About 4.5 million U.S. homes are at high or extreme risk of wildfires, according to the 2017 FireLine State Risk Report released by Verisk Insurance Solutions.The state most at risk: More than 2 million households in California are at high or extreme risk of wildfire, according to the report. Texas ranks second with 715,300 homes at risk.“Wildfires have scorched nearly 3.5 million acres so far in 2017,” says Arindam Samanta, director of p
Threats of rising mortgage rates may have spooked borrowers last week and prompted them to quickly lock in rates. Total mortgage application volume for refinancings and home purchases jumped 6.3 percent last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday.Even though mortgage rates remained steady during the week, refinance volume, which had been dropping in recent weeks, surged 13 percent last week.The 30
Here are some sobering stats from the FBI: A robbery occurs every 1.6 minutes in the U.S., a burglary every 18.2 seconds, and a larceny theft every 5.4 seconds.SafeHome, a home security systems reviews resource, analyzed FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data from 2015 to determine the items thieves most commonly target.The most stolen items were classified as miscellaneous valuables, jewelry, and precious metals, according to the report. In some state
Foreign investment in U.S. real estate has surged to a new high, with property expenditures skyrocketing 49 percent over the past year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2017 Profile of International Activity in U.S. Residential Real Estate.Nearly half of all foreign sales were in three states: Florida, California, and Texas.Between April 2016 and March 2017, foreign buyers and recent immigrants purchased $153 billion of res
As you negotiate with the other party in a homebuying transaction, you and your counterpart are both seeking the best deal for your clients. Being flexible and entering the negotiations with a three-point plan will give you an edge as you discuss options with the other side. Lifestyle site Lifehacker.com recently shared tips to improve your position in negotiations.First, know exactly what the deal you want is. Called your "aspiration point," thi
Competition is heating up among millennials and baby boomers for smaller, more affordable homes. But builders have been slow to meet demand. That may be showing signs of changing.Home sizes are beginning to shrink, which may also, in turn, help prices edge down some too.“We are starting to see [smaller] starter homes come back,” says Rick Palacios Jr., director of research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting.The uptick started slightly in mi
Content MarketingTo create custom content that resonates with your prospects, you need a clear understanding of your goals as well as insights into your prospectsKey Takeaways Content marketing can generate free online exposure and improve your website's visibility in search results.Wouldn’t it be great if you could cut down on advertising and spend more time actually engaging with potential homebuyers and sellers?Marketing experts in real esta
Programs aiming to reduce and eliminate homelessness can apply for the grants through September 28Key Takeaways The Continuum of Care Program provides funding for nonprofit organizations and state and local governments "to quickly re-house homeless individuals and families to minimize trauma and dislocation." The program will make $2 billion in funding available to those organizations and governments in order to continue to tackle homelessness.Ho
There needs to be a shift in government policy so that we can make it easier for builders to do what they do bestKey Takeaways Government regulations, land, low labor and material costs all contribute to the lack of new home completions.Housing markets all across the U.S. are suffering from serious shortages of homes for sale, and this isn’t expected to change in the foreseeable future.When I think about inventory levels and the fact that deman
When it’s time to make an offer on a home they love, buyers might freeze up, says marketing expert and business strategist Marc Gordon. Maybe they don't feel ready or the property isn’t quite right for them. Don’t add more pressure as an agent. These five “soft” sales techniques from Gordon are here to help you guide clients toward putting in an offer on a property.“Are we good to go?” Despite being ready to buy, some ho
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