Real Estate - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Agent Robbed at Gunpoint During Open House

A San Francisco real estate agent was held at gunpoint and robbed during a midday open house she was hosting last Saturday, the San Francisco Police Department reports. The house is located on a privately owned street in San Francisco’s Bayview Heights neighborhood.The 55-year-old agent was in the home’s kitchen prepping for the open house on March 17 when she heard footsteps inside, police said. The agent went to greet who she thought was a

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24 Ways to Add Value to Your Property

Homeowners who want to increase their property’s value don’t necessarily have to start knocking down walls or adding extra rooms. In fact, a coat of paint can go a long way toward enhancing the look of a space. Modern Garden Rooms offers the following infographic that shows numerous ways you can add value to a property.Source: Modern Garden Rooms

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REALTORS: How to Get Sellers to Trust Your Price Advice

Setting a list price is potentially one of the sharpest thorns in the agent-client relationship. Many sellers believe they know better what their home is worth, and it may be difficult to convince your client to trust your professional opinion. And the internet doesn’t make this process easier.Sellers often consult online automated valuation models, or AVMs, such as Zillow’s “Zestimate,” to get a scope of what their property is worth. But

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Toys ‘R’ Us Closures May Hit Retail Sector Hard

Toys ‘R’ Us recently announced its plan to close or sell more than 800 of its stores across the country, and some commercial real estate experts are concerned about the hundreds of empty storefronts that will be left behind. Some landlords are already scrambling to find replacements.Many Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us locations are between 40,000 to 65,000 square feet. This is “problematic as the list of retailers seeking that

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AHPs Offer Vital Insurance Option

The U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule expanding the use of association health plans is a step in the right direction, but more work must be done to refine the plan before making health insurance options available through AHPs, a prominent REALTOR® testified Wednesday on Capitol Hill.Michael McGrew, right, a former NAR treasurer, meets with Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health

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‘Adulting’ Barriers Hold Back Housing

“Adulting” is getting harder for younger generations, which is stymieing the housing market from reaching its full potential, according to Freddie Mac’s latest March Insight report. The report compares young adults to previous generations and the impact to household growth.“For today’s young adults, ‘adulting’ is hard because the economic environment has been tough in recent years; wage growth has been weak and housing costs have

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FEMA Severely Lowballs Flood Risk

Homeowners who don’t live near a federally recognized floodplain may still be at risk of flooding, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency severely underestimates the number of people who could potentially be affected, according to a new study in the journal Environmental Research Letters.Researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, the Nature Conservancy, and the Environmental Protection Agency say that the U.S. pop

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Are You Being Spied On During Showings?

Be careful: You may be under surveillance when touring a property. Some sellers are using surveillance cameras inside their home to record the sight and sound as prospective buyers walk through.The increase in these home recordings—many from security systems that owners already have installed—are raising some concerns surrounding privacy in real estate transactions, MarketWatch reports.Jill Comfort, a real estate pro in Phoenix, told MarketW

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How to Lower Utility Costs for Any Home

Replace lightbulbs. The typical American household spends 5 to 10 percent of its energy budget on lighting alone, according to the DOE. Replace incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs, which on average are 85 percent more energy-efficient. You can shave $100 a year on your energy costs by making the switch.Unplug. Leaving cellphones, TVs, computers, and other electronic devices plugged in can continue to pull power from the grid. That can add up over

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Help One Finalist Become a 30 Under 30

Last week, we introduced the 50 finalists vying for a spot in REALTOR® Magazine’s 2018 class of 30 Under 30. Now you can learn more about each of these extraordinary young professionals in their online profiles and help one of them win the Web Choice Award and land a spot in the final group of 30.The voting period is now open and will close at noon CDT on Friday, March 23. Members of the public can log in and “like” their favorite candida

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