Creative

November 17, 2023

Annual Rent Increase for 3/1/24 – 2/28/25 Announced

BY: SF.GOV For rent-controlled units, the annual allowable increase amount effective March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025 is 1.7%. November 17, 2023 For rent-controlled units, the annual allowable increase amount effective March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2025 is 1.7%. This amount is based on 60% of the increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Bay Area, which was 2.8% as posted in November 2022 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. To calculate the dollar amount of the 1.7% annual rent increase, multiply the tenant's base rent by .017. For example, if the tenant's base rent is $2,000.00, the annual increase would be calculated as follows: $2,000.00...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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November 15, 2023

Living

1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back: What the Latest Housing Market Curveball Means for You

By Margaret Heidenry | REALTOR.COM The housing market these days seems to meet any sign of good news with a dose of bad. Case in point: Mortgage rates fell for the second week in a row, slipping to 7.5% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage as of Nov. 9. It’s a marked improvement from last week’s 7.76%, according to Freddie Mac. While this rate dip offers a dash of relief to cash-strapped buyers, home prices marched higher for the week ending Nov. 4. “This past week, the nation’s median listing price ticked up once again as the market continued to face tight inventory conditions,” notes Realtor.com® economic research analyst Hannah Jones in her analysis. We’ll examine what all of the...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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November 8, 2023

Lifestyle, Living, Uncategorized

8 Energy Saving Tips to Cut Your Heating and Cooling Bills

By Patricia-Anne Tom | REALTOR.COM Most energy-saving tips are designed to save you a few bucks throughout the year, but how do you know which tips to up your energy efficiency are going to offer the most bang for your buck? Some tips cost you absolutely nothing, and yet you save money. Other tips will cost you a little, but can help you hold onto as much as 10% of the money you’re currently paying out of pocket. Ready to dive in? Energy saving tips that really save Consider these eight energy-saving tips below, so you aren’t sweating when your winter gas bills come, and as the weather warms, evaluate your...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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November 7, 2023

Living

America’s Hottest Housing Markets Have a Newcomer So Cheap, Homebuyers Will Weep for Joy

By: Kimberly Dawn Neumann | REALTOR.COM Although high mortgage rates have plunged most of America’s housing markets into early hibernation, if you zoom in closer, you’ll find that certain areas are busier and more bustling than a Black Friday doorbuster. These were the findings of a new report by Realtor.com® of America’s Hottest Housing Markets, which gauges “hotness” via the number of views per listing and how long properties remain for sale. Despite mortgage rates reaching a recent 23-year high and approaching 8%, homes in the 20 hottest markets in September had no shortage of interest and offers. “These markets are seeing homes for sale move up to 31 days more quickly than the typical property...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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October 25, 2023

Lifestyle, Living

Are ‘What Ifs’ Paralyzing Your Home-Selling Hopes? Here’s a Reality Check

By Kimberly Dawn Neumann | REALTOR.COM Selling a house can be a stressful process, particularly in today’s rapidly changing market. Although sellers enjoyed a strong seller’s market throughout much of the COVID-19-fueled housing boom rich with bidding wars and record-high prices, rising interest rates have shifted these power dynamics to the point that many prospective sellers might feel downright paralyzed by home-selling “what ifs.” Like: What if I sell now, but then home prices rise? Or: What if I sell now, but then can’t find a new house? Will I regret selling so soon, or regret not selling soon enough? What if, what if, what if? In fact, sellers hesitating to put their homes on the...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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October 10, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle, Traveling

Understanding the Benefits of Owning Your First Home

From our friends in KCM Are you considering buying your first home? If so, it can be helpful to know what led other people to make that decision. According to a recent survey of first-time homebuyers by PulteGroup: “When asked why they purchased their first home recently, the answer was simple: because they wanted to. Either the desire to stop renting or recognition that homeownership is a smart financial investment was the main motivator for 72% of respondents.” While that survey looked specifically at first-time homebuyers buying newly built homes, the same sentiment is true for just about anyone buying their first home. Here’s a bit more information to help you think about those two...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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October 5, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle, Living

What Experts Project for Home Prices Over the Next 5 Years

From our friends in KCM If you’re planning to buy a home, one thing to consider is what experts project home prices will do in the future and how that might affect your investment. While you may have seen negative news over the past year about home prices, they’re doing far better than expected and are rising across the country. And data shows, experts forecast home prices will keep appreciating. Experts Project Ongoing Appreciation Pulsenomics polled over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts in the latest quarterly Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES). The results show what the panelists project will happen with home prices over the next five years. Here are those expert forecasts saying home...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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September 21, 2023

Lifestyle, Living

Planning to Retire? Your Equity Can Help You Make a Move

From our friends in KCM Reaching retirement is a significant milestone in life, bringing with it a lot of change and new opportunities. As the door to this exciting chapter opens, one thing you may be considering is selling your house and finding a home better suited for your evolving needs. Fortunately, you may be in a better position to make a move than you realize. Here are a few reasons why. Consider How Long You’ve Been in Your Home From 1985 to 2009, the average length of time homeowners stayed in their homes was roughly six years. But according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), that number is higher today. Since 2010, the average home tenure is just...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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September 7, 2023

Buying, Home Staging, Living, Market, News

Get Ready for Smaller, More Affordable Homes

By: KCM Have you been trying to buy a home, but higher mortgage rates and home prices are limiting your options? If so, here’s some good news – based on what Ali Wolf, Chief Economist at Zonda, has to say – smaller, more affordable homes are on the way: “Buyers should expect that over the next 12 to 24 months there will be a notable increase in the number of entry-level homes available.” In some ways, smaller homes are already here. When the pandemic hit, the meaning of home changed. People needed the space their home provided not only as a place to live, but as a place to work, go to school, exercise, and more. Those who had that...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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August 24, 2023

Buying, Lifestyle, Living

Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year Is Made for Dramatic Exteriors

Modern farmhouses and beyond. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Stanly Ranch, an Auberge resort in Napa, California, isn’t your typical hotel. Instead of one big elevator building, a slew of modern black houses dot the 700-acre property. The sleek villas served as an inspiring setting for Behr’s annual color of the year announcement. The paint purveyor revealed today that Cracked Pepper is its top choice for 2024, and it’s a no-brainer as to where to use it. “It’s the perfect exterior color,” says Sarah Fishburne, Home Depot’s director of trend and design. Photography by Emily Dorio Of course, the “soft black,” as Erika Woelfel,...

by Jenn Pfeiffer

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Annual Rent Increase for 3/1/24 – 2/28/25 Announced

1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back: What the Latest Housing Market Curveball Means for You

8 Energy Saving Tips to Cut Your Heating and Cooling Bills

America’s Hottest Housing Markets Have a Newcomer So Cheap, Homebuyers Will Weep for Joy

Are ‘What Ifs’ Paralyzing Your Home-Selling Hopes? Here’s a Reality Check

Understanding the Benefits of Owning Your First Home

What Experts Project for Home Prices Over the Next 5 Years

Planning to Retire? Your Equity Can Help You Make a Move

Get Ready for Smaller, More Affordable Homes

Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year Is Made for Dramatic Exteriors

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