How We’ll Avoid Another Recession

How We’ll Avoid Another Recession. Image courtesy of cuteimage / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The economy may be showing signs of slowing lately, but the housing market is likely to keep its positive momentum rolling, writes Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of REALTORS®, in a new column for Forbes. In fact, he predicts that it will be housing market gains that enable the overall economy to avoid a recession.

Indeed home sales, construction, and prices have all been rising and are expected to continue to increase. Over the last year, existing-home sales have risen 7.9 percent; new-home sales are up 17.7 percent; housing starts have risen 12 percent; and the median price of sold homes is up 6.4 percent (all along on a year-to-date basis).

The main reason behind the gains is a rising population, Yun notes. At the turn of the century about 282 million people were living in the United States, but that number has jumped to 322 million today. Taking into account births and deaths and international immigration, about 2 to 3 million additional residents arrive in America every year.

“As long as Americans believe in the American Dream of steadily moving up the economic ladder – from renting to a starter-home to a better home to eventually a retirement comfort home – there are plenty of legs in America that will be moving around in the upcoming years to further boost the housing market,” Yun writes.

Source: “Housing Will Still Expand Despite Economic Weakness,” Forbes (Oct. 26, 2015)

Home Designs That Buyers Love Most

Home Designs That Buyers Love Most. Image courtesy of Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hollywood-inspired homes that have the “look, but don’t touch elegance” are a fading trend and home owners now are preferring natural, comfortable spaces.

Consumers’ three favorite home designs are: Inviting, Rustic, and Beachside Charm, according to a new survey conducted by realtor.com®. Visitors were asked to vote for their favorite type of decor as part of their “Get This Look” promotion. Inviting home styles nabbed 23 percent of more than 10,000 votes cast by realtor.com® visitors as the top design choice, followed by Rustic at 22 percent, and Beachside Charm at 21 percent.

“We are seeing a shift in home design trends – leaving behind the glitz and glam for a more natural look – whether that may be a rugged barn with many textures or a serene beach-like feel,” says Farrell. “Today’s style reflects today’s lifestyle and we’ve found that having a space for entertaining family and friends all year round is the number one trend.”

The following is a breakdown of the top three style preferences:

• Inviting: This is described as a welcoming atmosphere that includes fun barware, plenty of seating, and a gather-worthy kitchen that can serve as the life of the party.
• Rustic: This look is for those who prefer natural elements: wood, stone, water and light. This design style usually incorporates organic materials from the outside inside for a perfect balance.
• Beachside Charm: This design has a relaxed and casual feel, often incorporating terra cotta tile, patio umbrellas, sundecks, and scattered shells.

Meanwhile, the design styles least favored in the survey: Regal (a design that uses fine fabrics and antiques), Urban, eclectic Mid-Century Modern, and Earthy.

Source: Move Inc.

4 New-Home Upgrades to Do Now

4 New-Home Upgrades to Do Now. Image courtesy of tor00722 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For new-home buyers, they have some tough decisions to make: Which extra features are worth the extra money and which ones aren’t? Some upgrades buyers can easily put off without breaking the bank. But for others, buyers may be wise to get them done right away.

Realtor.com® recently featured an article on some of the easiest upgrades to add to a new home now that could save time, money, and headaches later on. Among the upgrades to do now:

1. Cable conduits: This can be one way to future-proof a home. “Yes, smart home features are increasingly going wireless, but that doesn’t mean you should skip running cable conduits throughout the house—especially if you see a big home theater or full-home sound system in your future, both of which work best plugged in directly,” the realtor.com® article notes. “Adding an extensive system of cable conduits can make hooking up entertainment much simpler.”

2. Radiant heating: This is integrated into the floor, which makes doing it during the construction phase a lot easier than after. Buyers likely will pay at least $6 per foot for their system in new construction. Those adding it later will likely pay double that – or more. Also, consider confining radiant heating into one room because it “actually can be a limiting factor in future design changes, since the contractor will need to work around it or replace it by zones,” says Ken Streiff, a Minnesota contractor and builder with 20 years of industry experience.

3. Outdoor outlets: Adding outlets later on can cost upward of $250 each. Adding them during construction when the walls are still open can be much cheaper.

4. Accessibility: You never know what the future holds. Consider making hallways and doors wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. Reinforce bathroom walls to make adding grab bars later on easier — and with no need to open up the walls. Also, consider the location of switches and outlets and don’t make them too high or too low.

Source: “New Home Features That Are Worth the Upgrade?” realtor.com® (Oct. 15, 2015)

3 Key Areas to Focus On in Your Marketing

3 Key Areas to Focus On in Your Marketing. Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What are some of the most effective ways for businesses to reach prospects? Content marketing agencies Fractl and Moz gauged consumer perceptions toward various marketing tactics across industries, surveying more than 1,000 people such as about what influences their buying decisions and how often they engage with ads.

Here are some of the highlights from the survey:

1. 88% use online search
2. 85% visit a company’s website
3. 82% read customer reviews

Meanwhile, some of the least popular tactics identified by survey respondents were 27 percent who follow social media accounts and 11 percent who download content offered from companies.

Researchers also asked respondents which marketing methods are most effective. Direct mail is still thriving: It emerged on top at nearly 54 percent, followed by 53 percent who said offering “free content about a topic I’m interested in” and 48 percent who identified appearing in search results when looking for something they need or want.

The survey also found that a lot more people are paying attention to customer reviews online about businesses. Forty-five percent of consumers say that they are “significantly more likely” and 40 percent are “slightly more likely” to be swayed by customer reviews.

Source: “What Works With Consumers? Survey on Inbound and Outbound Marketing Tactics Yields Insights,” Marketing Land (Oct. 15, 2015)

Smart Homes Security a Leaky Kettle

Smart Homes Security a Leaky Kettle. Image courtesy of nenetus / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Internet-connected home brings with it more conveniences than you can count. But the flip side might be the concern that any device in the home can be the one that lets hackers take over.

One case in point: The iKettle, a popular device to heat water for coffee or tea controlled by a smartphone app, can quickly be hacked to reveal a home network’s password, at which a hacker can download almost anything, perhaps install viruses, or even take over the devices on that home’s network.

London-based security researcher Ken Munro can use social media and other readily available tools to make the iKettle “spew Wi-Fi passwords,” says tech news site The Register. “Attackers will need to set up a malicious network with the same SSID,” or network name, “but with a stronger signal that the iKettle connects to,” Munro told The Register.

“So I can sit outside of your place with a directional antenna, point it at your house, knock your kettle off your access point, it connects to me, I send two commands, and it discloses your wireless key in plain text,” he explains.

Hackers can combine information from sites like WIGLE.net, which maps all visible networks, with Twitter searches for users who tweet about their smart appliances, to quickly discover vulnerable Wi-Fi networks.

Munro says that iKettles configured using the Android app are more vulnerable because that app doesn’t change passwords from the default. iOS users are only slightly more secure, though, because that app uses six-digit codes that can be cracked within hours.

Source: “Connected kettles boil over, spill Wi-Fi passwords over London,” The Register (Oct. 19, 2015)