Adding a new bathroom: $59,000Basement conversion to living area: $40,000

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Notre Dame Fire Proves Vulnerability of Historic Buildings

This week’s fire at Paris’ Cathedral of Notre Dame is bringing a realization that historic buildings may be prone to such tragedies. The fire spread through the wooden attic, bringing down its 300-foot spire and engulfing two-thirds of the roof, and occurred over just an hour.Building the cathedral attic required the wood of more than 1,300 trees. Attics tend to be dry spaces and, when dust and debris accumulate, they can be even more flammab

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Could Floating Homes be the Future?

As sea levels rise, architects are brainstorming ways to make homes more resilient to flooding. A floating unit is being singled out as a living solution for coastal areas.Oceanix, a nonprofit that designs and builds floating cities, and the MIT Center for Ocean Engineering are showing off a futuristic concept of a floating city. The floating communities can expand, contract, and combine to form cities in prefabricated hexagonal islands of 4

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Police Arrest Impostor Agent who Targeted Undocumented Buyers

Police have arrested a Parlier, Calif., woman for allegedly trying to dupe home buyers out of thousands of dollars by pretending to be a real estate agent.Maria Flores-Morales, 39, is accused of bilking more than $110,000 from alleged victims who say she promised to help them buy a home. Police say undocumented people who had no experience purchasing a home were targeted in the scheme. Officials believe there could be more victims and are working

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