Magnolia Network

On their new show “Fixer Upper: The Castle,” Chip and Joanna Gaines are quickly learning that making over a historic building is a lot more complicated than making over any old house.

In the latest episode, “Story of Color,” they struggle specifically with how to blend the castle’s old elements with new ones. There are many tough decisions to be made, and—surprise!—Chip and Jo don’t always agree.

Read on to see how these famous flippers figure out what to do, and learn some smart lessons you might be inspired to apply to your own abode, too.

An old exterior can still look new

Magnolia Network

The median home for sale is spending 45 percent longer on the market than it was at this time last year, according to Zillow's research team.

As midterm elections approach, Zillow crunched housing data and found that enough Americans relocated to key counties in red and purple states in 2021 to potentially shift political leanings.

The 6,230-square-foot property sold by British fashion entrepreneurs Tom and Ruth Chapman was put on the market for $42 million in June.

Join Studeo Co-Founder and CEO Rebecca Rose as she discusses how to reorient your current brokerage marketing team away from expensive service-based activities and towards accelerating revenue.

Ballun/iStock

Homes are unlike the majority of other things people buy in that the price isn’t set in stone. Sure, the listing might include an “asking price,” but as this term suggests, that’s just a request rather than a hard, unwavering demand. And that’s why comps are so important. So what exactly are comps?

Short for housing “comparables,” comps are a way to help you figure out what a home is worth based on the recent sales prices of similar properties in the area. Home sellers (and their real estate agents) use comps to help them come up with their asking price, while buyers can use comps to come up with how much to offer. As such, it’s an important concept for both buyers and sellers to master.

Here are the basics on how to find comps and wield them to your advantage.

What to know about comps

With housing comps, you ideally want to compare apples to apples—not apples to kiwi (which is, let’s face it, a strikingly unappealing fruit). In other words, it’s important for comps to be as similar to your own property as possible. While what constitutes a comp for a home will depend on each particular market, here are some ballpark parameters:

kodachrome25/iStock

Is a sunroom just the same thing as a Florida room or a solarium? Well … yes!

When it comes to a home’s rooms (or real estate listings), we expect to see bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, and perhaps the occasional playroom or den. But a sunroom is often an unexpected bright bonus. But just what is it, and is it something you truly want in your home?

What to know about a sunroom

A sunroom by any other name … is probably the same thing as a sunroom. Also called a solarium, Florida room, garden room, sun parlor, patio room, winter garden, or conservatory, it’s basically a space with windows or screens on three sides that let the sun shine right through—often on the southern side of buildings in northern climes to capture maximum exposure. They can be insulated and equipped with heating/cooling, or as simple as a screened-in patio.

Sunrooms are a popular amenity because–let’s face it—who doesn’t want to soak up a few more rays, without enduring chilly winds or biting bugs?

A recent story about haunted houses prompted existential debates and ghost story sharing in the comments section.

The holiday season is approaching and with it opportunities for hosts to maximize earnings. Read how Airbnb Superhosts earn six figures from short-term rentals — and how you can too.

A three-bedroom cottage in Santa Monica, a 1911 Edwardian house in San Francisco and a Spanish-style home in San Jose.

M. Ryan Gorman said the current downturn is an opportunity for his company, while noting that some competitors "may not have a plan for good times let alone a plan for bad times."

The mass-produced furniture that sold furiously during the pandemic could soon be clogging landfills.

On the last day of the Compass REtreat, Compass President of Customer Success Danielle Wilkie sat down with Inman to talk about how a strong culture is key to the company's 2023 strategy.

According to Amanda Deering, here's how real estate professionals can work on improving diversity, equity and inclusion in the homebuying journey to foster a sense of belonging for all. 

Even with the best of intentions, it can be difficult to consider all of the factors your clients may need to consider when they're dealing with mobility issues, vision impairments or other challenges. However, according to Amanda Deering, there are many ways you can ensure a successful home search for all.

Homebuyers have different needs, and an open house offers an opportunity to meet them, according to Amanda Deering. You can bring inclusiveness to your open house to open the doors to individuals with disabilities.

Each Inman Connect virtual session brought powerful takeaways worth noting for a strong end to 2022 and a solid start to 2023 in the face of market shifts.

Is there enough volume in your agents’ pipeline to meet monthly goals? Which team members are performing, and who needs a pep talk?

With the uncertainty of the market and the upcoming downtime of the holidays, you need to think about your business plans for next year and how they can tap into this persistent demand for luxury second homes.

"When real estate professionals approach me for help, I recommend creating and maintaining productive daily actions that provide a strong foundation for decision-making."