By Melissa Dittmann Tracey In a throwback to the 1980s, neon colors are popping up in more home decor. The flashiness of neon colors is a sure-fire way to brighten up your home’s interior, and the way fluorescents are being worked into a room isn’t as nauseating as you might at first imagine. Adding in neon-green… Continue Reading Neon Colors in Staging?! You’ll Be Surprised How Much You Like It
At the national level, housing affordability is down from last month but up from a year ago. Mortgage rates were down from last month at 4.51 percent this March, and down 2.6 percent compared to 4.63 percent a year ago. Housing affordability inclined from a year ago in March moving the index up modestly 0.1… Continue Reading March 2019 Housing Affordability Index
Starbucks in an unexpected location, scam phone calls, the new Royal baby, and much more, compiled by Anne-Marie Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist. Scam warning: ignore that one-ring phone call. Ooops! Here is what HBO has to say about this gaffe. Guarding your digital privacy. Who is your favorite minor Star Wars character? We can’t… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: May 6-May 10
By Sarah Anderson, VHT Studios Let’s face it: Moms work hard! Besides juggling their own work schedule, they are integral to keeping the family on track, from changing diapers to helping with homework to shuttling kids to and from school and assorted extracurricular activities. Because of that, when moms are looking for a property, they… Continue Reading Get on Mom’s Good Side: Staging Fit for the Female of the House
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine The speckled, spotted styles of granite countertops that have dominated kitchen design in recent years are moving out of the mainstream. In fact, those brown speckled granite countertops may even start to now age kitchens. Instead, countertops are blending in more to the kitchen design. A polished, solid colored… Continue Reading Hot Home Trend: Countertops Making Waves
By Drew Heasley I want to share some smart and efficient ways to spend your precious marketing dollars, as well as some tips for avoiding high-cost, low-producing marketing. The key is to find the marketing plan that works for you and stick with it. 1. Don’t sign a contract for a marketing program. You should… Continue Reading 4 Real Estate Marketing Dos and Don’ts
Yeti footprints, traffic reports from London, a colorful incineration facility and much more, compiled by Anne-Marie Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist. Is this whale a Russian spy? Possibly. Obsessed by GoT? Try this new fantasy league app. Buy a condo in Vancouver and get free avo toast for a year. Marco Verch/flickr/2018 A very snazzy… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: April 29-May 3
The following is NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun’s reaction to this morning’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report on the employment situation in April: “Fantastic news on the jobs market as abundant job openings are getting filled. Such conditions boost consumer confidence which further feeds the economy. Despite the hefty 263,000 net new job creation… Continue Reading Instant Reaction: NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun on April Jobs Report
Job growth continues to increase strongly, with the economy generating 2.5 million jobs in March 2019 from one year ago. Payroll employment rose in March 2019 from one year ago in all industries except for information services, utilities, and retail trade. With the economic recovery now on its 10th year of expansion, payroll employment has… Continue Reading Construction and Housing Starts Outlook for 2019—2028
Standard of Practice 12-3 The offering of premiums, prizes, merchandise discounts or other inducements to list, sell, purchase, or lease is not, in itself, unethical even if receipt of the benefit is contingent on listing, selling, purchasing, or leasing through the REALTOR® making the offer. However, REALTORS® must exercise care and candor in any such… Continue Reading Inducements are Ethical if Handled Properly