What you need to know about Opportunity Zones

What are Opportunity Zones? Opportunity zone properties and funds have been around since 2018, but little is known about them outside of well-informed real estate investors and real estate professionals. Opportunity zones are often celebrated for their ability to move billions of dollars in real estate development investment to low-income communities. Each state nominates blocks of low-income areas by census tract, which are then certified by the IRS and U.S. Treasury. Investors may then create and Opportunity Zone Fund. The fund is required to hold at least 90% of its assets in that qualifying Opportunity Zone area. Don Honeycutt, ALC, … Read more

Three Ways To Thrive As A Real Estate Agent

Source: Forbes Click here for full article The past year came with its own unique set of challenges. With every day seeming more apocalyptic than the next, real estate agents across the U.S. have been forced to find new ways to make a sale. In-person meetings became obsolete in light of the Covid-19 regulations calling for social distancing. Realtors turned to online Zoom meetings, webinars and online chat rooms to connect with clients and prospects. Those able to adapt to the new online protocol found success despite the turning tides. What separated those who were thriving in the chaos from … Read more

10 turnoffs that’ll have buyers swiping left on your listing

Source: InMan Click here for full article Sellers must learn how to manage the 7-10 seconds a potential buyer will spend on their listing. If buyers don’t like something, it’s on to the next one. As COVID-19 restrictions continue to limit access to listings, hopeful homebuyers are relying more than ever on the internet to help them shortlist homes. Sellers and their listing agents must be careful to ensure those internet views portray the home in its best light. With startling parallels to online dating, selling a home today is dramatically different than just a few short years ago. In the … Read more

What to Know When Buying Land — Advice from 11 Professionals

Land can be an excellent investment, but purchasing a lot shouldn’t be a decision you make lightly. Without thorough research and due diligence, a plot of land can turn into a labyrinth of legal fees and paperwork — or worse, entirely unsuitable for your purpose.   What You Need to Know Before Buying Land   To help ensure you make the right decision, we asked the experts for their best pro-buying tips.   1. Identify the Purpose of the Land “Have you determined the use for the land? Is it for grazing? Will it be equestrian, or just a natural … Read more

Everything You Need to Know About Commercial Liability Umbrella Policies

Source: Bigger Pockets Click here for full article A commercial liability umbrella policy (CLUP) gives you extra liability coverage to help pay costs such as legal fees, medical bills, and damages that exceed your general liability limits. A CLUP should not be confused with a personal umbrella policy (which you may initially want to secure if you are just starting out). A personal umbrella policy will generally cover up to four rental units and can be most easily secured from the company that insures your automobiles. In essence, a CLUP will help you coordinate gaps in insurance coverage between all … Read more

Farms for the Future: 20 Organizations Protecting Farmland

Source: EcoWatch Click here for full article In the United States, over 2,000 acres of agricultural land are sold every day for housing or commercial development, according to the American Farmland Trust. This has especially affected Black farmers who, since 1920, have seen nearly a 90 percent decline in land ownership, according to the U.S. Census. Over the past decade, as many as 200 million hectares of land have undergone large-scale transactions internationally, according to a study by Oregon State University. These transactions, taking the form of land grabs or corporate consolidation of agriculture, often deteriorate the economic livelihood and food security of small farmers and communities reliant on these … Read more

The Instagram playbook: how to make your listings stand out in the age of visuals

Source: InMan Click here for full article Social media has changed buyers’ expectations, but you can still ensure your listings compete   When today’s emerging affluent consumer wants to curate a gallery of their lives through video and photography, they choose Instagram. It’s not news that Instagram is an ideal platform for agents as well: it’s a powerful channel for showcasing not only high-end properties and markets, but the exceptional lifestyles they make possible. High-quality imagery and well-produced video turn your Instagram account into a client portal for viewing and experiencing your properties. But when your client base is inundated with imagery, … Read more

$30M Lakefront Estate Takes Over as Idaho’s Most Expensive Home

Source: Realtor Click here for full article All pictures displayed in this article were provided by Realtor.com We live in interesting times—Idaho is now a hot spot for mansions. Just a month after we crowned a $27 million mansion as the state’s most expensive home, a pricier lakefront mansion has splashed down on the market. Listed for $30 million, Idaho’s new most expensive home is a sprawling estate on Windy Bay Road in Worley, ID, that sits on Lake Coeur d’Alene. It’s located about 15 miles south of the previous title holder. Known as Skypine, this megamillion-dollar mansion took the title from the mansion dubbed Copper Rock … Read more

How Long A Ground Lease?

Source: Forbes Click here for full article Property owners and developers who negotiate ground leases sometimes disagree on how long the lease should run. Though 99 years is the norm, sometimes the parties try to do something else. But it’s not a difficult issue. If you’re negotiating a ground lease, usually no good reason exists to make the term less than the typical 99 years. And if you can make it longer, you should. In New York, this discussion often begins when someone points out that if you limit the ground lease term to 49 years, then you avoid transfer … Read more

Buyers losing bidding wars? 6 tips for creating stronger offers

Source: InMan Click here for full article If you’re having to compete in a multiple-offer situation on every offer, you have to find a way to give your buyers as much of an edge as possible Let’s face it, it doesn’t seem like COVID-19 is having an adverse effect on many markets across the country. A least not yet. In fact, just the opposite. Insanely low interest rates coupled with more companies adopting a work-from-home culture has buyers and sellers considering their options and reevaluating their living situation. I work the Denver metro area of Colorado, and we have the lowest inventory levels in decades. Low … Read more