The coronavirus pandemic and, especially the lockdown that has had people around the world sheltering in place, may have forever changed how we perceive “home” and what we are looking for when it comes to our little place in the world.

“The coronavirus pandemic has many Americans rethinking the kind of lifestyle they want,” said MANSION GLOBAL. “Apartment living in central, densely populated urban areas is losing its appeal as residents are subject to building restrictions and risk coming into contact with people infected by the virus.”

Real estate agents and companies across the country are reporting a heightened interest in buying homes in the suburbs. In many cases, buyers are even accelerating their purchases to get out of the city

The health crisis slowed the market this spring, so buyers are jumping back into the market to make their moves this summer.

Despite the economic downturn and disruptions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, Northwest MLS member-brokers reported impressive improvement from April to May on some key indicators. The volume of new listings, including single family homes and condominiums, rose 29.2% and pending sales jumped more than 44% systemwide. “The pent-up demand from homebuyers returning to the market continues to support a recovery from the weekly declines observed earlier this spring,” said Joel Kan, an MBA economist.

• Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 5% for the week and were a stunning 18% higher than a year ago, according

Courtesy of Keeping Current Matters

Some Highlights

• The health crisis slowed the market this spring, so buyers are jumping back into the market to make their moves this summer.
• Check these 10 items off your to-do list so your house is ready to sell while buying is hot!
• Let’s connect today to prepare your house for the sizzling summer market.

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Despite the economic downturn and disruptions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, Northwest MLS member-brokers reported impressive improvement from April to May on some key indicators. The volume of new listings, including single family homes and condominiums, rose 29.2% and pending sales jumped more than 44% systemwide. “The pent-up demand from homebuyers returning to the market continues to support a recovery from the weekly declines observed earlier this spring,” said Joel Kan, an MBA economist.

• Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 5% for the week and were a stunning 18% higher than a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
• As the coronavirus outbreak was surging six weeks ago, applications by homebuyers were

The growing trend of working remotely could untether Americans from office spaces in pricey areas and prompt them to buy homes elsewhere. Home sales in the suburbs as well as smaller, less expensive cities could see a boost that continues beyond pre-pandemic levels, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Some tech companies, including Facebook, Twitter, and Square, have already announced that they will allow select employees to work remotely full time. They expect half of their workforce to work remotely within five to 10 years. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that about 75% of his employees have already expressed an interest in moving to a different city if they could work remotely.

The insurance company Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio,

Homebuyers who are emerging from their COVID-19 cocooning are likely to encounter bargain rack mortgage rates for the forseeable future. But it's less clear what they'll find when they look at home prices. Are prices going up or down? Recent reports have been mixed and largely don't reflect the impact from the coronavirus pandemic. What's likely to happen to prices in the coming months? The forecasts are murky, too.

Here's a look at what we know — and what we don't know. 

Several reports say home prices are going up

One closely followed national survey said last week that home prices across the U.S. were up 4.4% in March, compared to a year earlier. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller study also tracks prices in 20 major cities and says Phoenix