Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips - George Zoumot - iPro Real Estate

REALTORS: Modify Your Approach to Luxury Clients

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

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Where Property Taxes Are Most Burdensome

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,

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Virgin Hyperloop One wants to cut 4-day cargo truck journeys to 16 hours

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

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Job Growth Strongest in West, South

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

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Despite Buyer Demand, Contract Signings Fall

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

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CFPB Fixes ‘Black Hole’ in Mortgage Rules

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

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REALTORS: 3 Ways to Beat Your Competition

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

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Affordable Cities Luring the Most Millennials

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

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Fewer Commercial Deals Will Need Appraisals

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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REALTORS: Turn your time into money

3 time management activities to book more appointmentsI’m sure it’s happened to you.You show up at the office with the best intentions to make the most of your day. Yet hours later, you head home feeling like you didn’t accomplish one thing that will bring in the bucks.In this business, it’s way too easy to waste time on “busy work” that doesn’t contribute to your bottom line.To combat this dilemma, I’ve got three money-making act

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