Real Estate Agents Mobilize to Shield Homeowners on Tax Plan
Source: New York Times / By CONOR DOUGHERTY and BEN CASSELMAN NOV. 21, 2017 For decades, the real estate industry has benefited from generous tax deductions that raise home values by making it cheaper for people to own property and shoulder their local taxes. Now, as the Republican tax plan makes its way through Congress, the industry is worried that the fallout will harm its business by making homeownership less valuable. Around the country, real estate organizations are calling legislators, warning clients about their future tax bills and staging protests, all in an effort to...
Read MoreGetting the House Ready for Winter
Source: NY Times / By RONDA KAYSEN / NOV. 3, 2017 This fall has been a balmy one, but winter is coming. For homeowners living in colder climates, the waning hours of daylight signal the time to start readying the home for snowy days and bitter nights ahead. Like a car, a home needs a regular tuneup: Heating systems need maintenance, chimneys need sweeping and windows need caulking. But keep on top of the hefty to-do list, and the chores become a routine you dutifully follow every year. “When it starts getting a little cold, we go into gear,” said Jenet Levy, 60, who has lived in a...
Read MoreU.S. home sales to foreigners surge 49% to new record
Source: CNN Money by Alanna Petroff @AlannaPetroff Foreigners are getting serious about “Buying American” real estate. The National Association of Realtors released a report Tuesday that said foreign buyers and recent immigrants spent an estimated $153 billion on American properties in the year ending March 2017. That was a 49% increase over the previous year and the highest level since record-keeping began in 2009. The purchases accounted for 10% of the total value of existing home sales in the U.S. The report did not include new homes. To continue reading please click...
Read MoreHome prices are sky high, but mortgages are still cheap
Source: CNN / by Kathryn Vasel @KathrynVasel June 23, 2017: 10:31 AM ET Cities across the U.S. are facing major housing shortages, which means buyers have to compete for homes with bidding wars and offers well above asking price. “Prices are moving up and properties are moving quickly,” said Danielle Hale, NAR’s managing director of housing research. Builders aren’t building enough houses to keep up with demand and current homeowners are hesitant to list their properties because they’re worried they won’t be able to buy a new home. Cities...
Read MoreReal estate CEO: Record-low housing inventory is ‘freaking us out’
Source: CNBC The number of homes for sale in America has been falling steadily for the past year, but the situation is apparently getting much worse as spring demand heats up. “The inventory is reaching historic lows. It’s never declined faster than it did last month. It’s freaking us out — it’s affecting our business; it’s limiting our sales,” said Glenn Kelman, CEO of Seattle-based Redfin, a real estate firm. “We’re going to be fine in terms of market share, but I think the overall industry for the first time is seeing sales volume really...
Read MoreEight Simple Ways To Become A Trusted Real Estate Professional
Source: Forbes The success of any real estate business depends primarily on the trust and relationships it can build with its customers. Unfortunately, this is not always easy, as too many people generally have a negative opinion of real estate agents. It is estimated that roughly 67.5% of Americans don’t trust real estate agents, with the highest levels of distrust reported among people under the age of 44, according to a Choice Home Warranty survey. The results are backed by the findings of a Gallup poll regarding the honesty and ethical standards of different professions, where only...
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