The article below makes some valid points. It is indeed a good thing that appraisers are, by regulation, not beholden to either banks or realtors. My feeling about recent appraised home value is that appraisers are finally feeling less threatened by government regulation and more comfortable with the ‘independent’ label placed on them. ~Bill By… Read More
Drum Roll Please… seriously, our Thank You Thursday goes to… I can’t wait any longer to express my appreciation to the individual responsible for declaring National (whatever) Days. I just have to admire the fact that virtually EVERYTHING has a day of it’s own; ‘Brownies’, ‘Turtles’, ‘Curling’, even ‘Quiet’ for pete’s sake! With unique calendar… Read More
By John Egan Curb appeal is in the eyes of the buyer. But as Texas Tech University researchers Emmett Elam and Andrea Stigarall point out, the precise factors that influence a homebuyer’s perceptions of curb appeal are debatable. What is not debatable is the lift that curb appeal gives to the value of a home. Improving… Read More
By Jim Burch The home of the future doesn’t just live in science fiction anymore. You can own it today. Better yet, it doesn’t require thousands of dollars or long construction times. Home automation is available and affordable thanks to wireless Internet and smartphones. If you want to make your home smarter and work for… Read More
A recent Harris Poll found Florida, California and Hawaii to be the states where Americans would most like to live (excluding where they live now), followed by Colorado and New York. But what might inspire Americans to actually consider such a move? While there are clear frontrunners, a lot of it depends on region, age, gender and more. These are some of the results of The… Read More
Whether your home is newly listed or it’s been on the market for awhile, even if you’re simply thinking about selling, it’s never too early to prepare for the home inspection. What will the home inspector be looking at? How can you prepare for the inspection? There are a few important but manageable projects that… Read More
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had increased in December, improved moderately in January. The Index now stands at 98.1 (1985=100), up from 96.3 in December. The Present Situation Index was unchanged at 116.4, while the Expectations Index increased from 83.0 to 85.9 in January. “Consumer confidence improved slightly in January, following an increase in… Read More
The tips below are certainly helpful but I always take issue with anyone telling you that Real Estate transactions are difficult, stressful or overwhelming. If your agent is doing their job there should be no stress or difficulty involved. The article suggests you hire a lawyer. This is never bad advice, but you should also… Read More
Great tips in this video to help you kid’s transition to a new home. One thing we always found helpful when trying to assimilate kids to their new environment was a “moving pack”. Fill a brand new backpack for their new school, with travel brochures from the area they’re moving to, featuring of course some… Read More
The predicted positive outlook for 2016’s Real Estate Market is already proving accurate. Both resale housing inventory and builder confidence are up, and home-buyer activity is significantly above average for the first month of 2016. A “normal” price increase for the market nationwide has historically been 5-7%. Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased year… Read More
