Happy Monday!
This week’s round up features an interesting array of news articles from Inman News, CultureMap Houston, SixFiveNation, the National Association of Realtors, the World Economic Forum and The Motley Fool. Whether you’re invested in real estate agent reviews on Zillow, staging or information to share with your buyers on the volatility of housing markets, there’s something for everyone to read, so make sure and share what articles resonated the most with you over on our Facebook or Twitter pages.
Remember, feedback and ideas are always welcome – e-mail Karla@ChampionsSchool.com to reach out! – KL
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Quick Links
– Zillow Real estate agent reviews: http://bit.ly/17boYUC
– Houston Housing Defies Oil Bust Visions: http://bit.ly/1EE2sP6
– 7 Mistakes in Buying a House: http://bit.ly/1FTbRDM
– 5 Do’s & Don’t of Staging: http://bit.ly/1zI5VYJ
– What Makes Housing Markets so Volatile: http://bit.ly/1ziCBsA
– One Extra Mortgage Payment: http://bit.ly/1ziCJIT
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In Brief…
>>> Real estate agent reviews catching fire on Zillow (Inman News)
“Consumers have posted more than 1 million reviews of real estate professionals on Zillow.com in the last four years — nearly half of those in the last year alone, an acceleration in growth that points to the growing importance of agents’ profiles on listing portals.”
>>> Houston real estate defies the doomsday oil bust visions (CultureMap Houston)
“The Houston housing market shrugged off the frightening free-fall in oil prices and racked up a very strong January. The Houston Association of Realtors reports 4,032 single-family homes were sold in January, up 6 percent from January of last year.”
>>> 7 Mistakes you can make when buying a house (SixFiveNation)
“Purchasing a home is a major milestone; owning your own home gives you a feeling of independence that renting can’t offer, and there are big financial benefits, too. A home is likely the most expensive asset you will ever own, however, and it’s not a decision to take lightly.”
>>> The Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts in Home Staging (NAR)
“The early spring home selling-season is kicking off. There’s no time like the present to start decluttering and transforming your lived-in home into a show-worthy property to make a positive impression on potential buyers. That means attending to the most important details that will create mass buyer appeal and increase your home’s value.”
>>> What makes housing markets so volatile? (World Economic Forum)
“Housing markets exhibit excess volatility; house prices are more volatile relative to both rental prices and aggregate income. Further, prices and transaction volumes move in tandem, and are negatively correlated with the average time on market for sellers.”
>>>How to Make One Extra Mortgage Payment This Year (The Motley Fool)
“When you’re in repayment for something big — a house, for instance — it can be years before you reach your payoff goal. A bit discouraging, I know. It’s like feeding dollars into a vending machine for years before finally getting your return in the form of a giant house-sized Snickers bar — which probably lost its satisfying sweetness some time ago.”