NAR reports a win against patent trolls after a decade of legal fighting. Patent trolls are generally defined as a person/organization that asserts a patent on a common generic procedure or idea then uses threats of patent litigation as leverage to extract monetary settlements from businesses who use the common/generic procedure or idea. Brokerages sometimes… Continue Reading Slaying Patent Trolls
The SC Vacation Rental Act was passed in 2002 and is designed to protect SC's tourism industry's reputation after some incidents where vacationing families traveled great distances to visit SC only to find their rental had been sold and they had no vacation place to stay/sleep so their vacation was ruined. Buyers who want to… Continue Reading Vacation Rental Act
The history of traffic lights, insurance for stolen packages, fax machines, dangerous toys, architectural gingerbread and much more compiled by Anne-Marie Siudzinski, Senior Library Information Specialist. Cubicles=Freedom? Not so much. Traffic lights are 150 years old. Dagny Mol/flickr/2010 Police are teaming up with Amazon to outwit thieves. Will insurance cover those stolen packages? Maybe. Does… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: December 10-14
Shannon McGahn, NAR’s Vice President of Government Affairs, issued the following statement after the EPA yesterday unveiled a proposal to change the Waters of the U.S. definition in order to clarify which waters are and are not regulated by the federal government. “Shannon McGahn, NAR’s Vice President of Government Affairs, issued the following statement after… Continue Reading REALTORS® Respond to EPA’s Proposed WOTUS Revision
Buyers are solely responsible to investigate all issues about their insurance needs pre-contract or at a minimum during their due diligence period so the buyer does not become obligated to buy a property when their insurance costs are on the high end of their budget or expensive repairs are required (e.g. old roof, +20, old… Continue Reading Insurance: Buyers Need to Investigate Pre-Contract or At Least During Due Diligence
Home price appreciation is an important topic in today’s economy. Using data from the American Community Survey (ACS), we can analyze the gains and losses of property values over time. I estimated the median property values by state in 2018 using the FHFA index and the median property values from the (ACS). I then calculated… Continue Reading Property Values By State from 2005-2018
Buyers should never solely rely upon the seller disclosure and advertising materials regarding the property that the buyers are considering buying. Buyers should hire qualified expert inspectors for all issues that matter to the buyers. Often there is great uncertainty about how offsite properties and offsite conditions might change in the future. Buyers must understand… Continue Reading SCR310 Inspections: Buyers can Perform Off Site Conditions
NAR members and Association staff can borrow up to six electronic books, digital audios and/or videos at no cost, through the Virtual Library eBooks Collection. Members can also borrow up to three books for 30 days from the Library Catalog for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Services at 800.874.6500 for assistance. Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Real… Continue Reading New Books–December 2018
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine Holiday decor is going gingham style this year. Checkered plaid is one of 2018’s hottest holiday design accessory. Black and white or red and black buffalo prints are popping up in everything from Christmas stockings, ornaments, table runners, and wreaths. The buffalo prints are really a nod to the… Continue Reading Add Some Plaid to Your Holiday Decor
Photo Credit: Clare Painting a room can be a quick, transformative update for new homeowners to accomplish. Say your clients recently purchased a home and now they need a little design inspiration to bring it into all its glory. Paint is often the fastest and more transformative way to quickly update a space. Interior decorator Nicole… Continue Reading 4 Tips for Using Paint to Update a Home