Real Estate - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Homeowners Reveal Their Top Nonnegotiable Amenities

Home shoppers are unwilling to negotiate on certain amenities, and prime among them are central air conditioning and a private patio or backyard, according to a new survey of more than 1,000 homeowners conducted by remodeling site Porch.com. On the other hand, prospective buyers are less likely to consider stainless steel appliances or a swimming pool as deal-breaking must-haves.Renters and homeowners differ quite a bit in their priorities, the s

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A Big Nuisance Entering More Homes This Fall - Spiders

More spiders will likely be building their webs inside homes this fall. The arachnids from gardens and backyards often creep inside when the weather turns colder. But they also may already be there and just more willing to show themselves in the fall to homeowners.Homeowner Nicole Photianos in Georgia’s Paulding County told WSB-TV 2 that when she moved into her new home she found dozens of venomous brown recluse spiders all over the house. Even

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Top 6 Places to Live in America This Year

The suburbs dominated this year’s list of top places to live in the country. Money magazine teamed with realtor.com® to identify its top picks of towns with populations of 50,000 or more. They factored in more than 135,000 data points, including economic health, public school performance, local amenities, housing, cost of living, and more."For someone who’s starting from scratch, this is a list of areas with great quality of life, healthy

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6 Types of Mortgage Fraud Are Becoming More Prevalent

Mortgage fraud climbed 12.4 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2018, and about one out of every 109 mortgage applications has been found to contain false or misleading information, according to real estate data firm CoreLogic. “Because home prices are rising and demand is strong, most mortgage fraud in this type of market is motivated by bona fide borrowers trying to qualify for a mortgage,” says Bridget Berg, CoreLogic’s prin

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How Every State Capital Ranks on Livability

Capital cities tend to have the strongest economies in their respective states, as well as a rich history and broader cultural offerings, according to a new study by personal finance website SmartAsset. But many state capitals also tend to have less affordable housing options. SmartAsset sought to pinpoint the most livable capital cities in the U.S., comparing them based on residents’ discretionary income, unemployment rates, dining and enterta

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REALTORS: 5 Steps to Break Unsafe Work Habits

What would you be willing to do in order to keep a real estate transaction from falling through? Would you literally put your life on the line to save a deal?Ask any agent or broker, and the answer likely will be an easy “no.” But according to real estate safety instructor Cheryl Knowlton, president of Elite Edge Real Estate Training, practitioners most commonly cite fear of losing the deal as the reason they don’t follow safety protocols o

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Americans’ Ideal Home

A waterfront home in the suburbs that has nearly 5,000 square feet and a one-story ranch may be at the top of American consumers’ real estate wishlists, according to findings from a Porch.com survey of more than 600 Americans and Europeans about their ideal home designs, amenities, and locations.Forty-five percent of Americans surveyed say if they could get their top choice they’d have a waterfront view, whether that’s a lakefront or ocean

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Court Strikes Down Laws Making Homelessness Illegal

Striking down a growth of ordinances in municipalities across the country attempting to make homelessness illegal, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that it’s not a crime to sleep outside on city streets when not enough shelters are available. Several cities had been fining or arresting people who slept on city sidewalks or in parks. In the decision, the court defines such legal action as “cruel and unusual punishment” and said it

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In Detroit, 87% of Buyers Pay Cash

Low home prices along with affluent buyers, more investors, and those wanting to bypass appraisals are prompting all-cash transactions to surge in Detroit. Eighty-seven percent of all single-family home and condo purchases in the city during the first half of 2018 were cash deals compared to 28 percent nationwide, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm. “The city of Detroit has an absurdly low share of financed home purchase

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Top Towns for an ‘Affordable’ Retirement

Get ready for a flood of retirees. With 74 million members, baby boomers are the largest generation on record to retire. And if they follow previous generations, retirement will prompt them to want to move. Many will head to warmer climates, but they’re also—unlike previous generations—in search of more active lifestyles too, looking for social and recreational opportunities, nearby restaurants, and shopping.“It’s going to be a tsunami

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