Some homeowners are taking steps to appeal their property taxes after the new tax law that took effect at the beginning of the year placed a $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction. In some high-tax states, such as California, New Jersey, and New York, homeowners may feel the pinch on their tax bill.Some tax experts say owners may find a benefit to appealing their property taxes and doing the extra work to try to lower their tax bill. Fo
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
How much does it cost to be single and live in a big city? A newly updated family budget calculatorfrom the Economic Policy Institute shows the income that different family sizes need in order to have a baseline standard of living in the U.S.For a single person, the costs can range from $29,118 a year to live in Brownsville, Texas, up to $69,072 a year to live in San Francisco, according to the calculator.EPI’s calculator factors in geographic
With rising mortgage rates, more homeowners are finding refinancing isn’t necessarily going to lower their mortgage bill anymore. Lenders are seeing loan volume drop drastically, and they are looking to the purchase market to help make up the shortfall.In 2017, 37 percent of the mortgage origination volume was from refinancings, the smallest proportion since 1995, according to Inside Mortgage Finance, an industry research group. Analysts expect
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
Certain sales phrases can turn some buyers off, according to an article at Forbes.com. Columnist Ian Altman points to a few of the biggest offenders when it comes to speaking sales: “Creating urgency” and “cold calling.”“Creating urgency is a truly ridiculous sales strategy,” Altman writes. “Creating urgency relies on you creating a motivation for your client that doesn’t already exist, and expecting them to give that fake motivat
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
Tom Ferry’s rules for exponential growthYou’ve just ended your day with another frustrating flurry of prospecting phone calls with a couple “Call me back in a few months” conversations. And those were the good calls!You’re trying to grow your business, but traction is hard to come by. You can only make so many calls in a day. So how are you supposed to achieve the growth you know you’re capable of when only a fraction of your phone ca
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