Housing Chatter delivers the news you need to know about current events in the housing market in simple terms. We have no political or institutional affiliations so you can be confident that our content and commentary is unbiased. Housing Chatter is brought to you by your professional Realtor®.

5 Steps to the Perfect Guest Welcome Basket

This time of year is filled with house guests and, of course, you want to make them feel welcome and right at home. One of the best ways to do that is with a welcome basket made especially for your guests. The goal of a guest welcome basket is not to send your visitors home with a bunch of gifts, but to offer items they may need and enjoy during their stay. ... Read More »

5 Life Lessons I Learned From Holding A Charity Garage Sale

Who knew that the keys to unlocking the mysteries of the universe could be found in a garage sale? Actually, the keys to the universe's mysteries were probably the only things not donated to the community-wide garage sale I helped my daughter and her friend run to raise money for the Love Without Boundaries Foundation, a charity that helps Chinese orphans. T ... Read More »

Full Disclosure: Reveal Your Homes Flaws to Speed the Sale

In most states, the law requires sellers to fill out paperwork regarding their knowledge of the property they intend to sell. Many agents and sellers see disclosures as a thorn in their side. Why would they badmouth their property or listing? Why not say as little as possible and see if the buyer discovers any issues on their own? This is a penny-wise and p ... Read More »

How Will Soaring Interest Rates Impact You?

Source: Doug Zwick via Flickr Creative Commons With the economy on the mend, the Federal Reserve ended its asset-purchase program in October, indicating the Fed believes growth and job creation have finally achieved enough momentum to continue without its stimulus. Now that this quantitative easing is over, interest rates will eventually rise. Here ... Read More »

10 Reasons Your Home Isnt Selling

Wondering why your home is still sitting on the market after weeks or even months of showings? Can't figure out why your open houses are well-populated but nothing ever comes of them? Or maybe no one is coming to your open houses at all? It's easy to get frustrated when your home isn't selling and you don't know why. Which is why we've rounded up 10 of the ... Read More »

Refinancing in a Volatile Rate Market: Get the Facts First

Mortgage rates hit 16-month lows in mid-October, spent three weeks slowly inching up, and have now dipped back to those lows. Rates rise and fall when bond markets sell off or rally, respectively, based on how they interpret daily economic news and data. This rate volatility will continue as the Fed winds down its six-year rate stimulus campaign. If you un ... Read More »

Why November Is The Best Month To Sell Your Home

Some owners hesitate to market their homes between Halloween and New Year's Day, believing the holiday season to be an off-peak time to sell. But the idea that houses don't sell in November and December comes from outdated historical trends. In fact, several studies show that, on average, homes listed during this time are more likely to sell, sell more quic ... Read More »

21 Ridiculously Hot Products That Every Ridiculously Cold Person Will Want

n many parts of the country, winter has already arrived in full force, slamming states in the Midwest and the Rockies with up to 18 inches of snow. What's worse: It's only November, which means frigid temps aren't going away for a long time. During these trying, cold months, we will do anything to avoid the chattering cold that is the outdoors, because the ... Read More »

Freddie Mac: 5 game-changing predictions for 2015

The housing market is about to turn a corner into the new year, and according to Freddie Mac, the U.S. economy is well poised to sustain about a 3% growth rate for 2015. This would only be the second year in the past decade with growth at that pace or better. The positive news from Freddie is based on several reasons: Governmental fiscal drag has turned ... Read More »

Want to Prevent Frozen Pipes? Heres How

When outdoor temperatures drop and cold winds blow, your water pipes are in danger. Inclement conditions can cause them to freeze. Or rather, the water inside will freeze, expanding as it does so. The ice thus formed acts as a plug. It blocks the pipe and causes pressure to build up between the frozen section and the closed faucet further downstream. This pr ... Read More »

14 States Getting Slammed By Foreclosures

There were 123,109 foreclosure filings on homes during October, according to RealtyTrac. Filings were down 8% year-on-year, but up 15% from the previous month – the highest such increase since March 2010. Foreclosure filings include notices on defaults, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions. Banks mostly suspend foreclosures during the holidays, so ... Read More »