Author: josh

As home prices fluctuate and buyers focus on affordability, sellers might take a closer look at how they price their homes. One question that comes up often before listing: Can a pre-listing appraisal help set the right asking price before a home hits the market. In most cases, sellers don’t need an appraisal before listing. Homes are typically priced using recent comparable sales, local market conditions, and buyer demand—all of which can change quickly, sometimes even faster than what an appraisal reflects. Still, in certain situations, sellers might turn to pre-listing appraisals if pricing is unclear or a third-party valuation…

Key takeaways Sellers can refuse to pay a buyer’s agent, and commissions remain fully negotiable even after the 2024 NAR settlement MLS listings can no longer display buyer agent commission offers, which means any compensation must now be negotiated off the MLS between the parties involved Not offering a buy-side commission may reduce a seller’s costs, but it can also limit buyer interest, especially among buyers who prefer not to pay their agent out of pocket Sellers can still attract buyers by offering concessions or leaving compensation open-ended, so buyers can propose how to structure their agent’s fee within the…

Is FSBO, or “for sale by owner,” worth it? The short answer is, it depends on your experience, the current housing market, and how much time you have to dedicate to the process. The main advantage of FSBO is the potential to save the listing agent’s commission.  The key trade-off is whether those savings are enough to offset the extra work, potential legal risks, and the possibility of selling your home for less than an agent could have achieved. In this Redfin real estate article, we will explain if FSBO is worth it (and when it is not) to help…

In This Article Foreclosure activity doesn’t move in a straight line. It comes in waves. Some months bring a surge of new filings, reflecting fresh financial pressure on homeowners. Others—like November 2025—signal a cooling period in early-stage filings, even though deeper in the foreclosure pipeline, auctions and REOs continue to rise. For real estate investors, the “Foreclosure Starts” stage—also known as the first public filing—remains one of the most important signals. It offers the earliest insight into where distress is beginning to surface, and where motivated seller activity may soon emerge. This month’s numbers show a national pullback in new…

The next presidential election is three years away, but Turning Point USA already knows it wants Vice President JD Vance as the Republican nominee. Erika Kirk, leader of the powerful conservative youth organization, endorsed him on opening night of its annual AmericaFest convention, drawing cheers from the crowd. But the four-day gathering revealed more peril than promise for Vance or any other potential successor to President Donald Trump, and the tensions on display foreshadow the treacherous waters that they will need to navigate in the coming years. The “Make America Great Again” movement is fracturing as Republicans begin considering a future without Trump, and there is…

A photo featuring President Donald Trump that was included in one of the Justice Department files on the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein appears to have been removed online. Late Friday, the department published a trove of documents to meet a deadline mandated by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in Congress, though not all the Epstein files were released, and many that were made public have been heavily redacted. There was little mention of Trump in the text that was available, and White House officials highlighted photos of former President Bill Clinton. But an image of a desk with several pictures…

When preparing for a move, one of the most common questions homeowners ask is, “What should I pack first?” Whether you’re moving into a four-bedroom house in Phoenix, AZ, or a two-bedroom bungalow-style home in Birmingham, AL, organization is the key to streamlining your entire move. This guide outlines exactly what to pack first when moving house, why the sequence matters, and how to start packing efficiently while keeping your essential items accessible. Start by packing items you don’t use every day The most effective packing strategy is to begin with everything that is not essential to your daily life.…

Whether you’re moving to a small apartment in Santa Monica, CA, or a four-bedroom house in Buffalo, NY, moving is a big disruption for everyone in your household, especially pets. Dogs and cats thrive on routine, and a new home comes with unfamiliar smells, sounds, and layouts. With a little planning and patience, you can make the move safer and less stressful for your pets – and for you. Below are the key considerations to take into account before moving with pets and the steps you need to take to ease the stress of the transition on you and your…

In This Article This article is presented by Walker & Dunlop. Smart multifamily investors don’t wait until tax season or year-end to understand how their properties are performing. The most successful owners take time each quarter to closely review both their internal numbers and the trends around their property. A consistent quarterly routine helps you catch issues early, identify opportunities, and make confident decisions backed by clear data. The challenge for many investors is that their information is scattered. Financials sit in one place, property operations in another, and market research is across multiple websites.  That is why tools like WDSuite can be…

In This Article This article is presented by Express Capital Financing Before I bought my first property, I thought understanding a “market” meant understanding a city. If Phoenix was booming, I assumed the whole metro was booming. If Cleveland cash flowed, I figured anywhere within 20 minutes of downtown must be a good deal. And if Nashville was full of cranes and construction, then every submarket had to be a winner. It took precisely one disappointing deal for me to realize how far off that thinking was. Real estate does not behave like one big organism, moving in one direction…