Tag: News

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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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, …

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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 …

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Housing Predictions for 2018

Housing Predictions for 2018 New homes are expected to be a “primary driver of sales in 2018,” as 1.33 million housing starts are predicted next year—up from 1.22 million in 2017, according to Freddie Mac’s September Outlook report, which gauges future real estate activity. Total home sales are expected to increase about 2 percent from …

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Fall May Be Best Time for Buyers to Move

Fall May Be Best Time for Buyers to Move   A slower fall season in home buying may help more lingering home buyers to jump in. Prices are easing somewhat. For the second month in a row, the median price of an existing home dropped. It reached $253,500 in August, after reaching a record high …

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Housing Shortages Constrain Existing-Home Sales

Housing Shortages Constrain Existing-Home Sales   For the fourth time in five months, existing-home sales dropped as a shortage of homes for sale continues to plague the housing market. Strained supply levels of homes are making it that sales are unable “to break out,” according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ latest housing report, released …

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Create a Strong Customer Service Culture

Create a Strong Customer Service Culture     If you want to place customer satisfaction at the heart of your company or team, you need to take the time to train and support agents and to model behavior they expect customers to receive. Jeff Mowatt, customer service strategist and author, offers these five strategies that …

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