As more home buyers relocate from the North to the South, two Florida counties now top the list of the nation’s fastest-growing luxury markets, according to realtor.com®’s May 2018 Luxury Home Index.The top 5 percent of the priciest homes in Sarasota (North Port, Fla.) and Collier (East Naples, Fla.) counties rose 19 percent and 14 percent, respectively, in May. Broward County, where Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is located, ranked number 19 on the
The median lifespan in the U.S. is 79 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But residents in some cities are living past 80, on average.“If you want to live a long time, the best thing you can do is move to a place where people are verifiably living the longest," says Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones, an initiative that works with communities to help set up wellness policies. He’s learned that communities wher
Real estate professionals in British Columbia are no longer allowed to take part in “double ending” deals, which means they can’t represent both the buyer and seller in a transaction. The ban, which is being implemented by the Real Estate Council of B.C., took effect last Friday. The practice of double ending is known as dual agency. Exceptions to the ban exist for transactions occurring in remote locations where there are fewer agents in b
Innit offers the following tips on “future-proofing” a kitchen remodel.Find a digital hub to manage your kitchen. “Similar to how we use platforms that manage our living room entertainment—connecting our music, TV shows, movies, and games—our kitchens will soon be managed by platforms that help plan, grocery shop, prepare, and cook,” according to Innit. Download apps that can help you take greater control over your kitchen by using v
Tom Ferry shares 3 steps to create massive actionIt’s one of my favorite quotes.“Do the thing, have the power. Do not the thing, have not the power.” – Ralph Waldo EmersonLet’s focus on the second part of that great quote.I’m sure there’s been a point in your life when you know you should be doing something, but you just don’t do it. You stopped doing what gives you power – your appointment-setting calls, following up on leads,
Co-buyers—multiple unmarried buyers listed on the sales deed—are bringing some of the highest down payments to settlement, according to ATTOM Data Solutions’ First Quarter 2018 U.S. Residential Property Loan Origination Report.The average down payment for homes purchased by co-buyers in the first quarter was $56,911—46 percent higher than the average down payment of $38,915 for homes purchased by other buyers. The average co-buyer brought
Mortgage rates were back on the rise this week, increasing to their second highest level this year. The move follows the Federal Reserve’s vote on Wednesday to raise its federal fund rate by 25 basis points.The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage followed suit, rising eight basis points to average 4.62 percent during the week, Freddie Mac reports.“The good news is that the impact on consumer budgets will be smaller than past rate hike cycles,” say
About one-third of real estate professionals recently surveyed say they spend more than seven hours of each workday consulting their mobile device. That percentage has unsurprisingly been growing—in 2017, only 18 percent of real estate pros surveyed said they spent that much time on their device during the workday. The latest findings come from the 2018 REALTOR® Mobile Usage Report, conducted by the Realtors Property Resource®.REALTORS®
Freddie Mac announced a new partnership with a job-hunting firm called NextJob to provide employment search assistance to current and aspiring homeowners living in high-need or other poverty areas.The program will assist homeowners who have Freddie Mac Home Possible mortgages increase their re-employment prospects following a job loss, reduced hours, or other employment challenges that threaten their ability to make their mortgage payments. The p
If a REALTOR® violates the Code of Ethics, the local association could identify the offender to the membership, releasing his or her name, photo, and a description of what was done wrong. There is also an option for publication of every violation if they meet certain criteria.This policy change is based on a program the California Association of REALTORS® piloted for four years. During the pilot period, CAR found a marked decrease in ethics vio
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