A smart home is an ecosystem of devices and smart appliances that work together to make life more convenient.

Since these devices are interconnected through a network, smart homes also bring security risks. This article will explain some of those risks and provide solutions so you can safely enjoy the benefits of a smart home.

Weak network and IoT device credentials

Your local network is what connects all of the smart devices together. If it’s not properly configured and secured, outside threats can take over the devices and gain insight into your everyday life. 

Using default credentials is very common with home networks, and a major source of risk, as hackers may be able to find those credentials online. Instead, set a strong password for your network, and change the default username.

Most Wi-Fi routers use either:

Market Leader is a real estate lead generating and CRM platform that became super popular for providing real estate agents with a suite of tools/features no competitor can boast of. Beautiful websites (as below), a popular marketing platform, and what’s been dubbed a “ cutting-edge CRM,” have powered the platform to notoriety. So, I thought I would take a look because the industry has long needed a holistic marketing suite. Market Leader says it’s addressing this void. Let’s find out. 

Indicated Value Proposition

There is a horde of companies offering real estate leads, but “quality” leads that convert to sales are never the guarantee. Even lead volumes are never a certifiable promise. That is, with the exception of Market Leader’s volume money-back guarantee. And now, the company has rolled out a new customer relationship manager (CRM) that’s supposed to be a Cadillac smooth ride accordion to some experts. In many ways, it seems like ML is out ahead of Salesforce and other marque CRM providers. I’ll have to make a comparison soon. Also in the positive column is ML’s recently being named one of the industry’s most innovative tech companies in HousingWire’s 2022 Tech100.

When I was unable to direct download ML’s app, I turned to other scrutiny and resources. Chris Linsell, at The Close, breaks down Market Leader’s value proposition nicely. But somehow, the review of the offering seems to be missing something. What’s missing will become apparent later in this report, but here I spotlight the positives the agent medium suggests below:

A Walled Garden Approach?

Linsell goes on to criticize Market Leader for lacking much-needed facets like SMS texting capability, limited tracking aspects, and no social media integration. But he doesn’t dig deep enough into the company’s real value and marketing prowess. At least not in my opinion.

Legacy Roofing Services, one of the largest roofing service providers in the United States, recently received the 2022 Perfection Award from Carlisle SynTec Systems, one of the largest manufacturers of roofing systems. The award was in recognition of their quality workmanship, extensive experience and exceptional value delivered to customers.

“Legacy Roofing exemplifies dedication to quality and excellence,” said Mike DuCharme, vice president of marketing for Carlisle SynTec Systems. “Their commitment to workmanship is very apparent and we are pleased to have them as one of our key partners.”

Given annually, roofing contractors qualify for the Perfection Award by completing a minimum number of warranted jobs and installing a minimum amount of warranted square feet of roofing per year. Contractors who show exceptional installation quality that results in a warranty claim performance in the top 5% in the U.S. and Canada are eligible for the honor.

“This recognition is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our employees,” said Brian Kruse, CEO of Legacy Roofing Services. “We are fortunate to have some of the finest professionals in the industry on our team who strive for excellence on every job and for every customer.”

Carlisle SynTec Systems, headquartered in Carlisle, PA, has been manufacturing single-ply membrane roofing systems for more than half a century. Carlisle SynTec Systems is a business segment of Carlisle Construction Materials. LLC, and has manufacturing facilities in Carlisle, PA; Greenville, IL; Senatobia, MI; and Tooele, UT. More information is available at CarlisleSynTec.com.

The Move to Your Second Home in a New State – There are many benefits of living in two different states. One of the main reasons is that you can live in a state with a lower cost of living and work in a state with a higher cost of living.

The tax rates are also different between the two states. You might be able to save some money by paying taxes where there is no income tax or property tax, which can help you out financially.

Or you may want to have the luxury of living in different states to avoid extreme weather. Whatever the reason, there are definitely quite a few things to consider when choosing where and how to be a multi-state homeowner.

Making the Move

The first step to becoming a multi-state homeowner is to identify what state you want to spend the most time living in. This will be your primary residence and the place where you will spend most of your time. Or you may want to divide your time equally between the two. If you do, you can register your cars, get your auto insurance policy, and even health insurance in the state with cheaper options.

Existing home prices were up 18% from a year ago at the end of June, according to data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index.

That represents a slower pace of home price growth than was seen in the previous month, May, where we saw a 19.95 annual gain. The 10-city composite index increased 17.4%, down from 19.1% in the prior month. Meanwhile, the 20-city composite index was up 18.6% from a year earlier, down from the 20.5% growth it registered in May.

Of those 20 cities, Dallas, Miami and Tampa recorded the highest annual home price growth with increases of 28.2%, 33% and 35%, respectively. Just one of the 20 cities in the index saw higher home price increases in June than in May.

S&P Dow Jones Indices Managing Director Craig Lazzara said that it’s important to keep in mind that home price deceleration and decline are two very different things, and that home prices are still rising very fast.

“June’s growth rates for all three composites are at or above the 95th percentile of historical experience,” Lazzara said. “For the first six months of 2022, in fact, the National Composite is up 10.6%.”

Private mortgage insurance, also known as PMI, protects the lender in case the borrower defaults on their loan. Borrowers tend to try to avoid PMI because it is expensive, and it does not benefit the borrower who pays for it. On the other hand, some borrowers simply cannot buy a house without getting private mortgage insurance. PMI is applied to the outstanding principal when a borrower puts down a payment of less than 20%, and it generally lasts until the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio drops below 80%. If a borrower tries to calculate private mortgage insurance premiums for their loan, they will soon realize that it is expensive, so they should try to avoid PMI as much as possible. If a borrower already has private mortgage insurance, there are ways for a borrower to stop paying for it.

Private mortgage contracts, just like mortgage terms are fixed and need to be renegotiated once the current private mortgage insurance expires. The length of a single private mortgage insurance contract is usually 1 year, but it can be as short as 6 months and as long as 3 years. Generally, private mortgage insurance companies offer multiple terms to fit the largest number of borrowers. This flexibility in term lengths is due to the fact that most mortgage lenders do not require private mortgage insurance once the LTV on the loan reaches 80%, which is equivalent to putting a down payment of 20%.

It is important to note that private mortgage insurance companies may also provide different rates for different term lengths even if the financial situation of the borrower does not change. For example, if a borrower gets private mortgage insurance for 1 year, they may have a better rate if they got private mortgage insurance for 6 months. Generally, mortgage insurance companies prefer issuing longer-term insurance because it provides a larger payoff for a similar amount of work. A borrower who is not planning to surpass the LTV ratio of 80% on their mortgage any time soon, should opt in for longer-term private mortgage insurance to save some money down the road. Getting a short-term PMI is worth only when a borrower is close to lowering their LTV to below 80%. Once the borrower reaches the LTV of less than 80%, their lender may not require PMI anymore. This means that the borrower does not have to pay PMI premiums once LTV is below 80%. For example, if a borrower expects their LTV to be below 80% in 6 months, they may be better off getting private mortgage insurance for 6 months rather than for 1 year.

It is never in the interest of a borrower to pay PMI premiums because it does not protect them, but it protects the lender. Private mortgage insurance can also be very expensive and range from 0.5% to 1.5% of the outstanding principal. For example, if a borrower gets a PMI at a rate of 1% on a mortgage with the outstanding principal of $500,000, the borrower would have to pay $5,000 extra to cover the annual cost of insurance. Even though some people may find enough cash to put a down payment of 20%, many people who cannot cover such a large down payment, are required to get private mortgage insurance that adds up to their expenses.

Every homeowner knows how important it is to have good paint. New paint color for your interior can modernize your home, and exterior painting can prevent moisture from seeping into your home. That is why it is a good idea to repaint your interior walls every few years to keep your home looking good and maintain or increase the value of your home. 

Quality paints can help keep allergens, dust, and filth at bay while also giving your home a lovely appearance. However, finding a painting company that can provide exceptional painting quality may be difficult. And, if you’re not careful, painting your house could end up being one of the most expensive and time-consuming projects you’ve ever undertaken.

So, choosing a company that can get the job done right is an essential step in painting. But how do you know if you’ve chosen the right painting company to work with? In this article, we’ve put together some guidelines to help you make a more informed decision.

Identifying your goals and requirements is the most crucial stage in selecting a reputable painting company that suits your tastes. 

Choose expertise and experience over low-cost offers. 

As a general guideline, avoid selecting a painting company based on price as this could result in subpar painting. 

Aspiring Black homeowners still face more obstacles than other demographics in their pursuit of homeownership, a new report from the online loan marketplace LendingTree has found.

The research found that the denial rate for Black mortgage applicants is almost twice as high as the nation’s average in the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. LendingTree based its analysis on data from the 2020 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, finding that some 18% of Black borrowers have their applications denied when applying for a mortgage, compared to the 9% rejection rate for the overall population.

LendingTree Senior Economist Jacob Channel told CNBC that data shows that a problem does exist. However, he said there are solutions to this problem, meaning that “Black homebuyers shouldn’t lose faith that they’ll never be able to become homeowners.”

The problem varies across the nation. For instance in St. Louis, the rejection rate for Black mortgage applicants was 20.73% compared to the average of 7.3% for the overall population, representing a spread of 13.4%. Other problem cities include Boston and Jacksonville, Florida, which both had a spread of 13.34%.

The best areas for Black mortgage applicants appear to be San Francisco, Sacramento, California, and Seattle, where the spread was just 2.35%, 4.64% and 4.83%, respectively, LendingTree said.

Despite concerns about its sustainability, the real estate market is going through a boom. While the real estate market is focused chiefly on buying and selling built properties, investing in vacant land can also give you good returns. You can purchase vacant land to sell it for profit or to build your ideal house according to your taste. 

Buying or selling a vacant land is a complex procedure that requires you to understand the market carefully. Whether you are buying land to build a house or for commercial purposes, you should keep the following in mind:

1. Work With a Real Estate Lawyer

You might think you have researched enough to buy land on your own, but the real estate market is complex, and the laws around them are too complicated to be understood by a layman. A real estate lawyer can help you deal with the legality of your purchase.

For example, zoning laws are controversial and unclear in their dictation of what you can or cannot use the land for. A real estate lawyer best understands such ambiguities. If you buy the land anyway, you will not be able to use it for the purpose you bought it for if the lot is not zoned for that purpose. There can be other restrictions other than zoning, so having a real estate lawyer can ensure you buy the most suitable land for your needs. 

2. Understand the Cost of Building a Property

If you buy land to build a house or a shop on it, you need to consider your budget before going ahead with the purchase. Land purchases are expensive, and you need to ensure you have enough left to build the property you want. There are also other costs you must factor in when buying land, such as the cost of bringing utilities to your building.  

Are you looking to brighten up your once dark home? Well, you’ve come to the right place. A well-designed and installed skylight can help add value to your home. 

Skylights are not only the perfect solution when looking to brighten up your home, but they are aesthetically appealing – enough to add some oomph and significantly improve your home’s value. If chosen carefully, these lights could also help in bringing your energy costs down.

Needless to mention, it is not unheard of for property owners to make certain mistakes when installing skylights, errors that end up being a gum in the foot financially as far as convenience, functionality, renovations, and repairs are concerned. 

Thankfully, this piece takes you through some of the common errors you need to avoid when installing skylights in your home.

More than 5.6 million homes were sold in the United States alone in 2020. Many more homes have been sold since then and some have even gone through short sales. But what is a short sale exactly, and how is it any different than a regular sale, bankruptcy, or foreclosure?

How does a short sale affect you as a homeowner? Are there any benefits of short sales compared to other options? Keep reading and learn more about whether or not you should consider a short sale when selling a home. 

What You Need to Know About Short Sales

Short sales are not as common as they used to be, but some people may still decide to go through the short sale process. A short sale is a particular situation in which the lender of a mortgage decides to accept a mortgage payoff that is significantly less than the amount owed by the borrower. This is done to allow a homeowner to sell their house if they need funds. 

But what about the remaining balance of the loan? As for the remainder, the mortgage lender will usually forgive it so the borrower doesn’t need to pay it. Short sales are not very common because they are not particularly beneficial for anyone involved. 

Even the homeowner will not benefit as much when selling the house as usual. However, sometimes selling the home, as usual, is not possible. This is often the case for those who need money right away and can’t afford to wait for their house to sell. 

Renting a fun apartment close to a college or university campus initially sounds exciting. Undoubtedly, many would jump at the excellent occasion without thinking. And for a good reason; everybody associates college years with wild parties and a culturally and artistically exciting period. Regardless of age, living close to campus is inspiring. And it certainly implies fulfilling one of the daring dreams of being “close to the action’ and part of an electrifying community. 

Renting an apartment next to campus comes with a set of rules you must adapt to. In this regard, it’s like an out-of-the-ordinary scenario, like dwelling near a noisy airport or thriving on ranches and gated communities. Still, you have to consider the idea thoroughly because, despite your best intentions, your plan can backfire on you.

We dedicate this article to two age categories. On the one hand, students should read this to find out more about living off-campus. On the other hand, we recommend it to adults and young professionals driven by an adventurous spirit. 

Students, should you try living off-campus?

Choosing the most suitable form of accommodation is a tough nut to crack regardless of age. However, picking a dorm, renting, or buying an apartment for students becomes even more demanding. Renting a home of your own close to your college or university campus is a challenge, and we would endorse you to do so. 

News that Compass has let go of Chief Technology Officer Joseph Sirosh did not make the company’s stock tumble. Not yet. CEO Robert Reffkin announced Sirosh’s departure at market close Thursday. The stock remained virtually unchanged ($3.25 NYSE: COMP) throughout Friday. However, it’s doubtful Reffkin, or any Compass investor slept much this weekend. 

Back in June, we predicted that this market flip would put added focus on elite agents and brokers like Chicago’s Matt Laricy. The massive layoffs at Compass and Redfin earlier this year were a big warning buzzer. And now we seem to be watching as enormous investments tumble. The Real Deal story on Sirosh getting the axe doesn’t pull punches, but most of the rest of industry media uses terms like “belt-tightening” to describe what looks to me like a freefall.

In the past, Compass said that it spent $900 million to build out its technology platform. Now, the technology aspect seems questionable somehow. Compass competitors have suggested the quasi-tech firm is a residential brokerage in disguise. It looks like the detractors may have been correct, and if they were, many people invested almost a billion to build a broker recruitment hook. 

Sirosh was Compass’ CTO since late 2018 and brought viability to Compass’s claims of advanced tech. He formerly worked for almost six years for Microsoft in AI and at Amazon in similar roles. This was something Compass got a lot of mileage out of before going IPO. Then, within three months of going public, the company lost 30% of its initial opening value of $20.15 on April 1, 2021. Now it’s down over 83%. It would be interesting to see who cashed out over the past year among the horde of big investors who held billions in stock early on. 

In the announcement, the Compass CEO could not resist telling Inman that his company’s 28,000 agent-entrepreneurs in a statement about “enhanced tools” and the tech platform. This is sad if you think about the high hopes pinned on the idea. Not so long ago, Compass was looking like the dominant player to come. And the company had already pirated hundreds of the top agents in the U.S. When the market heated up in 2019, Compass was selling more residential real estate than anyone.