Just how secure is that “smart” security camera or door lock? That is being called into question after reports of a massive data breach hitting the smart-home industry that could extend to smart locks, home security cameras, and full smart-home kits.An database for devices manufactured by Orvibo, which runs an “internet of things” management platform, was left exposed to the internet without any password protection, security researchers w
You want that listing to look great and the carpets in the home to have that ultimate fluff. But did you know there are best practices to vacuuming a room?Start in the far corner of the room. This will help you avoid having to step on the carpet that you already cleaned. “Nobody wants footprints on their fresh vacuum lines,” Jamie Wilcox, brand director at vacuum cleaner company Bissell, told Apartment Therapy in a recent article offerin
Summer is peak season for climate-related disasters, and an alarming percentage of homeowners may be underinsured to weather a natural disaster. Sixty-four percent of homes are underinsured by an average of 27%, according to the Residential Cost Handbook, published by Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, a consulting firm.Reconstruction costs have risen by 5.6% to 7.6% in some areas over the last year, according to a separate study earlier this year
“Gayborhoods” are getting more expensive, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community increasingly say they’re getting priced out of the neighborhoods they helped to build.For example, USA Today reports that areas like San Francisco’s Castro district, which has long been known to house many members of the LGBT community, has seen values reach nearly $1.8 million while comparable homes in other neighborhoods av
If you have an interest in working with international clients, you don’t have to go overseas to find them. One of the best places to meet foreign prospects may be your local university.College orientations and community events sponsored by higher education institutions provide ample opportunities to connect with foreign students who may be looking for long-term housing, real estate professionals told attendees at last week’s Midwest Real Esta
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has allocated $330 million in grants to clean up lead-based paint and other health and safety hazards in low-income housing. The grants will be provided through HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes Production for Tribal Housing grant programs.“Your home is a haven from the outside world,” says HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “You shouldn’t be worried about the hidden
Generation Z, the youngest potential home buyers, who are beginning to enter the housing market, show a preference for buying homes in culturally diverse neighborhoods, according to a new survey from Homes.com. It's the first generation in American history to show such a strong diversity preference, Homes.com says. The real estate website surveyed more than 1,000 young adults ages 18 to 24 years old to examine their homebuying preferences.Fifty-e
New rent control laws in New York are being blamed for eating away at landlords’ profits and putting many in a financial bind. Some real estate professionals and investors told The Wall Street Journal that the laws could cause rent-stabilized apartment buildings to drop 20% to 45% in value. That could put the building owners at risk of default. “It’s all over,” Lazer Sternhell, a real estate investor and broker of rent-regulated
Falling prey to a wire fraud scheme, he lost the down payment that took his family years to save. Now he’s helping real estate pros protect their clients against cyber scams. After a yearlong search, Aaron Cole and his family finally found their dream home in Canby, Ore., in December 2018. The seller accepted Cole’s $440,000 offer, and with a down payment of $123,000, he and his wife were ready to move in just in time to celebrate Christmas a
In the nation’s priciest areas, you’ll need to be in the top 20% to 30% of household earners to afford a median-priced home, according to a new study by Zoocasa, a real estate website.Researchers evaluated how much income households need to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home in 35 of the largest cities in the U.S. They factored in a 20% down payment, a mortgage rate of 4.5%, and a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.The top three most acc
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