For many homeowners, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of renovation.  As elevated mortgage rates continue to keep people in their current homes longer, along with a nationwide shortage of homes for sale, more homeowners are deciding to invest in upgrades instead of entering the current competitive housing market.  But when it comes to remodeling, not all projects are created equal, and not all updates will increase your home’s value in the same way. One of the most important things you can do before starting a renovation is ask yourself this simple but critical question: Will this project actually pay off? Whether you’re considering new siding, replacing a garage door, adding stone veneer to your home’s exterior, or remodeling a bathroom or kitchen, understanding how much value a project adds—and how that value varies depending on where you live—can help you make smarter choices. This is especially true …

What is an FHA cash-out refinance? An FHA cash-out refinance lets you turn your home equity into cash by replacing your current mortgage with a larger, FHA-backed loan. It’s a straightforward way to access money for renovations, debt, or other big expenses—even if your credit isn’t perfect. Typically, you’ll need enough equity in your home and to meet FHA guidelines around credit and income, but it’s often easier to qualify for than conventional loans. Verify your FHA cash-out refinance eligibility. Start here In this article (Skip to…) How does a FHA cash-out refinance work? FHA cash-out refinancing works by allowing homeowners to refinance their existing mortgage for more than they owe and receive the difference as a lump sum of cash. This option is ideal for those who have built a significant amount of equity in their home. Verify your FHA cash-out refinance eligibility. Start here How much you can borrow with a …

1 in 7 home-purchase agreements fell through last month. The share was higher in many parts of Florida, which is home to 5 of the 10 metros with the highest cancellation rates. Redfin agents say that when a deal is on shaky ground, it can be an opportunity for outbid buyers to get in the backup-offer position. Roughly 56,000 U.S. home-purchase agreements were canceled in April, equal to 14.3% of homes that went under contract that month. That’s up from 13.5% a year earlier and is the highest April share in records dating back to 2017, with the exception of April 2020, when the coronavirus brought the housing market to a halt. This is based on a Redfin analysis of MLS pending-sales data. The data is seasonal; typically, there’s a higher share of cancellations near the end of the year and a lower share in the spring. That’s why we’re …

Real estate investors are increasingly embracing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) as part of their portfolio strategy largely in response to mounting pressure from regulators, stakeholders, and public sentiment. The public sector too is concerned with ESG and sustainable development, and local governments and urban planners are building cities with smart intelligence and technologies that comply with global sustainable initiatives. Data plays a huge role in real estate ESG activities in both the private and public sectors. Here’s a look at how ATTOM is meeting the needs of property investors and urban planners. ESG Is Not Just a Trend Public and regulatory pressure to protect the environment is forcing both public and private entities to change their approach to real estate. For property investors, there are also greater profits to be had in doing so. A study by António Marques, João Fragoso Januário, and Carlos Oliveira Cruz found that green-certified …

Completed Foreclosures (REOs) Dip Monthly but Increase from Previous Year; Foreclosure Starts Up Monthly and Annually Nationwide  IRVINE, Calif. — May 15, 2025 — ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its April 2025 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 36,033 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions – up 0.4 percent from the prior month and up 13.9 percent from a year ago. “April’s foreclosure activity continued its gradual climb, with both starts and completions up annually,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “While volumes remain below historical norms, the year-over-year increases may suggest that some homeowners are beginning to feel the effects of persistent economic pressures.” Foreclosure completion numbers increase annually Lenders repossessed 3,580 U.S. properties through completed foreclosures (REOs) in April 2025, down 2.9 percent from last month but up 23.3 …

Innovative solutions combined with intelligence from property data providers are two of the foundations of digital analytics. But there is a third element. For superior results, the format of data delivery matters. Institutional investors, mortgage providers, fintech, and proptech companies are successfully using artificial intelligence and machine-learning innovations to drive their strategies and relying on data delivery to do so. Parquet is a new data storage format used by ATTOM. Parquet uses compressed data files that speed up queries, reduce storage costs, and power-up processing of large data sets. Here’s a look at Parquet’s unique design and why it is tailor-made for real estate and property data analytics Parquet’s Unique Data Storage Format Parquet, ATTOM’s most recent data storage and delivery format, has a structural design reminiscent of an old architectural concept. “Build up instead of out” is a way to build structures using fewer resources. Parquet follows that design …