Whether it was a new way to market or a new morning routine, we want to know what you learned this year that changed everything.
Nation’s largest MLS will get even bigger this year
The Southland Regional Association of Realtors, which boasts nearly 11,000 members in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, will link up with California Regional MLS beginning May 1.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Selling a Modest but Beautiful Montecito Home
If you believe the adage that good things come in small packages, we have just the home for you.
Real estate flippers and Hollywood A-listers Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are selling one of their Hedgerow houses in Montecito, CA, for $5.85 million.
The famous couple bought the adorable three-bedroom home in April for $5.4 million and listed it a month later for $5,995,000, according to Siteline. The home came off the market in June, then resurfaced with a small discount in December.
The home is located in Hedgerow, a neighborhood whose name is derived from the lush hedges shrouding the houses. This particular cottage offers 2,280 square feet of living space.
7 Kitchen Improvement Projects That Offer the Best and Worst Return on Investment
Photo by Cynthia Lynn Photography via Houzz
When taking on a kitchen renovation, wouldn’t it be nice to decorate to your heart’s content without any regard for what will appeal to future buyers? You might be in love with the idea of a built-in rotisserie oven or a tile backsplash that depicts your favorite mythical creature. But are these specific features going to have universal appeal when it comes time to sell? Probably not.
The ideas of cost versus value and return on investment, or ROI, are always in the back of homeowners’ minds when making interior updates. So which kitchen improvement projects have the greatest chance of increasing the value of a home?
If you see a kitchen remodel in your future, check out the following advice from real estate and remodeling professionals on where to invest your cash—and which upgrades are worth skipping.
Good ROI: New cabinets
When walking into an outdated kitchen, the first thing you’re bound to notice are the cabinets. Cabinets that are in poor condition or made of cheap materials can be an eyesore. But updated kitchen cabinets deliver a consistently high ROI.
On the House: Is 2023 the Year To Finally Buy a Home?
Q: Is 2023 the year to finally buy a home?
That depends. There are some signs indicating that it might be getting easier for many folks to buy a home. Inventory levels are still low, but there are more homes coming on the market; the bidding wars and mind-boggling offers over the asking price have died down; and buyers can once again insist on inspections, contingencies, and repairs before the deal closes.
Homes are sitting on the market for longer, so buyers can sleep on it rather than submitting an offer in the middle of an open house. Prices even dropped more than 10% in December from their peaks over the summer.
While that’s all welcome news for most first-time homebuyers, the Realtor.com® economists expect home prices will rise 5.4% year over year in 2023. (That’s on top of some already lofty prices.) And mortgage interest rates remain uncomfortably high, in the mid-6% range at last count for 30-year fixed-rate loans.
Even if prices fall, those higher rates will inflate monthly mortgage payments substantially. Those monthly housing bills are now about two-thirds larger than they were just a year ago.* Those payments are 92% more than they were just two years earlier. In other words, today’s buyers will pay about double what they would have for the same house in 2020 if they take out a mortgage.
No, you don’t need to freak out over Facebook’s new listings rule
Is it over for real estate agents to post their listings on Facebook? Here's what's going on and why Katie Lance says there's no need to worry.
Agents baffled by confusing new Facebook property listing policy
Facebook parent company Meta announced on Dec. 29 that users will no longer be able to share listings on Facebook Marketplace with their business profile, a change that drew agent ire.
$1.7 Million Homes in Connecticut, Georgia and Montana
A 1778 house in Litchfield, a Craftsman cottage in Atlanta and a Tudor Revival home in Missoula.
$1.7 Million Homes in Connecticut, Georgia and Montana
A 1778 house in Litchfield, a Craftsman cottage in Atlanta and a Tudor Revival home in Missoula.
Secrets of mega-producer success: Giving back to the community
In this two-part series, Bernice Ross interviews mega-producers whose generosity forms the foundation of their success.
A grassroots approach to agent-centered 2023 business planning
Approaching the 2023 plan from the branch’s perspective provides an agent-centric point of view that promotes engagement and investment because the ideas are homegrown, not coming from the corporate office.
DFCU Financial to offer mortgages to buyers on Florida’s Gulf Coast
The Michigan-based credit union expands into Florida by closing a merger with Tampa-based First Citrus Bank. Full product and service integration is expected by mid-2023.
‘The Office’ Star Rainn Wilson Just Sold His Charming Seattle Home for $950K
Actor and comedian Rainn Wilson has found a buyer for his vintage home in Seattle.
Wilson iconically played the role of Dwight Schrute, assistant to the regional manager at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, in NBC’s reboot of the British cult TV hit “The Office.”
While the property does not include a beet farm fit for Schrute, this West Seattle charmer does offer beautiful views of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains.
The three-bedroom abode, located within walking distance of the lively Alaska Junction, hit the market last month for $999,900 and just sold for $950,000. Wilson and wife Holiday Reinhorn purchased the property in 2010 for $475,000.
Side hires Zillow veteran Stephen Capezza to serve as president
Capezza joins Side during a period that has proven challenging for the broader real estate industry and "is the exact right person to help guide Side through the next phase of our growth," the company said.
The Top States People Moved to—and the Ones They Left—Last Year
Americans packed up their belongings and headed for cheaper destinations last year.
The top spots for those moving across state lines in 2022 were the sunny South and more rural, Northeastern states that boasted a more affordable cost of living, according to statistics released by three national moving companies.
Popular destinations for those moving across the country included Florida, the Carolinas, and some of the chilliest Northeastern states. U-Haul, Atlas Van Lines, and United Van Lines all released reports on Tuesday detailing the states the most people moved in and out of in 2022.
“You have people moving from the colder Northeastern and Midwestern states to the warmer Southern and Western states. That trend has been going on for 30 years and seemed to accelerate during COVID,” says Michael Stoll, professor of public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies migration trends. “Residents of the Midwestern and Northeastern states tend to be a little older … so a lot of folks are thinking retirement locations.”
Kegerator: A Sleek Way To Keep Your Suds Fresh and Tasty (and Why Every Beer Lover Needs One)
Photo bu Sutro Architects via Houzz
If the holiday season has you ready for a generous pour of your preferred brew—we’ve got you covered. The latest at-home bar accoutrement on every beer connoisseur’s wish list includes something we haven’t seen in a house since college—a keg.
But rather than a keg dispensing cheap beer at a house party, we’re talking about an upscale Kegerator. This keg-meets-refrigerator offers a surprisingly classy take on a barrel of beer to offer craft tap suds.
And while this nifty gadget might sound too good to be true (or possibly a tough sell to your wine-loving partner), it’s actually an attractive and low-profile way to keep your favorite drink on tap. Want to move beyond a six-pack of beer in your fridge? Here’s everything you’ll want to know about updating your home bar with a sleek, new Kegerator.
What’s a Kegerator?
A Kegerator combines the powers of a keg and a refrigerator to keep your beer fresh and tasty.
CIBM Bank out to double mortgage originations with new hires
The Illinois-based bank is adding 30 new mortgage loan officers and expanding into Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.
Top San Luis Obispo agent rejoins Christie’s International Real Estate
Since 2019, Lindsey Harn has been the leading agent in her market and now is affiliated with the luxury brand's Sereno office, led by co-founders Chris Trapani and Ryan Iwanaga.
What to Expect in 2023’s Housing Market
In the year ahead, the housing market may be slow to start, with home prices, rents, inventory and interest rates not moving much at all, according to economists, analysts and real estate brokers.
Peek Inside the $35M Mansion Where Harry and Meghan Filmed Their Netflix Documentary
With an astonishing price tag, this is certainly a domicile destined for royalty.
The mansion where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle filmed the Netflix documentary “Harry & Meghan” is on the market.
While many viewers might have assumed the stunning home belongs to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the sprawling Montecito, CA, compound simply provided the on-screen backdrop for the couple’s controversial six-episode documentary.
The couple’s new seven-part docuseries, “Live to Lead,” premiered on Dec. 31.