The Department of Housing and Urban Development has reached a settlement in three states with housing industry participants over sexual harassment charges. HUD announced a recent initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing.The settlements were reached with housing authorities in Florida, Virginia, and California. The three settlements total about $125,000 going to victims.“Landlords are required to comply with the Fair Housing Act, th
For those breaking into the luxury market, never underestimate high-end clients or how they are different from more traditional buyers. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate recently featured some of the nuances of selling or buying luxury real estate on its blog, Clean Slate. Some of the tips included:Take note of the details. “Luxury clients tend to be heavily detail-oriented,” the blog post notes. “Most of them have relationships wit
New Jersey homeowners pay the most in property taxes in the nation, and homeowners there also find taxes make up some of the highest percentages of their total housing costs in the nation. A new study by SmartAsset, a personal finance resource, found that seven cities—five of which are in New Jersey—had property taxes that were more than 30 percent of the cost of owning a home. The average effective property tax in New Jersey is 2.19 percent,
Virgin Hyperloop One and trade logistics company DP World have created a new cargo brand "built for an on-demand world."And here we thought Amazon Prime had fast shipping.Virgin Hyperloop One wants to get your packages to you even quicker. Richard Branson's futuristic transport company has partnered with supply chain logistics company DP World to create a new cargo company, DP World Cargospeed.The new company "will be built for an on-demand worl
Employment numbers are on the rise across most of the country, but job growth is strongest in the West and South. Utah posted the highest growth, at 3.3 percent. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia saw annualized growth between 0.2 percent and 1.4 percent year over year in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Idaho and Nevada have the nation’s fastest-growing populations, which increased at rates of 2.2 percent and 2 pe
Pending home sales picked up the pace in March, but ongoing issues related to low inventory kept contract activity below year-ago levels, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Monday. NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, inched up 0.4 percent to a reading of 107.6 in March. Despite the uptick, overall activity was down on an annualized basis for the third consecutive month.“Healthy
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says it has fixed what’s become known as an information “black hole” in the Know Before You Owe mortgage rules, and the agency is attempting to provide greater clarity to borrowers when it comes to disclosing increases in closing costs. Under a new amendment to the mortgage rules, the CFPB clarifies when lenders are allowed to pass increased closing costs on to consumers and makes the disclosure of
With a tight market this spring, competition for listings and buyers will be fiercer among real estate professionals. So how can you show clients you’d be the best representative for their housing needs? Forbes.com recently featured tips for salespeople to capture more of their market share, including personalizing your sales pitches, showing greater understanding for clients, and even reverting to mail.Show a complete understanding of the situ
Millennials purchased 36 percent of homes last year, which is the highest share of any age group, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. But faced with one of the tightest, most competitive housing markets in years, they’re being pushed out of some of the the nation’s largest and priciest cities.Therefore, young home shoppers are relocating to more affordable parts of the country. Realtor.com® identified cities with the highest
A new federal rule is expected to exempt nearly one-third of commercial property sales from needing an appraisal. The rule, which was adopted by the Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, doubles the threshold for commercial real estate deals that require an independent appraisal.Under the new rule, commercial property sales of $500,000 or less are exempt from the appraisal requireme
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