Sellers whose homes aren’t in tip-top shape may need to spend extra money or put in a little elbow grease to get their properties in market-ready condition. But what are the most important repair or maintenance tasks that support a higher asking price? “Smaller and less expensive updates in combination with good staging will have a great return,” Susanna Haynie, GRI, a sales associate with Colorado Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, tol
You and your clients may need to consider the signs of a refrigerator that is about to explode when making your next appliance purchase.Though refrigerator explosions are rare, recent cases have prompted consumer alerts, and they should no longer be “ignored disasters,” says Neil Everitt, former editor at air-conditioning and refrigeration magazine ACR News. Refrigerator explosions occur spontaneously and sometimes with little warning.In
Luxury home sales are cooling off, and some home sellers are finding they may have to invest in a few upgrades to nab top dollar for their home.High-end sales posted a 7 percent gain in October annually, the second slowest increase in more than two years, according to an analysis from realtor.com®. And while sales are slowing, inventories of homes for sale are swelling. The total number of properties listed at or above $1 million is posting doub
More homes may soon be energy-free. Homes and commercial buildings consume 40 percent of all energy used in the U.S., but the growth of net-zero homes could drastically curtail that. The Zero Energy Ready Homes—those that make the energy they use—are becoming more of a reality.In 2017, 8,547 units of net-zero housing or zero-already housing had been built in the U.S. About 38,863 were under construction, according to the Net-Zero Energy Coali
A Kansas City, Mo., couple lost their entire $130,000 down payment on a home purchase from a money wire scam that has been increasingly targeting real estate transactions.Ross and Melinda Fulton were purchasing a home to live closer to their daughters and new granddaughter in the Kansas City area. Ross, a retired pastor of 46 years, and Melinda found the perfect home in Independence, Mo., and were planning to pay for it with cash.They receiv
The biggest pest of 2018? Bedbugs.The second annual Terminix Entomologists’ Almanac took a look at the biggest pest trends from the past year based on social media chatter and internet queries. Bedbugs clinched the title for the second year in a row.Americans searched for information about bedbugs more than 6.7 million times this year—more so than any other pest. Terminix, a national pest control company, says it has seen a steady increase
Sending holiday cards to your sphere might be a more valuable prospecting tool than you think. According to a survey from reference-checking firm Allison & Taylor, approximately half of holiday card recipients indicate they’re more likely to do future business with the company or individual who sends holiday greeting cards. In today’s digital age, the gesture of writing and sending cards is significant.Follow these guidelines to help ens
For the second consecutive year, REach―the growth technology accelerator operated by the National Association of REALTORS®’ strategic investment arm, Second Century Ventures―has been named one of the top accelerators in the country by the U.S. Seed Accelerator Rankings Project. The rankings were compiled by researchers from MIT, Rice University, and the University of Richmond in Virginia. Researchers evaluated hundreds of programs that mar
A typical American household spends $2,060 a year on electricity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Unfortunately, if a home isn’t efficient, a lot of that energy goes to waste—possibly as much as three-quarters of it, according to Renewable Nation, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit focusing on affordable and clean energy. If your clients are contemplating money and energy-saving updates to a house they’re planning to buy or se
The colder months can make selling tougher. The home’s exterior can look dreary against a gray sky backdrop and buyers may want to go into hibernation rather than shop for homes in the chilly weather. But real estate and staging professionals say there’s still plenty you can do to make your listing stand out in the wintertime. Realtor.com® spotlighted a few of their ideas, including:Pay attention to curb appeal.Don’t let the colder month
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