Dec 30
More Homes Come With ‘Pet Suites’ More spaces are being carved out for pets today, and the trend is even inspiring new home designs. More than half of U.S. households now own a pet, according to a survey of more than 20,000 home shoppers by John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Forty-five percent of those surveyed …
Dec 29
Biggest Winter Home Risks The winter season is a prime time for house fires. Half of all destructive fires tend to occur in December, January, and February, according to the National Fire Protection Association. But most home fires are preventable. Here are some leading culprits to watch for: Space heaters. These devices are the leading …
Dec 24
Common Building Blunders Building inspectors and energy raters shared with BUILDER online the top complaints about common “construction sins,” from improperly installed ductwork to leaky windows. Here are a few blunders that made its list. 1. Attic ductwork: Inspectors – particularly those in hot, humid southern states – say they’re always taken aback when …
Dec 23
Cash Sales Near 50% in These Cities The number of buyers paying all-cash in real estate transactions is falling nationwide, but some places are still seeing a big bulk of their sales from all-cash buyers. Cash sales nationwide accounted for 32.5 percent of total home sales in September, down from 35.9 percent a year …
Dec 22
The 20 Hottest Home Features Right Now Must-have home features are constantly evolving. After all, just a half century ago, shag carpeting in all hues – gold, orange, and purple – were all “in.” But what’s hot with home owners and buyers now? Home staging and design tips: Visit Styled, Staged & Sold Realtor.com® …
Dec 21
Freddie: 2016 Rates to Stay Near Record Lows Mortgage rates edged slightly higher for the second consecutive week and following the Federal Reserve’s decision Wednesday to raise its short-term interest rates for the first time since 2006. “As was almost-universally expected, the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve elected this week …
Dec 17
Swear Off These Bad Habits on Social Media If you’re using social media to expand your connections with customers, make sure you don’t fall for one of these bad habits. Forbes.com highlights a few: Auto-Posting from Facebook to Twitter Your audiences for each social network likely differ slightly, so your messaging should change slightly, …
Dec 16
Do Neighborhood Watch Signs Hurt Sales? Neighborhood watch signs may be intended to show home owners’ that neighbors have one another’s backs but that may not be the message to home buyers. The signs plastered on telephone poles and parks may be a deterrent to home buyers. In Longboat Key, Fla., a debate …
Dec 15
Ally Financial Offers Mortgages Again After two years out of the mortgage business completely, Ally Financial Inc. has decided to re-enter the business and offer new home loans to customers. Ally’s GMAC Mortgage unit was one of the largest lenders of subprime mortgages prior to the 2008 housing crisis. It now plans to offers home …
Dec 14
Fannie, Freddie Halt Foreclosures for the Holidays Mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced they will suspend foreclosure evictions during the holiday season. The holiday moratorium, which the government-sponsored enterprises have done for the last few years, will begin Dec. 18 and run until Jan. 3, 2016. During that time, Fannie Mae …
Dec 11
Why You Should Avoid Using Periods in Texts English teachers will cringe, but a new study suggests that using a period in your text messages can make the message appear “less sincere” than if no punctuation is used to end a statement. Researchers at Binghamton University’s Department of Psychology studied the communication behavior of …
Dec 10
NAR Teams with Boys & Girls Clubs of America The National Association of REALTORS® has announced that it is partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to show support for the nation’s youth. Starting in 2016, NAR and BGCA will collaborate to find positive ways to impact communities across the country as …
