Hurricane Irma, downgraded to a Category 1 storm after tearing up Florida’s western coast Sunday, may prompt officials to rethink statewide building codes—already the strictest in the nation. Irma, which forced the evacuation of 5.6 million people before making landfall, continued to threaten Florida on Monday morning with strong winds and flooding.South Florida has seen a construction boom over more than two decades since its last widespread
Long & Foster is joining HomeServices of America. The real estate giant, one of the largest residential real estate companies in the country by sales volume, was acquired this week by HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway firm. Long & Foster’s business lines in mortgage, settlement services, insurance, and property management are also included in the acquisition.HomeServices of America, an affiliate of Warren Buffet’s Berkshir
The Florida REALTORS® association is warning its members to brace for full impact from Hurricane Irma as the storm tears through the Caribbean and heads straight for the state. Irma is expected to make a direct hit on Miami by Sunday. The storm, which has wreaked devastation on Caribbean islands as a Category 5 hurricane, was downgraded to a still-dangerous Category 4 on Friday, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott has called for mass evacuations. Irma f
Trying to reconnect with a once-promising client after a long silence can feel awkward. But you still may be able to salvage the relationship and renew their interest in moving forward again, writes Forbes.com columnist Heather R. Morgan, economist and the founder of Salesfolk. Morgan highlighted a few ways to accomplish this, including:Offer up new information.“Instead of wasting valuable space pointing out what we already know—that the conv
Many home sellers succumb to myths about home pricing that don’t match the reality of the housing market. Realtor.com® recently highlighted several of those common pricing myths, including:You won’t always make money on the sale of a home.Home sellers shouldn’t always assume they’ll walk away with a profit. The National Association of REALTORS® estimates home prices will increase 5 percent by the end of this year. That said, 23 markets
September is REALTOR® Safety Month, and data from the National Association of REALTORS®’ recently released 2017 Member Safety Report shows that 38 percent of members have experienced a situation that made them fear for their personal safety or the safety of their personal information. Common situations that caused fear included open houses, vacant and model homes, properties that were unlocked or unsecured, and properties in remote areas.O
Hispanics are increasingly making up what’s considered the typical American home buyer, Curbed.com reports. Latinos are expected to make up 52 percent of new home buyers between 2010 and 2030, largely driven by the country’s 14.6 million Latino millennials.Since 2000, the number of Hispanic households has jumped by 6.7 million, which comprises 42.5 percent of the country’s overall household growth. Hispanics’ “fervent desire to own a ho
Bitcoin millionaires are now looking to cashing in their digital currencies in luxury real estate.Bitcoin trader Mike Komaransky has listed a 9,500-square-foot mansion in Maimi for 1,400 bitcoins, now equivalent to about $6.5 million. Komaransky also has agreed to accept Zcash, another form of digital currency. Komaransky first purchased the home in 2014 for $4.6 million.Bitcoins, created in 2009, are a decentralized digital currency, or “crypt
Amid Hurricane Harvey and now a looming threat from Hurricane Irma, the National Association of REALTORS® warns Congress that letting the National Flood Insurance Program expire at the end of the month could have dire consequences. NAR says thousands of homeowners, consumers, and commercial property owners could soon find themselves unprotected and unable to get a mortgage.The NFIP is set to expire on Sept. 30.The NFIP helps to pay for and pro
If you or your clients have sustained a major loss from Harvey, prepare for months of disruptionWhether it’s Hurricane Harvey, a flood, tornado, earthquake or fire, it can take years to resolve a major insurance claim and restore your property. Here is a must-have guide to follow if you have a major insurance loss on your home.In 1994, I sustained over $100,000 of damage to my house from the Northridge earthquake. My insurance company gave me
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