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 …
Tag: News
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 …
Sep 29
Homeowners Face Tax Hike Under ‘Big 6’ Plan
Homeowners Face Tax Hike Under ‘Big 6’ Plan Home ownership would no longer be a priority in the tax code if a reform plan released Wednesday by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans becomes law. The “Tax Reform Unified Framework,” known as the “Big 6” tax reform plan, is being touted as a way to …
Sep 28
Buy vs. Rent Index Still Leans Toward Buy
Buy vs. Rent Index Still Leans Toward Buy Which is better for your clients: accumulating wealth through home equity or renting and investing their savings? That’s the fundamental question that the quarterly Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent (BH&J) Index aims to answer. After examining 23 of the country’s largest metro areas in the …
Sep 27
4-Bedroom Houses to Lose Favor
4-Bedroom Houses to Lose Favor Millennials’ desire for smaller homes may have a big impact on the future demand of some of the most popular homes today. Young adults are getting married later in life, they’re delaying their first home purchase (often due to student loan debt) by up to seven years in some cases, …
Sep 26
Ways to Make Your Listing Look Bigger
Ways to Make Your Listing Look Bigger Décor choices can have a big impact on how large or small a home appears. Professional home stagers chime in with some tips on how to show off square footage, even when space is tight. Remove heavy drapes. Leave windows bare or hang sheer linen curtains. The space …
