It’s Baby Boomers vs. Millennials in the Housing Market’s Hunger Games—Guess Who’s Winning?

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It’s baby boomers versus millennials in the housing market’s own version of “The Hunger Games.” And in today’s cutthroat environment, where there is a severe shortage of homes for sale and cash reigns supreme, boomers are winning the war, hands down.

The percentage of millennial and first-time homebuyers plummeted as they were confronted by record-high home prices, raging competition, and an influx of all-cash offers. Meanwhile, boomers—the wealthiest generation—went on a buying spree. Many of them traded one home for another, using the proceeds from their sales to purchase their next pieces of real estate. Some were able to do so without a mortgage, which created another substantial advantage.

“Many millennials could be looking at their boomer parents with a little envy this year,” says Jessica Lautz, the National Association of Realtors vice president of research. Boomers “were able to purchase their dream homes when millennials weren’t even able to find a home to compromise on.”

The report is based on a survey of nearly 5,000 buyers who purchased a primary residence in the 12 months ending June 2022.

6 Common Myths About USDA Home Loans (Hint: They Aren’t Just for Farms)

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In today’s high-priced, unpredictable housing market, selecting the right mortgage is a make-or-break moment. Choose right, and you could save many thousands of dollars on interest, closing costs, and more.

While many mortgage options are available, one type that’s often overlooked is a USDA loan from the United States Department of Agriculture—and it comes with a range of advantages.

“The benefits of a USDA loan are huge—no down payment required, frequently better interest rates than comparable conventional or government loans, reduced mortgage insurance called the USDA Guarantee Fee, and [acceptable] credit scores as low as 640,” says Tan Tunador, a senior loan officer with Atlantic Coast Mortgage in Loudon County, VA.

Despite all these money-saving perks, USDA loans are frequently passed over because they’re plagued by some persistent myths. To help clear up the confusion, here are some of the most rampant misconceptions about USDA loans, along with some reality checks.

From Showroom to Home: 5 Ways To Pull Off a Trauma-Free Furniture Delivery

Photo-Illustration by Realtor.com; Photos: Getty Images (2)

Wahoo! You’ve finally gotten around to replacing a couch that’s older than you are. Or maybe you’re investing in a king-size mattress that doesn’t leave your back all out of whack.

The only tiny problem with having large furniture delivered? Ensuring that each item is safely placed in the designated room, with your walls (and sanity) intact.

Maybe you live on the fifth floor of a building without an elevator. Or perhaps you have a narrow entryway that’s sure to challenge even the most experienced delivery crew. While some of these logistics can’t be avoided, there are ways to sidestep certain delivery-related pitfalls.

We spoke to furniture-delivery experts and gathered their top tips on how to prepare for the successful delivery of an oversized item—no matter where you live.




Striking New Jersey Home of a Macy’s Heir Shops for a Buyer for $1.5M

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A spectacular New Jersey home with incredible links to American history needs a new steward.

The 4,950-square-foot estate is in Red Bank, NJ, in the township of Middletown. It is situated on 12 acres and was originally built in 1930 for Herbert Straus. He was an heir of Macy’s department store co-owner, Isidor Straus.

Notably, Isidor Straus perished on the Titanic in 1912 with his wife, Ida, who refused a lifeboat seat in order to stay by her husband’s side as the ship was sinking.

As for Herbert Straus, he had the estate built in 1930, with materials transported from Europe. The picturesque place was originally set on 143 acres.









‘Rock the Block’ Sinks to a New Low They Won’t Even Call By Its Real Name

HGTV

This week’s “Rock the Block” sinks to a whole new level—all by bringing an oft-overlooked room to whole new heights.

In the episode “Lower Level Face Off,” the four design teams are challenged to renovate the basement—only, everyone shies away from calling it that, since the space is not completely underground. Windows allow in plenty of natural light, and you can walk right out into the backyard without climbing any stairs.

So instead, the competitors refer to the space as a “walkout.” Host Ty Pennington describes it another way, calling it “1,500 square feet of lower-level goodness.”

The teams—Bryan and Sarah Baeumler from “Renovation Island,” Michel Smith Boyd and Anthony Elle from “Luxe for Less,” Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin from “Farmhouse Fixer,” and Page Turner and Mitch Glew from “Fix My Flip”—are excited about all the possibilities in this giant space. But all are running low on cash, since most of them blew the bulk of their budgets on kitchens, living rooms, and main suites.

Tambour paneling
Kitchen with swinging barstools
Smart window that shades itself
Massage room in the lower level home spa
Custom bunk room

U.S. Home-Price Rises Slow Again in January, With Western Markets Leading Declines

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The numbers: U.S. home prices fell in January as buyers are finding it hard to stomach high mortgage rates and home prices.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city house price index fell 0.4% in January, for the seventh month in a row. All numbers are seasonally adjusted.

Year-over-year though house prices are still up 2.5%, but have slowed from a 4.6% increase in the previous month.

A broader measure of home prices, the national index, fell 0.2% in January, but was up 3.8% over the past year. The national index is also down for the seventh month in a row.


Former Red Sox Slugger Eric Hosmer Lists Massachusetts Mansion for $6.5M

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After being cut by the Boston Red Sox in December 2022, first baseman Eric Hosmer is swinging for a little profit from the sale of his West Newton, MA, home.

The historic, brick-front estate was built in 1936 and sits about 10 miles outside of Boston.

Hosmer and his wife, Kacie, purchased their “dream home” last September for $6,150,000, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It’s back on the market for $6,575,000—which translates to $814 per square foot of luxurious living space.









Take It Outside! Easy, Affordable Decor for the Backyard of Your Dreams

Photo courtesy of Magleby Construction via Houzz

As the weather warms up, homeowners are flocking to the great outdoors—right in their own backyards.

And shouldn’t that experience be as inviting and life-affirming as possible?

When it comes to outfitting your outdoor space, be sure to include the bare necessities—comfortable furniture and green plants to liven up the space, for starters.

But what other items will help transform your backyard into a space where everybody wants to hang out? We have answers! There’s a bevy of outdoor decor pieces that are resonating with buyers these days.





Love Your Mortgage, Hate Your House? Inside the Misery of the Housing Market’s New Catch-22

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Christine Short and Steven Agemy love their brownstone apartment in Brooklyn, NY. But they might love their mortgage even more.

When they purchased the two-bedroom duplex three years ago, in March 2020, the price was fair and the mortgage rate was great, a mere 3.25%. Today, however, the married couple have clearly outgrown their starter home—and with a new baby girl joining their now 4-year-old boy, Short knows they’ll need a bigger place soon.

“It mostly works,” she says. Yet many nights, she finds herself surfing real estate listings. And while she often sees homes with plenty of potential, there is one thing holding her back: If they moved, they’d have to get a new mortgage at about double their original interest rate.

“We’re pinching ourselves for the rates we got,” Short says. But they will eventually have to make a tough choice: Sacrifice their interest rate, or remain in a house that’s no longer comfortable for their growing family.

Do USDA Home Loans Allow for Swimming Pools, Fixer Uppers, or Even Barns? The New Rules Explained

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Homebuyers daunted by the idea of amassing a huge down payment for a mortgage might be surprised (and relieved) to know that not all home loans set such a high bar. If you’re shopping in rural areas outside of cities, a USDA loan can help you buy a house with $0 down and lower-than-average interest rates, too.

USDA loans are offered by the United States Department of Agriculture, in an effort to help lower-income homebuyers afford a house. While these loans come with many cash-saving benefits, the catch is they also come with more rules than a typical home loan.

The biggest restriction for USDA loans is that the home must be in certain, more remote areas and be “modest” in size (no mansions allowed).

“The general USDA standards for eligible properties include being located in a rural area and having a living area typically between 400 and 2,000 square feet,” says Jill Gonzalez, an analyst for WalletHub.

Moorish in Cincinnati? $2M Hilltop Mansion With Fancy Flourishes Is Pending Sale

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You don’t often see Moorish architecture in the Midwest, but that’s exactly the vibe of this $1,999,000 Cincinnati home, which hit market in early March.

With unparalleled river views and newly renovated windows and patios from which to enjoy them, the next buyer has surely found a unique slice of paradise in a prized neighborhood.

“The home is located within a Cincinnati suburb called Mt. Adams—a picturesque landmark community for the city, located on a high hill overlooking the Ohio River,” says listing agent Julie K. Back.

945 Hill Street

Realtor.com

Moorish Cinncinati Home
Moorish Cinncinati Home
Moorish Cincinnati Home
Moorish Cincinnati Home
Moorish Cincinnati Home
Moorish Cincinnati Home
Moorish Cincinnati Home

‘Rock the Block’ Season 4 Episode 3 Recap: Which Team Has the Sweetest Main Suite?

“House Party” is the official Realtor.com® podcast about the overlapping worlds of home and pop culture, hosted by Rachel Stults and Natalie Way. Click the player above to hear our take on this week’s hot topics.

When designing (or dreaming about) the ideal main suite of a home, the goal is to cultivate a space that is comfortable and functional. On this week’s episode of “Rock the Block,” all four teams passed this test with flying colors. Every main suite included a relaxing bedroom, a spa-like bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a private washer and dryer. But one team of HGTV stars used their experience designing luxurious homes to rise above and be crowned the winners of the main suite challenge.

On an all new episode of “House Party” podcast, we chat about the most recent episode of “Rock the Block” including all of the fancy-schmancy design details, that “design surprise,” and (of course) host Ty Pennington—in chaps.

‘Rock the Block’ Season 4 Episode 3 Recap: Which Team Has the Sweetest Main Suite?

Stylish L.A. Restaurateur Is Serving Up His Home and Tequila Room for $7.6M

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With manicured grounds poised for entertaining, an English Country-style manse in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Hancock Park, seeks an adoring new owner.

Alexis Valentin Ramos, of Sotheby’s International Realty, and Rochelle Maize, of Nourmand & Associates, are co-listing the home for $7,695,000.

The homeowner is David Cooley, owner of The Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood, a landmark LBGTQ+ establishment.

The property sits on a .43-acre lot. Cooley bought the home 21 years ago for $1,925,000.











Erin and Ben Napier of ‘Home Town’ ID ‘The Prettiest Part of the Kitchen’

HGTV

Renovations can be pricy and time-consuming, but Erin and Ben Napier of “Home Town” know just how to redo a home on a tight budget and timeline.

In the Season 7 episode “The Clock Starts Now,” the Napiers meet Chance and Emily, a Louisiana couple hoping to relocate to Laurel, MS, by Christmas. They have a tight budget but are thrilled to find a beautiful 1945 home for just $150,000. The place is a serious fixer-upper, but Erin and Ben offer to renovate the whole thing for $130,000, in just five weeks.

It’s a big undertaking, but the Napiers manage to pull off a speedy and cost-effective renovation. Check out their work, which might inspire some upgrades around your own abode, too.

Big trees can be a liability

Before: This tree had to go.

HGTV

front yard
updated front yard
kitchen
kitchen peninsula
cabinet door
bathroom
bathroom vanity
shower tile

Former MLB Reliever Steve Cishek Throws Waterfront FL Home Onto the Market for $4.4M

Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Freshly retired MLB relief pitcher Steve Cishek is selling his waterfront home in Jupiter, FL.

The pitcher and his family put plenty of thought into the 4,632-square-foot home’s construction in 2021.

“We curated our favorite details of this property, from the places we called home during my career playing baseball,” Cishek says, adding that the builder incorporated the features into a functional floor plan. “The end result ended up being perfect for our young family.”

The list price is $4,431,000—a nod to the No. 31 jersey Cishek wore with several teams during his career.











Grab That Allen Wrench: 7 Ikea Pieces Professional Designers Adore

Ikea

For decades, Ikea has been churning out stylish, minimalist furniture and accessories that come with affordable price tags. Because of this, the Swedish brand is a favorite among new homeowners, cash-strapped renters, and, yes, even professional designers.

Katie Zimmerman, owner and principal designer at Zimmerman Interiors, in Bowling Green, KY, says one of the best things about Ikea furniture is that many of its pieces are customizable.

“Whether it’s adding a new coat of paint or swapping out hardware, there are plenty of ways to make these pieces your own,” she says. “This not only allows you to create a unique look in your home, but it can also help your furniture last longer and stay looking great.”

From luxury-looking sofas that don’t break the bank to a wildly popular pendant light, here are the Ikea pieces that design experts can’t recommend enough.







The 10 U.S. Cities Where You’re Most (and Least) Likely To Find Sellers Slashing Home Prices

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At the height of the frenzied COVID-19 pandemic-era housing boom, price reductions were the furthest thing from most sellers’ minds. After all, why slash asking prices when overeager homebuyers were queuing up for practically any acceptable home that hit the market—sometimes regardless of price, condition, or even general cleanliness?

Those days are fast fading. Today’s homebuyers simply don’t have as much cash to spend; they’re grappling with rising rents, punishing inflation, and increasing mortgage interest rates. Those higher rates can tack on hundreds of dollars each month to the typical mortgage payment, pricing many buyers out of the market entirely, and forcing others to drastically reduce their homebuying budgets.

When a near-turnkey home in a desirable area is priced right, it’s still selling fast—often with multiple offers stretching well above the list price. But sellers who overshot the market are quickly learning they can no longer fetch the sky-high prices their neighbors nabbed in early 2022. So, many are now reducing asking prices to attract buyers.

Realtor.com® found the real estate markets where the highest percentage of sellers are cutting their initial list prices—and the markets that are seeing the lowest number of price reductions.

In places where prices are being trimmed, buyers have more power to negotiate the final price and repairs and to ask for other concessions—maybe even for the seller to chip in on closing costs. However, in areas where sellers are sticking to the list, buyers could find themselves in bidding wars and offering above the asking price.



This Splashy NYC Loft Has an Indoor Waterfall That Flows From a Bed!

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Many homeowners would be speed-dialing their plumber if water was pouring from one level of the house to another.

But in this Manhattan apartment, water flowing from the base of a bed to the story below is by design.

“You flip a switch, and water comes cascading out,” explains listing agent Stefania Cardinali, with Corcoran West Side. “The water sparkles and shines. Sometimes it is a stream of water, and sometimes it is a blade of water. It’s an amazing space.”

The live-work, lofted apartment is just one of three units in the Gramercy Park building. The entire building is listed for $7,499,999.








Ballin’! NBA Hoopster Marvin Bagley III Lists His Leisure-Ready Pad Near Sacramento for $2M

Sarah Stier/Getty Images / Realtor.com

A young NBA player created an outdoor oasis at his home near Sacramento, CA, but is ready to part with the impressive spread.

Detroit Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III bought the nearly two-acre property in the suburb of Elk Grove, CA, after he was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2018.

The property is listed for $1,995,000 and has quickly attracted potential buyers. The home is already in pending sale status.

“We have multiple offers on it, and we’re just waiting for the right one to come in,” says listing agent Matthew Hindy, with Re/Max Gold Fair Oaks.












Homes Ahoy! These 5 Fabulous Floating Houses Are Pure Magic

Realtor.com

As the weather gets warmer across the U.S., those aquatic fantasies really start to set in. You know the ones. But instead of dreaming about a home near the water, why not consider one actually on the water?

There’s never been a better time to satisfy your inner seafarer, because we’ve found five fantastic floating homes on both coasts—ranging from the affordable $345,000 in Florida to an aspirational $2.5 million in swanky Sausalito, CA.

Hot tubs, laundry rooms, home theaters, loft bedrooms: You won’t believe the fancy features tucked into these upscale homes. Some even have yard-sized decks.

And they’re all tightly moored and docked in calm marinas, so seasickness is nothing to fear.






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