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Buying and Selling

'Indonesian village'-like Santa Monica mansion that housed Charlie Chaplin's firetrucks seeks $12.5 million

When British actor, composer and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin needed a place to store his collection of firetrucks, he turned to a high-ceilinged property in Santa Monica, California.Years later, when artist Sam Francis needed a similarly spacious studio for his often large works, he was drawn to the same property. Eventually, the building became more than just a space for a studio and storage: Francis raised his children at the residence and hosted a slew of other artists.In the early 2000s, the

7 hours ago

Housing Market

Wilson, North Carolina, is a small but booming city attracting hundreds of new homes

A housing developer sees big potential in Wilson, North Carolina, a small city with a modest 48,000 residents that is drawing a lot of outside interest.

1 day ago

Buying and Selling

The biggest surprise about this modernist home in Massachusetts might be that it exists

When Bill Janovitz first heard about the home at 325 Winter St. in Framingham, Massachusetts, a few years ago, he was stunned.

13 hours ago

Buyer Guide

How to find a home for sale before anyone else does

The United States has a significant housing shortage that, for now, shows little end in sight, creating intense competition among buyers looking for the perfect property. For some buyers, the only real shot at finding a home to purchase means striking before it hits the market. Experienced real estate agents are trained to find homes that will be listed soon. But for the layperson, here are some ways to find a home for sale before anyone else does, according to real estate professionals: Becom

May 16, 2025

How to make your offer for a home stand out from everyone else's

A nationwide shortage of listings has created intense competition among buyers — many of whom will be submitting offers to purchase the same small pool of properties in a given community. It's commonplace for homebuyers to see their offers rejected a dozen times because someone else has put forth a stronger purchase package. But amid such high competition, there are ways homebuyers can bring their offers to the front of the line — without having to waive critical contingencies, like the home i

May 15, 2025

How big should your down payment be? Hint: It doesn't have to be 20%.

A down payment is when you pay a fraction of the cost of a home upfront and take out a loan to cover the rest. You don’t have to put 20% down on a house A common misconception is that 20% is the standard down payment on a house. That’s not the case, according to Melissa Cohn, regional vice president at William Raveis Mortgage.Instead, depending on what kind of mortgage you take out and what kind of homebuyer you are, you can pay as little as 3.5% down. And if you’re taking a mortgage from the

May 16, 2025

Can you buy a house if you have a lot of personal debt?

If you plan to buy a home with a mortgage, your lender will want to know what kind of debt you have. But some things are more important than others, experts say, and even if you have debt, you can still buy a house.Here's how: Lenders look at your credit report Mortgage lenders care most about what's in your credit report, according to Nicole Rueth, a residential lender in Denver."We're hyper-focusing on that credit that's on the credit report," Rueth said.That report includes breakdowns of y

May 15, 2025

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Seller Guide

When is the best time to sell your home? It’s not necessarily the spring.

It’s often thought that the best time of year to put a house on the market is in the spring, because people are more in the mood to be out shopping once the unpleasant winter weather is over. But there are other factors at play.One way to measure how much better the spring season — specifically, April through June — is for sellers is the median number of days a house is on the market. In 2024, it dropped from 38 days in February to 22 days in June before starting to rise again, according to Na

May 15, 2025

How to make the best use of drones to sell your home

Video taken by a drone is increasingly common on websites selling homes, as the technology allows sellers to market distinctive features and gives buyers a better feel for what the property will be like.“Using drones in real estate marketing allows you to show the property from many unique angles, allowing the prospective buyer to view not only the house, the roof and yard, but also the surrounding neighborhood and views,” the National Association of Realtors said on its website.Views of the s

May 15, 2025

12 questions sellers can ask prospective agents

Interviewing several real estate agents to find the one best suited to sell your property is a standard, welcome practice that can often make or break the experience.Agents offer different personalities, backgrounds and approaches that can work well for some clients but fall flat for others. Many real estate professionals suggest interviewing a few candidates about your goals for the transaction; whether you want to sell quickly or are willing to wait to make the most money, for instance.“Once

May 15, 2025

How to negotiate the commission you pay

A commission is the fee homeowners pay a real estate agent for helping them sell their property, typically a percentage of the sale price. A seller's agent commission could be 3%, for example. If the sales price is $500,000, the agent would receive $15,000. In some cases, the homeowner will also pay the buyer’s agent. If you want to negotiate a lower commission, there are a few tricks sellers should be aware of: Understand your rights as a seller Melvin A. Vieira Jr., who represents buyers an

May 01, 2025

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Mortgage Rates

Mortgage rates are keeping buyers out of the market, but economists say demand is building

Mortgage rates are still hovering just below 7%, but economists say things are still better than they were a year ago in a sign that homebuyer demand is building.

1 day ago

New Construction

Luxury condos planned in Nashville entertainment district move step closer

Developers are planning a 30-story, luxury condominium tower as part of a mixed-used project in the fast-growing SoBro neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee.

1 day ago