1. Realtor.com went out and asked some sellers and they shared ‘The Best Home-Selling Advice I’ve Heard, Ever’. We all know “Selling a house can be a big job, and stressful too! There’s so much to think about regarding the market, home staging, repairs, and more—it’s no surprise sellers find it so overwhelming.” This is a quick, easy checklist of six reminders for all of us. Most of us know these simple suggestions but it is good to re-visit them from time to time.
2. NEED I SAY MORE?
Kiro 7 video: Amazon expected to close on mega real estate deal in Bellevue. What’s in store for the Eastside?
3. OIL-RICH-TECH-CRUNCHED
“Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2018 local population estimates, temporary snapshots ahead of the formal census in 2020, and the cities posting the fastest growth rates came as no surprise: oil towns in Texas, cities, and suburbs in tech-forward Utah, and Boise, Idaho, where an influx of cost-crunched Californians has strained the city’s affordability, all ranked high.” Curbed reports Central Florida’s boom shows a true picture of U.S. real estate trends. Have a look to see what ten U.S. cities have the fastest-growing metros.
4. UNDAUNTED LOVE
Bloomberg Businessweek published a controversial article this week: Want to Make Millions and Pay No Taxes? Try Real Estate. “Take Harry Macklowe, a New York City developer. Macklowe, 81, hasn’t paid income tax since the 1980s, according to a court opinion in his divorce proceedings issued in December. The ruling, which also divided luxury homes and an art collection worth more than $650 million between Macklowe and his ex-wife, Linda, doesn’t suggest the couple did anything wrong to avoid paying income taxes.” I believe these practices are pretty common in real estate. Is there anyone else you can think of who may be employing these same “strategies”?
5. SALT IN THE WOUND
From the CNBC news desk: Sales of the cheapest and swankiest homes are tanking, but for very different reasons. “…sales of high-end homes were surging in 2017. Million-dollar-plus sales were up nearly 31% annually that year. This March, sales in that price class were down 11% annually, even though there are plenty of those homes for sale. The issue on the high end, according to Realtors, is the change in state and local tax deductions, or so-called SALT, implemented via the Trump administration’s 2017 tax reform bill.” Are you seeing these changes in your market?
6. CRASH COW
Most likely your local government has something to say (or do) about Airbnb type rentals. Realtor.com just posted Airbnb Bliss: Top 10 Cities Where Vacation Rentals Rake in the Most Cash. “To find the top places to own an Airbnb-type rental, we pulled data for those 100 largest cities. We used data from AirDNA, a real estate data company that collects data on more than 10 million Airbnb and HomeAway rentals.” If you are thinking about buying a rental property and using it as a short term rental do your homework, rental restrictions in your market may be coming down the pike.
7. TAKING STOCK… OPTIONS
“eXp Realty, The Real Estate Cloud Brokerage™, is the largest residential real estate brokerage by geography in North America. It is one of the fastest growing real estate brokerage firms in North America with more than 18,000 agents across 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces. As a subsidiary of a publicly traded company, eXp Realty uniquely offers real estate professionals within its ranks opportunities to earn eXp World Holdings stock for production and contributions to overall company growth.” This may be the reason why Top Real Estate Agents and Teams Attracted to eXp Realty’s Cloud-Based Brokerage.
8. A PERFECT MATCH
“In a recent survey, about 1 in 5 U.S. home buyers said they came to regret their choice in a lender. Don’t want to be one of them? Then be sure to ask yourself these questions below to home in on your perfect match.” Here are a few of Realtor.com’s suggestions for finding out Who’s the Best Mortgage Lender for You? How to Find Your Match. It’s always a good idea to ask an agent or broker for their recommendation. They work with lenders to close deals (sometimes multiple deals) every month.
9. CLIMATE CONTROL
Kris Kiser writes for the National Association of Realtors, How to Prep a Yard for Spring Buying: 5 Tips. “As the spring selling season kicks into high gear, real estate and staging professionals can help their clients enhance their listings by creating an outdoor space that is attractive to buyers. The family yard not only can expand living space, it also reconnects families and pets with nature and provides a natural setting to reduce stress, improve memory, boost mood, among many other benefits.”
10. HEMPITECTURE
I’ve been fascinated by industrial hemp as a building product for quite some time now. It has been used for thousands of years, and I have seen it in use all over the world. “As more states legalize marijuana, cannabis has been growing in popularity in increasingly surprising ways. Want proof? Say hello to the hempcrete house. In case you’re wondering, these buildings won’t get you stoned. But they could become the next big thing in real estate for a whole bunch of reasons. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about hempcrete homes.” Realtor.com explains, What Is a Hempcrete House—and Will It Get You High?
