August, 2020

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Inside an Impeccable New Home in Beverly Hills

Sotheby's International Real Estate

L.A.-based master architect William Hefner is known for his proficiency in both traditional and modernist styles and for his devotion to translating classic details for sophisticated contemporary living. His versatility and dedication are easily apparent in this new Beverly Hills home, where sleek, refined modern style is inflected with time-honored flair.

Design 132
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A Quarter of San Francisco Home Sellers Are Dropping Their Prices, the Highest Rate on Record

Redfin

San Francisco has seen a greater increase in price drops than any other U.S. metro, with the share of sellers slashing prices more than doubling from a year ago as the pandemic drives homebuyers out of the Bay Area. A quarter (24.5%) of San Francisco -area home sellers cut their list prices during the four weeks ending Aug. 16, the highest share since at least 2015, when Redfin began recording this data.

Sales 87
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New interest from city dwellers raising home prices in rural areas

Housing Wire

The pandemic is pushing homeowners out of the big cities and into rural and suburban areas , pushing up home prices in previously sleepy towns. In July, less densely populated areas showed more buyer interest than urban areas, Redfin said. Before the pandemic, 9% of homebuyers said they were searching for a home in rural areas. Now, 19% say they are looking at rural options.

Sales 545
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5 Rampant Mortgage Myths You’ll Hear These Days—Completely Debunked

Realtor.com

Witthaya Prasongsin / Getty Images These days, things are changing so fast, it’s tough to keep up. That’s especially true in the mortgage industry, where interest rates and the overall home loan landscape are shifting with such head-spinning speed, it’s easy for outdated information to circulate, leading home buyers and homeowners astray. You may have heard, for instance, that everyone can score a record-low interest rate, or that refinancing is a no-brainer, or that mortgage forbearance m

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3 Real Estate Office Hacks to Help Kickstart the Busy Season

Ready to better your Back Office? Dive into the secrets to a powerhouse back office with Brokermint expert, Jessica Souza. In this free download, she shares her 3 transformative hacks designed to clean house, get everyone on the same page, and set yourself up for success. From optimizing agent profiles to ensuring flawless transactions and boosting agent retention, these strategies are your ticket to a seamless operation.

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10 First-Time Home Buyer Blunders To Avoid

Lighter Side of Real Estate

Homeownership is one of the central tenets of contemporary life. Most of us dream of a familiar, comfortable place to call our own, and buying a home is a rite of passage into adulthood, and into our own piece of the American Dream. But until and unless you’ve been through the process at least once, there are plenty of mistakes many people make on their journey to property ownership.

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Renting a Room in Your House: What to Know

RIS Media

If you have a spare room in your home, renting it out can be a way to earn extra to pay the mortgage. There can be problems with this sort of arrangement, however, that could make you wish you hadn’t invited a renter into your home, so it’s important to be educated about the process as much as possible. Renting out part of your home does put you in the position of a landlord with the associated responsibilities.

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Water Works | 5 Baths with Distinctive Design

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Few spaces in the modern home take higher design priority than the bath. These five distinctive spaces feature details that range from rugged stonework to striking tile patterns and lovely mosaics that double as works of art. Unique Elegance in Manhattan. New York, New York | Debbie Korb , Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage.

Design 143
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Is the FHFA about to delay the refi fee?

Housing Wire

According to reporting by the Wall Street Journal on Saturday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency has been communicating with mortgage industry groups about delaying the implementation of a fee which would add a 0.5% surcharge to refinance mortgages sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac starting Sept. 1. According to the article, the FHFA is considering a delay to the adverse market fee implementation date, but is not planning to rescind it.

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Cook Up Some Questions! 10 Things To Ask Your Agent During a Video Tour of the Kitchen

Realtor.com

Feverpitched/Getty Images Video tours have become an indispensable tool for house hunters in the COVID-19 era, although they do have their drawbacks—you won’t notice a bad odor through a video screen, after all. And if there’s one room for which you really need a sense of how you’ll be able to use it, it’s the kitchen. After all, it needs to work for your needs, whether you’re enjoying a peaceful cup of coffee in the morning, putting together school lunches, baking

Agents 145
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Need Curated Pre-foreclosure Lists to Generate New Real Estate Leads? Trellis Has the Data!

Trellis is a state trial court research and analytics platform that provides Real Estate Professionals (Buyers, Foreclosure, Loan Modification, etc.) with LEADS on Pre-Foreclosures, Lis Pendes, Distressed Assets and more — to help uncover **new** opportunities and grow their business. The process is quick and easy — and all in real time. Trellis will supply you with a link to the relevant dockets, a Leads sheet and access to its UI where applicable.

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Decorating Tips You Can Steal From This Blockbuster Store-Turned-Airbnb

Lighter Side of Real Estate

Most homeowners and real estate agents will agree that decor from the 1980s and ‘90s can make a room feel dated, and perhaps even unappealing. But one iconic brand from that era is leaning hard into the nostalgia aesthetic and generating plenty of interest. The last standing Blockbuster video store, located in Bend, Oregon, is offering movie buffs the chance to visit the past and spend the night inside the film emporium in September.

Branding 145
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Refinance Appraisal vs Purchase Appraisal: Is There a Difference?

HomeLight

Picture this: You’ve been in your home for a few months, and lately, it seems like you’re getting more and more junk mail encouraging you to refinance your mortgage. And it seems like it might be a good deal, so you do a little research into what you need to do. Now you’re confused because you need a refinance appraisal, but you just got a purchase appraisal before being approved for a mortgage — is there a difference between a refinance appraisal vs. purchase appraisal?

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Canadian Households Have Deferred Payments On Debt Worth $247 Billion

Better Dwelling

Canadians have a metric buttload of debt, and a lot of it’s not being paid, according to a big three credit bureau. TransUnion data shows the balance of accounts on payment deferrals is now over a quarter trillion at the end of Q2 2020. A significant share of the debt on payment deferrals is subprime, […]. The post Canadian Households Have Deferred Payments On Debt Worth $247 Billion appeared first on Better Dwelling.

Mortgages 141
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Rustic Meets Refinement in These 5 Modern Farmhouses

Sotheby's International Real Estate

Paying homage to one of the most enduring architectural motifs, these modern farmhouses—in desirable locations from Greenwich to California’s wine country—give bucolic inspiration a sophisticated contemporary spin. Charming Wine Country Compound. Kenwood, California | Tina Shone , Sotheby’s International Realty – Wine Country – East Napa Street Brokerage.

Brokerage 140
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Accelerating Real Estate Sales Pipelines to Streamline Buyer Journeys

Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.

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Here’s why we won’t see a housing crisis after COVID-19

Housing Wire

August is upon us, and the growth in the rate of new infections appears to be slowing. Vaccine development is progressing with some promising early results. The time has come to start thinking about what life will be like on the other side of this crisis. What can we expect post COVID-19? Logan Mohtashami Lead Analyst. Some things will not have changed.

Loans 545
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10 Things Your Home Doesn’t Need Anymore: How Many Do You Still Have?

Realtor.com

akinshin / Getty Images Unless your home was built in the last year or two, it’s likely to be full of outdated features and systems. Some of those items may add to the home’s charm, but many distinctly will not. Replacing the outdated with modern versions or smart technology can save you time and money. “While not everyone is an uber-cutting-edge tech wiz, [home] buyers are more tech-savvy than ever before,” says Jared Wilk , principal at Shulkin Wlik Group.

Design 145
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Bringing Sail Freight Back to Brooklyn, Schooner Apollonia Delivers Goods to Red Hook

Brownstoner

Packed in the hold of a 1946 steel-hulled schooner, sacks of Hudson Valley malt and corn sailed into Brooklyn last week. The journey of the Schooner Apollonia down the river from Kingston wasn't a living history exercise, but an effort to bring carbon neutral shipping back to the Hudson River.… Read More > The post Bringing Sail Freight Back to Brooklyn, Schooner Apollonia Delivers Goods to Red Hook appeared first on Brownstoner.

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Will mortgage rates go down in September 2020? Forecast and trends

The Mortgage Report

Mortgage rates are holding low and everyone is predicting low rates through 2020. But what will interest rates do next? Advice, predictions, and your next steps.

Mortgages 145
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Maximizing Your Online Presence: Tips for Real Estate Agents on Social Media

Speaker: Sarah Santa Ana, Real Estate Coach, Move4Free Realty

Networking is one of the crucial elements in every real estate organization's success. Both agents and real estate companies need to maintain robust networking links. This is why social media is essential for any real estate professional! Social media enables you to stay in touch with your present clients, maintain connections with your past clients, and engage potential customers and investors.

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This Week’s Top Stories: Canada Is The G7’s Biggest Real Estate Bubble, and Toronto Rental Inventory Soars

Better Dwelling

Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s most important stories. Canadian Real Estate Canada Doubled Down On Real Estate In 2005. Now It’s The Biggest Bubble The G7 Has Ever Seen, And It’s Getting Bigger Canadian real estate prices have grown rapidly, but it’s not clear how much more rapidly it grew than its […]. The post This Week’s Top Stories: Canada Is The G7’s Biggest Real Estate Bubble, and Toronto Rental Inventory Soars appeared first on Better Dwelling.

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Inside an Extraordinary Santa Fe Compound

Sotheby's International Real Estate

T-shirts in popular shops around Santa Fe are emblazoned with a lighthearted description of New Mexico: “Not really new, not really Mexico.” While that sentiment is clever, it also happens to be true. New Mexico may take its name from the nation to the south, from which many of its founding settlers traveled, but the state has a style and feel of its own, and Santa Fe even more so.

Land 139
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Sales of large homes skyrocket as homeowners seek more space

Housing Wire

Homebuyers who are juggling work and school from their home want more space, triggering an increase in the number of sales of large homes. According to Redfin , sales for large homes were up 21.2% year over year nationwide in July, compared to a 10% increase for medium-sized homes and a 2.3% increase for small homes. Redfin categorized large homes as those between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet, medium homes between 1,500 and 3,000 square feet, and small homes between 300 and 1,500 square feet.

Sales 545
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‘Good Bones’ Reveals a Cool Alternative to Open Floor Plans That You Must See

Realtor.com

Aaron Rapoport / Contributor / Getty Images On “Good Bones,” Mina Starsiak and her mother, Karen Laine , are always experimenting with new designs—and in their latest Indianapolis renovation, they reveal a clever alternative to open floor plans that could catch on fast. In the episode “The Boho Bungalow,” Starsiak and Laine take on a dilapidated home in a neighborhood that’s known for its growing artists community.

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Rise of The Apps: Building Your Dream Tech Stack For Real Estate Success

Speaker: Trey Willard, Realtor/Team Leader at Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

In order to create continued success in today’s real estate market, realtors need to utilize an arsenal of technology that will increase their efficiency and presence on social media. Using technology to manage your prospects and tap into their needs through websites, social media, and other channels is critical for real estate success in 2022 and beyond.

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New Single-Family Home Size Leveling Off?

Eye on Housing

New single-family home size trended lower during the second quarter 2020 at the beginning of what we are forecasting will be a pivot to larger home size over the next two years. According to second quarter 2020 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area ticked down to.

Design 138
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Home purchase contract signings surge 5.9% in July

The American Genius for Real Estate

[REAL ESTATE BIG DATA] Positive NAR reports encourage strong homebuyer return into the housing market following pent-up demand. The post Home purchase contract signings surge 5.9% in July appeared first on The American Genius Real Estate.

Marketing 133
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Canada Doubled Down On Real Estate In 2005. Now It’s The Biggest Bubble The G7 Has Ever Seen, and It’s Getting Bigger

Better Dwelling

Canadians know real estate prices have grown quickly, but most have no idea how it compares to the world. US Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (US Fed) data shows how home prices evolved since the Financial Crisis. While most countries scrambled to balance home prices with local economic growth, Canada doubled down on housing. The […]. The post Canada Doubled Down On Real Estate In 2005.

Banks 138
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5 Homes Inspired by Your Favorite Glass of Summer Wine

Sotheby's International Real Estate

For the wine connoisseur, enjoying a glass is about more than just relaxation: it’s about transporting oneself to far away terroirs through taste, being moved by tradition and innovation, and, sometimes, finding inspiration in the way the light hits the wine. The vineyard doesn’t have to be the only place where the wine lends inspiration, either. . With some of our favorite whites and rosés in mind, we’ve sourced homes that take their design cues from the vineyard.

Lending 136
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5 Data Proven Ways Agents Can Do 18% More Business

Curious as to how you could do 18% more business? How about 14 more transaction sides per year? Check out this infographic with data from a RealTrends study to learn more.