By Dixie Somers Homeowner associations were created to provide a governing body for residential developments to make decisions regarding upkeep, appearance and finances. These agencies are usually composed of residents of the community. Periodic meetings are held to ensure that members of the communities are informed of issues related to them. You can make sure you...
As the challenges facing the real estate industry continue to increase in volume as we move toward the future, being backed by a strong National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is paramount to setting both the industry—and its practitioners—on a clear path to success. "Our biggest challenge is that we're perceived as being in an ivory tower," said NAR CEO Bob...
Mitigating risk isn't the sexiest part of owning a real estate company, but it may indeed be the most critical. One well-supported lawsuit and there goes everything you worked so hard to build. Even less-than-viable litigation will waste time and resources that could be so much better spent elsewhere. That's why we invited National Association of REALTORS® General...
By Liz Dominguez There should never be a shortage of safety precautions, especially in the real estate industry. September is REALTOR® Safety Month—here are some tips to keep both you and your clients safe. Protect yourself. It's important to remember that while clients must be treated as such, they are also essentially strangers the first time you meet them. Keep...
Most homeowners have heard of reverse mortgages, but there is still a lot of confusion surrounding this type of loan. They allow a homeowner to borrow based on his or her age and the amount of equity that has been built in his or her primary residence. Reverse mortgages are a financial tool appropriate for specific situations. They are not inherently bad, but they...
Most Americans know Samuel Langhorne Clemens (aka, Mark Twain) as the author of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” but he was also a family man, who had four children in his lifetime with his wife Olivia Langdon. As a provider, Clemens had made today’s equivalent of $8 million dollars from his writing and touring while...
"How are we going to be able to keep up with the rapidly evolving world around us?" A crucial question, and one posed at RISMedia's recent 2017 Real Estate CEO Exchange Networking Breakfast, where Power Brokers and other industry leaders gathered not only to connect, but also to consider the relationship between innovation and irrelevancy. The two are closely linked,...
Power Brokers and other real estate industry leaders gathered at the Harvard Club of New York City recently for RISMedia's 2017 Real Estate CEO Exchange, an annual, exclusive event that this year touched on everything from challenges and leadership changes to the state of the industry overall. Like RISMedia on Facebook for more photos from this year's event, search...
Ever wondered who is living the good life, and where? A new study done by MONEY with the help of realtor.com® runs down the top 100 best places to live in the U.S. But how does one quantify "best," a term that feels quite subjective? The study's methodology focuses on towns with a population of 10,000 to 100,000, to avoid the big cities and spotlight smaller suburbs...
Ever wonder how much bacon you need to bring in to live comfortably in some of our country's largest metros? HSH.com recently revealed the salaries needed to live in a median-priced home in 50 of the hottest areas of the US, and the numbers may surprise you. While the national average of median home prices cost $255,600, requiring a salary of just over $56,000, the...
