General News - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

VALENTINE: Give a Unique Gift this Valentine's Day!

Now's the time to start on your own personalized song for your Valentine. Consider this unique gift that y'all will enjoy for a lifetime!Currently on sale for only $49! Includes custom written lyrics along with a vocal and guitar (at minimum) recording burned to CD and framed. Place your order before it's too late!

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The Most, Least Expensive Cars to Insure

Insure.com's data shows the following cars were the most affordable to insure in 2016: Honda Odyssey LX: $1,113 Honda CR-V LX: $1,170 Dodge Grand Caravan AVP 2WD: $1,174 Jeep Patriot Sport 2WD: $1,180 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD: $1,181 Jeep Compass Sport 2WD: $1,190 Ford Escape S 2WD: $1,194 Buick Encore Sport Tour 2WD: $1,200 Jeep Cherokee Sport Utility 2WD: $1,203 Nissan Frontier S King Cab Pickup: $1,204On the flip side, these cars were the prici

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REALTORS: 5 Home Design Needs for Your Boomer Clients

The number of home buyers ages 55 and older is expected to grow over the next decade, and builders across the country are ramping up to serve them. At the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla., this week, the National Association of Home Builders is educating attendees about how to support the industry's efforts to cater to this segment of the market.In one session, Deryl Patterson, president of Housing Design Matters in Jacksonville, Fl

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Security Firm Issues Fraud Warning to Agents

A security company has issued a warning to real estate professionals about a growing scheme in which criminals are hacking into their emails and sending messages to their clients to wire down payment funds to fraudulent accounts.Information security firm SANS cites an example of the "business email compromise" scheme from an email an agent recently forwarded to the company. The email was a seemingly typical exchange with a potential buyer who exp

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REALTORS: 6 Things Your Buyers Are Stressed About

Do you know the pain points your buyers are most concerned about when it comes to purchasing a home? A new TD Bank survey of 135 real estate professionals nationwide reveals six stressors that are causing their clients the most anxiety: Confusion around paperwork required: 31.85% Unexpected costs: 22.22% Concerns over financing: 21.48% Appraisal and inspection: 11.85% Meeting and closing date: 6.67% Credit approval: 5.93%To better support your cl

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Builders Predict Big Expansion in Construction

Construction of single-family homes is expected to gradually rise this year, as a growing economy, solid employment gains, and rising household formation buoys builders' forecasts.Last year, the National Association of Home Builders projected 1.16 million total housing starts in 2016, which was up nearly 5 percent from the previous year. Now NAHB is forecasting a 10 percent increase in single-family production for 2017 and a 12 percent rise for 2

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STUDY: Kitchen Renos Lead to Healthier Habits

Many homeowners who remodel their kitchen tend to develop healthier lifestyles, according to the 2017 Houzz Kitchen Trends Survey. Of more than 2,700 homeowners surveyed, 33 percent who completed a kitchen renovation say the project prompted them to cook more meals at home, eat less takeout, and consume more fruits and vegetables. Owners of all generations report such lifestyle changes after a kitchen redo, but millennials and baby boomers diverg

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Yes, It’s Still More Affordable to Buy Than Rent

In about two-thirds of the country – or 66 percent of the largest U.S. counties -- it’s more affordable to buy a home than to rent one, according to a report by ATTOM Data Solutions.They compared the monthly rents of three-bedroom apartments to monthly payments on median-priced homes (including the mortgages, property taxes, and insurance) across 540 counties.“It feels like buying a home is getting tougher and tougher from an affordability

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REALTORS: Review Restrictive Covenants With Your Buyers

Purchasers buying in a community with a homeowners association need to make themselves aware of an important set of rules known as restrictive covenants or CC&Rs. These are the rules established by the subdivision that they must follow in order to live in there. The rules tend to be geared about maintaining the attractiveness and value of the property.“A reasonable HOA is like heaven,” says Bruce Ailion, a real estate pro and attorney for

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2017’s Best Cities for Jobs

Keep a close eye on these housing markets. Several cities are expected to see explosive growth in their job markets in the coming year. And where jobs are plentiful usually the housing markets get a boost too.Nationally, employment is looking up as well. The national unemployment rate has dropped to 4.6 percent, the lowest since 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.WalletHub compared 150 of the most populated U.S. cities across

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