Homeowners in Texas are still rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey’s 130-mile-an-hour winds tore through communities, damaging and flooding homes and businesses in August 2017. And as the start of a new hurricane season looms on June 1, homeowners in Texas coastal cities are pondering how far they should go in building sturdier homes that can better withstand natural disasters. Some officials are urging for stiffer standards in the state, but othe
The more shares you can get of your real estate-related content online, the more you get your name in front of potential prospects. But getting your content shared can be more difficult nowadays. After all, Forbes.com cites a recent study that found that the average number of social media shares of a piece of content is down by 50 percent in the last few years. In fact, a typical piece of content is nabbing a median of only four shares, according
Native plants, outdoor yoga spaces, and charging stations are among the hottest landscaping trends growing in consumer demand for 2018, according to a new report released by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Landscape architects were asked to rate the popularity of several residential outdoor design elements. Landscape architects noted a growth in the use of native plants, low-maintenance landscapes, and flexible-use spaces, for yoga
Anyone working in sales knows about rejection rates, dry spells, and the loss of motivation. To toughen herself against negativity, writer Kiki Schirr set a goal: She would earn 100 rejections in 2018.As a writer, Schirr knows that turnaround times for story submissions can take some time and started applying to other opportunities, such as grants and scholarships, marketing jobs, and writing. But with less than half of 2018 gone, she realized, "
Invitation Homes is being accused of excessive and illegal late fees charged to tenants who fall behind on their rent, according to a class-action lawsuit. In the suit, plaintiffs claim the single-family rental giant charges a late fee of $95 even when rent is only an hour late. The lawsuit also alleges that Invitation Homes adds extra late fees of $95 or more on any accrued balance of late fees, even if tenants pay their most recent rent on time
Mortgage rates eased last week following recent increases, but would-be home buyers or refinancers didn’t bite. Total mortgage application volume, which reflects for refinancings and home buying, dropped 2.9 percent last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. This marked the sixth consecutive week of losses in applications.Mortgage application volume is now 10 percent lower than a year ago, the
Around the country, home buyers are facing escalating prices as they compete for a limited number of homes for sale. But there are exceptions popping up in some markets. In a few metro areas, buyers are seeing the reverse: prices coming down.Realtor.com® researchers found that 27 of the nation’s 350 largest metros are seeing price drops. In those 27 markets, the reason for the decline in prices was generally attributed to overbuilding; layoff
Some names may be destined to be taking up a larger percentage of your home shoppers, according to a new study. Home sales to buyers with the last names of Lin, Zhang, Wu, Liu, and Huang rose by more than 20 percent in 2017 compared to 2016. On the other hand, buyers with the last names of Burns, Porter, Jenkins, and Cole fell by 15 percent or more, according to ATTOM Data Solution’s analysis of home buyer surnames in 2017.Researchers looked at
American cities may be becoming more diverse, but some of the nation’s largest housing markets are among the most racially segregated, according to a new study released by Apartment List, an online rental marketplace. Apartment List’s analysis found “significant patterns of residential segregation” among major metro areas, despite these larger metros earning reputations as cultural “melting pots.”For the study, Apartment List analyzed
Home sales are still on track to eke out a gain in 2018, but buyers are encountering three big obstacles as they shop: Swift price growth, climbing mortgage rates, and low supply of homes for sale.Freddie Mac researchers are calling it a “trifecta” of challenges for home buyers in the first five months of 2018. Nevertheless, researchers say they expect the healthy economy and strong consumer confidence to lead to a 3 percent increase in total
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