US Housing Market Predictions – Real Estate Market Forecast 2018 | Trends Outlook NAR Zillow Reports

Real Estate and Housing Forecast 2018 to 2020

April 18, 2018. Your Epic report and forecast of the 2018/2019 US housing market offers facts, data, perspective, predictions, price factors, expert opinion and forecasted trends.

Please feel free to use this material within your own blogs and share this post on Linkedin and Facebook. It’s an important topic for buyers and sellers who face a big decision about buying a home or condo in 2018.

A Spring Market Under Pressure

It’s an unusual spring market given the growing purchasing power of home buyers in low to mid market prices. It’s the lack of housing (few want to sell) combined with tough mortgage rules that are frustrating buyers. First time buyers are looking for a savior and wondering it’s a good time to buy anyway.

Despite prices, homes are selling. And more are being built. How much prices will rise, depends on where you live. Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, Denver, Las Vegas, Dallas, Miami, Seattle, New York, and Houston all have their own unique factors, and all driven by a wildly successful economy.

The National Association of Realtors reported existing home sales rose 3% in February. Nationally, 5.54 million units sold ending 2 months of declining sales. Housing inventory rose last month but is still down 8.1% from 12 months ago. NAR won’t release its March sales report until April 23rd.

Trulia reports housing inventory has grown 3.3% yet starter homes have dropped to their lowest levels since 2012. What is available is expensive.

Housing inventory then remains the most influential and persistent factor affecting home prices. Despite this, the media and some politicians blame speculation, building costs, interest rates, cost of living, and mortgage rules. When the economy is good people want homes. Construction is strong but can’t keep up. Simple rule of supply vs demand is driving home prices.

Millennials still hopeful to buy a home in 2018

Looking for housing market predictions? Take a good look at prices, GDP, wages, jobs, and other key data below on the US Economy for the next 6 years and you may see a surprisingly positive picture, far from the dread of the recent stock market corrections.

This completely updated EPIC United States Housing Report has market updates and predictions for 2018 to 2020, and other data to 2026.

NAR’s VP of research Paul Bishop, believes sales will be flat for 2018.

One of the biggest challenges is going to be in certain high-cost parts of the country where they have high home prices, relatively high property taxes or high state income taxes, then that’s ultimately going to make the cost of owning a home more expensive.

In addition, renters may lose the incentive to buy a home in high-cost areas if they can’t use the mortgage interest deduction or the ability to deduct some of those other housing-related costs from their taxes. It’s focused mostly on the higher cost areas. It’s certainly something that everyone will be monitoring and how the housing market reacts in 2018 and 2019 — from a news release on DSnews.com.

In this post, you’ll discover the hottest city markets, zip codes, get economic, employment, finance, and housing projections to understand the key fundamentals driving home buying, rental investment, home construction, and the real estate markets in 2018/2019 to 2026. Read thoroughly if you’re considering buying a house this year.

Still Struggling with the Idea of Buying vs Renting?

This post on buying vs renting is a good read, and review the US rental market report for more insight.

What’s the story for summer of 2018? It has to be Texas and Michigan, however the overall picture is of a very good spring for the housing market nationwide and going forward to 2026. Population growth in San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, Miami, Houston, Sacramento, Las Vegas and Phoenix continues strong.

The Complete Picture for 2018

Ready to choose your realtor and buy a house or condo this year? The outlook is really rosy! And how about investing in a rental income property for sustained passive income? This current lull might make the next 3 months the best time to buy. The outlook is as positive as could be for buyers. Lock in your mortgage rate.

Overall, predictions and outlook for the US housing market are positive. That’s because the US economy is on its strongest roll ever, bolstered by lower taxes, improved trading agreements, growing American confidence, happiness, comfort, freedom and the American dream has been kindled again.

Apartment Rental Housing Market 2018

Are you considering buying homes for sale as an income investment? With Apartment rent prices holding strong in 2018, it’s a solid investment strategy. Take another look at the US rental housing market, apartment rental prices, and the buy vs rent question and buying to let others pay your rent is just plain smart.

This graphic below courtesy of Trading Economics shows how the real estate market will be healthy for some time, and that buying a home is a wise investment (Tradingeconomics is a very informative site, have a visit afterward).

Increased government spending, low but slowly rising interest rates, and the repatriation of business and corporate funds back to the US means it’s a healthy, safe market for everyone.

Foreign investment has been strong because the world knows, the US is the place to be. American’s have always had a great attitude toward risk and business growth. Now the economy and business markets are allowing that spirit an opportunity to pay off.

NAR/Realtor Outlook on the Housing Market

Housing Indicator	Realtor.com® 2018 Forecast
Home price appreciation	3.2% increase
Mortgage rate	Average 4.6% mortage rates in 2018 to 5.0% (30 year fixed) by year end
Existing home sales	2.5% growth, low inventory problem easing
Housing starts	3% growth in home building 7% growth in houses
New home sales	Growth of 7%
Home ownership rate	Stabilizing at 63.9% nationally

Despite the market correction, experts feel this bull market could continue as long as business keeps coming back to the US. That’s a long process of repatriation. In the meantime, the jobs picture, wage growth, investment, and profit growth are giving real estate participants a lot of optimism.

The resistance to housing development is slowing. Conservatives are giving up amidst intense pressure by those facing outrageous housing shortages and skyrocketing rental prices.

Housing Shortages Won’t Ease

Although January’s sales were disappointing, it’s due to the severe shortage of housing. Demand is there and you’ll be competing against a hoard of buyers in 2018. Corelogic expects 2018’s home prices will grow 4.3% by next December. NAR and Realtors® expect only a 3% growth in prices this year. Nevada, Texas, Washington, and Florida are the states with the best outlook, and perhaps the best places to buy homes or rental properties.

The Bay Area, Portland, and Seattle areas saw the highest growth in prices last year while LA’s tumbled. Listings fell dramatically in cental California, Oregon, Washington, and New York.

Consumer mood was not so good in July of last year, mostly due to government problems. Yet the market came flying back. These challenges overcome mean more Americans will have more confidence in their personal situation.

The US Economy 2018/2019

These stats from Trading Economics show positive fundamentals that will drive growth in the housing market, and in turn will bolster the economy, since new household consumer spending and housing investment is a key driver of the economy.

The tax cuts should help although the Fed is counteracting that growth with a questionable raising of interest rates which seems to have sparked the sudden stock market volatility. Although some disincentives are present for home buying in certain price ranges, that will help keep the market balanced for 2018.

Home prices should begin rising again this late spring in Florida, New York , Boston, San Diego, Houston, Miami, Seattle, Bay Area and the rest of overheated California.

Buyers and sellers will enjoy the market trends, stats, threats, and the key factors including housing construction starts described below. Enjoy the big picture!

Scroll down to see the stats, video, and charts on the strongest cities where you might buy or invest. And when is the best time to buy a house?

Sharing is Good! Share the Insight with others on FB and Linkedin

A brief overview of January 2018 from NAR.

Housing Demand 2018: More Buyers Joining the Party

Housing market demand predictions: Demand 2018 will see stronger demand as young buyers have more savings to invest in a home and are getting closeer to being able to purchase a home.

Housing demand is also being supplemented by bankruptcy survivors who waited out their 7 year exile joining first time buyer millennials, babyboomers, immigrants, foreign investors (Canadian and Chinese), and even gen Xers, all of whom are looking for houses for sale.

New Home Construction Starts: Still Strong in 2018

New home building shows continued strengths, and should pick up by late spring when builders see a return of demand. Last February’s demand was also subdued.

The cost of living is rising and it means workers and businesses in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose, Miami, San Diego, and Boston may migrate to cheaper cities such as Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. This is where job growth is best and housing is cheapest.

The price of apartment rental in cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose Rents are extreme examples of the migration out of high priced areas. With limited housing and a strong economy, prices in San Francisco and the Bay Area cannot fall.

Inflation, Labor Shortages, and Building Supplies

Labor shortages, rising mortgage rates, and higher lumber costs are looming which could mean house prices will rise. With nowhere to go, homeowners are resisting selling. The hope that the resale market will come to the rescue might be unrealistic and and perhaps even fewer resale houses will be for sale. This fall, new home sales have been brisk as reported by the Commerce Department.

Mortgage Rates on the Rise

15 year fixed rate mortgages are still a bargain compared to historical averages. A home at these interest rates has to be considered a big savings, compared to the added price.

Houses For Sale – Should You Buy or Sell in 2018?

The forecasts and predictions for housing markets in Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Bay Area, New York, Miami, Houston, Seattle, and San Diego etc. all suggest better times ahead.

Is a housing market crash or a stock market crash possible? It’s a worry of investors. See the post on the best cities to invest in real estate. Where can you find houses for sale with the best upside potential as a high return property investment?

Housing Experts Predictions and a Lot More

Let’s start off with the newly released 2018 Forecast from Freddie Mac. The predict a good year ahead with a solid 5% growth in price. They note that the aging population could keep demand subdued although limited housing for sale should create upward price pressure.

Should buy or sell? See the specific market updates and predictions here: Los Angeles Real Estate forecast, San Francisco Bay Area forecast, New York Real Estate forecast, Boston Real Estate forecast, San Diego Real Estate forecast, Houston Texas Housing forecast, Seattle Real Estate forecast and the Miami Real Estate forecast. Bookmark this page for future monthly updates.

The need to refinance is low, homeowners aren’t too stressed out, and they’re using home equity to buy things which is good for the economy. Overall, Freddie Mac’s report is positive for 2018.

Home Sales Expect to Rise Nationally

Freddie Mac Predicts strong sales driven by moderating prices nationally.

And as this graphic from Freddie Mac’s report shows, price appreciation is much less than before the last recession.

Hottest Real Estate Markets This Past Summer

According to NAR’s latest report, San Francisco is again the hottest city, taking back the number one spot from San Jose. The hottest small city is Vallejo California, enjoying a spillover from the Bay Area market. Investors and buyers will be hard pressed to find buying opportunities are.

Silicon Valley prices will pressure businesses to look to cheaper cities such as San Antonio, Las Vegas, Houston, Austin, etc in 2018/2019.

Hottest Cities for Investment Value

This chart from NAR shows where employment growth is strongest and the ratio of recent employment growth to homes being built. That’s a great stat for rental property investors looking for investment income. Compare that to wage growth and actual price appreciation. Again the Bay Area shows the best outlook for employment which has to be your top signal. Salt Lake City, Denver, Tampa, Dallas, Cape Coral/Naples, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Houston, San Diego, and Grand Rapids have great employment outlooks.

20 Hottest Housing Markets, January 2018 (Realtor.com)	Rank (December)	Rank Change	Current Home Prices
San Francisco, CA	2	1	$1,249,000
San Jose, CA	1	-1	$875,000
Vallejo, CA	3	0	$390,000
Colorado Springs, CO	4	0	$270,000
Midland, TX	18	13	$265,000
San Diego, CA	6	0	$590,000
Santa Rosa, CA	7	1	$310,000
Sacramento, CA	8	2	$310,000
Denver, CO	11	2	$400,000
Stockton, CA	5	-5	$289,000
Modesto, CA	10	-1	$295,000
Dallas, TX	14	2	$360,000
Fresno, CA	12	-1	$205,000
Los Angeles, CA	16	2	$759,000
Columbus, OH	9	-6	$140,000
Chico, CA	29	13	$349,000
Oxnard, CA	21	4	$505,000
Santa Cruz, CA	27	9	$909,000
Detroit, MI	19	0	$349,000
Boise City, ID	26	6

Best cities for finding houses for sale and get a great return. For property investors or buyers with minimal cash, the cities of Kennewick, Detroit, Fort Wayne, Modesto, Fresno, and Waco look to offer the lowest prices on houses for sale. As usual, California and Texas lead the way, however Michigan is looking good with the President’s intention to bring the auto industry and related jobs back to the US.

In some markets such as California, home prices have leveled off a little from their relentless climb. There is a slight risk of a burst housing bubble. Outside of major city markets, the price growth potential in the next 5 years is highest. Some cities are hurting so invest carefully. Take a look at the best cities to invest in real estate and share your stories of which cities we should know about.

Here Panelists from the Urban Land Institution discusses 2017 and the next two year outlook:

Here’s 8 Reasons Why People Are Still Eager to Buy Real Estate:

home prices are appreciating and it’s a safe investment over the long term
millennials need a home to raise their families
rents are high giving property owners excellent ROI on rental properties
flips of older properties continue to create amazing returns
real property is less risky (unless you get over leveraged)
the economy is steady or improving (although Trump’s letting his enemies cause too much friction)
foreigners including Canadians are eager to own US property
bankrupt buyers are over their 7 year prohibition from the last recession and they can buy again.

Latest real estate market reports:

There are more renters now than in the last 30 years.

US homes are at their highest value ever

Foreign buyers buying record number of properties

Housing starts more than expected but not enough to fill demand

New Houses for sale dropped 3.4% in August

Resale houses for sale drops in August

How high can prices for houses for sale go in Southern California?

Read on to learn more about the economic fundamentals that suppport your purchase of real estate:

Buying and Selling — Is This the Right Time?

Are you selling your home? Speculation of a housing crash in Miami, State of Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Charlotte, San Diego, San Jose, Denver, Seattle, and many other overheated markets has more people listing their house or condo. Yet, the market is healthy, so there’s no emergency. Prices are stable so you won’t get much more by waiting.

Check out these other posts for homebuyers, investors, and realtors:

Housing experts are predicting existing home sales of 6 to 6.5 million units in 2018 and then above 1.3 million new homes being built per month to 2024. The building is resuming now that the hurricanes and forest fires are over.

Will it be enough to support the economy? When American builders are feeling optimistic, it’s a good omen, however 1.5 million units per month is needed to fill forecasted demand for housing.

What’s also a good omen is what you’re going to read in this post. It may help you do many things in 2018, from finding employment (see the US Jobs forecast), to understanding politics, discovering high performing best investments 2017 to researching the best cities to live or buy houses or property in.

From Los Angeles to New York to Miami – Rental Property Equity/Income is King

Will Los Angeles Lead the Nation in 2017 in Real Estate?

Interest in rental income investment and apartments is particularly strong now in places like Miamic, Dallas, Seattle and San Francisco. The Los Angeles housing, San Diego housing, San Francisco Bay Area housing markets are just a few to look at. Seattle, Denver, Dallas, South Florida, Palm Beach, and New York have a promising outlook too.

Short list of positive factors to bolster US Housing Market :

moderately rising mortgage rates
president Trump’s new tax plan
low risk of a housing bubble / crash for most cities
millennials buyers coming into the main home buying years
a trend to government deregulation
labor shortages pushing up costs of production and incomes
the economy will keep going – longest positive business cycle in history

Check out the report on investments in rental property if you’re planning to buy in markets such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Silicon Valley, New York, Miami, Oakland, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver etc. Buyers are still dreaming in California a good look at the San Diego Real estate market, and the Los Angeles real estate market as economic indicators, and a fresh look at mortgage rates. To be on the safe side, see this post on the likelihood of a US housing market crash in the years ahead. Looking to put your house up for sale in 2018? Find a Realtor now.

Housing Stats from NAR, Forisk, Trading Economics

These stats below are collected from top research and reporting companies including NAR, Forisk, Trading Economics, and other real estate market researchers.

Sharing is Good for your Social Health!

Pass this blog post onto your friends and neighbors because they should know as much about the forecast factors as possible before they buy or sell. It’s good to be helpful. Mistakes are painful!

Expert Predictions – US Housing

1. Expert Prediction from Eric Fox, vice president of statistical and economic modeling (VeroForecast) — The top forecast markets shows price appreciation in the 10% to 11% range. The top forecast market is Seattle, Washington at 11.2%, followed by Portland, Oregon at 11.1% and Denver, Colorado at 9.9%.

These economies have robust economies, growing populations and no more than two month’s supply of homes. In fact, the forecast of the Boston market increase sharply to 7.4% is due to reductions in inventory and unemployment. On the other hand, the worst performing market is Kington, New York with 2.5% depreciation, followed by Ocean City, New Jersey at -2.1%, Kingsport, Tennessee at -1.9% and Atlantic City, New Jersey and San Angelo, Texas tied at -1.4%. — BusinessWire

2. Pantheon Macro Chief Economist Ian Shepherdson explains that “Homebuilders behavior likely is a continuing echo of their experience during the crash. No one wants to be caught with excess inventory during a sudden downshift in demand. In this cycle, the pursuit of market share and volumes is less important than profitability and balance sheet resilience.” — Marketwatch.

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Housing Construction Starts Will Slowly Rise

It’s predicted that new home construction won’t keep up with demand, however it is recovering and we’ll see more renters becoming homeowners over the next decade.

Car Insurance Quotes: Are you looking to save money for a down payment, save money with the lowest car insurance, find the lowest mortgage rate, or get a free market evaluation? Are you a realtor looking for US real estate leads?

If construction rates do moderate, prices in the hot markets of Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Boston, and Phoenix should rocket to all time highs but what is the risk of a housing market crash? House Renovation too is at an all time high in expenditure and this might have an impact on new housing starts.

FRED – Home Prices

US Mortgage Rate Trends

US Mortgage rates are forecast to stay low. Yet recently, mortgage rates have risen above the 4% mark and homeowners are locking in their home loans at the 30 year period. Some are calling this the Trump Effect. With Trump in power, lending requirements are expected to be eased, land opened up for development, and this should stimulate home purchases. With employment growing and wages moderating upward, the market is set for growth. Yet, some housing forecasters still cling to the idea that housing starts will moderate after strong growth to 2020.

US Employment Outlook 2018 to 2024

According to BLS the job outlook is positive. Construction added 36,000 jobs in January, with 226,000 more than last year, with most of the increase occurring among specialty trade contractors (+26,000). Residential building construction trended up by 5,000 jobs. Total employment should grow by another 4,000,000 to 2024.

National Employment Growth		Employment		Growth Predictions, 2014–24		Median annual wage, 2014
National Employment Growth		2014	2024	Number	Percent	Median annual wage, 2014
Total, all occupations		150,539,000	160,328,000	9,788,900	6.5	$35,540

Job Growth by Occupation to 2026

2016 National Employment Matrix title and code (Chart data courtesy of BLS	Employment		Change, 2016–26		Median annual wage 2016
	2016	2026	Number	Percent	Median annual wage 2016
Total, all occupations	156,063.80	167,582.30	11,518.60	7.4	$37,040
Personal care aides	2,016.10	2,793.80	777.6	38.6	$21,920
Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food	3,452.20	4,032.10	579.9	16.8	$19,440
Registered nurses	2,955.20	3,393.20	438.1	14.8	$68,450
Home health aides	911.5	1,342.70	431.2	47.3	$22,600
Software developers, applications	831.3	1,086.60	255.4	30.7	$100,080
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	2,384.60	2,621.20	236.5	9.9	$24,190
General and operations managers	2,263.10	2,468.30	205.2	9.1	$99,310
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	2,628.40	2,828.10	199.7	7.6	$25,980
Medical assistants	634.4	818.4	183.9	29	$31,540
Waiters and waitresses	2,600.50	2,783.00	182.5	7	$19,990
Nursing assistants	1,510.30	1,683.70	173.4	11.5	$26,590
Construction laborers	1,216.70	1,367.10	150.4	12.4	$33,430
Cooks, restaurant	1,231.90	1,377.20	145.3	11.8	$24,140
Accountants and auditors	1,397.70	1,537.60	139.9	10	$68,150
Market research analysts and marketing specialists	595.4	733.7	138.3	23.2	$62,560
Customer service representatives	2,784.50	2,920.80	136.3	4.9	$32,300
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	1,197.90	1,333.10	135.2	11.3	$26,320
Medical secretaries	574.2	703.2	129	22.5	$33,730
Management analysts	806.4	921.6	115.2	14.3	$81,330
Maintenance and repair workers, general	1,432.60	1,545.10	112.5	7.9	$36,940
Teacher assistants	1,308.10	1,417.60	109.5	8.4	$25,410
Financial managers	580.4	689	108.6	18.7	$121,750
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	1,871.70	1,980.10	108.4	5.8	$41,340
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1,410.90	1,514.90	104.1	7.4	$55,800
Stock clerks and order fillers	2,008.60	2,109.60	100.9	5	$23,840
Teachers and instructors, all other	993.9	1,091.80	98	9.9	$30,110
Receptionists and information clerks	1,053.70	1,149.20	95.5	9.1	$27,920
Sales representatives, services, all other	983	1,077.90	94.9	9.7	$52,490
Business operations specialists, all other	1,023.90	1,114.30	90.3	8.8	$69,040
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	724.5	813.4	88.9	12.3	$44,090

US Housing Starts to 2024

This enlightening stat in the graphic below shows the US economy hasn’t recovered from the great recession and housing crash of 2007. Single family spending is rising rapidly, yet no one believes conditions for high inflation exist. It points to years of solid, healthy growth ahead with an unfulfilled demand for single detached homes.

Graphic courtesy of paper-money.blogspot.ca

Housing and Interest Rate Forecast to 2019
	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
Housing Activity (000)
Total Housing Starts	928	1,001	1,107	1,177	1,204	1,246	1,299
Single Family	620	647	712	784	842	900	962
Multifamily	308	355	395	393	362	346	337
New Single Family Sales	430	440	503	561	610	647	693
Existing Single-Family Home Sales	4,475	4,338	4,627	4,828	4,978	5,029	5,119

Interest Rates
Federal Funds Rate	0.13%	0.13%	0.38%	0.63%	1.13%	1.88%	2.38%
90 day T Bill Rate	0.06%	0.03%	0.05%	0.32%	0.96%	1.71%	2.22%
Treasury Yields:
One Year Maturity	0.13%	0.12%	0.32%	0.61%	1.20%	2.41%	2.70%
Ten Year Maturity	2.35%	2.54%	2.14%	1.84%	2.38%	2.82%	3.22%
Freddie Mac Commitment Rates:
Fixed Rate Mortgages	3.98%	4.17%	3.85%	3.65%	4.10%	4.54%	4.96%
ARMs	2.88%	3.17%	2.94%	2.87%	3.18%	3.62%	4.04%
Prime Rate	3.25%	3.25%	3.26%	3.51%	4.15%	4.98%	5.48%
Data are averages of seasonally adjusted quarterly data and may not match annual

Chart stats courtesy of Nahb.com

Save Money on Your Car Insurance

Saving on car might even cut your home insurance and give you more money for your home downpayment. Check now for the lowest quotes for car insurance Los Angeles, car insurance Boston, auto insurance San Francisco, auto insurance Denver, car insurance Toronto, and car insurance Chicago.

Employment Outlook: Let’s not forget jobs. Total employed persons in the US will grow 800,000 over the next 2 years.

Graphic courtesy of tradingeconomics.com/united-states/forecast

Existing homes or resale home sales, may slow slightly but US construction spending will increase. Prices will rise to 2020 and construction spending will grow through 2020.

Graphic courtesy of tradingeconomics.com/united-states/forecast

Apartment Rental Forecast

Demand for apartment rentals is on the rise and construction starts of multi-unit dwellings is rising to match demand. That creates more opportunity for rental property investors to grow their portfolios in 2018. Yardi says YOY rent growth was 3.0% and they expect rent growth to remain in the 2.5% range.

Cities with the most apartment construction include Dallas, Houston and Austin, reflecting Texas strong recovery. For more information, see this post on the best cities to buy real estate and best cities to live in and with the best job outlook.

Rental City Markets with Top Growth

Yardi released its winter national outlook report and forecasts a 2.5% increase.

There you have a quick graphical synopsis of factors that will support a strong US housing market for 4 more years.

What’s Your Personal Real Estate Sales Forecast?

Are you a full time realtor looking to grow your prospects and leads? Full service digital marketing is a bargain when it’s done well. What’s the forecast and trends for the real estate sales in your region? If you’re in Vancouver, Toronto, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco, and many other US centers, you’re probably grinning from ear to ear. But will you get your slice of that pie? Relying on real estate lead generation companies is another way you can go, however you have to pay forever and it’s questionable whether their leads are high quality.

My realtor marketing programs let you leverage the full mls listings with a powerful rets idx website, and capture more leads. I’ve enjoyed serving clients in many housing markets including Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Montreal, New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, Florida, and San Francisco California.

Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin. It’s good to share!!

Housing Market Predictions 2018: Ideal climate for best real estate investing.

Bookmark this page and return for further housing market forecasts, predictions, expert opinions and market data for most major US cities including New York, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Miami, For Lauderdale, Orlando, Boca Raton, Wellington, Delray Beach, Boyton Beach, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, Newmarket/Aurora, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Calgary, Kelowna, Mississauga, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, and other cities in the states of Florida, Texas, California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona, Nevada, Minnesota, Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, New Mexico, Lousiana, Alabama, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

March 31, 2018March 31, 2018

Switch Auto Insurance Companies – Cost Savings from Switching Insurers

Shop for Cheaper Car Insurance

Every year, tens of millions of drivers get their insurance renewal papers mailed to them and they simply ignore them and let their policy rollover. That’s money lost!

By taking a moment to consider the high rate they’re paying for the type of coverage they’re receiving, they might decline theie insurance company’s offer. If you knew the savings they might be getting, you’d be switching.

If you want to save thousands on car insurance, you have to start thinking bigger savings numbers than the 15% someone like Geico offers. Very few auto insurance companies talk about savings. Their advertisements are low key because they want to make a brand impression without stirring up their customers thoughts about value and price.

You’re a Smart Consumer – Shopping Gives you Power!

It’s a fact that shopping is power. Your choice of where your money goes, shapes the economy and is helps you share and promote your values. You decide who gets rich.

And right now, you’re here because you demand a lower quote for auto insurance and by searching, you’re going to get your wish. If you’re persistent and keep at finding the insurers who want your business, you’ll be switching car insurance providers. In the past, car insurance companies would give you misery if you tried to change insurers. Even today, you have to be careful of it because even the smallest gap in coverage could cost you. Yes, insurance is a racket and there’s nothing you can do about it other than keep shopping for the cheapest rates and lowest quote.

The 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies

Here’s more than 30 insurance companies below to help whet your appetite for a lower auto insurance quote.

Here’s the major brand insurance companies in the US, beginning with Geico who spend a inordinate amount of money on TV advertising. Many of these companies advertise online and you’ll see them in your searches on Google. Don’t be hypnotized by the brand names and sign on eagerly because you liked their TV mascot. Remember you’re here on this site because you intend to save money on your car insurance. That’s you quest and you should stick to it. It could be mean saving $10,000 or more over 5 years. What could you do with $10k?

Geico Auto Insurance Company – the popular insurer we recognize from their television Gecko mascot is the 2nd largest auto insurer in the United States, after State Farm. Geico is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway insurance (Billionaire Warren Buffett). Geico provides auto insurance coverage on 22 million+ cars, trucks, motorcycles, motorhomes etc for 14 million insurance policy holders.

State Farm Insurance Company – is headquarted in Bloomington Illinois and has a whopping and expensive payroll of 18,000 insurance agents. It’s total net income in 2013 was 5.2 Billion dollars and it has 44 million auto insurance policies in effect.

Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Company – BHI is is owned by Billionaire Warren Buffett, which boasts a yearly income of $24 Billion and they own Geico Insurance.

Allstate Car Insurance Company – Allstate is the 2nd largest personal insurance insurer in the US and in Canada, (behind State Farm). It is the largest publicly held insurance company (net income of $2.7 Billion) and it owns esurance.com a top online insurance website. Allstate has its headquarters in Northbrook Illinois and has a yearly net income of $2.7 Billion.

USAA Auto Insurance Company – The United Services Automobile Association is a financial services company that earns more than $24.6 Billion annually. It is located in San Antonio TX and offers a huge range of personal property and casualty (P&C) insurance, life insurance, automobile insurance, homeowner insurance, renters’ insurance, as well as umbrella and personal property insurance.

AAA Auto Insurance Company – The American Automobile Association (AAA ) is a large group of motor clubs throughout the US and Canada (CAA) having more than 55 millions members. AAA is a non-profit member service organization. AAA is located near Orlando Florida with office located in Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Toronto and many more major cities.

Nationwide Car Insurance Company – Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company & Affiliated Companies is a group of large insurance and financial services companies based in Columbus, OH. It’s yearly revenue is $40 billion.

Liberty Mutual Car Insurance Company – Liberty Mutual Group is a huge, global insurance company with its head office located in Boston, Massachusetts. The company’s $29 billion, and 45,000 employee workforce means it is one of the biggest insurance companies in the world. The company provides home, auto, business and property insurance.

Progressive Auto Insurance Company – Progressive Insurance writes insurance policies for automobiles trucks, motorcycles, boats, and recreational vehicles through their independent agency channel and a direct channel known as progressive.com. Progressive Insurance has its headquarters in Ohio. The company reports yearly earnings of $21 Billion.

Farmers Auto Insurance Company – Farmers Insurance Group is located in Los Angeles CA. It earns $12.6 billion in revenue yearly and provides car insurance and truck insurance coverage for automobiles, homes and small businesses via it’s 50,000 independent insurance agents.

There are plenty more auto insurance companies you will want to research and switch your auto policy to:

American Family Auto Insurance (Madison)
Mercury Auto Insurance Company (Detroit)
Farm Bureau Auto Insurance Company
The Hartford Auto Insurance Company (Hartford)
The General Car Insurance
MetLife Auto Insurance (New York City)
Fred Loya Car Insurance
Travelers Auto Insurance
American Insurance Group (New York City)
Amica Auto Insurance Company
Freeway Auto Insurance Experts
AARP Motor Club
Kemper Automobile Insurance (Chicago)
Erie Auto Insurance Company
Dairyland Auto Motorcycle Insurance
Netquote Automobile Insurance
Wawanesa Auto Insurnace
Safeco Auto Insurance (Seattle)
Allied Auto Insurance Company
NJM Automobile Insurance
Shelter Insurance Company
Plymouth Rock Auto Insurance
Grange Insurance for Auto
Hagerty Auto Insurance Company (Detroit)

Car Insurance Infographic – Major Insurers in the US

Car Insurance Infographic courtesy of Graphs.net

Cheaper Car and Truck insurance Quotes

Search for hours for the best auto insurance rates in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mountainview, Palo Alto, Portland, Washington, Atlanta, Irvine, Nashville, Sunnyvale, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Simi Valley, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Glendale, Kansas City, St Louis, Stockton, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, Columbus, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Chula Vista, Escondido, Santa Monica, Miami Beach, and Honolulu.

March 31, 2018March 31, 2018

Auto Insurance Companies – Car Insurance Quotes

Compare Auto Insurance Rates

Stats revealed auto insurance premiums rose by 7% last, far above the usual 3 to 4%. With driverless vehicle technology ready to roll, and auto claims rocketing, drivers are likely to see even higher rates soon.

If your rates rose despite having no claims last year, well, isn’t it time you started shopping for cheaper auto insurance?

“Shopping around online is the only way you will reduce your auto insurance costs“

Compare Car Insurance Rates

If you’re not comparing auto insurance rates, you’re giving away money. In fact, car insurance shopping is the only way to can substantially lower your premiums and get better converage. This post will convince you and give you some new options.

You get lower auto insurance by comparing quotes from different vehicle insurance companies. There are a lot of them out there. There’s big and small insurance companies and independent brokers looking for your business.

Will you save on insurance for electric vehicles?

Rising auto insurance isn’t a local issue. Car insurance rates are rising everywhere but it appears consumers are apathetic about it. If you look at the price charts below you’ll see how much people expend for auto insurance.

Self-driving cars could raise auto insurance rates for you and I, since those autonomous car companies would negotiate their own low rate coverage. They’ll save plenty, but you will have to negotiate your own insurance rate.

The insurance companies are awash in cash now however they’re facing tough times as their own pool of revenue is eroded and claim payouts rise. Switching insurance companies might be a wise move. Consider this stat:

The average auto insurance premium in Ontario, Canada is $1,458, which is almost 55% higher than the average of all other Canadian jurisdictions — from a Globe & Mail report.

It’s 2017 and time to take massive action to save money. Have you investigated UBI or usage based auto insurance? Check out the auto insurance rates for your city or state below.

Get the best auto insurance quotes in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, Phoenix, Denver, Boston, New York and other cities where consumers are fed up. We’re all paying too much to insure our cars, SUVs and trucks. It’s hard earned dollars ($10,000) that you’re giving away but now that can change. Has your loyalty to one insurance company done much for you?

Look back at the last 20 years of auto insurance coverage you purchased (e.g., 20 x 12 x $150 = $36,150). Could you use that money right now?

It’s a Great Time to Switch Auto Insurance Companies

Yes, switching insurance companies is a wise financial choice. There are videos, charts, infographics and quote comparisons below that will open your eyes. When it comes to finding the lowest insurance rates, and a better policy, this might be a good starting point. It’s best to do lots of searching and get a wide variety of quotes from insurers. Just through persistence alone, you’ll get the best rates. You could save $10,000 over 6 years or as much as $1800 in one year.

Do you Need Collector or Luxury Car Insurance?

Here’s an auto insurance niche where you can get more price and appropriate quotes for your Porsche, Mercedes Benz, Ferrari, Lamborhghini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, or Maserati.

I’m sure you’ll find the auto insurance quote comparisons below an eye opener.
According to one source, the average price of auto insurance across the US is $1100 to $1200 per year — that leaves lots of room for you to start saving!

Virginia has become the 19th state to ban consumer price gouging – Consumeraffairs.com – fair warning that you are probably getting taken.

Searching for Insurance via Google

Google is certainly fast and you’ll get better rates than from an insurance agency in Los Angeles, Boston, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, New York, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, or Chicago. Within seconds you can be on an insurance company website and buy an auto insurance policy. I’d advise looking first to the auto insurance comparison sites before you decide on an insurance company and take their coverage. That’s particularly true if you’re buying luxury auto insurance.

Not all of the big name companies such as Allstate, Progressive, Geico, Nationwide, State Farm, Mercury, StateFarm, and others offer great rates or the coverage you actually need. I know from my own searches that I tend not to be thorough enough. I get restless and frustrated and settle for a higher auto insurance quote than I should. I want to help you optimize your quest for the lowest auto policy.

Sharing Really is Caring
Share this post on Facebook with younger drivers who need some relief from $4000 to $8000 policies.

My Car Insurance Quote

I conducted a search directly on the insurer’s websites of Geico, Progressive, Statefarm, Liberty Mutual, Mercury, Allstate, AAA and Farmers. In the chart below, you can see the quote for a 40 year old male living in Santa Ana, California, driving a 2010 Hyudai Santa Fe 4 dr sedan to work 30 miles away daily, and having one non bodily injury accident (hit a car). We need an example to analyze an auto insurance quote, so let’s take a quick look at this one.

Statefarm’s auto quote was about $1300 less per year than Liberty Mutual’s. Over 6 years, that translates to $7800 in savings if I chose Statefarm. Further below, I sought quotes via insurance hotline and the variation was bigger. With your own search, you may find one local insurance company who may be willing to insure you at much less.

Is a 40 year old driver with one accident statistically that risky? Obviously Liberty Mutual, Statefarm, and AAA believe there is huge risk. Each company processes the statistics differently, and they’re entitled to. However, are they being reasonable about it. Is the auto quote abnormally high?

Screen Capture courtesy of Geico

Get a Quote in Your City

Auto Insurance Provider	Price per Year
Geico Auto Insurance Company	$1772
Progressive Auto Insurance Company	$1884
Statefarm Auto Insurance Company	$1654
Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance Company	$2909
Mercury Auto Insurance Company	$1760
Allstate Auto Insurance Company	$1655
Nationwide Auto Insurance Company	$2071
AAA Auto Insurance Company$	$2673
Farmers Auto Insurance Company	$2796

Some of these companies make you fill out endless questions, some of which you have to wonder are even legal. I liked Progressive’s online auto insurance quote process the best. It was quick and the least painful. They seem to respect your time the most. Their quote was a little higher than Allstate and Statefarm, but I suspect Progressive has a better corporate culture — a signal of how they’ll treat you after becoming their customer.

Auto Insurance Tips from Everquote.com

Auto Insurance Tips on how to Get Cheaper Car and Truck Insurance

Canadian Auto Insurance Buyers are Getting Ripped Off

Car Insurance Quote In Canada

Here’s another example auto insurance quote for a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, 4 door, for a 48 year old male with one ticket. See the huge difference in quotes from individual brokerages? That’s right, in this case there are two Aviva brokerages competing. The lowest quote was from Travelers insurance. It equates to $1700 savings per year and more than $10,000 over 6 years. That’s a significant amount.

Auto Insurance Rates by US State

Just in case you’re curious, here is Insure.com’s rankings of States for car insurance policies for one year.

	State	Insurance Quote
1	Michigan	$2738
2	Montana	$2297
3	New Jersey	$1905
4	Louisiana	$1842
5	Oklahoma	$1778
6	DC	$1773
7	California	$1752
8	Florida	$1654
9	Maryland	$1610
10	Rhode Island	$1608
11	Delaware	$1607
12	Georgia	$1559
13	Texas	$1510
14	West Virginia	$1456
15	Wyoming	$1421
16	Colorado	$1393
17	Connecticut	$1367
18	South Carolina	$1353
19	Arkansas	$1345
20	Alabama	$1337
21	Massachusetts	$1325
22	Pennsylvania	$1305
23	Kentucky	$1295
24	New Mexico	$1277
25	Mississippi	$1277
26	Oregon	$1267
27	Minnesota	$1257
28	Nevada	$1221
29	North Dakota	$1200
30	Nebraska	$1188
31	Arizona	$1188
32	South Dakota	$1168
33	Washington	$1168
34	Tennessee	$1145
35	Kansas	$1135
36	Indiana	$1113
37	Alaska	$1078
38	Utah	$1061
39	Missouri	$1056
40	New York	$1050
41	Hawaii	$1049
42	Illinois	$1035
43	Virginia	$1020
44	Iowa	$989
45	North Carolina	$987
46	Vermont	$942
47	New Hampshire	$941
48	Idaho	$935
49	Wisconsin	$912
50	Ohio	$900
51	Maine	$808

Cheapest Cars, Truck and SUVs to Insure

Are you looking for the cheapest auto insurance? Check out usage based insurance and consider buying an old car. Here’s Yahoo’s list of the cheapest cars and SUV’s to insure:

1. Honda Odyssey LX – annual insurance premium: $1113 per year.

2. Honda CR-V LX – annual insurance premium: $1,170.

3. Dodge Grand Caravan – annual car insurance premium $1,174.

4. Jeep Wrangler Sport – annual car insurance premium $1,181.

5. Jeep Compass Sport 2WD – annual car insurance premium $1,190

6. Ford Escape S 2WD – annual car insurance premium $1,194.

7. Buick Encore Sport Tour 2WD – annual car insurance premium $1,200.

8. Jeep Cherokee Base 2WD – annual car insurance premium $1,203.

9. Nissan Frontier S King Cab – annual car insurance premium $1,204

Here’s something to think about to motivate you: a savings of almost $1000. How long does it take you to earn $1000 x the next 4 years = $4000. Because, insurance buyers tend to be loyal (or just lazy) and stick with the insurance company that’s sticking it to them. If that’s you, then, spend a whole afternoon or evening searching for a lower auto insurance quote. Save your money.

Sharing is Good for Your Social Health, and good for others bank accounts. Help them save by sharing this post! Who couldn’t use all that money?

A survey by carinsurance.com (they do these studies for PR and for wider exposure in social media and Google) so take it with a grain of salt. Carinsurance.com stated that in California, the average annual premium across the six top carriers was $1,428 (significantly higher than national average of $1,277). The cheapest car insurance averaged an amazing 33% less, at $960.

The Type of Car you Drive is a Key Factor

You may not realize that the insurance companies offer cheaper insurance for a certain type or brand of vehicle. Jeeps for instance have very cheap rates. Why? Who knows? They’re not divulging anything that will cause them to lose profit. Obviously, your age, sex, and recent driving record will determine if you can get those best rates. Are new electric cars like the Tesla Model 3, Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf the way to go?

Find the lowest insurance rates in your city: Los Angeles car insurance, Boston auto insurance, Phoenix car insurance, San Francisco car insurance, San Diego car insurance, Seattle car insurance, New York car insurance, Indianapolis car insurance, Detroit car insurance, Philadelphia auto insurance, Toronto car insurance, or Chicago car insurance.

Inforgraphic courtesy of Enhance Insurance – Automobile Insurance facts in all 50 states

Auto Insurance Resources

Car Insurance requirements in California:

Car Insurance requirements in New York:

Auto Insurance Coverage Requirements in Texas

Auto Insurance Coverage requirements in Florida

Auto Truck Insurance requirements in Illinois

Car Insurance minimum coverage requirements in Ohio

Car Insurance coverage requirements in Massachusetts

Lowest Auto Insurance Coverage in a City Near You

I welcome all inquiries from businesses inLos Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Calgary, Kelowna, Mississauga, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mountainview, Palo Alto, Portland, Washington, Atlanta, Irvine, Nashville, Sunnyvale, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Costa Mesa, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Glendale, Oceanside, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, Santa Clarita, Henderson, Mesa, Temecula, Kirkland, Redmond, Kansas City, St Louis, Stockton, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, Columbus, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Chula Vista, Escondido, Santa Monica, Miami Beach, and Honolulu.

February 8, 2018March 13, 2018

Stock Market Crash 2018? – Predictions Signals Indicators Market Watch – 2018 2019 Forecast

Stock Market Correction or Crash?

Is what happened this week just a correction to a booming market with excessively high stock price valuations, or is it the beginning of a stock market crash?

Experts are scrambling to understand what’s happening but while we’re waiting why not jump in and analyze this while we’re waiting? Sound like a plan?

At this point, the depressing culprit seems to be the persistent announcement of the Fed interest rate hikes. It’s almost a papparazzi thing now. However, when those comments are fed into AI trading bots algorithms, it might become contagion for other markets.

The market correction on the Dow, Nasdaq, S&P, FTSE and TSX isn’t over it seems.

In early February, the US stock markets including the Dow Jones, NASDAQ, and the S&P fell 5% to 10%. The Dow plummeted 1600 on Monday the worst single day correction in its history.

Will this persistent volatility on the DOW, NASDAQ, S&P, FTSE, and TSX become a contagion that affects other markets such as the housing markets? People used the big loss day on Monday as a marker, but perhaps tomorrow will be a new marker?

As an investor, do you need to know the causes of the volatility and correction? Right now, the market has recovered and the US dollar is gaining strength. Yet trade deal turbulence could cause a wobble in global markets. The world is still dependent on the US economy.

Will there be a housing crash in 2018/2019? Jobs are up, but consumer mood is at a 6 month low.

Investors are nervous. Experts believe the stock correction was due to Fed Interest rate intentions (are they really fighting inflation?), or ETFs or AI guided trading bots. Since there was no emotion before the mini crash last Friday, it appears the slide was quietly caused by AI trading bots working for large funds.

This post delves briefly into the theory and factors involved in market crashes, corrections and selloffs including government meddling and AI systems (Note: even the people who make Artificial intelligence and self-learning algorithms have admitted they don’t understand how the AI systems make decisions. They learn and make decisions independent of human input and may not be able to report to humans how and why they acted).

As time passes and bots do more of the trading, investors are left with fewer clues as to what is moving the markets and when it’s time to get out. That fear could lead to panic selling next time.

Global stock markets were deeply impacted in the last few days, letting everyone know that markets are connected, even the housing market.

The TSX dropped another 271, and NASDAQ is down 273 points on the day. It’s been more than a correction or sell off, and looking more like a mini-crash is under way. CNBC’s Jim Cramer is calling it a “Flash Crash.”

Largest intraday point drop for Dow in history from CNBC.

The price of oil and CAD vs USD exchange rate has dropped significantly as well. It’s an interestign time for forex brokers and foreign exchange forecasts.

Housing is great too, although amid the housing market predictions is some worry of a serious housing crash.

Lately, the mood has been so positive that investors are gladly ponying up big money for stocks. It’s difficult for anyone to visualize the perils of an overly positive mindset — Euphoria. Are we in the housing euphoria bubble?

Stock price rises will continue in 2018, however, when and how will this amazing bull market end? Lets take a good look at the issue without any counterbalancing rhetoric which prevents us from digging in and exploring the stock market crash mechanisms and theories.

The Dow, S&P and NasDaq all hit new record highs in 2017 and stock valuations are very high, perhaps too high to justify. The recent volatility of bitcoin might be worth mentioning because a few are suggesting it cause trouble for the stock markets. Many investors don’t seem to know what bitcoin is worth.

And given how complex markets, businesses, and computer trading is, investors really don’t know what could happen.

Will the Market Bubble Collapse?

Some experts suggest a stock market bubble is about to burst sometime between now and 2020. Other forecasters refer to government reactions and politicies as the key determinant or crash factor. You’ll hear them in the videos below.

Some even point to the fact that Warren Buffet is sitting on a mountain of cash rather than holding stock. And his stock market indicator is pointing to a crash.

As you’ll see in Tony Robbins prediction video below, people will make money on the market crash (including those selling short). And others will lose everything. Let’s look at the prospect of a stock market crash and hear from experts.

Could we say this crash will be like a series of wobbly dominoes that begin falling, while overconfident officials feel they can reach out and stop the crashing tiles?

Some are looking at the housing market as ripe for a crash. There’s been persistent rumors of crashes in Miami, Denver, Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver up in Canada. Yet none of these markets could crash easily. The economy is okay and there are too many people who need homes.

Too Much Overvaluation, Optimism and Growth?

Some experts cite the euphoria of stock markets during their bull runs. They suggest the heightened unrealistic expectations create a platform for disaster and when reality strikes, truth launches panicked sell offs. Some say the overvalued stocks, economy, and general optimism present right is a sure predecessor of a crash. It may have been that way in 1987.

Stock values have reached levels not seen since those two disasters and a correction would throw the world economy – currently seeing an ongoing boom period – into disarray — news report.

Stock prices and housing prices have ridden on a tide of low interest rates, demographic changes, government stimulation, foreign trade, technology, and more. At the end of a long business cycle, consumers are satiated. But do consumers have all they want? Are investors ready to leave US stock markets for gold and currency?

What do the Historical Stock Timeline Charts Say?

This chart of the S&P index shows market crashes are uncommon.

Chart courtesy of http://directorblue.blogspot.ca

Economic indicators are traditionally used to identify potential crashes. Check out these top 6. Are investors so optimistic that economic data can be disregarded?

Graphic courtesy of Yahoo Finance – DJI up to 2018 Graphic courtesy of Yahoo Finance – NASDAQ up to 2018

Is What Happened in Previous Market Collapses Relevant?

Bearish experts will rely on history, and history likely will side with a crash outcome between 2018 and 2020.

The following day, Black Tuesday, was a day of chaos. Forced to liquidate their stocks because of margin calls, overextended investors flooded the exchange with sell orders. The Dow fell 30.57 points to close at 230.07 on that day. The glamour stocks of the age saw their values plummet. Across the two days, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 23% – from Wikipedia

Panic – Where Reasoning Disappears

Panic emotions of investors and government leaders is the X Factor. Today, markets are driven by computer algorithms that act faster, and still ultimately controlled by emotional humans. If you’ve ever seen a stampede, you probably can visualize the events in 1929. Some are thinking that computer aided panic is what might happen.

Thursday marks the 30th anniversary of ‘Black Monday’ market crash from CNBC.

Sharing is Good for your Social Health!

Make sure your friends and family have a good lock on the economy and markets. These are scary times ahead.

AI Systems may Panic without Emotion

Artificial intelligence systems, trading algorithms, or AI predictive programs may even be more prone to panic because their actions are actually irrational. They’ll sell lightning fast without any reference to long term value.

When panic hits, the AI systems may become almost useless, other than predicting which stocks will crash slower.
In fact, such AI algorithms are so complex, the programmers can’t figure out how the AI systems are making their decisions. AI systems can’t describe why they make their decisions either.

The AI systems are increasingly autonomous, taking cues from market activity yet not really knowing what the activity means on a human emotional level. AI systems don’t really understand the human element of international trade and politics. Geopolitical risk is a major factor today.

If thinking about a US stock market crash is too difficult to visualize, you might consider selling soon. Getting greedy is one additional sign of irrational thinking that’s driving stock markets and housing markets currently.

Housing markets are key because real estate has been driving the economy for awhile. A bursting housing bubble could launch the landslide that takes down the stock markets.

Seriously, Could US Stock Markets Crash?

All positive economic cycles generally end with some sort of rapid descent, just like a roller coaster. That descent at the end is the rush out just like a stampede. It’s completely desperate and irrational.

Long term, everything returns to the equilibrium point. The stock market crash is the point where investors lose all confidence and decide to pull their money out pronto. Sell, Sell, Sell.

As a million dollar home owner or prospective buyer, you’re wondering when this record long economic boom will end.

An important signal is desperate buyers jumping into the housing market at excessively inflated prices, overly indebted and leveraged, they fall hard when the panic button gets pushed.

Cheap Financing Overcomes a Blocking of Housing Supply

When governments prohibit land development, it makes home prices rocket. More millennials wanting/needing homes, high immigration, rising income, low interest rates, cheap mortgages all together create the drive to buy a home.

Big money chases few homes, and when governments persist in stopping or not supporting land development, speculators become more confident prices will rise further.

Then a politician steps in with their solution, at the end of the business cycle where employent and profits will begin to drop. Speculators/investors pull out fast, and the slide begins.

Will the Housing Market Collapse Too?

Home prices are now around record levels, but there is low unemployment, low mortgage rates, and a huge population hoping to own. That’s desperation. Enter cheap financing companies giving buyers a hope at ownership, just like 2007, and a housing market collapse.

President Trump’s recent tax revamp is going to extend the cycle for sure. Yet that provides more time for the “crash factors” to form like clouds on a beautiful sunny day.

Business cycles form just like cold weather fronts over the prairies. They end in storms.

Have a read of Wikipedia’s description of market cycles and the various theories of why markets collapse and you’ll be more certain that they could indeed happen. From MIT’s inverse cubic power law, to chaos theory, researchers focus on the mathematical and technical elements.

The research on investor/debtor mimicry is worth a read too.

People follow each other blindly like they were tailgating each other on a high speed highway. If anything happens, there’s going to be a chain reaction crash.

The way the expert describe mimicry however makes it look like everyone abandoning ship so are they mimicking others, or just jumping off the ship at the same time? However, the fact investors simply copy others buying and investing behaviors makes the abandonment more likely.

The research suggests mimicry was present in most stock market crashes and housing crashes. The predictive behavior is nervousness about the market, followed by mimicry, followed by panic. That panic could be set off by anything because of investor/owner anxiety.

Let’s say Warren Buffet sells a huge array of stocks suddenly. That combined with news about an impending war, poor jobs report, and fast rising interest rates, could be all it takes.

None of the research however, seems to be applied to human expectations, human happiness, and human panic. Human’s don’t pay attention to historical trends and data, nor what AI systems advise. They generally pay attention to now just like herding animals before a stampede. The signal that sets the herd off, could be one or two animals stumbling over a pothole.

The final analysis would reveal that people sell stocks and housing when they believe strongly the market is heading down. That’s when the wealthy and speculative investors check out en masse.

With stock market prices and housing prices at record highs, even uneducated investors and home owners would be vulnerable to bad news and false outlooks.

Tony Robbins Predictions on the Market

Tony Robbins explains why this Stock market crash could be the single best opportunity of your lifetime.

The major media networks might exaggerate some financial, political and consumer facts an launch a slide. The general consensus of Internet users driven by a Facebook/Twitter/Instagram mentality could easily exaggerate threats.

Major geopolitical actions might actually mean nothing materially for the markets, but if interpreted otherwise, it could start a slide that governments couldn’t stop.

In this video, Peter Schiff talks about government action being the key thing to predict a stock market slide.

The latest theory of RR Reversal has it that all markets suffer a pullback of 10 to 40%. So empirical data and events are the basis of future action.

Given the success of political correctness, fake news, and social media pressure, it’s not hard to see a big pull back driven by emotional investors and buyers. That could launch political reaction which magnifies the issue.

As good as prognosis the US economy has, there are a lot of human emotional factors that could launch a recession.
Let’s not forget that we’re a long way into this business cycle. The end is surely in sight. While not everyone is satiated and ready to stop spending, many wealthy people are.

The wealthy have unusually powerful vote about trends. When they pull out of the economy, that news will be heard by AI systems and human investment advisors.
When the panic button gets pushed this time, it will be the shock wave before the tsunami.

Even if we turn everything over to artificial intelligence systems, our global economy is new. The AI systems are seeing a new environment with new players. Chinese buyers and investors think differently than US bankers or European politicians. And a herd of 1.5 billion panickers is a scary thought.

Given the battle between Trump and his enemies, it’s an emotional environment that fuels income for news media. As you know, they need sensationalism to pay their bills. That smoke screen is enough to keep people off balance and insensitive to the real investment issues. At some point, in emotional confusion, the stampede could take place.

Most forecasting models don’t go beyond 2020 or 2024, and that in itself might give you pause for thought. The fact that investors, homebuyers, and corporations can’t visualize 2 years ahead is worrisome, especially since experts have access to all the data.

Too many forecasters, economists, and business people look at data, but is data just a false cue and where everyone reacts too late?

Screen capture courtesy of CNBC

Robert Shiller himself isn’t alarmed at the CASE ratio. He suggests that investors diversify their investments. That would help allay panic type behavior.

The Stock Market Crash Acelerators and Signals

Paying attention to economic changes and other signals could give you forewarning of what could happen from 2018 to 2020. If relying solely on professional stock market experts and news stories would not be wise. As the overall indicators move relentlessly high, it might provide a clear signal that market is cresting, and will head back down to equilibrium.

One clear signal might be excess in demand which draws money and government reaction.

Here’s a BIG list of housing market crash factors to look for:

stock prices at record levels
government passes complicated new tax bills that confuse and make investors uncertain
geopolitical events disturb international trade relationships and flow of goods/money
inflation and wages rise faster
housing prices peak
consumer product surpluses
natural end of a long business cycle
stock price to earnings ration too high (Shiller Pace is above 30)
misery index rises (unemployent rate + inflation rate)
the NAAIM index is too high (professional investors optimism)
growing market fear that may induce panic (investment advisors, market experts, bloggers)
assets have peaked in profit performance and wealthy begin to unload
too much consumer debt combined with risky investments (housing) and rising unemployment
corporate-Equities-to-GDP Ratio
accidental or emotional timing of government fiscal events (China preventing funds exodus)
key corporate failures in financial sector (bank, mortgage company, investment firm)

When do you think this current bull run in the markets will end? Will it be soft or a loud crash?

Note: The statements and information presented in this post is not intended as professional investment advice. It is solely an exploration of stock investing and the risks, perils, and behavior of stock markets and the economy. No one should rely on a single source of information or a single stock market and investing professional’s advice. The overall message of the post might be to diversify stock, real estate, and cash/gold holdings as a hedge against stock market crashes. Investors should look into hedging strategies but be aware that even hedging may provide limited protection from a crash.

December 16, 2017April 10, 2018

Real Estate Leads | Lead Generation California Texas New York Florida Arizona Georgia Toronto Vancouver

Real Estate Leads & Lead Generation

Spring will be here soon and you’re on the hunt for high quality buyer and seller leads looking for houses for sale. They’re online and if you don’t have a great web presence, you might still be able to leverage lead generation services or advertise on good real estate sites.

Contact me about advertising on my site. I have high volume pages that might work for you including city specific markets in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Miami, and Florida, Houston. (1 million visitors per year)

Good Exposure for $200/month for Realtors on the Move.

Companies which specialize in attracting real estate leads are known as lead generation companies. They advertise houses for sale and other remarketing advertising on Facebook and Google Adwords along with blogs and news sites to cull leads. They promise to rid you of the advertising and prospecting work and accelerate the lead generation process.

Unfortunately, when scraping for leads this way, a lot of poor quality leads are served up to participating Realtors. And the terms of the arrangement may not be attractive.

If it worked, who wouldn’t sign up? Well, nothing’s ever that easy. So let’s take a closer look.

Realtors from Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, San Diego, Seattle, New York, Vancouver and Toronto are wanting something better. Is it too good to be true?

Buyer sand Sellers. Find Good Real Estate Leads Fast!

There’s nothing wrong with fast, if it’s real. It can happen, and you shouldn’t be afraid to spend. Here’s 20 top lead generation services with a look at their strengths and limitations.

Leads Generated Still Need to Be Converted

This post is an exploration of 18 of the top online real estate lead generation companies in the US and Canada. And 2 more including Zillow Leads. There’s more new lead generation startups arriving every week.

Acquiring leads this way won’t hurt, however converting leads has a lot to do with brand image. Even if they agree to work with you right away on the phone call, they will Google you online and visit your website. Who wouldn’t? Trust, transparency, responsiveness, and proven competence are what motivate them.

There’s no doubt you can sign a client right away, however you probably need to take a hard look at your online presence and ask yourself whether you like what you see. Would you hire you?

Real Estate Leads Fact Number 1 — 90% of Home Buyers Go Online

90% of home buyers go online, and you need to be in front of them and number one in your Zip Code. Home sellers are there too checking out comps and searching using keyword phrases such as home selling tips, best return on home renovations to homes for sale + cityname, to bidding wars and best real estate agents. They’re doing hundreds of millions of searches using Google, Zillow, Realtor.org, Yahoo, and thousands of other websites.

Make sure you’re highly visible on Google for all of them. Set up an amazing new mobile friendly IDX website, with outstanding, professionally optimized content, use some real estate videos, and do a little pay per click advertising. Build a strategic plan, then work the plan.

With spring markets so inviting in Los Angeles, San Diego, Toronto, Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle Phoenix, Charlotte, and Miami, you’ll want to maximize your presence now.

Sharing is Good for your Social Health

Share this post with other agents you know.

Who are Lead Generation Companies?

These are firms who provide buyer (or sometimes seller) leads for realtors, using methods of aggregating online prospects (most often via Google Adwords or cheap ad networks) which they then sell to realtors. 3 drivers promote the growth: a lot of prospects are online, home buying is in a frenzied state right now, and the fact there is only one home sold for each realtor in North America — there are too many realtors and most have few quality leads.

agents-6 deals or less — Realty agents in the hot Toronto market face the same challenge as those in other US and Canadian cities

Questions: Let’s assume they can generate solid leads.

do you have the patience and skill to nurture and close these types of leads?
do you have a website that can help convert them?
what is the real cost of doing business with them?
would a luxury home owner from your target community use their websites?
can you respond to these cold leads fast?

Here’s Some Leads, but Let’s See You Try to Convert Them

The way these lead generators collect leads may be why they could be of poor quality. Ad campaigns, auto-dialers, and sketchy email lists of people make for testy, suspicious prospects. And these are someone else’s leads — they initiated them, which takes the warm and fuzzy out of it. Anything transferred from one person/company to another loses something in the process – the problem is lead quality and lead conversion.

Some realtors say these leads are hard to close while others treat them like flies at a picnic. They’re basically cold calls and the prospect knows nothing about realtor’s brand image or honesty. And how do real agents and brokers feel about lead generators?

I’ve never found an online lead generation system worth the investment. Better to cut out the middle man (Internet) and just get out there and meet… people! — John Souerbry, Agent, Fairfield, CA —

I have never bought a lead. I don’t think that is the way to be successful in this business. You need to spend your money developing a strong internet presence. — Carmen Brode, Agent, Scottsdale, AZ

It’s very expensive to purchase online leads. I’ve paid as much as $4,000 per month, but today I spend about $500 monthly. — Brian Talley, broker-owner, Austin, TX

Here’s 18 of the most visible lead generation companies onlinealthough new ones are coming. I’m leaving out realtor.com, and Zillow Leads because they’re more like Google or Facebook advertising programs. Some are well known while others are regional or startups. They all seem to be missing the vital component that creates genuinely good deals (in your target Zip Code) – the ideal customer experience from beginning to end.

The Good and the Bad about Paid Lead Generation

With some of them, the fees are low, sometimes only $20 a month and other times a little high, but almost never outrageous. For most, it’s like playing the penny slot machines at the casino. There’s a chance you could win, but is the payout worth it?

A few of the companies you’ll see below actually have you set up an account to be available for leads. Sort of like realtors sitting around a poker table. If you don’t respond fast, the lead is sent to someone else. In other cases, you will have to “buy your territory.” The lead gen firms will push you in that direction once they have you on the hook.

Before you hire a lead generation company, consider how home buyers and home sellers themselves buy and sell a condo, home or property. They likely already know a local realtor or they’ll go to Google to search. So online is a great place to be to lure the prospect away from his/her familiar agent.

Real Estate Search: Prospects begin with Google even though they could go directly to realtor.com or realtor.ca for MLS listings in their Zip code, or a major brokerage website such as remax.com, sothebys.com or kellerwilliams.com. Google has a better brand, a better search experience, and it leads to realtor’s websites or phone numbers where they can begin a trusting relationship with that agent.

Few condo or home sellers would type their personal details into the text box of an unknown website. And buyers are normally pretty cautious too. They want to get to know the realtor, so they’ll Google his or her name and if that discovery experience is unsatisfying, it dampens their spirit. That’s why it’s a good idea to be online in a good way – i.e., a great realtor brand image — an image built on prospects needs and preferences.

Google Adwords is the Lead Generator’s “Go to Source”

Google Adwords and remarketing programs could capture some good leads online. The highest quality leads will often originate from Google. However, most realtors could do this advertising themselves assuming they have a website with lead converting webpages. These programs are just a normal part of what a real estate digital marketer would offer along with lasting, sustainable, marketing assets.

Would I recommend using the lead generation companies? If they’re very cheap you probably don’t have much to lose other than your time, yet you could get distracted and fail to put 100% into your career. If you’re bright, you may learn a little about how they generate and convert leads.

Top Real Estate Lead Generation Websites

1. Bold Leads – Bold leads advertises on unspecified networks to capture leads and direct them to you. If the lead doesn’t give away info, boldleads will continue to nuture the lead for you. You are given your own landing page on the boldleads site.

2. Agent Locator – tells you straight they’ll conduct your ppc advertising and generate 480 leads for $6000. I like how they’re open about it. It may be worth gambling $6000 to try it out.

3. Market Leader – Aggregates leads from their own site called homevalues.com, Trulia.com, and via ppc advertising. Market Leader guarantees they won’t sell the lead to another agent. You get to manage it all from your “Pro” account.
realtyleads18

4. Point2Homes Leads – offers low priced straight forward advertising options on its website where prospects arrive to search for a home. They also provide you with a webpage on their site.

5. Real Estate Pipeline Leads – Real Estate Pipeline Leads says it has a network of real estate sites where it draws leads, and it gives realtors full ownership of their territory, although the size of that territory isn’t explained. Drip email campaigns are a big part of their service. Their basic package is $1164 for 12 leads.

6. Agent Pronto Leads – Agent Pronto is different. There’s no upfront charge for leads! You will only be matched to referrals who have specifically requested to speak with an agent. They match each referral with a single agent that they believe is the best fit for their needs. Once you accept the referral, they provide your with the prospect’s full information and the details from their conversation with them. Sounds good. Their site looks a little lacklustre, but give them a good look.

7. South Florida Real Estate Leads – This firms specializes in south Florida leads. They say they have a variety of sources of leads. It appears to be owned by Lex Levinrad who is a real estate coach and owner of the Distressed Real Estate Institute™

8. Offrs – Offrs uses vague sounding smart technology to find homeowners who are going to put their house on the market. It’s based on predictive algorithms or just social listening perhaps. If it works, it would be very exciting technology.

Combine that with communications that encourage homeowners to actually sell the property and that could be very powerful, particularly right now in places such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto and Vancouver where prices are very high. They list by territory, but sadly your territory or Zip Code may be taken.

9. Trulia – Offers a service for seller leads with Market Leader, a company that was in severe trouble before the purchase. Trulia is no Zillow, but it does have some traffic.

10. Prime Seller Leads – Prime Seller leads creates a bunch of pages on their site for you. The CMS offers the ability to send epostcards and eflyers and their system integrates with many broker CMS.
11. eRealting – eRealting doesn’t sell leads, they give you a website to send all your traffic to! It’s kind of a CMS for rent. They state that it costs about $300 to create a client in their solution.

12. Lead Galaxy – Lead Gives you a home for your leads and uses the usual combo of Adwords, Facebook ads and telephone prospecting to create leads.

13. Experian – Experian is a research and statistics business who have mailing lists of potential buyers and sellers. You can build your list online.

14. Exact Data – Exact Data gets its lead list from telemarketing, opt in emails, and lists of prospective buyers and sellers. They claim superior data hygiene, however most list companies promise that.

15. Commissions Inc. Lead Platform – Commissionsinc claims they are the #1 Real Estate Tech Solution. They offer a platform and an app to manage your leads. They will run your Adwords and Facebook advertising campaigns for you. Sounds like a lot of noise. The value proposition is a little flaky.

16. Firepoint Realty Leads – Firepoint says they deliver scalable lead generation with intelligent routing, to automated lead follow-up and task scheduling, to ROI and conversion reporting for all of your lead sources. The price is $350/month and you set you PPC budget which they manage. Is this better than a self-directed digital marketing program?

17. Home Value Leads – Home Value Leads offers a CMS system for $59/month.

18. Refindly Seller Leads – REfindly helps you generate, engage, and convert leads using one convenient system. They claim that historically, their agents receive between 5 and 8 leads per $100 spent in advertising. You can spend as much as you like on ppc advertising and they give you a lead management system to use.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to leads and sales, dollars and time. I must say, I like Agent Pronto, and Offrs best.

Even the best lead generation sources and sites can be a negative if you neglect to build your own Internet presence and realtor brand image. People want to do business with those they know and trust.

Should getting known and trusted be your Job #1 in 2018?

Real Estate Lead Generation Company in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Calgary, Kelowna, Mississauga, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mountainview, Palo Alto, Portland, Washington, Atlanta, Irvine, Nashville, Sunnyvale, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Costa Mesa, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Glendale, Oceanside, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, Santa Clarita, Henderson, Mesa, Temecula, Kirkland, Redmond, Kansas City, St Louis, Stockton, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, Columbus, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Chula Vista, Escondido, Santa Monica, Miami Beach, and Honolulu. Find a Los Angeles Real Estate Agent who has the very best real estate marketing wizard to help you sell your home for more.

November 11, 2017February 28, 2018

Houses For Sale – How to Find a Better Home for Sale ⌂ Los Angeles Phoenix New York Texas Florida Illinois

Find Houses for Sale with this Super Strategy

Shop online for groceries, car insurance, or houses for sale, you’ll get better results by searching. In the case of home shopping, you’re going to save tens of thousands of dollars and get the home you want in the neighborhood you want.

That’s the beautiful thing about the Internet — a boundless number of sites that compete for your business. There is no one single source for condos and houses for sale. They all compete but they don’t cooperate.

Below is an integrated home search strategy that will your make your house for sale search quest exciting and help you find the best property. You can still use a Realtor, but with this you’re still in charge and your Realtor will have to work to represent you.

People have so many hopes tied to acquiring a house (and dream home) yet most homes available for sale are a poor fit and a bad investment. You don’t have to setlle. When you limit your search, you ruin your chance to be happy. Google is a great help. Lots of help in finding open houses. But first, create a home search plan.

Seriously? A Home Search Plan?

Those who don’t plan, plan to fail. A bad choice has such serious consequences in money and happiness. Take your time. And some selection criteria are more important than others. List the must haves in your search and don’t deviate too far from. Here’s a few examples:

which specific zip codes or neighbourhoods are right for your family? Find zip code neighborhood ratings and eliminate those with high crime ratings, no green space, recreation, inconvenient shopping, poor roads and utilities, poor schools quality
excessive commute times? (how much can tolerate?)
what size home do you need? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?
age and condition of home? (headaches and heartaches)
what price range do you qualify for? How much for house, how much for renovations to improve bathrooms or create open concept layout?
what downpayment should you have? (private financing)
what payments can you manage? (house poor and depressed?)
what will you absolutely not accept? (bad neighbors, viscious dogs, radio, swearing, drugs, drinking; and now you’ll take your time to make sure these awful things aren’t next door to you and your kids.)
how much capital gains will you need over ten years? (you’ll eventually sell this house)

Realtor Systems are for Creating Sales

You’re not a transaction, you’re a family with a future. Keep in mind that Realtor type systems aim to sell you a house fast, not to let you get picky. They might not even know about recent crime in the neighborhood or the condition and cost to upgrade the home to healthy.

You may need to go online, or use social media listening tools to learn of bad things in the neighborhood. At some point, your kids will come to face to face with them.

setup a separate, new email address for the house hunting project only
find your own home inspector
use all the home finding sources below

Check out the housing markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Boston, and Miami. The Florida housing forecast should be of keen interest to northern retirees and investors weighing the value of rental properties.

It’s understandable that you want to get right at it, and search for a few possibilities online or just call a Realtor™. That’s not wise. It’s far better to create your own web of contacts and resources. This big machine will help you tap into the biggest pool of homes and leads. I have a collection of home search resources that will give you better results than any Realtor™. And you’ll find 16 tips on homes for sale searching below too — a pro researcher’s process to help you scan for the best homes for sale online and select the right one. We’re going to get you on the sure path to your dream home — a powerful investment and a launchpad to a happy life.

Sharing is Good for Your Social Health

Please share this huge list of amazing property listing sites that have homes for sale below with your friends and family. Help them get the best and avoid the worst. This could be life saving!

Whether as a home or as a property investment income generator, you’re smart. It’s the one investment that creates additional streams of revenue from renters to solar roof panels to tax write offs.

With these tips and resources you can search and drill down to find the best homes for sale, including those not listed on the MLS. Google alerts can help you find new property listings that appear on websites, pages that aren’t very well promoted, because the real estate agent doesn’t want to spend money on Internet marketing.

Don’t rely on lazy Realtors — take massive action to find all potential properties for sale and work with winners.

17 Tips for Home Searching – Online and Offline

visualize the type of home you want and avoid buying whatever the market has up for sale
list your home feature priorities as a guide to keep you on track (e.g.,# of bedrooms floors and washrooms, square footage, distance to school or park, price point)
research the best cities and zip codes with good schools, low crime rate, lower taxes, and lower density
check out the home price history in the city, neighborhood/zip code, comps for similar houses, and the frequency of sales in the neighborhood
do an online search of the street, neighbors, and see what comes up
get preapproved and know how much you qualify for and how you will manage paying the home loan payments for years — don’t waste time searching for homes $100k above your budget
search for the best mortgage deal online – don’t get stuck with a local mortgage agent who sweet talks you into a less than ideal solution
find a good home inspector you can rely on to give you the best insight into the home’s condition
search online for a good realtor, and do not just call one and settle — ask questions about experience, marketing skills, sales and negotiation experience, references, communication skills, and check their website out thoroughly — is this someone who is really into being a Realtor?
connect with many different Realtors since each of them have their own connections and opportunities — the more the better
search online using a variety of sources and get alerts from many Realtors and Google alerts on new properties
before you go to a showing, create a spreadsheet chart that lists each feature you must have and below some nice to have’s and give them a 1 to 3 rating each – bold the top 3 must haves.
measure your furniture and list them on a piece of paper and when you arrive at the home, sketch out the home layout and its dimensions – you can review them later when you have more time to think about everything you need in this home — don’t be impulsive but instead be critical, because if you like it, you’ll get your endorphin boost later
pretend you’re a home inspector and walk around the property and the neighborhood — get a feel for this location and whether you feel comfortable, and take note of the attitude of your neighbors — you’ll be seeing them often
take lots of photos inside the home – zoom in on the kitchen, bathroom, so you’ll have these for future reference when you’re comparing homes
ask to see the actual tax statements and utility bills
check the homeowner’s social pages and Google them thoroughly

Is the home you’re searching for Tech Friendly? Even Millennial aged buyers forget this factor when attending open houses or showings. Tech-friendly is in.

Infographic courtesy of Porch and https://www.pinterest.com/pin/569142471629698008/

Before you buy, make sure you learn more about the housing market, (e.g., Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Charlotte, Seattle, and Vancouver). These are exceptionally hot markets where you’ll find high priced properties. For other lower priced markets see the cities page. Learn more about cities at city-data.com.

Best Places to Search for a Home

Looking in all the wrong places? There’s a cure for that — the right places. Take your time and peruse all of these so you craft a better understanding of the home search process.

Homes for Sale in Los Angeles – Search for dream properties in LA – owners list in Dream Homes Magazine to reach the wealthy clientele.
Homes for Sale in San Diego – Dream Homes has the best coverage of San Diego.
Luxury Homes for Sale above $10 Million+ For the world’s wealthiest 1%, Mega Dream Homes is the place to visit. Find a super luxury home real estate agent.
Homes for Sale in New York – Zillow is one site you need to use more often. They operate outside of the MLS system and can help you find additional properties.
Homes for Sale Silicon Valley CA – Sothebys has its own set of luxury home listings in the lucrative market in Silicon Valley.
Homes for Sale San Francisco – Century 21 is yet one more channel to search in the scarce San Francisco market.
Luxury Homes for Sale San Jose CA – Luxury Portfolio has additional opportunties you should get connected with.
Homes for Sale Seattle – Redfin could be an aid to your search in 2017.
Find new homes for sale in Canada at Buzzbuzzhomes.
How about a new home in Phoenix via the New Home Source?
Check out Boston’s hot home market with Coldwell Banker Realty
Search for Bargains in Calgary Alberta – The Saudis are already jacking up the price of oil and guess who has oil? Calgary Home Boys know the Calgary market.
Movoto is yet another resource to help you find homes in Chicago.
Homes for Sale Salt Lake City – How about Ziprealty for a unique selection of properties.
Denver Home search – should foreclosures be a part of your search?
Condo investments in Miami – Are condos good investments?
I wouldn’t recommend Craiglist real estate to find Atlanta homes for sale right now, however in a few years, it might be a relevant source.
How about searching an FSBO site for Homes for sale in Denver?
Find a home in Houston with Better Homes and Gardens
Dallas homes searches using an auction service?
Keller Williams is yet one more search option in Philadelphia
Search the scarce listings of homes in Vancouver for sale on Point2point.
If you’re patient and want a lower initial investment point in your home investment strategy you could keep informed with distressedpropertiessale.com
Find the best bargain properties via the Times Picayune in New Orleans.
Looking for investment property in San Antonio? Asking an experienced income property investor could be helpful.

Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin. It’s good to share!!

Bookmark this page and return for further housing market forecasts, predictions, expert opinions and market data for most major US cities including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, Newmarket/Aurora, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Calgary, Kelowna,Mississauga, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mountainview, Palo Alto, Portland, Washington, Atlanta, Irvine, Nashville, Sunnyvale, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Costa Mesa, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Glendale, Oceanside, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, Santa Clarita, Henderson, Mesa, Temecula, Kirkland, Redmond, Kansas City, St Louis, Stockton, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, Columbus, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Chula Vista, Escondido, Santa Monica, Miami Beach, and Honolulu.

October 3, 2017March 25, 2018

Best Home Renovations to Help Sell Your House Now or in 2018

What are the Best Home Renovations for Maximum ROI?

Home prices may be plateauing but we’re far from a housing crash or stock market crash in 2018. If you think selling your home is the prudent decision, then it’s time to create a plan that includes dressing it up for market.

You can sell your house for more with a blitz marketing strategy and by doing some renovation. You don’t have to advertise it of course. Let buyers be amazed with your upgraded home.

Below are the Top 10 House Renos and links to other helpful resources to assist in your reno decision and sell it for the highest price. You’ll find it does make a difference in your sales results.

Which are the renovations that will bring the biggest return in 2018? You might be intrigued by the numbers from Metrostudy’s renovation index and report for the last quarter. Homeowners and sellers are spending 5% more on renos and they’re likely spending it in bathroom and kitchen upgrades or overhauls.

If you’re strategic, you might be able to get more professional results over several rooms, instead of use one room.

We’ve got the help of Houzz and the HGTV home renovation empire to help us stay on top of trends with a list of your best bets below.

With the real estate markets in some cities cooling (except Vancouver) and with a slight chance of a housing crash in cities such as the SF Bay Area, Toronto, Dallas, Denver and so on, homeowners are having to dress up their property to get a great price. If you can get the financing, and you choose the right renos that buyers like today, and it should be money well spent.

If your house is up for sale, you’ll need to do more in 2018. And why wouldn’t you go for the best return on your investment if you can? If you need some more motivation take a look at what they did to this cottage in Atlanta.

What is the Average Cost of a Home Reno?

Homeadvisor.com conducted a survey of almost 4,000 members of house renovation costs:

And How About that Beach House Reno?

Are you selling your oceanside or country cottage? With the prices Airbnb are charging for vacation rentals, make sure your prospective cottage buyers understand the full possibilities. Build the features that draw buyers and renters into a frenzy.

Photo by kelley gardner – Search exterior home pictures

What Chip and Joanna, and Drew and Jonathan Know

Final Season for Fixer Upper. We’ll miss Chip and Joanna.

The returns house flippers are getting on some houses (40%) suggests it is well worth it. And if the house is earning rental income returns, then it’s a no brainer if you can get the funding to proceed. Apart from tear downs, HGTV has shown that renos can elevate the price of normal homes considerably and help get the house sold fast.

The added beauty of your renovated house will help your Realtor to build a multiple offer, over asking buying frenzy. And that’s still happening now in the fall of 2017.

HGTV’s recent post on the best renovations to help sell a house sell includes these 10 possibilities:

Light Bathroom Reno: 98% ROI: Why only 98? Because a light reno may not remove the stagnancy of a bygone era nor the odor or wood rot! But it does get rid of the worst flooring and fixture issues.

2. Landscaping: 100% ROI: Why? Because value is about perception, especially public perception so anything to do with the exterior and curb appeal is evaluated strongly.

3. Light Kitchen Remodel: 98% ROI. Why? If the layout’s okay and it’s done right, it’s a great way to make the house look new, clean, functional, and inviting. Replace the flooring and fixtures and refinish the cabinets and it might do the trick. Buyers may overrate the importance of the kitchen these days. Something to consider.

4. Exterior Improvement: 95% ROI. Why? New siding adds energy efficiency and gives the house amazing curb appeal. Stone facades are very attractive but expensive. Siding still gets good reviews. Take a good look at the exteriors of new homes and adopt some ideas from them.

5. Attic Bedroom Conversion: 93.5% ROI. Why? An additional bedroom puts your house into a whole class of price, so any addition to code can help. The attic is popular with kids and offers great outside views.

Photo by Bright Common Architecture & Design – Discover bedroom design ideas

6. Major Bathroom Reno: 93% ROI. Why? Prestige. The new bathrooms usually have the latest in glass walls, high tech fixtures, soaking tubs, ceramic floors, recessed lighting, and big picture windows to make buyers believe they have their own soothing spa. Stress is a big negative in people’s lives.

Photo by Bubbles Bathrooms – Look for bathroom design inspiration

7. Major kitchen remodel: 91% ROI. Why? When Chip and Joanna, or the Property Brothers show the completed new kitchen reno, it’s modern, open concept, and gives buyers exactly what they want. Not just a kitchen, it’s more like a lifestyle command center with the best appliances and Chi possible.

Photo by Bloomsbury Kitchens and Fine Cabinetry – Look for kitchen design inspiration

8. Deck, Patio or Porch Addition: 90% ROI. Why? Well, you’ve watched enough Disaster Deck shows to know they create a whole new living space which makes the buyer think they’re getting a big bonus with a great view.

Photo by Greene & Grey Design – Look for deck pictures

9. Basement Remodel: 90% ROI. Why? This one’s a little dicey. Basements are typically not well used even when they’re halfway above ground. If a house has limited room upstairs then the basement reno makes a lot of sense and that’s where the return will be high.

Photo by Meadowlark Design+Build – Browse basement photos

10. Replacement Windows. 89% ROI. Why? If the old windows are shoddy and leaky, then you have no choice. Big picture windows, and casement windows that swing open for air movement are very functional. Can’t compare to a kitchen or bathroom reno, but with lower value houses, it could be the upgrade to go with.

Photo by – Browse exterior home ideas

Should you reno one room at a time?

How will costs factor into your reno decision?

5 Best design software tools to visualize your renovation.

Home design Trends from Architectural Digest.

Property Brothers discuss top 10 home renovation errors.

September 27, 2017February 4, 2018

Houses for Sale in Denver CO | Colorado Homes Detached Listings

Denver Houses for Sale

The housing market cooled just slightly this summer of 2017 in Denver. The average price of a detached house is hovering around $500,000 according to Realtor.com. This is consistent with price trends of houses for sale across the US.

Housing markets in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Francisco have seen the same moderation. Detached houses are tough to find in Denver, with only 3300 homes listed on Realtor.com however DMAR reports 7300 active listings in August 2017 which is a slight rise over July. Sales fell by 6% so we know homeowners will be a little more eager to take lower offers.

Find houses for sale in Denver with Zillow.

September 23, 2017February 21, 2018

Houses for Sale – Find Homes for Sale in Your City

Houses for Sale – Your Ultimate Source for Finding Homes for Sale

If you’ve read the housing forecast report, you know the availability of homes for sale is squeezed. A lot of properties aren’t even listed which will make it significantly difficult for you to find the property you’re dreaming of.

Real estate investors know fast about great homes for sale that offer the best investment value and there’s several ways they get first dibs on properties for sale.

Realtor Pocket Listings is one way they get connected to exclusive, quality houses. This is where the Realtor works both sides of a transaction and they keep the home listing to themselves hoping to broker it to their own pool of buyers. This works well in a market like we have now where houses for sale are rare.

Realtors will keep these listings quiet, so you need to be in contact with as many Realtors as possible, such as one from each major brokerage. The bottom line in finding your dream home or good investment property and houses for sale in your city is with a well rounded home search strategy.

Houses for Sale on the MLS

Remember that you may not see the best houses for sale on the MLS. You need to expand your search online using a variety of housing sources. Some services also do complex predictive analytics where they monitor social activity and other sources to find homebuyers and sellers who are exhibiting pre-sale behavior. This can be very good.

Realtor.com, Zillow, Remax, Trulia, Redfin, Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sothebys, and Craigslist might be the way to go, to find houses for sale, but you’re kind of getting the leftovers. It’s like searching for a job using the classifieds. These are the awful jobs companies can’t fill so they advertise and go through the painful process of employee selection. That’s a grind.

Finding the Best Houses for Sale

With real estate, you’re looking for the best properties, the good stuff, that no one knows about. It’s better to find the best rather than toiling with a Realtor sorting through a limited supply. However, it’s wise to use a Realtor as part of your quest to find the best homes, houses, condos, townhouses, apartments or income investment properties from Los Angeles to San Diego to Florida. Use the Zillow Home Search Tool to get started!

Investors, while you’re at it, get educated about the national housing forecast, and find housing markets where there is a good upside potential for ROI. Don’t stick to your local market just because you live there. There’s more potential in the best cities.

Our quest in this page is detached houses for sale in your city. Let’s get started!

Los Angeles Houses for Sale
San Diego Houses for Sale
San Fransisco Houses for Sale
Houses for Sale in Miami
Houses for Sale in Boca Raton
Houses for Sale Long Beach
Houses for Sale Fresno
Houses for Sale Oakland
Homes for Sale Riverside
Homes for Sale in Bakersfield
Homes for Sale Santa Ana
Houses for Sale in Seattle
Houses for Sale in Portland
Houses for Sale in Phoenix
Houses for Sale in Denver
Houses for Sale in the Bay Area CA
Houses for Sale in Boston
Houses for Sale in Tampa
Houses for Sale in Houston
Houses for Sale in Dallas
Houses for Sale in Charlotte
Houses for Sale in Toronto
Houses for Sale in Vancouver
Houses for Sale in Chicago
Houses for Sale in New York
Houses for Sale in Philadelphia
Houses for Sale in Minneapolis

September 13, 2017November 5, 2017

Explore New Markets – Focusing on the Best Cities in the US and Canada

Is It Time to Grow Your Business?

Surveys show many companies are happy with their digital marketing teams and sales performance. The economy is booming and times are good.

While things are so good, and you’re most able to expand, how outlandish would it be for you to explore new markets in the US and Canada? And over the next 6 months, you’ve got some time to build your business. And it’ll be fun.

Big Changes are Afoot

Globalization is moving more economic activity into major urban centers. A good example is Canada, where only the metro areas of Vancouver and Toronto are thriving. It’s the same in Massachusetts where Boston alone is thriving and it appears to be the same for other major US cities. This is what globalization does.

When you’ve drained the last bit of revenue in your city, it may be the right time to explore Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, along with Seattle, Denver, Tampa, Miami, New York, Phoenix, or Boston.

Why burn yourself out in an exhausted market with thin margins? Fun, new, fresh and lucrative are better.

I’ve Done it Before Successfully. It’s Definitely Worth It

These are superb markets where I’ve served many clients in diverse industries. The US cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, and San Diego in particular are a fantastic opportunity in volume and variety. An approach to deliver a fresh new service and approach they will love.

If you’re going to penetrate new markets, you must do it with focus on specific cities. A general approach, not adapted to the business and lifestyle in these cities won’t work. If you want to capture Los Angeles, SD County, or the booming lower mainland of BC, you need to drill down and have someone there.

Certainly there are challenges in expansion, yet comparatively today, success is much more common. And it can be conducted efficiently, beginning with a strategic plan and testing approach. The payoff could be a 100% to 200% growth in sales. The growth in my own solo consulting business revenue was 600% with my best year at $180k. For your business, the potential is obviously far higher.

From Los Angeles to Houston to Chicago and New York and Boston, to London UK, I’ve enjoyed developing new clients in many cities. It is a fun, fascinating and rewarding business opportunity.

Call me now at 416 998 6246 and to explore the opportunities.

QUICK LINKS:
Denver Real Estate Listing	Mortgage Rates	Refinancing
Denver Foreclosures	Mortgage Calculators	Purchase Loans

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California Real Estate Listing	Mortgage Rates	Refinancing
California Foreclosures	Mortgage Calculators	Purchase Loans