Selling anything requires a good first impression. And most impressions are made on a sensory level. A familiar scent or some soothing music can set a mood and alter perceptions. That’s why home sellers should pay extra attention to the details when trying to appeal to potential buyers. But what are some of the things homeowners can do to make their home stand out? Well, a recent survey conducted by Trulia asked real estate agents for some tips. The number one thing, according to nearly 75 percent of respondents, was cleanliness. A messy house makes it hard for buyers to see beyond the clutter and visualize living there. Keeping your home neat and tidy is a fairly obvious way to put your best foot forward, though. Some of the other, less evident, examples include using scents to make your house more inviting. The fresher smelling the better. Vanilla, for example, is a scent known to help lower stress and boost nostalgia. You might also pay attention to the color of your walls. Repainting is a pretty easy fix and buyers tend to have an easier time imagining their things in a space that seems clean and easily adaptable. For that reason, agents recommend repainting any bold color choices in an ivory or eggshell to help attract potential buyers. More here.

For a lot of people, renting an apartment or house before buying their first home serves as a type of practice run. In fact, before 2003, about 80 percent of first-time home buyers rented prior to becoming homeowners. Typically younger, first-time buyers can get a taste of autonomy and responsibility as a renter before taking on the added challenges of homeownership. These days, however, an increasing number of first timers are skipping that step and buying their first house after living with a parent, relative, or friend. That seems unusual, but is probably explained by the fact that it’s easier to save for a down payment when living rent free. And – since a growing number of young Americans name saving for a down payment among the top obstacles preventing them from buying a house – this makes sense. But what about repeat buyers? Well, according to data from the National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers nearly 30 percent of repeat buyers last year were renting prior to purchasing their home. That’s a dramatic change from years past when it’s been as low as 10 percent. According to a report from Jessica Lautz, NAR’s managing director of survey research and communication, recent economic history helps explain the upswing. “The increase in renting may have occurred as sellers waited during housing market uncertainty to purchase another home and tight inventory drew out that process until they were able to find the ideal home to purchase,” Lautz writes. More here.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates increased across all loan categories last week, including 30-year fixed-rate loans with both conforming and jumbo balances, loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, and 15-year fixed-rate loans. The increase brought rates to their highest level in a month and caused a decline in demand for home loan applications. Michael Fratantoni, MBA’s chief economist, told CNBC economic optimism led to the spike in mortgage rates. “As incoming economic data reassured investors regarding U.S. growth, and financial markets returned to viewing a December Fed hike as increasingly likely, mortgage rates rose to their highest level in a month last week,” Fratantoni said. “Total and refinance application volume dropped to their lowest levels since June as a result.” In fact, refinance demand – which is generally more sensitive to rate fluctuations – dropped 8 percent from the week before, while demand for loans to buy homes fell 3 percent. The MBA’s weekly applications survey has been conducted since 1990 and covers 75 percent of all retail residential mortgage applications. More here.

A recent survey found that the vast majority of Americans say they’re friendly with their neighbors – some even say best friends. Conducted by Harris Poll, the survey talked to 2,069 adults about how they feel about the people in their neighborhood. The results show most Americans get along pretty well with the people next door. But being on a first-name basis with your neighbors doesn’t mean they won’t get on your nerves from time-to-time. In fact, according to the survey, 49 percent of respondents said they’ve had a problem with their neighbor in the past 12 months and more than half said the problem was noise. Loud music, parties, and pets were the top noise related complaints and ranked far ahead of the next most common complaint – a poorly kept yard or overgrown trees and plants. Fortunately, though many participants said a bad neighbor would cause them to move, a noisy neighbor is usually just ignored and, if it does get out of hand, most often people resolved the issue by speaking face-to-face, rather than calling the authorities or retaliating. In other words, it seems the majority of Americans get along well with their neighbors but just wish they’d watch their volume. More here.