With the right approach and advice, being the bearer of bad news can be an opportunity in disguiseKey Takeaways The U.S. average credit score is 687, well under the 741 average had by mortgage borrowers in Q1 2017. Although it’s difficult to be prescriptive when helping buyers restore financial credibility, there are many solutions available. If you have time, mold buyers into the clients they need to be.While widespread inventory shortages m
According to a survey conducted in 2016, Google Maps is by far the most popular mapping app among smartphone users (Android owners prefer it by 78 percent and iPhone users by 69 percent). And there's a special program that offers real estate professionals and others the opportunity to boost their presence on this platform, known as Google Local Guides.Victor Lund, cofounder of real estate consulting company WAV Group, offers step-by-step instr
Cybercrime is posing a risk to an increasing number of real estate transactions, with home buyers’ down payment funds the main target of scammers. Anthony Lamacchia, broker-owner of Lamacchia Realty in Waltham, Mass., wrote a recent article for Boston.com warning consumers to beware about the scam.Criminals are targeting home buyers by sending them emails that look like they might come from their real estate agent or attorney. The emails may c
You can rock a new farm area quickly -- prepare to amazeKey Takeaways Get your mind right, get your time committed, hit it hard, and be super consistent with all sorts of authentic enthusiasm and hard work.So you’re just getting started in real estate and wondering how to gain traction in a particular area? Here are 13 pointers to help you do it faster, cheaper — and come across as a pro.1. Get into the right mindset Believe that you
The three credit reporting companies are implementing a change Saturday that is expected to raise credit scores for about 6 percent of people with credit profiles, or about 12 million people. Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian will change the way they treat data concerning civil judgments and tax liens on people’s credit reports. These data are among the most likely to be incorrect or incomplete, and people have spent a lot of time and effort tr
We should keep the things that bring us joy and get rid of the restKey Takeaways When moving, most clients throw away or donate unwanted items, but you can advise them of alternatives to trashing junk that could be positive for the environment.I enjoyed contributing to Amber Taufen’s article about helping our clients downsize.She wrote: “It’s harder than ever to get rid of your stuff — and once that lamp, jewelry or antique hutch reaches
Excess heat emanating from computers is usually seen as a bad sign. It’s a good sign, however, for Dutch startup Nerdalize, which plans to use this heat for home energy.In August, Nerdalize plans to heat 42 Dutch homes using excess energy from in-home computer servers. Customers can pay Nerdalize to install a server in their home and use the server’s excess heat to warm the home for free—all while Nerdalize makes money selling server space
Condos located near cart paths in golf course communities sell for lower prices than similar properties in the same communities, according to a new study published in The Appraisal Journal. Such condos are discounted an average 5.1 percent, according to the study. Certain cart paths can have a greater impact on the price of the property: condos near paths by a green are discounted 11.6 percent while those near tee boxes are discounted 8.6 percen
Hispanics are trailing behind whites in homeownership, and they likely won’t catch up until 2035, according to a new report from Freddie Mac. The Hispanic homeownership rate is 26 percentage points less than the homeownership rate for whites as of 2015. The gap has narrowed slowly over the last 20 years, dropping from 29 percentage points in 1995.Freddie Mac researchers note that Hispanics and whites are influenced by similar factors when it co
CoStar, a leading company providing data on commercial real estate, is facing accusations in an antitrust lawsuit that it has formed a monopoly in the commercial space. Xceligent, one of CoStar’s competitors, filed the suit on Wednesday, saying it wants to prevent CoStar from “blocking the commercial real estate industry’s ability to freely share” information with competitors. Industry insiders say the lawsuit has the potential to determi
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