Help City Dwellers Adjust to Life in the ‘Burbs

Help City Dwellers Adjust to Life in the ‘Burbs

City dwellers confronted with the lack of space and high costs of city-living are making the move to the suburbs. But it can be an adjustment. To make the transition easier, some real estate firms are offering seminars and suburb specialists to help buyers make the decision of city versus the ‘burbs.

In New York, real estate professionals are teaming up with suburban agents to offer seminars and “immersive tours” of the suburbs, The New York Times reports. The seminars dive into the concerns of families who are hesitant about leaving the city and offer step-by-step guidance on how to make the jump to suburbia.

“I’ve been referring to these people as reluctant urban defectors, because they don’t want to leave,” says Oliver Gold, a sales associate at Douglas Elliman who with a business partner created custom tours of the suburbs for city clients. “It is a real weighing of the pros and cons: ‘Can I live in that three-bedroom, fourth-floor walk-up with one bathroom, or do I want to make the move?’ … I tell everyone that brings this up to me, ‘We don’t revoke your citizenship when you go to the suburbs. You’re allowed back.’”

A real estate advisory firm called Suburban Jungle also works with those who live in the city to help potential buyers find the right suburb fit to their lifestyle. The service expanded last year beyond just New York with offices now in San Francisco and Chicago.

Clients who take part fill out questionnaires, which include questions like:

• Where did you grow up?
• What did you love/hate about each place?
• What’s your ideal commute?
• What things are most important to you in a community?

Participants are then assigned a “suburb strategist,” who works with them and suggests towns to explore. The service is free and clients are later referred to real estate professionals in the town they choose. (Suburban Jungle receives payment from a portion of the commission if the referred agent then sells a home.)

Some real estate professionals are offering their own events or seminars specifically catered to city dwellers who are being priced out of the city and unsure of where to move. Some agents are talking from their own experiences of moving from city to suburb to help others make the adjustment.

“The overall message: Life isn’t so terrible in the ‘burbs,” The New York Times concludes. “In addition to highlighting the better real estate values, each broker emphasized the cultural attractions, farmers’ markets and culinary options of their respective neighborhoods, often drawing comparisons to New York City.”

Source: “From the City to the ‘Burbs, Step-by-Step,” The New York Times (March 25, 2016)

Among Younger Clients, E-mail May Be Dying

Among Younger Clients, E-mail May Be Dying

“E-mail is dying among mobile’s youngest users,” reads a headline from TechCrunch.com. Messaging apps may be the future mode of communication.

A new study shows that e-mail is lessening its dominance as messaging apps gain more steam among young users. For your future clients, you may need to soon embrace a change in how you communicate with them.

A report from App Annie shows that those aged 13 to 24 spend more than 3.5 times of overall usage time in messaging apps than those over 45 years old. (Note: The company’s report only focuses on Android smartphone users.)

“For those who did not grow up with a smartphone in hand, there’s a propensity to use the device like a smaller personal computer, it seems,” TechCrunch reports. “Those aged 45 or older spent a higher share of their time in the top five mobile web browsers on their phone than any other age group, for example. Plus, they spent more time in the top five e-mail apps for Android and less time in the top five messaging apps.”

Younger users, on the other hand, are more likely to use messaging apps than e-mail on their devices.

Many companies are already taking notice. For example, Facebook has been working to make its Messenger and WhatsApp products more than just an alternative to texting and are integrating business-to-consumer communications. Messaging platforms like KakaoTalk, LINE and WeChat also are gaining in popularity.

Some message apps are becoming the entry portal to the Internet rather than a web browser like Google or a social network, such as Facebook.

The report also shows that the youngest users are heavy users of video streaming services on their phones. The time spent in the top five video streaming apps on Android was more than double that of those aged 45 or older.

Source: “E-mail Is Dying Among Mobile’s Youngest Users,” TechCrunch.com (March 24, 2016)

Pros and Cons of 6 Common Roof Types

Pros and Cons of 6 Common Roof Types

Are you familiar with the most common roof types? Century 21’s blog recently reviewed the pros and cons of these popular options:

1. Asphalt shingle—The most common roofing material

• Pros: Available in a wide assortment of colors; affordable; simple to install
• Cons: Shorter life spans; often have lower levels of insulation compared to other roof types

2. Wood shake

• Pros: Natural, rustic look
• Cons: Flammable; more prone to mold or rot; limited life span (similar to asphalt shingles)

3. Metal—Various types available (aluminum, steel, copper, and copper-asphalt are the most popular)

• Pros: Strong and durable; high solar reflectance for efficient home cooling/heating
• Cons: Often the most expensive choice

4. Ceramic and cement tile

• Pros: Durable; energy efficient
• Cons: Expensive; heavy (may require extra framing for support)

5. Slate roofing

• Pros: Extremely durable; sustainable; many variations in thickness/color
• Cons: Expensive; heavy (may require extra framing for support)

6. Synthetic roofing

• Pros: Durable; affordable
• Cons: May absorb moisture

Source: “How to Choose Roofing: 6 Types to Consider,” Century 21 Blog (Feb. 21, 2016)

Home Fixes Not Worth It at Resale

Home Fixes Not Worth It at Resale

Bathroom remodels and additions may offer some of the fewest paybacks at resale, at least when compared to 20 other popular projects.

The National Association of REALTORS® and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry released a report showing some of the home renovation projects that offer the biggest and smallest returns when selling a home.

The report found that installing a new roof and refinishing hardwood floors was worth every penny of the cost at resale. But which of the 20 projects evaluated offered the smallest percentage back when home owners went to sell their home?

Bathroom addition

• Average cost: $50,000
• Recouped at resale: 52%

Master suite addition

• Average cost: $112,500
• Recouped at resale: 53%

Closet renovation

• Average cost: $3,500
• Recouped at resale: 57%

Bathroom renovation

• Average cost: $26,000
• Recouped at resale: 58%

New wood-frame windows

• Average cost: $26,000
• Recouped at resale: 58%

Source: “6 Worst Home Fixes for the Money,” Bankrate.com (March 2016)

Twitter Opts to Keep 140-Character Limit

Twitter Opts to Keep 140-Character Limit

The social networking giant has sided with its Twitter loyalists. It will keep Twitter’s 140-character limit in place.

About two months ago, some of Twitter’s most loyal users were in an uproar after news surfaced of possible changes that would lengthen the character limit on Twitter and allow for longer tweets. But Jack Dorsey, co-founder and chief executive of Twitter, calmed those concerns last Friday by confirming that the company will keep its tweets at 140 characters, the mainstay of Twitter since it was founded 10 years ago.

“It’s staying. It’s a good constraint for us,” Dorsey said on the “Today” show Friday. “It allows for of-the-moment brevity.”

Twitter boasts 320 million regular users. That said, the company’s growth has slowed over the last few years, and Twitter has been facing mounting pressure to find ways to draw more people into its network. The Tweet length was among the changes it considered at the time to try to court more users.

Nevertheless, Dorsey says while the Twitter character length will stay the same, Twitter is in-store for some coming changes, although he wouldn’t elaborate more.

“We’re changing a lot,” Dorsey says. “We’re always going to make Twitter better.”

Source: “Twitter Rules Out Long Tweets, Sticking to 140-Character Limit,” The New York Times (March 18, 2016)

Ways to Sell an Outdoor Space

Ways to Sell an Outdoor Space

Springtime is upon us, and as warmer temperatures start to roll in, many buyers will be thinking about how they can use a home’s outdoor space. If you want to draw more attention to your listing’s outdoor features, there are some fairly simple ways to heighten their appeal. Take some helpful hints from our friends at HouseLogic:

1. Create a seamless flow from indoor to outdoor. Replace a standard door opening with sliding glass or French doors, which will give the feeling of a more open passageway that integrates the indoors with the outdoors. Also, use the same weatherproof flooring, such as stone tile or scored concrete, for both the room leading to the backyard and the backyard itself. It’ll make the two areas feel connected.
2. Make comfort paramount. Outdoor furniture has come a long way from the plastic cushions we once knew. Outdoor chairs and sofas should have cushions that are just as plush as any piece of furniture you’d have inside. Also, lay down outdoor rugs so your feet are just as comfortable.
3. Keep it wired. Set up outdoor Wi-Fi antennas, solar USB charging stations, and wireless speakers so buyers can see how easy it is to stay connected and keep their devices fully charged while they lounge outdoors. You might even consider bringing in a weather-proof TV to help them visualize how the space could be used for both connectivity and entertainment.
4. Keep it well-lit. Lighting isn’t only important for the ability to use an outdoor space at any time; it’s also important to set the mood. Sconces and pendant lights, as well as landscape solar lighting along pathways, will keep the space usable in the dark, but consider hanging fairy or string lights to give the space an enchanting tone.
5. Add a feature that’s particular to the outdoors. A fire pit or an outdoor playhouse or dog run adds something outside that can’t be had inside. Having an outdoor feature that can’t be replicated inside gives buyers a specific idea of the value of the outdoor space and how they can use it.

Source: “7 Ideas to Help You Use Your Outdoor Space More,” HouseLogic