Author: josh
If you’re selling a home, you might wonder, can sellers sign documents early? In many cases, the answer is yes. This can be helpful if you’re relocating out of town, have scheduling conflicts on the closing date, or simply want to streamline the process so funds are released sooner once the buyer signs. However, your ability to sign early depends on factors like state laws, the title company, and the buyer’s schedule. Whether you’re selling a home in Seattle, WA, Austin, TX, or Miami, FL, this Redfin guide will walk you through everything sellers need to know about signing documents…
A new open letter, signed by a range of AI scientists, celebrities, policymakers, and faith leaders, calls for a ban on the development of “superintelligence”—a hypothetical AI technology that could exceed the intelligence of all of humanity—until the technology is reliably safe and controllable. The letter’s more notable signatories include AI pioneer and Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, other AI luminaries such as Yoshua Bengio and Stuart Russell, as well as business leaders such as Virgin cofounder Richard Branson and Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak. It was also signed by celebrities, including actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who recently expressed concerns over Meta’s AI…
Nationwide, there are an estimated 37% more sellers than buyers—a near-record gap that’s giving buyers across the country negotiating power. There are seven metros where sellers outnumber buyers by at least 2-to-1, and all but one are in Texas or Florida. There are five remaining seller’s markets, the strongest of which is Newark, NJ. Sale prices are up 1.3% year over year in buyer’s markets versus a 3.8% gain in seller’s markets. It’s a buyer’s market—for those who can afford to buy. America had an estimated 36.7% more home sellers than buyers in September, meaning many of the buyers who…
Housing costs are frightful and economic jitters are in the air, leading some buyers to leave sellers in the lurch. Just over 53,000 home-purchase agreements nationwide were canceled in September, equal to 15% of homes that went under contract that month. That’s up from 13.6% a year earlier. This is based on a Redfin analysis of MLS pending-sales data. The data is seasonal, which is why we compare this September to past Septembers. Please note that homes that fell out of contract during a given month didn’t necessarily go under contract the same month. For example, a home that…
The U.S. government shutdown has halted federal economic data collection, leaving investors without official employment or inflation figures. Despite flying blind, markets remain upbeat as stocks near record highs. Gold fell sharply. And Q3 earnings estimates look strong, boosted by AI investment. S&P 500 futures were up marginally this morning after the index closed flat yesterday, near its all-time high. Markets in both Europe and Asia were up or flat this morning, too. Gold, the traditional safe-haven asset which has gained 55% year to date, lost 5.3% yesterday—its biggest decline in five years. In other words, investors appear to be…
Senate Democrats sent Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, a letter Wednesday calling for more details about his personal crypto interests. Led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), eight senators demanded Witkoff explain why his latest ethics disclosure showed he still owned stakes in a Trump-linked cryptocurrency as well as other crypto business entities. “Your failure to divest your ownership in these assets raises serious questions about your compliance with federal ethics laws and, more importantly, ability to serve the American people over your own financial interests,” wrote the senators. World Liberty Financial, the crypto business…
The next time you’re stuck in a career rut, or wondering how to process the economy around you, why not ask Ray Dalio? The wealth of experience accumulated by the billionaire hedge fund founder will soon be at the fingertips of users thanks to his new AI clone, Digital Ray, which will provide consumers with coaching, guidance, and mentorship. Writing on X, the Bridgewater Associates founder said he was excited by the prospect of his clone because it will allow him “to have unlimited conversations with people I previously didn’t have the time to have exchanges with.” Announcing the clone—which…
When you’re buying a home, the last thing you want in an inspection report is a potential structural or foundation problem. Some buyers may decide to walk away, but if you’re serious about the home, a structural inspection is the next step. A structural engineer will look at the foundation, framing, and other load-bearing elements that keep a house safe and stable. Most of the time, the inspection can put buyers at ease and verify whether the issue is just normal settling or if further attention is needed. Whether you’re buying in areas prone to foundation problems, like Philadelphia or…
With more than $173 million lost in real estate-related cyberattacks in 2024, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a great time to remind real estate agents about the steps they can take to protect their sensitive information. The real estate industry is a goldmine for hackers, due to the amount of personal information that’s included on contracts, bank wiring details, and the large sums of money that are transferred between parties every day. Real estate agents can shield themselves from cyberattacks by taking a few simple steps. These include creating different passwords for all of their accounts, setting up multi-factor authentication, and…
U.S. home prices increased 0.2% from a month earlier in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. On a year-over-year basis, home prices rose 3%, the slowest rate recorded in Redfin Home Price Index (RHPI) data going back to 2012. San Diego (+1.7%) recorded the highest month-over-month price growth of the 50 most populous U.S. metros, while San Antonio posted the biggest drop (-0.6%). U.S. home prices rose 0.2% from a month earlier in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Matching August’s 0.2% gain, it was the second consecutive month of positive monthly growth after prices were flat in July (0.0%).…