With the depletion of available distressed homes on the market over the past two years, more investors are shifting to investing in multifamily properties and away from single-family homes, according to a CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) survey of its members about their interactions with investors. C.A.R.’s 2015 Investor Survey found 21 percent of investors purchased in multifamily properties in the past year, up from 19 percent in 2014 and 14 percent in 2013. Ei

China, Canada, and Mexico were top countries of origin of international buyers Despite a slowing in the California housing market and appreciation of the U.S. dollar in 2014, international home-buying activity continued its momentum, according to the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) “2014 International Home Buyers Survey.” The survey showed that one of six (14 percent) participating REALTORS® closed a transaction with an international client, unchanged from the p

Buyers may be swayed by the big bargain prices that foreclosures often offer. But before they jump in, some housing experts say they need to be warned that it may not be as big of bargain as they believe. “Brokers who specialize in the foreclosure market say there are good deals to be had, but they advise buyers to look beyond an alluring list price and do the research to avoid getting into trouble,” an article in the Buffalo News notes. For example, often times, foreclosed h

While home sales may be sluggish in many parts of the country, more buyers are placing an emphasis on green -- with some studies showing that green homes can sell for higher dollar than non-green homes. In Portland, Ore., an analysis from the Earth Advantage Institute found that green-certified new homes sold, on average, for 8 percent more than non-certified green homes--and in one of the counties included in the study even more than 23 percent higher. Earth Advantage Instit