Real Estate - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Faulty Solar Installs Cause Leaky Roofs

Rooftop solar power installations are booming, says Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. The panels may have a more affordable price tag than in previous years, but the installations are coming with another price: leaky roofs.The Solar Energy Industries Association says many homeowners are not using professional roofers to install their solar panels and that’s causing growing reports of “messed-up

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The Best Paint Color to Sell a Home

Lure potential buyers with a simple and clean palette. Shades of white and off-white are the top colors for a quick home sale, Jody Finglas of Finglas Painting in Ossining, N.Y., told USA Today.“White is the foundation that anchors the home,” adds Friley Saucier, a broker-associate with Sotheby's International Realty in Naples, Fla. “This is absolutely what is most requested when I’m working with home buyers.”Finglas says less is m

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Realtor.com enhances school-based search

Homebuyers can now center property search on schools from get-goRealtor.com has made it easier for homebuyers to filter listings based on schools.Users can enter a school name into its property search bar to pull up all for-sale properties that fall within the school’s attendance zone.The feature gives realtor.com a slight edge over Zillow and Trulia when it comes to school-based search, while bringing the listing portal up to speed with Redfin

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Trulia shares the biggest homeowner (and renter) regrets about choosing a home

What homeowners, renters, millennials and boomers are regretting (or not) about their most recent home decisionKey Takeaways Homeowners regret not choosing a larger home, while renters wish they'd taken the leap to buy. Parents and high-income respondents were more likely to report regrets.Do you know if that buyer you helped find a house last year is really happy with her choice … or do you think she feels like she settled for less?According

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7 reasons instant home purchase offers aren’t good for sellers

What seems like a convenient and easy solution masks some serious drawbacksKey Takeaways Instant home purchase offers aren't designed to benefit the homeseller; they are designed to benefit the investor or company. Sellers are positioned to get low offers and still pay fees at or above an agent's fees.Sue stood in her parents’ San Diego garage, overwhelmed by the years of stuff they’d accumulated and the volume of repairs needed. Add to that

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Owners Overestimate Value By Lower Margins

Owners believe their homes are worth an average of 1.7 percent more than what appraisers say, according to the latest Quicken Loans National Home Price Perception Index. Appraiser and homeowner value opinions did narrow slightly in July for the first time in seven months. In June, consumers estimated their homes to be worth an average of 1.93 percent higher.That schism could cause trouble for your next transaction.“While a 1 or 2 percent diff

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REALTORS: 5 Ways to Improve Your Networking Skills

Stellar schmoozers can corner the referral market and build relationships that increase their business. But there is an art to networking and making lasting connections. Keller Williams recently posted several tips for real estate pros on its blog, including:1. Practice. Networking gets easier if you work on it. Find someone with which you can role play. Rehearse introducing yourself and plan ice-breaker conversations in advance.2. Don’t lead

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Mortgage Demand Weakens as Rates Jump

Total mortgage application volume for refinancings and home purchases tumbled last week, plunging 7.4 percent from the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. Rising mortgage rates were the likely culprit, as they increased by the largest amounts since November 2016.“Rates continued to increase last week, given increasing evidence that the Fed and other central banks are more likely to raise rates,” says Michael Fr

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8 tech trends that are shaking up real estate

The latest technological movements may spare some industries. But not real estate.Chris Dixon, a general partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, recently outlined eight tech trends in an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2015. All of them are shaking up real estate.Here’s how:1. Virtual realityOnline 3-D representations that let prospective buyers virtually saunter around homes are spreading like wildfire. They’re cons

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Amazon poised to debut real estate referral service

Placeholder page suggests internet giant will add agents to its professional services marketplaceKey Takeaways The service would mark the entry of yet another internet behemoth into the real estate marketing space.Amazon appears to be preparing to offer consumers the option to hire real estate agents through its professional services marketplace, likely in exchange for referral fees.The service would mark the entry of yet another internet behemot

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