Engel & Völkers says hello to Carolina foothills with 3 new shops

Two of the shops will be located in Morganton and one in Nebo, North Carolina. License partners Steve and Polly Leadbetter will lead all three.

Actor Jon Seda Is Picking Up Stakes in the Windy City, Lists Home for $1.8M

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After years of playing a detective on NBC’s “Chicago P.D.,” Jon Seda made the leap to portraying a doctor on the sci-fi hit “La Brea.” With this change in shows comes his decision to move on from his four-bedroom, 4.5-bath home in the Lakeview section of Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

This limestone-clad property was built in 2007 and is now available for $1,799,999.

Set back from the street behind a set of iron gates, the stately 5,000-square-foot home features a two-story entryway, several fireplaces to keep toasty during the frigid winters, and massive windows that flood the living areas with light.

The home was built in 2007.

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Looking to renovate construction space, Freemodel secures $19.5M

QED led a $19.5 million Series A for Freemodel to expand its approach to prepaid, fully managed market preparation renovations, according to an announcement sent exclusively to Inman.

Top 10 color and design trends for 2023

Don’t be afraid to be bold and daring with your design choices this year. We are venturing into better, brighter times, and our homes are a direct reflection of that.

Jason Oppenheim: Commission suits will be ‘armageddon’ for real estate

The founder of The Oppenheim Group and star of Netflix's "Selling Sunset" told Yahoo! Finance that potential changes to the commission structure could result in an exodus of real estate agents.

Pool of agents working in LA shrunk amid slowdown last year: Analysis

The number of active real estate agents in LA decreased by 27 percent year over year, falling from 4,800 agents in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 3,500 agents during the same period in 2022.

10 Tips First-Time Apartment Renters Can’t Afford to Overlook

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Renting your first apartment is a huge milestone—an exciting time to celebrate, for sure. But as a first-time renter, finding the perfect rental for your circumstances can be an ordeal. How do you ensure a smooth process and minimal (or no) snags along the way?

The good news is that many resources are available to guide you through the apartment-renting process. To get you started, here is some advice to keep in mind as a first-time renter.

1. Determine how much rent you can afford

One very important first step to finding the right apartment is deciding how much you can comfortably spend, based on your income.

According to Manisha Thakor, director of Wealth Strategies for Women at the BAM Alliance, one rule of thumb is that rent should not exceed one-fourth of your take-home pay. If you follow this method and have a monthly income of $4,000, you’ll want to find rentals that charge no more than $1,000 per month.

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The Cities Where You’ll Save Money Renting in 2023—and the Ones Where Buying a Home Is Cheaper

Photo-Illustration by Realtor.com; Photos: Getty Images (5)

Homeownership has long embodied the American dream. But for many, it isn’t the most affordable option these days. Or the one that ultimately makes the most financial sense.

Brass tacks: In most of the country, it remains cheaper to rent than to buy the same square footage. But, of course, renters are at the mercy of their landlords and aren’t building wealth that can be tapped in an emergency or passed down to future generations. And when you factor in the current tsunami of extreme real estate price fluctuations on both sides and economic uncertainty across the board, the eternal rent vs. buy decision has become a whole lot trickier in 2023.

Whether it makes more financial sense to rent or buy depends a lot on where in the U.S. someone lives. So the Realtor.com® economics team identified the places where folks can save the most money by renting—and where it makes more sense to buy.

In areas where it’s better to buy, mortgage payments are often lower than market rents if buyers can cobble together the needed down payment and closing costs.













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Freed from iBuying, Zillow wants more from its mortgage arm in 2023

To outside analysts, it appears Zillow got out of iBuying just in time. Now the company is looking ahead to a post-downturn world. Here are the biggest challenges Zillow will face in 2023.

Why this economist says today’s market is not a do-over of 2008

Now, although price growth through the pandemic period was clearly excessive, writes economist Matthew Gardner, fundamentally speaking, the two periods cannot be considered to be similar at all.

After Years of Living With Roommates, a Place to Call His Own

Yaakov Bloom says he has learned a lot about himself after living in six apartments in the last decade, including one with an unruly pet.

$1.6 Million Homes in California

A 1911 Craftsman house in Oakland, a stylish retreat in Lake Arrowhead and a two-bedroom condominium in Malibu.

How to create great marketing content in seconds with ChatGPT

We’re at the very front end of changes that will forever alter almost every aspect of our lives, according to trainer Bernice Ross. While AI isn’t likely to replace agents any time soon, those who fail to embrace these powerful tools will lose significant market share to those who do. 

The new top 3 rules of real estate: Speed. Speed. Speed

Modern homebuyers don’t want to get a loan during banking hours — they want to be able to access the calculators to help them shop confidently, and then text a loan expert if they have questions. And that’s exactly the kind of support a great digital lender can provide.

Social media tactics top agents rely on in their marketing plan

The social media ecosystem is complex, and established platforms are facing challenges. In this fraught landscape, which social media channels can luxury agents rely on? Two leading agents weigh in.

What Is Radon? How to Check a Home for This Silent and Deadly Threat

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It may sound like something straight out of “Star Wars,” but radon is actually a dangerous radioactive chemical that lurks far closer to home—in fact, it could be in your home right now. (Cue Darth Vader theme music.)

And there’s very good reason to learn more about this silent threat: Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America, claiming about 21,000 lives each year. As it happens, January is National Radon Action Month. To acknowledge this month, let’s review the steps on how to check your home for this deadly substance, and what to do if you find it (don’t worry, there’s no need to don a hazmat suit just yet).

What is it?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the decay of uranium found in nearly all soils, says Bruce Snead, director of National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above, but it can also enter your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation, where it can become trapped and build up.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some regions are more prone to radon than others, but there is no way to project whether your particular home may have an elevated level of radon, no matter where you live.

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What Is a Foreclosure? 4 Crucial Elements Homeowners Must Know

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What is a foreclosure? When a homeowner doesn’t pay their mortgage for an extended period of time, a lender will take possession of the home—which means the current owner must move out.

Foreclosure is a scary word and it’s become a real concern for homeowners as the economy continues to fluctuate. According to CoreLogic, the foreclosure rate (meaning the percentage of loans in foreclosure) currently hovers just under 3%.

If you’re struggling to make your mortgage payments, you’ll want to know what foreclosure means and how it works. Here’s what you need to know.

1. What is pre-foreclosure?

If you’re a few days late on a mortgage payment, don’t panic—the bank isn’t going to confiscate your house. In fact, most mortgage contracts have a 15-day grace period, with a late fee of 5% on payments made thereafter, says Jack Guttentag, author of “The Mortgage Encyclopedia.”

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Marc Harrison’s Universal Design Home Gets Restored

Half a century ago, Marc Harrison built a prototype for a home that would accommodate people of all ages and abilities. Now his daughter has restored it.

Marc Harrison’s House for Any Body

Half a century ago, the industrial designer built a prototype for a home that would accommodate people of all ages and abilities.

The Apartment Building Next Door Won’t Shut Up!

When the building itself is making noise, it’s not as simple as telling it to quiet down.

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