May 16
Boost Your Business With Diverse Markets “Consumers do discriminate. They want to work with people they feel comfortable with,” Dan Forsman, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties told attendees at RISMedia’s Power Broker Forum Thursday at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. Brokers learned about emerging market opportunities and …
May 13
Start Tough and Negotiate At the outset if his presidency, Ronald Reagan took a hard line against the Soviet Union, calling it the evil empire and daring its leader at the time, Mikhail Gorbachev, to tear down the Berlin Wall. A few years later, the wall was down and the Cold War was effectively …
May 12
Outdoor Trends Buyers Love Home owners crave outdoor spaces for gathering and entertaining, which is why it’s important to highlight your listings’ outdoor spaces. RISMedia recently highlighted some of the following outdoor trends: 1. Natural wood and stone: Natural wood and stone features are popular today, even those made of faux materials like vinyl. …
May 11
Top Sales Pros Say Tech Tools Are Critical Sales professionals say relationship-building technology tools can have the highest impact on their revenue, according to the results of a new survey conducted by Market Cube on behalf of LinkedIn. Seventy-seven percent of the top salespeople surveyed say they rely on sales intelligence tools. What’s …
May 10
Make a Cramped Space Feel More Open Even small rooms can be made to feel larger and more open with the right design. RISMedia recently featured some ways to open up a small space: Declutter: Make sure every bookshelf isn’t crammed. Scale back on everything in the room. Clear out every corner of the …
May 09
Rates Drop, Near 2016 Lows Mortgage rates are hovering just above their lowest point of the year, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. “The Fed’s decision to stand pat followed by a week of assorted unsettling news drove Treasury yields lower,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “As a consequence, the …
May 06
Your Ultimate Smart Home Primer More consumers than ever before are seeing the benefits of having a home with smart technology. In fact, a 2016 Coldwell Banker survey revealed that owners believe smart home technology makes their home safer, saves them money, and saves them time. The same survey also found that 54 percent …
May 05
Loan Demand Recedes Again Total mortgage application volume – which encompasses applications for refinancings and home purchases – nudged down 3.4 percent week-to-week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. The decrease came as interest rates edged slightly higher last week. Nevertheless, total mortgage application volume still remains 14 …
May 04
Renovation Mistakes to Avoid Home renovations can be costly. Add a mistake to it, and the costs can skyrocket even more. Emerick Architects has taken on dozens of commercial and residential renovation projects over the last 16 years, and their architects recently shared some of the most common renovation mistakes in an interview with …
May 03
Ways to Remove Smelly Odors Whether it’s a pet odor or yesterday’s pungent dinner, you can take steps to remove bad odors from a home prior to a showing. “If you enter a home and immediately encounter a smell, that is generally all people focus on, and all they will remember,” says Debra Johnson, a …
May 02
Home Ownership Rate Nears Record Lows The home ownership rate made gains in the second half of 2015, but that progress was muted in the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau. The first quarter of this year saw the home ownership rate back on the decline, plummeting to 63.6 percent, the third …
Apr 29
Fed Votes to Leave Interest Rates Alone The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee voted this week to not increase the federal funds rate, which should help keep mortgage rates low during the busy spring home buying season. The federal funds rate will hold at its current 0.25 percent and 0.5 percent rates, at least for …
