Data DOES NOT EQUAL information.  Data is raw and usually overwhelming....after analysis (be it with qualitative or quantitative mean), data becomes information.  Meaning something we can understand.  Recently, there has been a HUGE raise in infographics to convey meaning in a concise way to the viewing public.  Real estate has followed this trend.  
If any of you follow Zwanziger Realty on Pinterest, you can see evidence of this--I love infographics!  Infographics provide a quick & easy way to convey information with IMPACT. 
Look below, which one has more concise impact on you, A or B? ​

Most of the time, B is the option that people prefer. 
This graphic is conveying information about the real estate market....and there is so much information out there!  Whether you are a buyer or seller, harness all this information to be as informed as possible!  

          Happy Selling or House Hunting, whatever the case may be! 

Portman's idea sounds grand, does it not?  Or maybe too much to accomplish?  Yet, while I was reading about her, I really started to ponder WHY she said this and HOW she is doing her part, even if its it small, for the world.  
So, what does this mean for me as a REAL ESTATE agent?  Well, lots actually.  
1) real estate is about CONNECTIONS. By those connections, I gain knowledge about properties, communities, and clients, which results in trust being created. I can do my job better.
2) COMMUNITY BUILDING -- selling or buying a home impacts a community (more than just taxes!).  Helping buyers become part of the community and sellers move to a new community is a process, and if nurtured, helps to build a stronger one.
3) DOING GOOD.   I got a call this week from someone I did not know asking about apartments for rent to certain specifications, and I knew I did not have anything available. Rather than saying 'good luck on your search', I searched found some potential options matching their needs available & called them back.  Their comment at the end of the conversation, 'I hope I get to meet you one day, you are a good soul.'  My gain was simply helping another human, and that is PRICELESS.
4) PAYING IT FORWARD. As part of my commitment of to giving back, I donate a percentage of my commission to a local charity (of the seller or buyer's choice).  The acknowledgement I get back have shared memories of my clients, which I have truly cherish. 
5.) what is my 'community'? Any place I have a connection & sense of belonging.  My kiddos school, my church, my university, where I socialize, where I live AND work. Places I can impact & impact me.  Suddenly its more than just my address.  Over the last year, Zwanziger Realty took part in a number of local parades, was a part of school and university functions, and even the Volga City Truck Cruise (sponsored tie dye and rock painting for kids while the adults looked at the trucks).  I hope you see you at some of our community events this year!

But isn't the point of a a real estate agent to be in town, in the office?   Giveback Homes thinks otherwise, which is AMAZING.  
Giveback Homes networks like-minded real estate agents & empowers them to turn their everyday business into an opportunity for SOCIAL CHANGE. The Giveback Home team delivers innovation & impact to their network of real estate agents, which are the driving force behind the movement to provide safe homes for families throughout the world.  But how?  

Most companies offer vacation time and sick days, few of us want to use vacation time to volunteer to build a home.  But some companies are changing that norm.  Think about this:

I LOVE STATISTICS. Knowledge is power to make more informed decisions. 
Even though women still make on average 83 cents to every dollar a male makes, it continues to increase, especially with the growing rate of college educations being earned by females.   
And women are waiting longer to marry (if at all) & have kids.  The Census Bureau reports that on average, women enter marriage at age 27 (2014), compared to 21.5 years in 1940. 
These numbers are also slowly changing social and cultural norms of what is 'okay' behavior for a female too.  Not as noticed at the change from dresses to pants, but the ownership of property is a bit more subtle. Up until 1850's, once a woman married, all property she had became her husbands....for some that meant choosing to not marry.  
BUT this one is the kicker....it was not until 1974 that a women could apply for credit (AKA a mortgage) due to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. As you can imagine, between 1850 and 1974, property was rarely purchased by a female. 
The single female homebuyer is a NEW TARGET MARKET in the real estate business--both YOUNG & OLDER women.  Only 7% of single males are choosing to buy a home (compared to 18% of women).  The only noticeable difference in 'must haves' for women is a want for

1. a safe community and/or
2. choosing a condo over a house (due to less maintenance). 

Its the younger successful career women choosing to not wait for marriage to buy & also older single women choosing to downsize after a spouse has died or they divorced. 
Thanks to the student that shared one of these articles with me.

References: 

• LaPonsie, M. (2018, Jul 6). The Rise of the Single Female Homeowner. Retrieved from: realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/the-rise-of-the-single-female-homeowner?fbclid=IwAR3fb6oAA0gRYnAYF6umoyiq7Zj3zHnJvLXlSfeJm-l82SDpE-nzODtSwBw
• Turner, N. (2013, May 28). 10 Things that American Women Could Not Do Before the 1970's. Retrieved from: msmagazine.com/blog/2013/05/28/10-things-that-american-women-could-not-do-before-the-1970s/
• 2016 Statistics on Women & Homeownership. (n.d.). SHE: IS Change Real Estate, Specializing in the Housing  Retrieved from: www.nawrb.com/community/statistics-on-women-and-home-ownership/

Sounds simple right?  When why is the news still filled of stories defaulting on their mortgage payments?  
My belief is that much of it is due to the short term mindset of American society; a home purchase is a long-term value proposition--I mean most mortgages are for 30 years! Or 40 years if you are in California, crazy!
Here are some tips to avoid these pitfalls:
1. Keep your monthly mortgage payment under one paycheck
This one is a no brainer. Don't let wonderlust get the better of you when shopping for your home. This is especially important if your are self employed and your monthly income varies. Remember you have to eat....and pay for other things like insurance and your phone. Here is a mortgage calculator for your planning. LOVE THIS TOOL.

2. Shop around for the best interest rate
AKA, ask more than one bank or credit union, even it means more paperwork.
Credit report 'pulls' for mortgage purposes within a set period of time only counted as one hard credit inquiry. Do them all within a short period of time. 

3. Multiple quotes can help with more than just interest rates
Sends the message to your real estate agent you are SERIOUS about buying. 

4. Lock in your interest rate for as long as possible
Shit happens, even during escrow.  We would love for it always to be smooth sailing, but in reality its not.  If you can lock in for the longest time possible, usually 90 days. 

5. An ARM is a risk—even if you only plan to live there less than 5 years
ARM means Adjustable Rate Mortgage...which the rate is not fixed and adjusts by what is happening in the FED rates or the markets overall. There is usually 5 years at the beginning of the loan with a low fixed rate and then for the remaining of the loan, the rate is 'adjustable' based on what is happening in the market, its harder to plan your monthly budget when you don't know exactly what your loan payment will be.  (SIDENOTE: think mortgage crash 2008....learn from this bad experience)

6. Make extra mortgage payments whenever possible (little extra now makes a big difference over the life of the loan)

7. Get a mortgage where you can still save for retirement
If you can afford the 15 year mortgage, you might want to go for the 30 year.
LOWER MONTHLY PAYMENTS = FLEXIBILITY
You can choose if you put more $$ towards your mortgage or say for retirement.  Be thinking your head, 'Is the rate of return for my retirement investments higher than my mortgage interest rate?"  If so, you can get more bang for your buck by upping your retirement savings to get the most out of the time value of money.

The average American house is 2600 sq. ft. This picture is of a 256 sq. ft. tiny house.  It boosts of two king size beds which are accessible by stairs rather than ladder. Other highlights:
​-full size refrigerator
-washer and dryer
-walk in shower with Schluter shower system
-composting toilet
All for $69,500.  
That fits almost any budget.
The market for tiny homes is growing, and the TinyHomeMarketplace helps to educate about the social movement that is tiny homes, and also lists homes for sale (for both the buyer and seller). The interactive map is great if you are looking in a specific area. But what if you cannot find a tiny home in your area?  Have no fear! There are TINY HOME KITS available, so you are able to customize your space to represent you. 

The concept is AMAZING to me, I mean, that would be a breeze to clean!  Yet, I find myself saying, not now, but when we retire, this would be wonderful (just think how low utilities would be, especially if you had solar panels).   Now for having a place to store our canning.....
​

Most of us want to buy, but that not always mean we can.  I was in my thirties when we finally moved into our 'big person house'.  We decided to be frugal & save for a bigger down payment when we finally bought. Which for us, meant time in apartments...Minneapolis, San Francisco (so spendy!), Dixon (IL), Mt. Carroll (IL), Dubuque, Strawberry Point.  We had ROCKSTAR landlords and chap ones (the Renters Rights Association of CA was invaluable to me). 
So if you are like me, renting is a fact of life at some point in your life......so some things to remember:
1) Rule of thumb--BUDGET

• Rent at most should be 30% of your take home pay
• Look for deposits (damage, pets, etc) & other fees on top of rent (garage, electricity, gas, internet, etc)

2) Landlord must provide 'safe & habitable' housing

• Make prompt repairs. Prompt can be vague, but most are within 72 hours.  If repairs take longer, they must provide temporary housing for the renter.  If this does not happen, get to know your renter's rights associations of the area. 

3) 30-60 days: Landlord time to return deposits AND/OR notice if they are raising rent AND/OR evicting the renter. 
4) Landlord provide 24-48 hours notice before entering property.
5) Get renters insurance.  
Happy apartment hunting!

To read more:
Rent Tips
Landlord Responsibilities



  

If you put your house on the market, it usually means you are ready to move on, be it to upsize, downsize or relocate.  
Here are some key tips to remember to make the house SHOW LIKE A JEM:
1) emotionally detach yourself from home.  A good way to do to that is by taking down your personal photos along with those family heirlooms prior to showings starting.  It also means the buyer will not see and list it as a contingency in the purchase agreement. 
2) don't just organize, DECLUTTER. I know you are still meaning to look through all of last year's National Geographics, but perhaps its time to donate that reading material to the local library.   

• Make a run to the hardware store & purchase AT LEAST 3 storage crates. 
• Label each: DONATE, THROW AWAY, STORE AWAY. Then go room by room through the house with those crates.  
• Be sure you remove knicknacks & clean off your countertops.  Keep the view simple to not overwhelm potential buyers. 
• Remember closets! buyers are curious.
• This also *might* mean you rearrange a room to be more 'photo friendly'.

3) do minor repairs -- for example like that leaking sink or touch up the paint on the corners. 
4) make it SPARKLE.  clean and more cleaning.  Vinegar should be your best friend.  This is especially important for the KITCHEN and BATHROOM. 
5) curb appeal.  Take a step outside to the end of your driveway.....do you like what you see?  What draws your attention first?  Make sure that potential seller will want to get out of the car to see more. 

What is a minnennial some may ask? Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (so a recent college grad to a mid-thirties peep).  What does this mean--> LOTS of first time home buyers are in the marketplace. 
So, what are minnennials seeking in a home?  

1. Well, a lot is driven by what they bring with them, figurativally, that is.  STUDENT DEBT.  Over 50% of students graduate with student loan debt, with the current National average being $37,172 for an undergrad degree. Put another way, that is a 20% DOWN PAYMENT on a $185,000 house.  Yet, minnennial buyers, at 85%, are the most likely generation to see buying a home as a savvy financial investment. 
2. Interest rates (are rising).  Rates are likely to climb above 5% (this is a seven year high).  In the long term, the cost of home ownership is going up.  For example, for a 30 year mortgage on a $300,000 home going from 3.5% to 5% means an increase of $263.33 a month in mortgage payment, for a whooping $94,799.09 more over in cost over the life of the mortgage. That is some serious chunk change. 
3. Competiting with the boomers.  'Surban' areas, a mix of suburban and urban features, including affordability, walkability, smaller home sizes with more upgrades, open green space and strong public schools.  Baby boomers and minnennials are seeking these ideal combinations.  Another term to watch for with regards to surban is '18 hour cities' --with examples like Kansas City and Charleston, SC. Moving Midwest is also happening from the coasts due to lower housing costs, healthy job opportunities and low unemployment (AKA lower crime!)--examples include Madison, Des Moines, and Omaha.  
4. Going GREEN BABY!  Minnennials are actively seeking energy-efficiency  from lowing heatings/cooling home costs to community composting. Curious to learn more, measure your carbon footprint.  
5. Sweat Equity.  Thank you HGTV and DIY blogs.  This is huge for me personally, which you know if you are reading my blog! This means the realtor needs help clients see the potential that exists with a little elbow grease. 
6. Social Media. Social Media. Social Media.  Much like location, location, location in real estate, social media continues to be a game changer, especially for the minnennial generation.  They know how to research and will prepared when they arrive at the real estate table.