The U.S. real estate market is now doing better than it did before the pandemic, with the Recovery Index hitting 103.8 compared to a back-to-normal score of 100. Two Central Fla. metros have fully recovered as South Fla. and Jacksonville move closer. Home buying season’s usual May peak shifted to August, … Continue reading →

Invitation Homes wants 88K more single-family homes in its portfolio. The company buys homes and rents them, with a business model that mimics a multifamily complex. Invitation Homes, the nation’s largest single-family landlord, is reportedly ready to increase its offerings in the suburbs. With low mortgage rates and consumers’ increasing … Continue reading →

The deadliest pandemic in more than a century has failed to derail the housing market because of the lowest mortgage rates ever recorded coupled with a shift in how people use their homes. “The buyers are coming in because of the low interest rates – that’s the No. 1 reason,” … Continue reading →

In a virtual tour, real estate professionals can use the camera to be a homebuyers’ eyes and ears, but they have to function as the buyer’s nose too. The pandemic boosted use of virtual tours and video walk-throughs, but they still fall short of an in-person tour sometimes. In a … Continue reading →

In videos, a kitchen can look attractive. But buyers need to really see a kitchen: Realtors should show views and comment on cabinets, flooring and even the plumbing. Video tours help home shoppers narrow their prospects during the pandemic. But viewing a home via video has its limitations. To help … Continue reading →

Google announced it is tightening its policies, prohibiting employment, housing and credit advertisers from targeting or excluding ads based on certain demographics and ZIP codes. The company explained that it has long prohibited advertisers from targeting users based on “sensitive categories” related to their identity, beliefs, sexuality or personal hardships. This … Continue reading →

An open floor plan encourages intimacy, but extended social isolation and a greater demand for home offices could lead to long-term lifestyle changes – and more walls. The rise in working remotely is prompting more households to reconsider the popular open floor plan. Some of the common open-floor-plan complaints include … Continue reading →

Real estate is a people business. You can win or lose an opportunity to move forward with a listing based on how you appear and how you speak. Of course, image includes how neat your appearance is, the way you behave and whether or not you follow the ethics enforced … Continue reading →

Independent contractors can deduct a home office, and any pandemic-era upgrades probably can be deducted too. There are two ways to calculate the tax amount. Struggling to teach a Zoom class from home this fall or working remotely on a project launch while your own children are home 24/7 seem … Continue reading →

When Shayla Twit started her real estate career in 2002, she knew a financial game plan was essential to her success. “I saved up, so I would have a cushion when I started,” said Twit, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Sarasota. “I also had a … Continue reading →

People who focus on a handful of summary milestones in the contract can miss critical details that cost them dearly. Many people look at a contract as a forward-looking set of summarized milestones. For example: First, the buyer makes a deposit. Second, the buyer makes loan application. Third, the buyer … Continue reading →

Janice Bielmyer | janicebielmyer@gmail.com | 864-417-1469

Federal payouts, no commuting costs, stay-at-home orders and recession fears pushed Americans to stockpile money – the savings rate skyrocketed to 33.5% in April and a still-respectable 19% in June. If a vaccine is perfected, will that money flood back into the market? While millions of people could lose most … Continue reading →

The pandemic is pushing homeowners out of the big cities and into rural and suburban areas, pushing up home prices in previously sleepy towns. In July, less densely populated areas showed more buyer interest than urban areas, Redfin said. Before the pandemic, 9% of homebuyers said they were searching for … Continue reading →

Home prices are responding to buyer demand in many parts of the country, but that doesn’t mean homebuyers can’t still find a bargain, especially for more expensive homes. According to the latest COVID-19 report from Weiss Analytics, thousands of home sellers are pricing their homes below market levels, even as … Continue reading →

Donnie Garland | ERA Grizzard

Customers must find you, and with fewer networking events, a website is an agent’s primary face in the community – but only if it comes up when customers use Google. The COVID-19 pandemic will change how buyers and sellers do business even after it ends. Sellers will be more hesitant … Continue reading →

Email, blogging and print ads can drive customers to your website – but what do they see when they get there? In cyberspace, your website has to create the lead. Real estate professionals need to drive people to their websites. They can accomplish this through email, blogging and print marketing … Continue reading →

Virginia Silberstein | Orlando Expert Realty LLC

Scott Rhodes | EXP Realty | scott@scottrhodesgroup.com