A growing number of startups are helping renters and landlords navigate an increasingly hot rental market. Some companies aim to teach cash-strapped renters how to qualify for an apartment and budget for hikes in rental costs, while others help them raise thousands of dollars for a security deposit or improve their credit to get approved for a lease.Still others are focused on protecting landlords. For example, startup company Rhino offers securi
The California Geological Survey is helping state residents learn how close they live to a fault line, using interactive maps that can be accessed via smartphone. Users can type in an address or share their location to see the nearest high-risk earthquake zone. The maps also reveal the risk of liquefaction—when land loses its stiffness under the stress of an earthquake and becomes like quicksand—or a landslide.State lawmakers ordered the c
Pending home sales reversed course in February, increasing in most areas of the country even as a shortage of homes for sale and higher home prices struck many markets, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Wednesday.NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings—increased 3.1 percent month over month in February to a reading of 107.5. Despite the uptick, the index remains 4.1 percent below a
Several fair housing organizations sued Facebook on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of allowing landlords and brokers to discriminate based on gender and family status on its advertising platform. They argue that advertisers could use the personal data of Facebook users to then target ads that could exclude certain populations from viewing them.The National Fair Housing Alliance and three other housing groups filed the lawsuit, alleging
Some housing economists believe that “granny flats” could be the key to alleviating housing shortages across the country, and they are calling on more municipalities to ease up the rules to allow such dwellings to be built on or into more single-family homes.Nicknamed “granny flats,” these accessory dwelling units tend to be separate, cottage-like structures, but may be a converted garage or basement that houses an extra living area. Some
By the time millennials turn 30, they will have paid $92,600 in rent, according to a new study by RentCafe, a nationwide listing service for rentals. It’s more than previous generations paid when they were between the ages of 22 and 30. RentCafe researchers studied how much millennials, Generation X members, and baby boomers spent on rent during that eight-year time period of their life by using U.S. Census Bureau statistics dating back to 1974
Today’s successful workplace leaders strike a balance between strength and determination with empathy and understanding, says Don Rheem, author of Thrive By Design: The Neuroscience that Drives High-Performance Cultures (ForbesBooks, 2017), and CEO of E3 Solutions, a provider of workplace metrics and manager training. As a broker-owner, your agents and staff members need someone they trust rather than someone who simply brandishes a title o
Location, crime, and neighborhood comps can certainly affect a home’s value. But what are some of the more invisible factors that influence sales prices? HouseCanary, a data analytics real estate platform, analyzed more than 1,500 counties to identify the top five hidden factors that influence home values.They pinpointed the following: The view angle from the backyard: The maximum angle that opens up to scenery or nature from your backyard (me
The National Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors will vote in May on a budget proposal that includes $35 million in new programming for the association’s 1.3 million members. The additional funding will go toward the association’s new S.M.A.R.T Initiatives (Strategic Measures Advancing REALTORS® to Tomorrow).NAR created a webpage devoted to outlining the association’s proposed budget allocations. The association aims to be transp
A federal court last week ruled there’s nothing anti-competitive about a REALTOR® association–owned MLS requiring association membership as a condition of MLS access. The decision was a big win for REALTORS®, says Ralph Holmen, deputy general counsel at the National Association of REALTORS®. “This decision upholds the notion that it’s reasonable to limit MLS participation to members of the association that own and operate the MLS,” H
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