The majority of the thousands of Texas homes submerged in floodwaters after Hurricane Harvey slammed the coastline over the weekend do not have flood insurance—a costly reminder of the importance of extending the National Flood Insurance Program, which the National Association of REALTORS® is fighting to support. Only 15 percent of homes in Harris County—which includes Houston, now under two feet of water—are covered by flood insurance, C
“Projects that take a home significantly beyond community norms are often not worth the cost when the owner sells the home,” says Scott Robinson, president of the Appraisal Institute. “If the improvements don’t match what’s standard in a community, they’ll be considered excessive.” Lifestyle website CheatSheet.com highlights a few renovation mistakes that could inadvertently lower a home’s resale value. Letting minor damage go unf
At the right price, any and every home will sell, regardless of what it looks like and where it is. With price as the single most important factor in putting a home on the market, it never hurts to tip the scales in your sellers’ favor, increase their bottom line and potentially expedite the home sale timeline with all the levers you’ve got at your disposal as a listing agent.Here are six factors that could be contributing to buyers’ reluct
A string of thefts in Wisconsin is serving as an important reminder for real estate pros to stay on guard during open houses.Wisconsin brokerages are warning their agents about three cases of thefts at open houses and a private showing in Middleton. The suspect allegedly stole laptops and other valuables during the showings.Charlie Wills, a real estate pro with First Weber Realty, told ABC News 18 in Eau Claire, Wis., that his brokerage is rele
Renters are more likely to experience a burglary than homeowners, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Apartment buildings with two to four units are the most at risk of theft.“This is probably because plenty of people come and go from apartment complexes daily, while homes only have a few family members who enter or leave,” according to ADT, a security firm, which recently analyzed data on burglary risks across the countr
Mortgage giant Freddie Mac has announced a new program allowing some home buyers to skip a traditional appraisal, which could lower the fees the buyers pay and speed up the closing process. Freddie’s Automated Collateral Evaluation (or ACE) will determine a property’s collateral risk by culling data from multiple listing services, public records, and historical home values, and then assess whether a buyer needs a traditional appraisal or an a
Developers are turning to wood framing as a more affordable building material, but officials are warning of some dangers after reports of several wood-frame buildings catching fire across the country.Wood framing is increasingly being used in apartment construction and is largely considered safe once construction is completed. But wood framing can be vulnerable to fires before the interior wallboard and other safety features—like sprinklers and
Antitheft software is saving stolen smartphones everywhere. In San Francisco, phone-related robberies have dropped by 50 percent from 2013 to 2016 since the passage of the Smartphone Theft Prevention Act. This legislation makes it mandatory for manufacturers like Google and Apple to install theft-deterring software into their products. This includes activation locks and remote device erasure software.Ensure the built-in capabilities of your iPh
It’s been a year since Baton Rouge, La., experienced catastrophic flooding due to heavy rains. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 83,000 homes damaged by the flooding were eligible for disaster assistance, with each household receiving an average of $13,100 to make repairs and $3,800 to replace essential household items.Some residents are still recovering, says John Dickson, president of flood insurance provider NFS Edge. He
Buyers will find it easier to get a home loan using these tipsThe real estate business is booming, and with a scarce supply of starter homes on the market, competition between buyers is fierce. To get loans quickly, potential homebuyers need to keep an eye on their finances and credit.Below, you will find nine general tips that will help ease the process of acquiring a home loan by improving credit scores.1. Always pay on timeNo lender likes
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