Investors who were planning to move quickly in the new year to take advantage of opportunity-zone tax incentives are putting on the brakes. They’re waiting for the U.S. Treasury Department to finalize guidance on precisely how the tax benefit will work before they proceed, and a timeline for that to happen has been thrown into doubt during the partial government shutdown, The Wall Street Journal reports.Opportunity-zone provision
Who are the influencers to watch in real estate? The 2019 Swanepoel Power 200 list is out, which ranks the most powerful leaders in the residential real estate brokerage industry.The Swanepoel Power 200 list's rankings are based on the leadership, industrywide activities, and the potential impact that the recognized leaders can have on the real estate market. T3 Sixty, the research and management consulting firm that releases the rankings each ye
Farmhouse design continues to gain popularity in kitchen remodels, according to the 2019 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, a survey of more than 1,300 homeowners who are planning or in the midst of a kitchen project.Eighty-two percent of renovating homeowners this year who are changing the style of their kitchen says they’re making it farmhouse. Farmhouse now nearly ties contemporary in popularity (14 percent versus 15 percent, respectively). Transit
You can find the most competitive buyers in Denver, Los Angeles, and Portland, Ore., according to a new analysis by LendingTree, an online loan marketplace. Buyers in these cities have higher than average credit and the ability to put down a larger down payment, making them highly competitive in a multiple-offer situation.LendingTree analyzed the 50 largest metro areas and examined competitiveness by the share of buyers shopping for a mortgage be
Twenty-four days into the partial government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—the impact on the real estate industry appears minimal, with many federal agencies that are crucial to the business operating normally. Applications for federally backed mortgages are being processed with no delay, FEMA is continuing to administer flood insurance, and in the latest move, the IRS reopened a home loan program vital for keeping closings on track. S
Pergolas, metals, and pinks will be the leading landscape cravings of 2019, according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals. The NALP surveyed 1 million of its landscaping professionals to predict the hot trends that will influence the design and maintenance of backyards across the country.“Homeowners yearn for beautiful outdoor spaces without the hassle of upkeep,” says Missy Henriksen, the NALP’s vice president of pu
About 75 percent of non-homeowners believe homeownership is still part of their American dream, according to a new analysis released by the National Association of REALTORS®. However, the biggest barrier for non-owners is that they are currently unable to afford a mortgage, according to the fourth-quarter 2018 Homeownership Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey, based on more than 8,000 consumer responses.During the last quarter of 2
For the third year in a row, Baltimore tops the chart for having the highest number of cases of bedbugs, according to the latest annual list from Orkin, a nationwide pest management company. Its list is based on treatment data from Dec. 1, 2017, to Nov. 30, 2018, including both residential and commercial treatments.“Bedbugs are the number one urban pest in many cities today,” says Chelle Hartzer, an Orkin entomologist. “They are master hitc
Following a series of interest rate hikes, the Federal Reserve may be ready to hit the pause button—which could be welcome news for mortgage borrowers. Notes from the Fed’s latest meeting show a consensus among board members not to raise the benchmark interest rate at the body’s January meeting or its next meeting in mid-March. However, Fed officials did say they expect economic growth to remain strong enough to still support a rate increas
Though you’re bound by the Code of Ethics not to prognosticate about the safety of any particular location, it’s an issue at the forefront of your buyers’ minds. “When homeowners think about the biggest investment of their life, top of mind is how safe an area would be to live in and raise a family,” Rick Palacios Jr., director of research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting, told realtor.com®.You can, instead, send your clients to in
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