Top Amenities for Relocating Baby Boomers Baby boomers say they want to move to a home that has a multicar garage and that’s near their grandchildren, according to the latest Del Webb Baby Boomer Survey, sponsored by national home builder PulteGroup Inc. The age at which baby boomers expect to retire is getting younger, down …
Category: Real Estate Tips
Oct 16
Sell Your Listing With the Right Music
Sell Your Listing With the Right Music A little music may be just what your listing needs. Some real estate professionals believe that soft music playing in the background can be just the subtle, emotional pull that welcomes buyers inside your open house or house tour. Tom Hignite, owner of Miracle Home Builders in Milwaukee, …
Oct 13
Buyers Aren’t Spooked by Haunted Houses
Buyers Aren’t Spooked by Haunted Houses With inventories so tight, many consumers say they’re even willing to live in a haunted house. Thirty-three percent of more than 1,000 consumers recently surveyed say they’re willing to live in a haunted house, and another 25 percent said they’d consider it, according to a newly released survey by …
Oct 12
As Rates Rise, Loan Demand Softens
As Rates Rise, Loan Demand Softens Mortgage applications dropped across the board last week as interest rates surged to their highest levels since July, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Total application volume dropped 2.1 percent week-to-week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the MBA reported Wednesday. Most of the drop in applications came from …
Oct 11
Easy Maintenance Tips to Boost Value
Easy Maintenance Tips to Boost Value Simple maintenance projects and updates can increase a home’s value by roughly 1 percent each year, according to research from the University of Connecticut and Syracuse University. RE/MAX put together a list of four tips on where home buyers can focus their efforts to help maintain and increase the value …
Oct 10
More Retirees Carry Mortgage Debt
More Retirees Carry Mortgage Debt Retiring baby boomers are less likely to be mortgage-free compared to people their age in previous generations, according to Fannie Mae. That could hurt boomers’ financial security and exacerbate the housing affordability crisis. Slightly less than 50 percent of the oldest baby boomer homeowners in 2015 were mortgage-free, 10 percentage …
Oct 09
How to Appear More Confident to Clients
How to Appear More Confident to Clients Whether you’re making a listing presentation to potential clients or speaking in front of a group of agents, there are subtle ways to appear more confident, likable, and approachable while speaking with authority. Business strategist Marc Gordon offers these five tips that will help you “fake it ’til …
Oct 06
Home Lot Sizes Shrink to New Low
Home Lot Sizes Shrink to New Low Lot sizes on new single-family homes have reached a new record low. New homes sold in 2016 had a median lot size of 8,562 square feet, or slightly under one-fifth of an acre. The median lot size fell to under 8,600 square feet in 2015, according to the Census …
Oct 05
Factors Most Influential on Home Values
Factors Most Influential on Home Values Buyers have become wiser, researching important facts not only about the houses they’re interested in but also about the communities where the homes are located. Desare Kohn-Laski, broker-owner of Skye Louis Realty in Coconut Creek, Fla., says it’s essential that real estate professionals show their value by …
Oct 04
Scope of Equifax Breach Widens Further
Scope of Equifax Breach Widens Further Some 2.5 million more people than originally reported were affected by the recent Equifax data breach, the credit bureau said Monday. The estimate of the number of Americans whose personal information was potentially exposed is now 145.5 million—the largest hack on record. Cybersecurity firm Mandiant, which was hired …
Oct 03
The ‘Bonus Room’ Makes a Comeback
The ‘Bonus Room’ Makes a Comeback Home builders and designers say demand is increasing for more flexible living spaces, giving rise once again to “bonus” or “multipurpose” rooms, The Wall Street Journal reports. Such rooms offer extra square footage for owners to create a space that fits their lifestyle. Baby boomers, for example, are …
Oct 02
Exterior Renovations to Boost a Home’s Value
Exterior Renovations to Boost a Home’s Value Replacing the roof may be the most important upgrade your client can make to the exterior of his or her home, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2017 Remodeling Impact Report. The report takes a look at the cost of the most common exterior and interior …
