Thinking about selling your home during the holidays?

We are here for all of your real estate needs. Inventory is at an all time low. It is very much a sellers market right now. We have many buyers looking and there are not enough properties to show them. Don't let the fact that we are in the holiday season discourage you if you are thinking about selling now. Please do not hesitate to contact us to find out how we can get your home sold today. It is an honor and privilege to serve you.

Moving? 5 Tips to Relocate the Garden

Moving itself is strenuous—moving fragile belongings, like plants, can be even more challenging.

Relocate the garden with these tips, courtesy of Ferguson Moving & Storage:

• Prepare plants for the move with a liberal dose of water. Damp roots and moist soil will help keep them thriving while being transported, and watered stems will hold up better during the move.

• Plant smaller flowers and shrubs in lightweight, temporary pots—this will make them easier to re-plant at the new home.

• Reduce the weight of heavy planters during the move by partially filling them with packing peanuts.

• Pack plants in the primary vehicle, if possible—not a moving truck or van.  If they must be packed in the truck, load them last so that they can be removed and tended to upon arrival.

• Make the moving company aware of the plants (to mitigate erratic driving) and request that they be unloaded as soon as possible at the new home.

Source: Ferguson Moving & Storage

4 Things to Know about Purchasing a Second Home

Often, those looking to purchase an additional home get confused between a second home and an investment property. However, the two are not interchangeable – especially when it comes to their financing.

Second-Home, Defined
A second home is real property that the homeowner intends to occupy in addition to their primary residence for part of the year. Usually, second homes are used as vacation homes. Second homes may also be properties that the homeowner visits on a regular basis.

Examples of second homes may include:

• A condo in a city where you frequently conduct business
• A beach house that you and your family occupy during the summer months
• A house in a different state where you have seasonal work

Getting a Mortgage
If you can’t purchase a second home out-right, you’re going to go the traditional route and look into obtaining a mortgage. In order to qualify for a second-home loan, the property is usually required to be located in a resort or vacation area (like the beach or mountains), or be a certain distance from the borrower’s primary residence.

Understanding Interest Rates
Most lenders consider second homes to be more of a risk than primary residences, but not as big a risk as investment properties. Typically, interest rates will show this; second-home mortgages may have lower interest rates than investment property loans, but not necessarily. It can all depend on the borrower’s entire financial picture.

Understanding Rules
Second-home loans often include a second-home rider along with the mortgage. This rider states certain rules the borrower must abide by in order to qualify for the loan.

These rules often include the following:

• The borrower will occupy and use the property as his/her second home
• The property will be kept available for the borrower’s exclusive use and enjoyment at all times
• The property cannot be used as a timeshare or be subject to any rental pool arrangement

The property cannot be subject to any agreements that require the borrower to rent the property or give a management firm (or anyone else) control over the use and/or occupancy of the property.

Ghostly Listings: What It Costs to Own a Famous Haunted House

After purchasing a house, learning that your new home has a grisly past would be a real-life nightmare for most people. For horror movie fans and those interested in the macabre, these homes are sought out for photos and bragging rights that you actually saw the haunted house.

However, despite drawing the public's interest, residences that have inspired Stephen King novels or classic scary movies often sit on the market for a long time and fetch far less than the asking price. Below are examples of iconic haunted houses and what they sold for (if they were sold at all).

Source: Newsday

Amityville Horror House (Long Island, N.Y.) – Sold in 2017 for $605,000

The basis of the book and subsequent film series went on the market last summer for $850,000 and sold earlier this year for more than $200,000 less than the asking price. With other homes in the Amityville neighborhood of Long Island regularly fetching upwards of $1 million, the home's past is likely to blame for the price drop.

Source: Jezebel

The Old Arnold Estate (Harrisville, R.I.) – Listed in 2015 for $400,000

The owners of this 14-room farmhouse in Rhode Island threatened to sue Warner Bros. following the release of The Conjuring (2013). Their property, which is the basis for the film, was constantly trespassed upon after the film became a hit. It eventually became too much and they listed the house themselves. It has since been taken off the market.

Source: Associated Press

Pet Sematary House (Orrington, Maine) – Listed in 2017 for $255,000

This is the home that Stephen King and his family rented in the late 1970s where he thought of the idea for his novel Pet Sematary. Not only was his daughter's cat hit by a truck in front of the home, but children in the neighborhood constructed an actual pet cemetery behind the four-bedroom Maine home that is still there today.

Source: StreetEasy

The Dakota (New York, N.Y.) – Sold in 2017 for $21,000,000

Probably most well-known for being the Manhattan co-op in front of which John Lennon was killed, The Dakota has a storied supernatural history. The most famous ghost in the building is the Crying Lady who is said to walk the co-op's halls. Also, the film Rosemary's Baby (1968) was set in "The Bramford," which was actually The Dakota, where most of the movie was filmed. This year, a three-bedroom went for the stunning price of $21 million.

Source: realtor.com

The Sowden House (Los Angeles, Calif.) – Listed in 2015 for $4.79 million

In 1947, this house was made famous because of the Black Dahlia murder. The home, built in 1927 and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, was allegedly where local physician Dr. George Hill Hodel dissected the body of Elizabeth Short. Years later, in the early 2000s, Hodel's son Steve brought a cadaver dog into the home's basement and claims it detected the scent of decomposed human remains. There have also been reports of people hearing voices and chains being dragged.

Posted on Oct 19 2017 - 11:10am by Housecall

By Jameson Doris

Are Environmental Hazards Lowering Your Home’s Value?

You may be well versed in the factors that can improve your home’s value, like adding on a bathroom, installing energy-efficient appliances or putting on a new roof. But are you aware that certain environmental hazards, such as poor air quality can actually detract from your home’s value?

Research from ATTOM Data Solutions Environmental Hazards Housing Risk Index shows that 17.3 million single-family homes and condominiums are at high risk of an environmental hazard, such as brownfields, or property potentially contaminated by a hazardous substance, polluters, poor air quality and superfunds.

"Home values are higher and long-term home price appreciation is stronger in zip codes without a high risk for any of the four environmental hazards analyzed," says Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at ATTOM Data Solutions.

ATTOM details how home values have been affected by each of these environmental hazards:

- In areas with a "very high" brownfield risk - areas previously used for commercial development which may now have environmental contamination - 17.2 percent of properties are "seriously underwater," according to the Index; in areas with a "very low" brownfield risk, 8.9 percent of properties are seriously underwater. Median home prices in very high brownfield risk areas are 2.8 percent below 10 years prior, while median home prices in very low brownfield risk areas are 2.8 percent above 10 years prior. Home sellers in very high brownfield risk areas gained 25.3 percent on average at sale, while sellers in very low brownfield risk areas gained 18.9 percent.

- In areas with a very high polluter risk, 12.7 percent of properties are seriously underwater, compared to 9.2 percent of properties seriously underwater in very low polluter risk areas. Home sellers in very high polluter risk areas gained 16.6 percent on average at sale, while sellers in very low polluter risk areas gained 27.7 percent.

- For areas with a "low" or "moderate" risk of poor air quality, home sales volume has increased 26 percent in the past five years, according to the report; for areas with a "high" risk of poor air quality, home sales volume has increased 16.5 percent in the past five years, while in areas with a very high risk of poor air quality, home sales volume has increased 3.3 percent over the past five years.

- Median home prices in very high superfund risk areas - a U.S. federal program designed to fund the cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants - are 1.5 percent below 10 years prior. Home sellers in high superfund risk areas gained 19.6 percent on average at sale, while sellers in very low superfund risk areas gained 24.4 percent.

Source: ATTOM Data Solutions

Four Strategies for a Faster Sale

Most sellers hope for a quick sale so they can begin moving into a new home. Unfortunately, things don’t always move that fast in the real estate world.

You may not have the luxury of waiting for an offer that meets your price. A seller may need to sell quickly because of a new job, a change in relationship or even a death in the family.

If you fall into the category of someone who needs to sell quickly, these strategies will get you the speedy resolution you desire.

Tell your agent. Make sure you explain to your agent how valuable time is to you. They will have experience in knowing what to do to get a home sold faster, and can better guide the direction of the sale.

Price it right. There’s nothing that leads to a quick sale faster than pricing your home at market value. While this might not be something you want to do, overpricing a home is a sure way to sit on the market. Remember, a property can’t be under priced. If the home is below market value, you will likely get multiple offers that bump the price back up.

Negotiate fairly. Keep an open mind in negotiations. If a bid comes in close to your asking price, you may need to give in or risk losing that buyer altogether. You can also be flexible in your contract terms, such as including your curtains or the pool table in your sale, to make the buyer happy. You may lose some negotiating power, but you’ll be happier in the long run when it leads to a sale.

Incentivize. Remember, money talks. One popular incentive for a fast closing is offering to help with closing costs. You can also offer a higher buyer agent commission to increase the number of showings.

Go Figure: Hipsters Are in Mainstream Markets

Culturally unsheltered and experience-happy, hipsters have massed in markets that meet their preference for “unconventional.” These hubs typically have an array of eateries, a hole-in-the-wall on every corner, and a lively music scene. (You probably never heard of it.)

Hipsters also live, however, in some of the hottest housing markets in the nation, according to recent research by realtor.com® and Yelp—markets with mainstream appeal, and demand to match.

“Although their opinions about their music and fashion may be out of the norm, when it comes to real estate, hipsters have a knack for getting it right,” says Javier Vivas, director of Economic Research for realtor.com. “Based on our research, there’s clear evidence that hipster popularity in markets like Austin, Texas, has led to mainstream interest and higher home prices over time. Whether it’s the farm-to-table restaurants or urban renewal projects that were already underway, a concentration of hipsters seems to be an indicator of a hot housing market.”

The No. 1 hipster housing market, the research reveals, is Columbus, Ohio—43202, or the Clintonville community, specifically. The neighborhood in the capital of The Buckeye State has brick and mortars that cater to hipsters in excess, with many businesses outside the norm or “underground.”

“Yelpers are great at identifying up-and-coming areas and businesses, which allows us to predict trends as well as uncover detailed data on what’s happening in local economies right now,” says Carl Bialik, data editor at Yelp. “While ‘hipster’ is something of a cliché, it turns out to be a useful term to uncover the types of businesses and attributes we often associate with ‘cool’ hunters, such as visually appealing interiors and less touristy parts of town.”

Hipsters, still, are mostly out West: in California, as well as Seattle (the original hipster hub), the research shows. The Haight in San Francisco (94117), Long Beach (90814) and North Park in San Diego (92104) all rank highly for hipsters, as well as Capitol Hill in Seattle (98122) and Colorado Springs in Colorado (80903).

Across the top 10 hipster markets, millennials comprise an average 22 percent of the population, and millennial realtor.com searches for homes are 1.2 times more than the existing millennial population, suggesting demand in the segment. Homes sell in an average 30 days, and unemployment is between 2.7 and 4.6 percent.

The complete top 10:

1. Columbus, Ohio (43202)

2. Seattle, Wash. (98122)

3. San Diego, Calif. (92104)

4. Fort Wayne, Ind. (46802)

5. Rochester, N.Y. (14620)

6. San Francisco, Calif. (94117)

7. Long Beach, Calif. (90814)

8. Louisville, Ky. (40217)

9. Grand Rapids, Mich. (49506)

10. Colorado Springs, Colo. (80903)
    

For more information, please visit www.realtor.com.

Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online news editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com.

Millennials Are Redefining Home-Buying Standards—and Gen Z Is Next

The home-buying approach varies from generation to generation—and in order to overcome down payment hurdles, millennial buyers are transforming the standards of homeownership set by baby boomers, according to the 2017 Zillow Group Report. In fact, less than half (39 percent) of millennials submit offers with the recommended 20 percent down payment. Twenty-one percent put down the minimum: 5 percent or less.

The financial challenges don’t stop at down payments. Thirty-three percent of millennial buyers report having difficulty qualifying for a loan, and 43 percent have trouble finding out what they can afford. These complications likely stem from a lack of experience, as 71 percent of millennial buyers are purchasing their first home.

“In many cities across the U.S., the housing market is extremely competitive, especially for first-time buyers who are looking to purchase a starter home,” says Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. “Young buyers often start their careers in fast-growing cities in which the market is particularly tough—and they’re trying to save for a down payment while making record-high rent payments.”

Most millennials are not confident in their buying power. Sixty-two percent simultaneously search for rentals as a back-up in case of challenges in their home search, such as finding suitable properties in their price range or within their required time frame.

Millennials will, however, look for creative ways to achieve the home-buying dream. Twenty-nine percent of millennial buyers ask friends or family for down payment help, often coming up with the full amount using various sources.

Millennials will also jump on the opportunity to claim a home. They do not shy away from multiple offer situations, and are not afraid to go over budget. More than 53 percent of first-time millennial buyers make multiple offers on the homes they want, and 37 percent don’t keep to their financial plan. This can prevent future plans to sell if market conditions don’t allow the sale of the home to cover remaining mortgage balances. The typical homeowner still owes 62 percent of their home’s value and 46 percent of millennial sellers won’t sell their home in their desired price range.

The economic landscape may or may not change for the next generation, but they will likely tackle these financial challenges in their own way, the report shows. Generation Z is just now starting to enter the housing market as renters.

“It’s encouraging to see that Generation Z is inheriting the same notion of what home means as their parents and millennial siblings,” says Jeremy Wacksman, chief marketing officer at Zillow Group. “These tech-savvy yet risk-averse renters are bringing their social personalities home, desiring communal amenities geared toward bringing people together.”

While Generation Z buyers embrace homeownership as fundamental to achieving the American Dream, high rent prices may stand in the way when it comes time for them to buy. Thirty-seven percent of renters who didn’t move in the past year state that lack of affordability is the main reason for staying put.

Since 47 percent of Generation Z identifies as non-white, it is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in U.S. history, the report shows. This may bring to light challenges facing minority buyers today. Thirty-seven percent of African American/black buyers, 33 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander buyers and 25 percent of Hispanic/Latino buyers indicate they are dissatisfied with the home-buying process. This is due mainly to higher denial rates for minority buyers on pre-approvals and mortgages.

The millennial generation is redefining the way homeownership is approached, and Generation Z will have its own impact on the housing market in a few years, the report shows—especially since they will likely outnumber millennials by nearly 1 million people by 2020.

“As they mature and look toward homeownership, it will be interesting to see how their aspirations and preferences will shape the housing market,” says Wacksman.

For more information, please visit www.zillow.com.

Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

5 Quick Curb Appeal Projects

Need to add some curb appeal to your home to get it ready for market? Or are you just in the mood for a quick refresh? Here are five easy DIY projects to help dress up your home using lightweight, decorative millwork accessories or architectural elements. The composition and durability of the products make them a long-lasting, low-maintenance way to dress up your home for years to come.

Entry Door - Make a front entry door 'pop' by surrounding it on both sides with a set of decorative pilasters and topping it off with a pediment. Select from simple peaked pediments or more ornate acorn or rams-head pediments.

Brackets - Install lightweight decorative brackets to a porch or under an eave for a fast way to personalize a home.

Windows - Add a simple header directly over the exterior of a window frame to add more visual appeal to the window. Select from straight or arched headers for the style that best matches your home.

Column Wraps - If your home has worn or boring porch posts, hide them with PVC column wraps. These decorative pieces fit right over a post for an instant makeover.

Shutters - If your shutters are suffering from peeling paint or worn finishes, consider replacing them with UV-resistant polyurethane shutters. Made to resist moisture and insects, such shutters can be quickly installed and will maintain their curb appeal for years to come.
 
If you’d like more homeowner information, please contact me.

Commercial Real Estate to Soften, but Still on Solid Footing

Commercial real estate price growth in large markets is expected to flatten over the next year, but strong leasing demand and investor appetite in smaller markets should keep the sector on solid ground, according to the latest National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) quarterly commercial real estate forecast.

Backed by the ongoing stretch of outstanding job creation in recent years, national office vacancy rates are forecast by REALTORS® to retreat 1.1 percent to 11.9 percent over the coming year. The vacancy rate for industrial space is expected to decline 1.1 percent to 7.8 percent, and retail availability is to decrease 0.4 percent to 11.4 percent. Even as new apartment completions bring more supply to many markets, the multifamily sector will still likely see a vacancy rate decline from 6.6 percent to 6.1 percent.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says the U.S. economy is on stable footing and is chugging along at a decent but unspectacular pace.

“A very healthy labor market and stronger confidence and spending from both consumers and businesses boosted economic expansion to a solid 3.0 percent last quarter,” says Yun. “There’s legs for more of the same growth to close out the year, which bodes well for sustained interest in all types of commercial space.”

According to Yun, the appetite for commercial property is high, but investment activity does appear to be entering the maturation phase of the current cycle. The investor shift away from large markets to smaller ones is creating a divergence in sales activity. In the second quarter, large markets saw a 5 percent annual decline in sales, while REALTORS® reported a sales boost of 4 percent in small markets.

“While inventory shortages are still driving prices higher in most markets, shrinking cap rates and the higher interest rate environment are expected to lead to a plateau in price growth over the next year, especially for Class A assets in large markets,” Yun says. “As a result, investors will continue to look to small and tertiary markets for properties that have the best opportunity to provide stability and generate solid returns.”

Led by the industrial and multifamily sectors, REALTORS® continue to report that leasing fundamentals for the four major commercial sectors are strong. Last quarter, the considerable appetite for industrial space—primarily from ecommerce and trade— resulted in distribution warehouses and logistic centers driving close to 70 percent of new construction leasing. Although 225.4 million square feet of additional space is currently in the pipeline, vacancy rates are still expected to trend downward as supply slowly catches up with demand.

In the apartment sector, the pace of new construction is finally slowing in many markets after considerable building in recent years. However, rising household formation and the supply and affordability barriers to homeownership will continue to keep vacancies low and cause rents to maintain their trajectory of outpacing incomes.

“The economy is healthy for the most part, but headwinds abound in the short term,” says Yun. “A temporary slowdown in areas severely impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, geopolitical tensions abroad and any minor correction in the financial markets could temporarily knock the economy slightly off course in coming months.”

NAR’s latest Business Creation Index (BCI), which launched in August 2016, showed ongoing positive developments for smaller commercial businesses in local communities. Over half of REALTORS® have reported an increase in business openings and fewer closings every month since December, with food and beverage and retail making up the bulk of new businesses.

For more information, please visit www.nar.realtor.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

7 Essentials Every Millennial Needs in Their First Home

More and more millennials are buying homes, representing around 45 percent of all purchase loans, and most first-time millennial home buyers are on a limited budget. While you may not be able to find the perfect home that checks every box on your “dream home” list, you can find a great starter house you can improve on or add to over time.

As you hunt for your first home and make the big purchasing decision, make sure your checklist of new home essentials includes the following seven musts.

1. Energy-Efficient Features

Not only is energy efficiency trendy, but it also saves you money on your power bill and reduces your carbon footprint. When viewing homes on the market, look for energy-efficient features like double-paned windows, solar panels, attic insulation, LED lighting, and ENERGY STAR®appliances. When you move in to your new domicile, invest in the Nest Learning Thermostat, which helps save you money on your energy bill and allows you to control your house’s temperature from your phone.

2. An Entertainment Center 

Moving from an apartment to a home means more room, so celebrate with an entertainment space. Equip a portion of your living room with a comfy couch, a big screen TV, and a stereo system. Don’t forget a TV package and a streaming stick to access your favorite channels, such as HBO and Starz, and streaming services, including Netflix and Hulu. Trust us—your friends will thank you, and your home will be everyone’s favorite hangout.

3. Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

A smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector should be on every level of a house, especially near bedrooms. While walking through homes, check to see if a property has up-to-date smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. You may want to install smart versions, like the Nest Protect, a stylish and sleek smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. The system checks its batteries and performs silent tests on a regular basis so you don’t have to.

4. A Home Security System

Burglary rates have been steadily increasing over time, but installing a security system can help you feel safer and protect your new home. If you buy a house that doesn’t have a home security system, you can easily install the necessary equipment with options such as the Scout Home Security System. You can connect a door panel, access sensor, motion sensor, video camera, and more depending on your needs.

5. A Home Improvement Magazine Subscription

Whether you like it or not, owning a home comes with a lot more responsibility than renting. You’ll occasionally spend weekends and afternoons fixing something or working on a home project. Even though just about every project type is available on the internet, subscribing to a home improvement magazine, like Better Homes & Gardens, serves as a homeowner’s initiation to all house-centric projects. Along with tips for home maintenance, you can also find inspiration for your next project in the leaves of these handy prints.

6. Wallpaper

No, we’re not back in the 1960s. Wallpaper is back and trendier than ever. If you find a home with wallpaper, don’t leave screaming. Depending on the style, you may be able to make it look modern. Or, if a room is boring and you aren’t sure how to spruce it up without breaking the bank, try a modern wallpaper trend, such as a marble pattern. If you aren’t sold on the idea, try temporary wallpapers that are easy to remove.

7. Plants

Greenery is one of the biggest home décor trends, so bring the outdoors inside with houseplants. Not only do they clean the air but they’re also inexpensive ways to decorate a room and brighten up even the darkest of spaces. For a small room, decorate with a tall cactus or fiddle leaf fig treeto make the area look bigger. Don’t have a green thumb? Try a faux plant, which only requires occasional dusting.

These must-haves are just a few to add to your checklist for an ideal dwelling. Think we missed something? Share what other essentials you think should be on every millennial’s new home list.

By Monique Serbu