Many fast-growing metro areas are facing a shortage of affordable homes. As cities struggle to keep up with demand, developers are hoping to break up large single-family lots and build more homes closer together. But some residents argue that such density is out of character with their communities.“It’s an enormous problem, and it impacts the very course of America’s future,” Edward Glaeser, an economist at Harvard who studies cities, to
Homeowners will have to reach deeper in their pockets to afford a real Christmas tree this year because of lower supplies that are contributing to a 10 percent hike in prices over last year, The New York Times reports. “We’re not going to be short; everybody looking for a real tree will be able to get one,” says Doug Hundley, a spokesman for the National Christmas Tree Association. “But it is a tight market, and prices will rise.”Whi
Real estate brokers and teams say consumers crave agents with specific neighborhood expertise, but they acknowledge they’re failing to deliver on it in their marketing and outreach, according to the Hyperlocal Real Estate Survey, commissioned by the startup zavvie and conducted by the WAV Group.Ninety-five percent of 350 real estate agents, teams, broker-owners, and real estate execs surveyed said that local market knowledge is “very importa
Hardwood floors can get scratched up, whether by moving furniture or rambunctious kids. But many scratches can be easy to repair.“Surface scratches are caused by everyday use, grit on the bottom of shoes, or running a vacuum cleaner across the floor,” Brett Miller, vice president of education and certification for the National Wood Flooring Association, told realtor.com®. “Anything that can run across the surface of the floor can cause s
A robot could walk your buyers on a guided tour of a property, without you ever having to be there in person.Zenplace, an artificial intelligence and machine learning company for landlords and homeowners, is touting a robot that can take clients on guided home showings. The company concentrates on showings of rental properties. It hopes robots will help free up agents’ time and significantly reduce the time it takes to rent a property.“We set
Sometimes it’s easy to pretend to not have lives outside of work, but this is not true nor is it healthy. Everyone needs a good balance between their work life and personal life. Sue Hawkes, CEO of YESS!, a business coaching firm, has three tips for those who want to bring more sanity into their schedules. Stop and breathe. A true work/life balance only happens under ideal circumstances. In the real world, even if your schedule is imbalance
In an outpouring of letters to their elected representatives, REALTORS® were influential in spurring Congress to make key changes in the House and Senate tax reform plans, says Elizabeth Mendenhall, president of the National Association of REALTORS®. But as lawmakers prepare to reconcile the two proposals into one bill, more work needs to be done to protect the country’s middle-class homeowners.“REALTORS® support tax cuts when done in a fi
Seventy-three percent of home sales closed on time in October, but 25 percent of REALTORS® report a delay in getting to the settlement table, according to the latest REALTORS® Confidence Index, a survey based on responses from more than 3,500 real estate professionals. Only 2 percent say a contract was terminated completely.What are the main problems encountered with delayed settlements? Real estate pros report the following: Issues related to
A New York–based rental platform for landlords and tenants has announced that it will start accepting bitcoin for monthly rental payments through its mobile app early next year. The platform, ManageGo, will then convert the bitcoin to dollars using Coinbase, a digital cryptocurrency broker. Landlords will ultimately receive rental payments in dollars.But the value of bitcoin can be volatile, so ManageGo says the value of the currency will be lo
When painting a room, the time, effort, and money you spend on the materials can make a big difference. Josh Max, a professional painter with 10 years of experience, detailed the “right” way to paint in a recent article in The New York Times.Gather the right supplies. Take the measurements of your wall and ceiling to a hardware store that can help you pinpoint exactly what type of paint and supplies you’ll need. Max recommends a two-and-a
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