Fewer companies are offering mortgage assistance as part of their relocation packages to employees, The Wall Street Journal reports.Just 4 percent of employers say they’re offering mortgage assistance to their relocating employees, according to a survey of 3,490 human resources professionals in January 2016 conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management. Just 3 percent say they offer down-payment assistance, while 8 percent offer reimbu
A new scam, circulating the internet on Wednesday, is masking itself as Google Docs as it tries to gain access to your contacts and address book. The reports were widespread Wednesday by those claiming they received an email asking them to open a document in Google Docs from one of their contacts. At surface level, the document doesn’t appear suspicious.If you click on the link, you’ll be taken to a Google login screen and you’ll continue t
Of all the architectural and lifestyle features buyers have an eye on these days, pet-friendly accommodations are coming up strong.A recent report from the National Association of REALTORS® says that 81% of consumers take their pets into account as they seek their living situations, and developers are even creating pet-friendly subdivisions and developments. Dogs are currently part of approximately 37% of American homes and cats are included in
Homes with a good view fetch a premium, particularly among city dwellers. But how much more are they willing to pay for a home with a good view?Realtor.com®’s research team compared the prices of homes for sale on its site that highlight sought-after views and then compared those homes to similar-sized properties in adjacent ZIP codes that don’t make any special note of a great view. (Note: Many of the homes with the best views are in luxury
Which public builders are making the grade? BUILDER recently released its report card profile of 21 public companies, based on their sales for 2016.The BIG BUILDER Report Card compares the performance of public home builders and assigns them a letter grade based on that performance. Builders are graded in four major categories: financial, land, operations, and sales and marketing. The financial category carries the most weight at 40 percent of th
The pace of young adults leaving their parents’ homes is accelerating significantly, Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group notes in a new analysis.Young adults in their mid- to late 20s or early 30s living with their parents fell between 2013 and 2015—a period known as the economic recovery—much more so than between 2010 and 2012, when the economy and housing market were still recovering from the Great Recession, researchers
Things you can do to generate a constant stream of prospectsKey Takeaways Teach community classes about buying or selling homes to get great quality leads. Involve yourself in community projects to network and find more leads.Most real estate agents aim to have several deals in the works at any given time. If that’s your goal, you’ve probably wondered how to ensure the constant flow of leads necessary to make it happen.Prospecting is your ans
Mosquitos can be a homeowner’s nemesis. As the temperatures rise, mosquitoes are coming out. The mosquito season typically runs April to October. Yards can quickly become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, particularly your vacant listings, if you don’t take precautions (see sidebar).And if you live in Atlanta, you’ll want to take added precaution. Atlanta landed at the top of the list of top 50 mosquito cities in the country, according to Or
Aging homeowners say they want to remain in their homes as they get older, and they’re increasingly taking on remodeling projects to help them do that. The past five years have seen a spike in the number of remodelers who say they’ve done aging-in-place house modifications as awareness for this type of project grows among the public, according to a National Association of Home Builders’ Remodelers survey released this week.“Low-cost, simp
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that cities can sue banks over housing discrimination they claim led to urban blight in their communities. However, cities will face a high standard proving it to courts.Several cities nationwide have sued major lenders under the federal Fair Housing Act, arguing that banks need to be held accountable for harming their communities. In its ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court justices agreed that not just individua
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