Keller Williams’ sales dip in US as agent count takes big leap overseas

Transaction sides fell 18.2 percent year over year for a total of $472.9 billion in sales in 2022, a 12.5 percent decline, according to a full-year earnings report released Monday afternoon by the Texas-based brokerage.

7 Magnificent Mobile Homes That Defy the Tired ‘Trailer Park’ Reputation

Realtor.com

Mobile homes have come a long way. Despite their reputation as a last resort for desperate homebuyers who can’t afford a “traditional” home, these prefabricated structures are not all depressing metal boxes. They can be stylish, well designed, and extremely affordable options for a buyer looking to either downsize or get a foot in the housing market.

Today, mobile homes have interiors that are sometimes truly extraordinary. If you don’t believe us, check out this mobile home in the Hamptons that was recently sold for a record price of $3.75 million.

Spurred by that big buy, we perused listings nationwide to find seven stylish mobile homes on the market that might just completely upend your expectations.

138 Pali Dr, Palm Springs, CA

Price: $275,000
Mobile magic: This affordable and adorable home offers million-dollar mountain views within a cozy 630 square feet of living space.



Canyon Lake, TX
Marathon, FL



Continue reading

Mortgage rates nosedive in fallout from Silicon Valley Bank failure

Bank failures and a slowdown in wage growth have forecasters thinking the Fed will back off from an aggressive rate hike campaign next week.

How to Aerate Your Lawn: A Lawn Lover’s Guide to Great Grass

mykhailo pavlenko/Shutterstock

Learning how to aerate your lawn is a must for homeowners who want to keep their yard looking lush. So if your greenery is looking a little thin or (yikes) has a bald patch here and there, you’ve come to the right place!

Welcome to our Lawn Lover’s Guide—a series of articles that will help guide you through all the maintenance tasks you’ll need to know for a gorgeous yard and maximum curb appeal this summer. First up? How to aerate your lawn—an oft overlooked chore that can easily revive your grass, no reseeding or fertilizer required.

Why is aerating important?

Between hot sun, harsh weather, and weekly mowings, thatch (dead grass, roots, and other organic material) can build up on the ground. This can prevent oxygen, water, and the other nutrients your grass needs from reaching the roots, says Brad Leahy, owner of Blades of Green in Harwood, MD.

“Aeration is the process of punching through those layers of thatch and compaction in your lawn,” Leahy explains.

Continue reading

7 Cheap Landscaping Ideas That’ll Rake in Cash Later

A home with a gorgeous yard isn’t just easy on the eyes: Well-landscaped homes also sell for 5.5% to 12.7% more, according to research at Virginia Tech. Only problem is, professional landscaping costs an average of $3,219, according to HomeAdvisor.com. But pros aren’t the only way to go. Here’s proof: seven cheap landscaping ideas that provide all the lush greenery you need without your gushing greenbacks.

1. Show your lawn a little TLC

While overgrown plants and weeds can make a home look run-down, a well-manicured lawn signals to prospective home buyers that the house is maintained well inside as well. So start by cutting the grass, trimming shrubs, and pruning hedges.

Buried in weeds? Cherie Lowe, blogger and author of “Slaying the Debt Dragon,” recommends a homemade weed killer: Mix white vinegar, 1 to 2 cups of salt (table or Epsom), and a small squeeze of dish detergent.

“It takes one to two days for it to activate, killing off unwanted weeds, and costs a fraction of the price,” Lowe says.

2. Install drought-tolerant plants

One-third of all household water use typically goes to landscaping, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s no surprise, then, that sustainable design (i.e., yards that require low maintenance and less water) is one of the hottest trends in residential landscaping, according to a recent survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Continue reading

William Lauder buys Rush Limbaugh’s Palm Beach estate

The deal marks a new record price for the market of Palm Beach where the priciest deal previously went to hedge funder Ken Griffin's purchase of four parcels for $129.6 million in 2013.

Erin and Ben Napier of ‘Home Town’ Tackle Their Tiniest House—With Hugely Cute Results

HGTV

On HGTV’s “Home Town,” Erin and Ben Napier have renovated some small spaces, but the latest episode shows just how small they can go.

In the Season 7 episode “Second Chances,” the Napiers help Mike and Cornise renovate their guesthouse. However, the residence is only 250 square feet, so there’s not much to work with.

“This wins the award for the smallest house we have ever worked on,” Erin says. “I can’t imagine we’ll ever work on anything smaller.”

Still, Ben knows that the key to this project is making smart choices.

Dated guest house
Guest house
kitchen
kitchenette
kitchenette microwave
ceiling
vaulted ceiling
day bed
queen bed
dated bathroom
new shower
closet
Continue reading

Signature becomes 2nd major real estate-focused bank to fail

Signature was the largest commercial real estate lender in New York City by transaction volume and third-largest by volume since January 2020, according to PincusCo, which tracks real estate transactions.

When to Fertilize a Lawn, and How: A Lawn Lover’s Guide

groveb/iStock

Knowing when to fertilize a lawn—and how—is a big part of keeping your yard lush and amping up that all-important curb appeal. Fertilizing, after all, is a way to give your grass the extra nutrients it needs to flourish.

Only how do you fertilize a lawn, and how often, and what is the best fertilizer to buy? For this second installment of our Lawn Lover’s Guide, we talked to experts to help you figure out everything you need to know to keep your lawn looking gorgeous all summer long.

When to fertilize your lawn

Fertilizing your lawn is a critical part of helping the grass grow, kind of like giving your yard a multivitamin. But unlike the One a Days that people take, a good fertilization game plan only needs to be done a few times a year, says Kevin Shanks, manager of retail training at Scotts Miracle-Gro.

In the North, where cool-season grass types like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fescues dominate, Shanks says you’ll want to feed your lawn twice in the spring and twice again in the fall.

Continue reading

7 Backyard Landscaping Ideas That Will Entice You to Come Out of the House

iStock

The backyard landscaping ideas you choose aren’t just about keeping the neighbors from complaining about the mess. Your backyard should be an oasis, a place where you want to spend time. But while most homeowners pine for a green patch of land to call their own, once they’ve got it, they very rarely visit the place.

While outdoor living spaces topped the 2015 Home Design Trends survey by the American Institute of Architects, UCLA’s “Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century” study showed that adults spent less than 15 minutes per week out in their yards (even kids log in just 40 minutes).

Perhaps the reason you aren’t in your yard isn’t due to laziness; it might merely be because you have nothing to do there. That’s where an infusion of backyard landscaping ideas could help.

Backyard landscaping ideas

“You need a legitimate reason to go out there,” says Chad Bostick, a Huntsville, AL, landscape architect and member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. So before you start putting your backyard landscaping ideas into action, take stock of how you like to spend your free time. If growing green things is your passion, then your yard should be filled with vegetable and flower gardens. If listening to lapping water soothes you, then a water feature is a must. If you can’t take the sun, plant shade trees. If kicking a soccer ball around with your kids is your “together time,” create a level lawn where you can play. Build a purpose into your yard and suddenly you’ll be out there. All. The. Time.

Bring the indoors outside
Get cookin'
Fire pit
An aquatic garden
Continue reading

The Pinnacle Group joins forces with Douglas Elliman

The eight-person team, established by agent Elaine Bannigan, will now work out of Douglas Elliman's new office in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the company exclusively told Inman.

Bad News for Home Buyers: Housing Inventory Remains Low in America’s Cities and Towns.

Getty Images

Low inventory continues to plague local housing markets. Even with mortgage rates above 6%, an underlying supply imbalance is impacting residential real estate in cities and towns across America, a MarketWatch analysis shows.

While the overall housing market has cooled nationally, the housing supply gap from slow construction that followed the Great Recession continues to influence a potential homeowner’s ability to buy a home.

The nation’s total housing listings in February reached 945,612, according to Realtor.com, up 13% from February 2022, when listings hit historic lows for the month. But those recent national inventory numbers still remain under the magical 1 million mark going into the spring house-buying season and housing inventory for the entire nation is still down 30% from five years ago.

Because housing markets are best defined at the local level, MarketWatch analyzed data by county to examine which locations have suffered the most significant drops in inventory for February.

Continue reading

Silicon Valley Bank was part of an ecosystem that sped up innovation

Silicon Valley Bank, which federal regulators took control of Friday following a run on the bank, understood the digital age, supported entrepreneurs and understood our needs, writes Inman founder Brad Inman.

No, it’s not 2008: How to talk to your clients about Silicon Valley Bank

The meltdown of Silicon Valley Bank has sent shockwaves through the proptech industry. Here’s how to keep it from poisoning the well during the spring market.

How To Pick a New Home You’ll Absolutely Adore

Kativ/iStock

You’ve done your research, saved up for a down payment, and found a Realtor® you adore. Now comes the next step: Find your dream house already!

This is the really fun part, although it does come with its own unique challenges. Even if you love the entire process of house hunting, the options can be overwhelming. Ranch or Colonial?  Suburb or city? Small apartment or palatial townhouse? Built-in 40-foot waterslide or stand-alone 40-foot waterslide? It’s hard not to feel like you’re drowning in the possibilities.

To help winnow the myriad options to find the perfect place for you, heed these tips—and happy searching!

Have a long chat with your agent

Here’s the simple truth: Only you will ultimately know which home is just right for you. However, a savvy agent will have a better handle on the market.

Continue reading

With fewer million-dollar homes, is luxury OK? The Real Word

This week, hosts Byron Lazine and Nicole White are talking about the luxury market, seller's biggest regrets and the importance of technology for agents this year.

Lil Wayne Got Money: His Miami Beach Mansion Just Sold for $22.58M

Realtor.com / Getty Images

Sold! He had to slash the asking price to make it happen, but Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (aka Lil Wayne) finally unloaded his tropical spread in Miami Beach, FL, for $22.58 million.

The palatial property was initially listed last September for $29.5 million. The ask dropped to $28 million in December 2022.

Even with the price reduction, the Grammy-winning rapper turned an impressive profit on the deal. He scooped up the swanky spot in 2018 for $16.75 million.

Perched along 110 feet of waterfront on Allison Island, the 10,278-square-foot home was designed by Choeff Levy Fischman, the architecture firm that also designed a house for baseball icon Alex Rodriguez.









Continue reading

$780,000 Homes in California

A two-bedroom cabin in Guerneville, a midcentury-modern retreat in Palm Springs and a Craftsman bungalow in Oakland.

The Financial 411 on Buying a Tract House: When It’s a Good Deal and When It Doesn’t Make Sense

Steve Proehl/Getty Images

Many homebuyers are drawn to the idea of purchasing new construction over an existing home. There’s something undeniably appealing about owning a pristine, never-been-lived-in dwelling where you can bank on being the first one to use the shower.

But new construction is known for costing more than existing homes, especially if you’re opting for a custom build. In January, the National Association of Realtors® reported the median sales price of existing homes was $359,000, while new homes averaged $427,500, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

So what’s a buyer to do if they dream of owning a newly built yet comparatively affordable house? Enter: the tract home.

Tract housing is a type of residential development, featuring similar homes built on single parcels of land. Also known as planned communities, these developments typically crop up in the suburbs and can feature anywhere from a few dozen houses to thousands of homes in the community.

Continue reading

Making an Offer On a New Home: Real Tips From Real Estate Agents

BernardaSv/iStock

We’ll get right down to it: Shopping for a home is fun. But once you find the home that makes you swoon, things start to get real—real fast.

Think of making an offer on a home as setting the roller coaster in motion: You might have sharp drops in emotion and slow, trudging climbs to success, but the ride won’t end until the car slows down and the safety bar is lifted. (OK, this metaphor is now officially over.)

But to begin the process, you need to know how to make the right offer, an offer that will end with your receiving the keys to your new house. So check out some of these agent-approved negotiation tactics to make the offer process a whole lot less bumpy.

Pick the right price

Just because a home is listed for $400,000, it doesn’t mean the home is actually worth that much.

Continue reading
LikeRE Logo