By Steve Palmer From smartphones to smart TVs, everyday devices are becoming more and more sophisticated and autonomous. The devices being integrated into our homes allow the house to respond automatically to the environment, preset schedules and even spoken commands. Today, systems like Amazon Echo and Google Home provide a central base for automating almost any...
By Victoria Lim In the past, home sellers were told to tidy up, mow the lawn and perhaps do a few modifications; however, the current dog-eat-dog real estate market now demands a more hardball approach, and that's where home staging comes in. Staging a home is a crucial selling point when marketing a house. Studies show that investment for staging takes 1 - 3 percent...
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on January 25, 2018. Housecall continues to share this piece due to ongoing requests and reader interest. When it comes to connecting with potential clients, social media is not to be slighted. Whether your favorite platform is Instagram or Twitter, simply posting great content is not enough—you also need to lead...
By Sage Singleton Many people know home automation provides benefits to humans. With connected devices such as smart thermostats, cameras, locks and light bulbs, people can now live in more comfort, safety, security and cost savings. But for the humans with furry or feathered friends, questions inevitably arise about home automation and pet safety. Will the smart...
By Sean Keeley Here’s a fun exercise. Pick a major city and start sorting the available home listings on the market by price, starting with the most expensive. Then, go one-by-one down the list, perusing the photos in each listing. See how long it takes for Harrison Ford to show up. No, the Hollywood A-lister isn’t hiding in luxury real estate listings like some...
Be it an email hack, a phishing scam, a Nigerian money order or a product that sounds just too good to be true, there are dozens of ways you can get scammed online. At best, you lose $20 on a product that doesn't exist. At worst? All your financial data gets hacked and your electronic device becomes infected with malware. To avoid any situation similar to these,...
From robots to voice assistants, this year is set to see a boom in smart home products. Earlier this month, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 concluded a record year with more than 1,000 speakers and close to 200,000 attendants over the course of four days. Held in Las Vegas, CES is one of the largest tech shows in the world, and, at this year's event, smart...
By Erin Davis Your bedroom should be the coziest place in your home—a personal getaway where you can relax, re-energize and be yourself. There’s nothing better than coming home after a long day to a luxurious, comfortable space. We can expect some great bedroom design trends in 2018. With so many exciting, new ideas available, it’s the perfect time to re-evaluate...
By Megan Wild If you want to buy a home this year, you may be in the midst of planning—or perhaps you're already well on your way. Purchasing a home is a process made up of many moving parts, including your finances, your overall goals, your planning ability and your current financial situation. That said, it’s the season for New Year’s resolutions, right?...
Your brokerage's success can depend on anything from recruiting and retention to the state of the economy. These factors, pulled from a recent RISMedia and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BH&G) survey, "What Keeps Brokers Up at Night?" were discussed in the latest RISMedia ACE webinar, "Mission Possible: Get Ahead in 2018 With These Broker Best Practice...
