A good agent who really listens to their client's needs has likely excelled in the communication department, but without reliable property intelligence, it can be difficult to overcome objections and defend your expertise.

As a proud Hispanic, I know being authentic is critically important to earn the trust of our various cultures and communities.

Industry legend, and superstar Jade Mills, president of Jade Mills Estates and Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Ambassador, discusses how real estate agents can drive their business during a transitioning market.

With home values experiencing a recent drop, it’s time for agents to make a plan to prepare luxury clients for a market correction.

It is not the time to lose a potential client because of a typo or a simple miscommunication. Here are seven easy ways to help you communicate better.

Recent residential sales in New York City and the region.

While a home equity loan and a home equity line of credit (HELOC) may seem interchangeable, they’re actually different from one another.

With the home equity loan, you must decide how much you want to borrow at closing and then make monthly payments, similar to a mortgage.

On the other hand, the HELOC offers you borrowing potential. More like a credit card, a HELOC allows you to borrow up to a certain amount and then carry the debt, or pay it off and re-borrow as you need.

If you’re considering a home equity loan, make sure you know the pros and cons before you sign on the dotted line.

Advantages of a home equity loan

Here are reasons to get a home equity loan:

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For people with low to moderate incomes, subsidized housing can alleviate housing costs and help keep a roof over their head. The U.S. government has a number of housing programs to assist people of limited economic means find an affordable place to live. These programs are usually administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

What to know about subsidized housing

Government-subsidized housing in the U.S. began during the Great Depression, and has been overseen by HUD since 1965, when the department was created. The two most common forms of subsidized housing are Section 8 housing choice vouchers and public housing complexes.

Section 8 housing choice vouchers

Section 8 vouchers are specifically for the elderly, the disabled, and those who qualify as low income. Approximately 3.3 million households are currently receiving this type of assistance.

“Housing choice vouchers are the government’s most common means of helping low-income families and other recipients obtain affordable housing,” says Tony Guerra, a real estate education instructor.

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Short for cooperative housing, these housing units will have you living in a place with other residents, but instead of owning your unit, you own shares in the whole complex.

No, it’s not something from a teen novel’s dystopia. For some homebuyers, particularly in New York and parts of the Midwest, cooperative living is a way of life.

What it means

A “housing cooperative” (or “co-op”) is the legal term for a housing unit that is owned and controlled jointly by a group of individuals who have equal shares, membership, and/or occupancy rights to the housing.

A co-op is essentially a nonprofit corporation, complete with a board of directors, and each resident is a shareholder. This means the co-op owner does not actually own his or her unit, but instead owns shares of the co-op relative to the size and desirability of the unit.

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Sometimes called bachelor apartments, efficiency apartments, or studio flats, these self-contained living units consist of a bedroom, living room, and kitchen all in a single open space.

What is a studio apartment?

This type of apartment allows (or requires) you to live, dine, and sleep in a single room with no barrier walls. It’s a one-room arrangement, similar to a hotel room. Instead of being behind a wall, the kitchen and sleeping area are in your main room.

If you find an L-shaped studio, it may give you more of a feel of a separate living room or kitchen, without the expense of a larger apartment. Likewise, a high ceiling can give you a feeling of spaciousness, without adding to your square feet.

You don’t have to do absolutely everything in the same room. A studio should have a separate room with a door for the bathroom. An apartment that doesn’t have an in-unit, separate bathroom might be illegal to rent in some states.

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Often spotted on real estate contracts or rental leases (along with its kissing cousin, “broom swept” condition), anyone who’s moving out might wonder what it really means. In other words, how clean should you leave your place for the new inhabitants? More important, what happens if you don’t bother?

While it has no exact legal definition (and certainly does not mean you must use an actual broom), the term does come with certain expectations—and consequences—that vary based on whether you rent or own your home. Here’s what you need to know.

What it means for renters

The rules for vacating a rental are quite strict: Broom clean means you should leave the place in the same condition as when you moved in, minus reasonable wear and tear. So once you’ve removed your belongings,  break out a vacuum, broom, Swiffer, or other cleaning weapon of choice and go to town.

“It’s important for a tenant to clean the place thoroughly,” says Mike Vraa, managing attorney for HOME Line, a tenant hotline in Minneapolis.

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If you own a home, you can borrow money based on its value to pay other expenses such as home improvements or college tuition. You receive a lump sum upfront, then repay it in monthly installments—plus interest—over a period of time lasting typically from five to 15 years.

Home equity loans are a popular option for homeowners because their interest rates are much lower than those for other common forms of borrowing, such as personal loans or credit cards, says Tendayi Kapfidze, chief economist at Lending Tree. And since home equity rises alongside real estate values, they’re a boon to many homeowners.

“People have been gaining home equity at an extremely fast rate,” says Ryan Kelley, CEO at TheHomeLoanExpert.com. As a result, many homeowners are turning to home equity loans to pay for a variety of things.

“We’ve seen, in the last two years, an increasing demand for home equity loans,” says Jon Giles, head of home equity lending at TD Bank.

The answer has little to do with the merits of bathtubs and more to do with how long you plan to stay in your home.

Check out these great November events!

 November 11th – December 23rd: THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride

“Enjoy Holiday Magic, Caroling and the “Hot Chocolate’ song and dance performed in the heated Polar Express Pavilion. Ride to the North Pole aboard vintage coaches, pulled by an authentic, coal-fired steam locomotive. Visit with Santa and delight as he hands you “The First Gift of Christmas!” Always a sell-out, you’ll want to book early. Tickets begin at $80/person ages 2-15, $100/person ages 16 and older (Lap Riders under age 2 Free) with upgraded First Class ticket options for Tables of Four for $475 also available.” Tickets & More Info!

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If you’ve ever wanted to host a rodeo, dine under a waterfall, or perfect your two-step on a dance floor from the comfort of your own property, this entertainer’s ranch on the market for $1.65 million in Queen Creek, AZ, is calling your name.

Built in 2016, the dreamy 3,350-square-foot residence features all of the above—along with some very cool secret rooms. Outside, there’s a custom infinity pool with a waterfall, a hot tub, a volleyball court, a built-in barbecue area, and a fire pit.

“The original owners owned a shotcrete company and used the outbuilding as office space and lived in the main house,” says listing agent Madison Spaid, of DPR Realty. “The current owners use the outbuilding to store RVs and dirt bikes and have hosted wedding events here as well. They have really enjoyed the property.”

The current owners bought the property only two years ago for $815,000. They’re now hoping to more than double their money—if they can get close to their asking price.

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We know all about homes, and one maxim that holds true is the value of a smart makeover. But the merits of a makeover aren’t limited to the realm of real estate. Just ask the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Mired in mediocrity nearly one-third of the way through the season, the Phils opted for a somewhat extreme makeover and fired manager Joe Girardi. It was akin to removing an unnecessary wall and flooding the dugout with gorgeous, natural light.

Right after the managerial makeover, the Phils reeled off an eight-game winning streak, caught fire over the summer, and rode the good vibes all the way to a wild-card playoff berth.

But even new skipper Rob Thomson couldn’t have predicted the team’s amazing post-season success. The Phils knocked off favored foes and made an amazing march all the way to the World Series. Now facing the biggest mismatch in the Fall Classic since 1906 (seriously!), the Phils are looking to knock off the widely despised Houston Astros.

Inventory Levels Continue to Climb

The current real estate market in Denver and the surrounding counties is very similar to the one we saw in June, July, and August. In short, the number of houses for sale is up dramatically in recent months. At the end of September, the number of active listings was up almost 94% from last year. In the most recent tally, there were 7,683 homes for sale. Average home prices were up, at around an 8.5% increase. The days on market were also up. It is now taking an average of 26 days to sell a home, as opposed to 13 days last year. And finally, the number of sales was down again in September, at around a 30% decline from last year.

So, what does this all mean? To answer that, it’s important to have a historical perspective. It’s easy to feel like we’ve shifted into a buyer’s market with a 94% increase in inventory. Although the recent spike in inventory has made things a bit easier on the buy-side, it’s also critical to realize that this time last year featured the lowest housing inventory count in over thirty years. A 94% increase sounds dramatic but in reality, it was a big jump from next-to-nothing to still-not-enough. Inventory is still about half the historical average of 15,700 homes on the market in September. We are also well short of the 4-6 MOI (Months of Inventory) needed to move into a balanced market. In September, MOI was only about 30 days (1 month). Negotiations are getting a little easier for buyers this fall, but there is still big room for improvement when it comes to having enough for-sale housing in our market.

On Friday, a federal jury found Thomas J. Barrack Jr., a real estate investor and close adviser to former President Donald Trump, not guilty of foreign lobbying and lying to the FBI, reports say.

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Painting a room is one of the quickest and most impactful ways to give your home new life. The problem? Most homeowners who hire professional painters can pay upwards of $500 for a single room. Ouch! Going for a whole house refresh? That could cost an average of $2,000 or more, according to HomeAdvisor.

Painting a room yourself

You’ll slash those costs by doing it yourself, but beware: A bad job could launch you into a vicious cycle of painting again and again (and again) to cover up mistakes. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you learn how to properly wield a brush and roller.

Buy the right materials

Set yourself up for success by buying the right equipment. Aside from paint, of course, you’ll need paintbrushes, rollers, trays, tarps, and painters tape (no, the edger tool won’t cut it). Don’t skimp on what you buy.

“Really cheap paintbrushes do not work. These cause more problems by not applying the paint properly,” says Dwayne Siever, founder of the Real Milk Paint Co. “Buy a higher-quality brush or foam brush, and you’ll save yourself a lot of aggravation.”