Technology - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Are Airbnbs Good for a Neighborhood?

Short-term rental properties are popping up in more neighborhoods across the country as homeowners look to cash in on an extra income stream. But is an Airbnb, Vrbo, HomeAway, or other short-term rental good for a thriving neighborhood?The STR industry has posted significant growth over the last five years. Airbnb, as of October 2018, reported more than 5 million hosts and $2.7 billion in profit. But property owners recently surveyed by Porch.com

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TIP: Buyer Bilked out of $123K - ‘Just like that, it’s Gone’

Falling prey to a wire fraud scheme, he lost the down payment that took his family years to save. Now he’s helping real estate pros protect their clients against cyber scams. After a yearlong search, Aaron Cole and his family finally found their dream home in Canby, Ore., in December 2018. The seller accepted Cole’s $440,000 offer, and with a down payment of $123,000, he and his wife were ready to move in just in time to celebrate Christmas a

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Privacy Concerns mount over Hidden Sales Prices

In about a dozen nondisclosure states, the home purchase price isn’t made public. Sales prices can still be found by looking at publicly recorded transfer tax information, but to most of the general public, housing sales data can seem secretive, The Wall Street Journal reports.A couple in Houston had offered to pay $700,000 to buy a home, but were alarmed to see it listed on a real estate site under an estimated home value that fell s

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Do Aging Appliances mean a Lower Asking Price?

Knowing the lifespan of appliances and home fixtures can help home buyers get a realistic look at replacements or repairs they may need to make. It can also be a point of negotiations between a buyer and seller: If the buyer expects that an aging appliance will need to be replaced soon, they may want that factored into their offer.Some of the priciest components of a house for replacements or repairs tend to be the roof, electrical, plumbing, fur

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TIP: There is a ‘Hybrid Closing’ Option for the Tech-Averse

Even as paperless transactions simplify the homebuying process, not everyone wants to go completely digital. So for buyers who want to opt out of an online closing or are not eligible for one, Notarize, an electronic notarization provider, has debuted a “hybrid closing” option. With this process, buyers can review and sign the majority of closing documents digitally, but the paperwork will still be physically furnished on settlement

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Airbnb Guests Raise Concerns about Surveillance

Airbnb guests are showing concern about being under surveillance, with 11% saying they’ve discovered a hidden camera in a property they rented and 58% saying they’re worried about being spied on, according to a survey from IPX1031, a service provider of exchange transactions nationwide.About a quarter of respondents say they don’t have a problem with cameras inside common areas such as living rooms or kitchens, according to the survey.The u

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885M Mortgage, Title Docs Exposed in Data Breach

About 885 million mortgage documents dating back to 2003 have been exposed by a data breach within First American Financial Corp., a title insurance provider, the KrebsOnSecurity news site reports.The breach exposed bank account numbers and statements, mortgage and tax records, Social Security numbers, wire transaction receipts, and drivers license images online, the security site reported.“On May 24th, First American learned of a design defect

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TIP: The Worst Offenses in Virtually Staged Photos

You can make any listing picture-perfect with virtual staging tools, which can do everything from manipulating the appearance of skies in photos to making empty properties look like modern spaces with fancy fixtures. But there is such a thing as going too far—and it could land you in hot water.When virtual staging changes listing photos drastically from their original appearance, it can be misleading and give buyers a false impression of a prop

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Austin REALTORS® Improper Usage of MLS Data Could Lead to Inflated Appraisals

A Texas board is concerned appraisals could inflate following a potential breach in home price data to a county’s appraisal district. The Austin Board of REALTORS® is accusing the vendor of its MLS—CoreLogic—of selling home-sold data to a local appraisal organization and enabling “unauthorized exploitation” of MLS home price data in 2018.CoreLogic runs ABoR’s multiple listing service. ABoR claims that CoreLogic “inappropriatel

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TIP: Survey Reveals what Guests Want in an Airbnb

Short-term housing rental companies are allowing property owners to turn their homes into investment properties. They’re giving hotels some serious competition.But these short-term renters have specific amenities they’re seeking. IPX1031, a firm that provides exchange services, surveyed 2,000 consumers to ask about what they look for when they rent an Airbnb.Some of the top factors that consumers said prompted them to choose an Airbnb ov

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