Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips - Marie Kozacek - iPro Real Estate

More Ultra-Luxury Sellers Face ‘Stale’ Listings

In the high-end market, more properties are lingering. Some sellers are having to reduce their prices in the ultra-luxury market, in the hopes of getting a quicker sale. Otherwise, those hoping to hold out for a higher price are finding they’re waiting not months but years to make a sale.For some, the waiting game is fine, though.“In most cases, my sellers don’t have to sell,” says Ann MacQuoid, a real estate professional with Berkshire H

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Mortgage Rates Set a New 2017 Low This Week

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continues to drop this week, setting a new low for 2017, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey. This marks the fourth consecutive week that 30-year rates have fallen."Following a weak March jobs report, the 10-year Treasury yield dropped about 5 basis points,” explains Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “The 30-year mortgage rate fell 2 basis points to 4.08 percent.”Freddie Mac

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5 Ways to Make Listing Photos Pop

Photos of your listing are crucial when selling a home and presenting it online to potential suitors. The New York Times recently featured several suggestions from professional stagers and interior photographers on how to achieve a picture-perfect home, including:Trim the belongings. “Instead of having lots of little things along a countertop or table, have one bold vessel or large plant, or a trio of objects that read as one whole,” says Lau

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BROKERS: 2 Easy Ways to Help Agents Build Confidence

Confidence and self-image are among the biggest factors for attaining success in your career. If you're in a position of leadership, Mario Jannatpour, a real estate coach and author of the book The Honest Real Estate Agent, has some ideas on how to improve your team members’ self-esteem and snuff out doubt.“The ‘law of attraction’ in our business is about attracting clients who want to work with us because they like us, trust us, and valu

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Creating A Patio Scene That Sells

Whether you're selling an oceanfront property in Miami Beach or a Colorado mountain escape, a home's outdoor space is often key in the potential homeowner's willingness to say, "We'll take it!" With property values on the rise, it’s important to create additional living space by bringing the indoors out.No matter the size, creating an inviting area for entertainment and daily living doesn’t have to be a massive construction ordeal. Instead, j

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10 Markets Where Rents Are Cooling the Most

Some of the hottest rental markets in the country may have finally hit their peak. For example, markets like San Francisco and Manhattan are posting some of the highest year-over-year drops in average rents by 4.3 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.Nationally, rents are remaining stable. The average apartment rent is $1,312, according to data from Yardi Matrix. Rents across the country are rising, but only slightly now—by just $6 from Februa

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Globally, U.S. Millennials Are Slow to Owning

You can’t solely blame the millennial generation for the delay into homeownership. In other parts of the world, like China, 70 percent of young adults are homeowners, according to a new survey by HSBC, which evaluated homeownership rates of 9,000 people born between 1981 and 1998 in nine countries.The homeownership rate of Chinese millennials is nearly double the global average of 40 percent. Following China, Mexican millennials came in second

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Where Foreclosure Deals Can Still Be Found

Fewer foreclosures are on the market. First-quarter foreclosure activity has fallen below pre-recession levels nationwide in 102 out of 216 metro areas analyzed, according to ATTOM Data Solutions. Still, a few markets are showing elevated levels of foreclosures.For example, first-quarter foreclosure activity levels were still above pre-recession averages in Philadelphia (97 percent above); New York (80 percent above); Washington, D.C. (64 percent

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Appraised Values Too Low?

Homeowners say their homes are worth more than what appraisers say they’re worth, and the gap between the values is growing, according to Quicken Loans’ latest Home Price Perception Index reading for March.Appraisals, on average, were 1.77 percent lower than what homeowners expected, according to the index. This marks the fourth consecutive month in which the gap between homeowner estimates and appraiser opinions has widened.That said, apprai

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What’s on Home Shoppers’ Wish Lists

A new realtor.com® survey reveals the top desires of home buyers today: Ranch-style homes, big backyards, and updated kitchens.More than half of home buyers say they’re on the hunt for a three-bedroom home, and 75 percent want a two-bathroom home as well, according to realtor.com®’s home buyer survey. The survey also showed a strong demand for townhouses and row homes among younger home shoppers, as 40 percent said they are looking for a to

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