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local edition ANALYTICS children are also planning to spend a bit more: $1,500. Also, when it comes to inspiration, Zillow found the Internet is the most popular source for aspiring handymen and women. According to the survey, 39 percent of respondents said they've turned to the Web for inspiration, with 48 percent of younger homeowners and 47 percent of those without children finding ideas online. A new survey from Zillow shows more than half of homeowners are planning to improve or add on to their homes this fall. Washington // A new survey from Zillow shows more than half of homeowners are planning to improve or add on to their homes this fall. According to the Zillow Digs Fall Home Improvement Trend and Spending Survey, 52 percent of homeowners have some sort of home project in the works for the coming months. That number is down from 60 percent in trends," said Zillow Digs trend expert Cynthia Nowak. "Parents are sprucing up indoor play areas to keep the kids active and occupied, while looking for ways to update their own workspaces for the season ahead as workdays are shortened by kid pickup and drop-off duty." The survey's findings show homes with children are far more active in project planning, with 31 percent (versus 19 percent of those without children) planning three or more home improvements. Homes with Loan Officer Compensation Rises in 2013 After the crisis, the industry moved away from incentivizing loan officer performance, but indicators show that a tide may be turning. Illinois // Among bank employees, residential mortgage loan officers have experienced the greatest compensation increase over the past The M Report | 55 se c on da r y m a r k e t Nesting season is upon the country, as many Americans are planning home improvements this fall. a na ly t ic s Home Improvement four years: 35.6 percent, including base pay and incentive pay, according to the latest Comprehensive Financial Institutions Compensation Survey from Crowe Horwath LLP, a national public accounting consulting firm based in Chicago. The survey includes data from 293 financial institutions. "Following the recession, financial regulations forced a shift away from incentive pay and toward improving base salaries for mortgage originators," said Tim Reimink, senior consultant at Crowe Horwath. "Now that banks have had time to adjust their compliance initiatives to these regulations, they can once again use discretionary pay and still be compliant," he added. As evidence of this trend, the survey revealed this year, that base salaries for residential mortgage loan officers declined 4.5 percent, but total pay increased 7.7 percent. Part of the rise in compensation for mortgage loan officers is the result of the refinance boom that stemmed from recordlow interest rates, according to Crowe Horwath. The survey also revealed a 4 percent increase in employee turnover at both large and small banks this year. This follows a notable decline in employee turnover during the recession. "While some of this turnover was driven by staff-reduction efforts, the greater majority was voluntary," Reimink observed. The fact that this year's turnover is largely voluntary is significant because it "reflects the recovery in the financial services industry as people feel more comfortable looking for a new job," Reimink said. Over the past three years, non-officer turnover at large banks was a little more than 18 percent, while at small banks turnover among non-officers was 14.8 percent. While the Crowe Horwath survey makes no future projections, it remains to be seen what the future holds for mortgage loan officers as refinances die down. s e r v ic i ng summer, when people are more drawn to work outdoors. Cost-wise, homeowners plan to spend around $1,000, which is $200 less than during the summer. Most of the attention will be focused on home office or playroom remodels, Zillow reported. "Fall is a perfect transition time from outdoor to indoor activities, which is resonating in home improvement plans and Or ig i nat ion year-to-date median sale price was $255,000, up more than 8.5 percent from the first six months of last year. Compared to the second quarter of 2012, Q2 2013 prices rose more than 8 percent to $269,000. "Buyers have become more active in the spring selling season, which is creating modest upward pressure on prices. While not a problem at this juncture, I hope for more modest increases in the future," Warren said. "Unlike other parts of the country, Connecticut has not seen double-digit increases in median prices. This is healthy. Keeping housing affordable while prices rise gradually will avoid the kind of housing bubble we saw seven or eight years ago." On the condo side, sales increased 2 percent year-over-year in June, with second-quarter sales rising 2.5 percent compared to the same three months in 2012. Year-to-date, condo sales increased almost 1 percent compared to last year. The median sale price of condos also rose in June. According to the Warren Group, the median selling price was $176,000, up more than 7.6 percent year-overyear. The second-quarter median price was $175,000 (up more than 8 percent), while the year-to-date price was $168,000 (up more than 5 percent).