Michael Crist

Homeowners who take on remodeling projects gain major benefits – both emotionally and financially - according to the 2017 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of Realtors®. Remodeling projects are assigned a  Joy Score to rank the of amount of enjoyment homeowners get from a remodel; Joy Scores range from 1 and 10, and higher figures… Continue Reading Enjoy Your Home! 8 Remodeling Projects That Bring Homeowners Joy

Every once in awhile, when you’re having a tough time on the job, it’s nice to be reminded why you bothered going into such a crazy field in the first place. Well, reading Tim and Julie Harris’ new book, Harris Rules (Best Seller Publishing, 2017), I found a great passage that might help you do… Continue Reading 10 Reasons Why Real Estate Is the Best

Drew Heasley By Drew Heasley If you’re a buyer’s agents in competitive markets like ours here in the suburbs of Philadelphia, then there are a lot of reasons you will need to be extra sharp to win your clients the home of their dreams. But your buyer’s dream home is probably identical to other buyers’… Continue Reading How to Win Your Buyers’ Dream Home

The U.S. Small Business Administration is looking for damage verifiers in the parts of Texas and Florida that were hit by hurricanes. Damage verifiers are people who use their knowledge about real estate to give the agency their assessment of how much damage a structure  sustained in the storm. By one estimate, almost 150,000 structures… Continue Reading If You’re In a Hurricane-Hit Area, the Federal Government Might Have a Job for You

The Federal Reserve Board just released the much anticipated 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), a survey conducted every three years that collects information about family incomes, their net worth/wealth, and other financial characteristics of families. The survey shows a continuing redistribution of income and wealth to the top 1 percent, amid falling homeownership, modest… Continue Reading 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances Takeaway: Income and Wealth Share of 90 Percent of Families Has Declined in Past 27 Years (1989-2016)

Field Guides are one-stop resource packages on dozens of subjects of interest to REALTORS®. On each page you’ll find links to articles, books, web sites, statistics, and other material on each subject. The list of the most-used field guides from Information Central for the month of September 2017 was released today: Field Guide to Quick Real… Continue Reading Top Field Guides for September 2017

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine It’s pumpkin season and that means pumpkin everything — lattes, muffins, cookies, cakes, and, yes, even home décor. Home stagers are adding a little “pumpkin spice” to their decor, from the welcoming fall scent to pumpkin accents that inspire a cozy, autumn feel. Plus, orange can serve as a… Continue Reading Add Some Pumpkin Spice to Your Autumn Staging

The Chicago Cubs, Levi’s Jacket, New iOS 11, Microsoft Office 2019, Twitter, Hipster Neighborhoods, and Repurposed Mines It may be easy to miss this cottage tucked just outside of Wrigley Field. Bill Murray has been approached to play the coach in the movie about the Cubs’ World Series Win. Speaking of the Cubs, they just… Continue Reading What We’re Reading: September 25-29

Contract contingencies give the buyer and seller the right to back out of the contract if these conditions (contingencies) are not met. According to a monthly survey of REALTORS®, 91 percent of closed sales in August 2017 had contract settlement contingencies, up from 60 percent in December 2012, according to the August 2017 REALTORS® Confidence… Continue Reading 91 Percent of Closed Sales in August 2017 Had Contract Settlement Contingencies

WASHINGTON (September 28, 2017) — Homeowners who take on remodeling projects gain not only equity and more resale value in their home, they are also more likely to find satisfaction and enjoyment from their home, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors®, with insights from the National Association of the Remodeling… Continue Reading Homeowners Who Remodel Gain Equity and Enjoyment, Say Realtors®