 On the Way to a WinEnd of year news about housing was mostly positive – existing (and new) home sales were up, pending sales were also up, and housing affordability remained at near-record levels. But there are still challenges to a full-fledged housing recovery. Loan qualifications have become so strict that only those borrowers with super-high credit scores and spotless credit history are able to obtain mortgages. In his commentary this month, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun talks about the importance of making mortgage credit more available, returning underwriting standards to normal, so that housing market will approach a more normal state as well. Read more. |
Hail and Farewell
This is the final issue of Real Estate INSIGHTS. What began as a regular printed newsletter in 1982 (Real Estate Outlook) evolved over the years into a web-distributed and online publication. But even though this monthly newsletter is ending its run, NAR Research will continue to provide REALTORS® with real intelligence, real advantages. You can still get the latest statistics from www.realtor.org/research. Share opinions with others on Facebook at www.facebook.com/narresearchgroup. And get the latest “insights” from NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun and NAR Research staff at http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org.
Using the Web – a Valuable Tool
The Internet has become a popular tool for both consumers and real estate professionals. In fact, use of the Web in the home search process has notably increased in the last 10 years, and virtually all REALTORS® are generating at least some business from their own web presence. Our Market Intelligence column takes a look at Internet use – as reported in the latest NAR Member Profile and the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
Read more.
Rebenchmarking – the Latest Revisions to NAR’s Housing Data.
On December 21, 2011, NAR announced the results of a year-long rebenchmarking process for existing-home sales (EHS) data. The last such EHS rebenchmarking was conducted 10 years ago. While the figures on existing-home sales changed, the basic trends did not. This month’s Behind the Numbers examines the rebenchmarking process, why it’s done, and what, if any, impact the results have on REALTORS® and consumers.
Read more.
There’s always more “INSIGHT-”full info. Remember to click on the special “For more info” arrow icons throughout this issue. By clicking on this icon when reading INSIGHTS, you can automatically link to another web site for more detailed information.
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Real Estate Insights
Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist
Paul Bishop, Vice President, NAR Research
Jed Smith, Managing Director, Quantitative Research
Arun Barman, Research Economist
Wannasiri Chompoopet, Manager of Housing Statistics
Keunwon Chung, Data Research Analyst
Stephanie Davis, Office Manager
Thomas J. Doyle, Research Marketing Manager
Meredith Dunn, Communications Representative
Ken Fears,Manager, Regional Economics
Danielle Hale, Research Economist
Michael Hyman, Research Assistant
Jessica Lautz, Research Economist
Selma Lewis, Research Economist
George Ratiu, Research Economist
Gregg Stratton, Research Economist
Sophia Stuart, Marketing Associate
Caroline Van Hollen, Senior Research Coordinator
Copyright © 2009 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Reproduction or reprinting in any form is prohibited without written permission. Editorial questions and requests to reprint articles should be directed to Meredith Dunn via e-mail at data@realtors.org.
