Guide helps buyers understand HOAsHomeowners associations, condo boards and other types of community governance bodies are a part of many real estate transactions. Members can share NAR's latest Consumer Guide with clients to get ahead of their questions about fees, special assessments, rules and enforcement, and the impact on property use. Get all the guides, also available in Spanish, at facts.realtor.
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Best Practices in Sales & Marketing
How your clients can get ahead in the spring market Falling mortgage rates are setting the scene for potential success this spring for home buyers, but many real estate agents may still have reservations about how their business will perform this year. As the market shifts once again, brokers are uniquely positioned to proactively support their agents so they can serve clients effectively. Full Story: REALTOR® Magazine (3/19)
Common sense practices to optimize people skills Leadership effectiveness is rooted in mastering people skills. There are three critical habits: developing emotional intelligence to read people, actively listening to understand and support others and building personal relationships to enhance collaboration. These strategies are presented as common sense yet uncommon in practice, underscoring the need for a human-centered leadership approach. Full Story: MSN (3/14)
Successes, challenges for women in real estate More women are becoming homeowners, with single women making a notable impact in the housing market. Still, gender disparities persist—especially for women of color—and it's vital to acknowledge and tackle these inequalities to ensure all women have a fair shot at homeownership and financial security. Read more at NAR's Economists' Outlook blog.
Explore the costs of materials and installation for walk-in showers, and get a breakdown of how much to budget for each stage of the process. Full Story: Homebuilding & Renovating (3/18)
Rising insurance costs lead Canadians to sell Florida condos Canadian snowbirds are increasingly selling their Florida condos at reduced prices to offload them quicker because they're no longer able to afford them due to skyrocketing insurance rates, HOA fees and assessment costs. Some owners are putting in their sales contracts that the buyer is going to be responsible for the assessment at closing. Their decision to sell is also driven by the Canadian dollar's decline to around $.70 U.S., meaning, for example, a $4,000 expense would cost them around $6,000. Full Story: MSN (3/15),WPEC-TV (West Palm Beach, Fla.) (3/17)
Fair & Equitable Housing
Illinois city takes multifaceted approach to address housing Rock Island, Ill., is addressing the Quad Cities housing crisis by tackling barriers such as insufficient affordable housing and unequal public housing distribution. The city's Community Development Commission is allocating $130,000 in federal funding to local organizations, including Christian Care and the YWCA, to help mitigate rising living costs. Full Story: KWQC-TV (Davenport, Iowa) (3/18)
Legislation & Regulation
Fannie Mae's mortgage blacklist complicates condo sales Condo and co-op owners nationwide are facing unsellable units due to a growing mortgage blacklist maintained by Fannie Mae that includes 5,175 properties, with about 1,400 of them in Florida. This list, which grew after the deadly Surfside condo collapse and complicates mortgage approvals, includes COAs considered to have inadequate insurance or need critical structural repairs. Fannie Mae's stricter insurance requirements have led COAs to raise fees significantly to afford coverage. Full Story: MSN (3/17)
Tariffs driving up building costs for homes The Trump administration's tariffs on imported goods from countries including Canada, Mexico and China are increasing the cost of building materials. The National Association of Home Builders estimates that the cost of constructing a single-family home could rise by between $7,500 and $10,000. Full Story: The Associated Press (3/17)
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The National Association of REALTORS® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. REALTOR® Magazine is the official magazine of NAR, bringing expert insight to real estate trends, tools, and business strategies.
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