If you want to learn the historical journey of a home, get details about its architecture, or find out how the dynamics of the neighborhood have changed throughout the years, there are many resources available. But where to start?
To begin the journey, Jessica Leigh Hester from CityLab suggests looking up building and property records, including permits. This information can easily be found by searching county archives, visiting your local courthouse or your local historical society. For a list of state-by-state historical societies, visit this site. Local historical societies offer many resources, including maps, old photos, real estate listings from the past that can show the change to the neighborhood throughout the years.
Dig Deeper
The next step in finding out the history of your property is starting with the recent past, Hester adds. This involves visiting your local library to find newspaper archives. Home history search is actually one of the most common requests for librarians. Many libraries also keep building permits on file, which is basically the birth certificate for your house, and is considered "the one most important piece of paper you can locate," says Jerry McCoy, Special Collections Librarian at the DC Public Library. Librarians can help you access old city directories, which can help you find out more about the people who previously lived in the home, but some city directories are actually available online.
To discover the evolution of your neighborhood, Sanborn Maps are a valuable resource. These maps are large-scale plans for the city, and are online for those with Pro-Quest access, and available at your local library for free.
This short video from REALTOR® Magazine will help create a dynamic listing about your home's historical journey when it's time for you're ready to sell.
WASHINGTON (April 22, 2015)—Existing-home sales jumped in March to their highest annual rate in 18 months, while unsold inventory showed needed improvement, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Led by the Midwest, all major regions experienced strong sales gains in March and are above their year-over-year sales pace.
Wealthy buyers typically look to leisure-rich hotspots such as Hawaii and Florida for second homes, which they often buy into once they retire. But that’s changing, according to 2015 Luxury Market Report from the Coldwell Banker Previews International program.
*Seasonally adjusted annual rate. Source: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.
National economic indicators
Home ownership
4th Qtr 2014
+64.0%
4th Qtr 2013
+65.2%
The homeownership rate in the fourth quarter 2014 was 64.0 percent, down 1.2 (+/- 0.4) percentage points from the fourth quarter 2013 rate of 65.2 percent. The homeownership rates in the Northeast, Midwest and South were lower than the rates in the fourth quarter 2013, while the rate in the West was not statistically different from the rate a year ago.
New home sales
March 2015
-11.4*%
February 2015
+5.6*%
Sales of new single-family houses in March 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000. This is 11.4 percent (+/- 18.6%)* below the revised February 2015 estimate of 543,000.
Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
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Click on the links below to view data from two different industry sources. Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 150 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states prepared by Clarus MarketMetrics.
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Our brokerage has several residential home buyers looking in and around the Conejo Valley. If you or anyone you know is thinking about selling your home, please contact Angela Yglesias via email: yglesias75@gmail.com and/or cell: 805.490.4944. A free home estimate and comp analysis of your property is available to you anytime. We currently have residential home buyer clients looking in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Lake Sherwood, Hidden Valley, Simi Valley, Santa Rosa Valley, Calabasas and Malibu. Let Angela show them your property today! http://conejovalleyrealestateservices.blogspot.com/
A living room likely isn’t topping many home shoppers’ must-have list these days. In fact, some architects say the formal living room – that upscale room welcoming guests at the front of a home – is becoming extinct.
Call it a casualty of the Great Recession, when home buyers started to get choosier when it came down to the bare essentials to a home. The formal living room started to lose favor to other preferences, like a home office or larger kitchen. After all, why have a room devoted to fancy chairs and sofas that rarely gets used?
As such, some buyers are walking through older homes today, questioning what to do with that formal living room space. Here are some ways to get your buyers to re-imagine those spaces.