The number of real estate transactions involving cryptocurrency—like bitcoin and ethereum—have been on the rise, but real estate brokerage Culture Estate in Scotch Plains, N.J., wants to take digital transactions one step further. One of its agents, Manuela Londono-Osorio, recently accepted her commission check from the brokerage in the form of cryptocurrency.Manuela Londono-OsorioBroker Luis Leiva with Culture Estate says this is just the ne
Fifty-eight percent of homeowners plan to spend money on home improvement projects this year, according to a recent survey by LightStream Home Improvement, a national online lending division of SunTrust Banks Inc.Outdoor improvements, including decks, patios, and landscaping, remained highest on owners’ to-do lists for the fifth consecutive year. Interior renovations also are popular: Nearly a third of homeowners say they plan to remodel a bath
Developers have built thousands of senior housing units in many markets, but the glut is outpacing demand and causing the sector to slow, CoStar Group reports. The overbuilding is most prevalent in suburban areas, notes JLL’s Year-End 2017 Senior Housing Investor Survey.More than 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, and many economists predict that senior housing will be a strong market. While the long-term prospects for the sector are strong,
Even though some homes are marketed as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, your buyers should do their own research on the property to confirm its sustainable features. “Greenwashing,” a misleading practice in which homes are marketed as green when, in reality, they have few such features, is becoming a growing problem, according to an NBC investigation.“Green is more than just energy efficiency,” Richard Durling, owner of sout
Investors can see big returns on real estate, but the most successful tend to have a strong understanding of how to evaluate their options before purchasing. Forbes.com recently highlighted some winning strategies for profitable real estate investing: Focus on potential income, not personal like and dislikes. Purchasing an investment property is different than buying residential real estate. Investments need to center on the numbers—the combin
Home prices in most U.S. housing markets are reaching their peak, but there’s no need to fear a repeat housing bust, according to a new joint analysis by Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University. Throughout the majority of the country, home prices have been rising steadily since 2012, and there are signs the runup may be starting to slow.“Housing markets are slowing, suggesting that we are nearing a peak in housing mar
Realtor.com® has launched a Local Pride College Scholarship that it hopes will help foster the next generation of homeowners. To apply, applicants must demonstrate local pride and pen an essay about their neighborhood.Realtor.com® will award scholarships of $2,500 to the first-place recipient; $1,000 for second place; and $500 for third place.“The ability to afford a down payment and monthly mortgage payment is a steep financial hill to climb
The housing market may not be as robust this spring as some originally predicted, and real estate professionals are pointing to the main culprits as rising mortgage rates, a new tax law, and growing affordability problems among first-time buyers.The spring market will be the true judge of whether the housing market has hit a slowdown. About 40 percent of the year’s sales tend to occur from March through June, according to the National Associa
Wildfires that ripped through Northern California last year left neighborhoods in destruction. Displaced homeowners are now learning that rebuilding can take years. As such, some are being drawn to prefab housing to try to speed wait times. Prefab homes are mass-produced in a factory and then assembled on location. The building style is usually touted for its quick construction times than traditional, stick-built homes that are built complete
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is considering changing its mission statement to remove what it calls antidiscrimination language. HUD Secretary Ben Carson has been leading the charge and seeking to add in “self-sufficiency,” a major focus of his since taking the helm of HUD.A draft being circulated of the new mission statement reads:HUD’s mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunit
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