Thursday, November 14, 2013

This property is not suitable for farm animals, pets, children, adults, fishing, swimming, hiking or farm animals

It’s not clear if it’s a stunt or a fed-up landowner making a statement, but a Craigslist ad supposedly offering land in Blaine, Ky. for sale starts out by describing it as “heavily forested” in a “rural mountainous setting” before ...

This property is not suitable for farm animals, pets, children, adults, fishing, swimming, hiking or farm animals

Homes.com partnership with 6 MLSs nets 167,000 leads for agents, brokers

Homes.com says its partnerships with six multiple listing services — MetroList Services Inc., California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), Intermountain MLS, Bay Area Real Estate Information Services Inc., MLS Listings Inc., and the Houston Association of Realtors — have netted ...

Homes.com partnership with 6 MLSs nets 167,000 leads for agents, brokers

Re/Max boosts revenue by 5% as agent count grows to 93,000

Denver-based franchisor Re/Max grew its agent count 4.3 percent from a year ago, to 92,731, and posted a $7.7 million third quarter profit as revenue grew 5 percent from a year ago, to $40.3 million, the company said in reporting ...

Re/Max boosts revenue by 5% as agent count grows to 93,000

Do women who go into real estate get a raw deal?

An analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by Business Insider finds that real estate is one of the 15 professions with the biggest gender wage gaps — women who work full-time as real estate brokers and sales agents make ...

Do women who go into real estate get a raw deal?

Quicken Loans beats big mortgage lenders on customer satisfaction

Quicken Loans beat out a number of big banks on customer satisfaction to land the top spot on the J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Primary Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study, which also found that the use of electronic closing documents improved customer ...

Quicken Loans beats big mortgage lenders on customer satisfaction

Real estate Web design: Brokers crave Google-esque, HTML5-based sites to drive leads

Website design, especially in such a competitive world such as real estate, should never be a static entity. Brokerage websites should act dynamically for the consumer and for the brokerage. In this age of constant updates, brokerages are constantly looking ...

Real estate Web design: Brokers crave Google-esque, HTML5-based sites to drive leads

Home affordability sees biggest drop since 2004

There is a down side to rapidly rising home prices: declining home affordability. The share of new and existing homes affordable to median-income families plunged in the third quarter, to 64.5 percent, according to an index report from the National ...

Home affordability sees biggest drop since 2004

Zillow sees homes selling 26 percent more quickly than a year ago

Zillow saw homes on its site sell 25.9 percent more quickly in September than they did a year ago. Homes spent a median of 86 days for sale on Zillow in September, down 30 days from the sale-rate of homes ...

Zillow sees homes selling 26 percent more quickly than a year ago

Partner or die

Every once in a while, the currents are so right you cannot ignore them. Catch the wave with abandon and go for it, risk it and the payoff is out there. I truly believe that the real estate industry is ...

Partner or die

NAR starts its RPAC donors young

In an effort to get its youngest members in the habit of donating to its political efforts, the National Association of Realtors has launched a campaign to get 10,000 members of its Young Professionals Network to pledge $10,000 to the ...

NAR starts its RPAC donors young

Slideshow? This time, it was different: Redfin’s $50-million financing all about customer value

Redfin just announced a $50-million financing led by T. Rowe Price and Tiger Global Management. We are of course proud to have the support of two of Wall Street’s best investors, and glad to have the money to invest in ...

Slideshow? This time, it was different: Redfin’s $50-million financing all about customer value

Tavern owner objects to move prompted by NAR redevelopment project

Sam Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern in the basement level of the National Association of Realtor’s current headquarters in Chicago, has no desire to move from the spot the tavern has called home since 1964. But that may ...

Tavern owner objects to move prompted by NAR redevelopment project

Mortgage rates reach highest level in nearly 2 months

The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage climbed to its highest level in nearly 2 months on better-than-expected economic news, Freddie Mac reported. Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.35 percent with an average point of 0.7 percent for ...

Mortgage rates reach highest level in nearly 2 months

Monday, November 4, 2013

8 Ways to Make Your Small Bathroom A Little Bigger

Because we're in the Lake Norman Real Estate business, we know first hand that small bathrooms (especially the master) can be extremely inconvenient, but they're not a deal breaker! Today we're bringing you 8 ways to give you a little more room to breathe in your tight bathroom space.

1. Put the towel rack behind the door.
Not only does this save so much space, it is more aesthetically pleasing than seeing towels hung over the shower or on the wall. This frees up much needed wall space.

2. Use shelves to keep the counter tops free from clutter.

Shelves are a necessity in small bathrooms.Organize your personal care items and decorate as if they are on display instead of just taking up space. Use baskets to corral all the items for an even cleaner look.

3. While we're on the subject of shelves, try one above your door for extra storage.
Over door shelves give your bathroom more space and a really stylish, unique look.

4. Embrace natural lighting.
Nothing beats natural lighting when it comes to opening up a small bathroom. Try letting some natural light shine into your small bathroom and look at the difference it makes!

5. Upgrade your old shower curtains to something a little more luxurious.
Floor to ceiling shower curtains (paired just like window curtains!) instantly make your small bathroom look a little larger and a little more lux. It's a win-win!

6. Use mirrors strategically. 
Who says you just need one bathroom mirror? By reflecting light, the addition of more mirrors in the bathroom makes the room seem much larger than it is.

7. Stick to light colors.
The darker your bathroom's color scheme is, the smaller it will feel. Stick to airy, light colors to keep the space from getting stuffy.

8. Stay organized.
Yes, even under the sink! Utilize every free bit of space you find and get the most out of your tiny bathroom!






Thursday, October 17, 2013

8 Ways to Brighten Up Rooms on a Budget

Sometimes when rooms are too dark or dull, it can almost seem like an energy drain when you walk in. It's time to rejuvenate with our 8 ways to brighten up rooms on a budget!

1. Add a bright accent wall.
Accent walls are a great, easy way to brighten up any room without painting the entire thing. One pop of color is all you need to take your room from drab to fab.

2. Placing mirrors behind twin night stand lamps.
This simple trick helps to reflect the light through out the room, making it seem brighter and more open.

3. Painting the inside of a bookcase.
If you're not ready to commit fully to a bright color being on your wall, simply pain the inside of a bookcase for an immediate added brightness and personality to your room.

4. Fresh flowers.
Fresh flowers are one of the least expensive and simple ways to brighten a dull room. Look for some with bright colors that appeal to you!

5. Sheer curtains

Try replacing your old vertical blinds with sheer curtains. The curtains let in a soft light and give the room a very open and breezy feeling, instead of stuffy and dark like the old blinds.

6. Bright trinkets
Bright accessories for the room are easy to find, but not necessarily easy to splurge on when you're on a budget. For a fresh look for less, try finding cool things from the local thrift store and spray painting them to look like the designer decor!

7. Bright light switch frame

Find an old picture frame that fits well around  your light switch. Paint it a bright color and you've got a nice, unexpected pop of brightness!

8. Colorful pillows

Whether in the living room or bedroom, colorful pillows are perfect for livening up a dull space. Just find patterns and colors that speak to you and mix and match your favorites!