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This advice comes after the ULI quizzed around 1,200 Millenials, finding that the vast majority of the prefer a ‘downtown’ lifestyle, living in neighborhoods that offer a variety of housing types. For instance, 62% of respondents said that they’d prefer to live in a mixed-use development, with easy access to their place of work, shops, restaurants and other entertainment facilities. As additional 52% desired to live in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, found the ULI.

Close proximity to public transportation was also in demand, with 55% of Millenials listing this as a requirement. As such, it comes as no surprise that Millenials are far more likely to want to live in downtown apartments that other generations, said the ULI.

Patrick Phillips, Chief Executive of the ULI, said that younger generations seem to have different priorities from those in older demographics. He predicted that Millenials would likely stick to their preference for more compact, urban homes even as they get older. As such, the US construction industry is likely to see a trend towards more mixed-use development in the coming years.

Phillips added:

“Over time, we’ll see a return to a more compact, metropolitan development pattern. We’ll see less sprawl at the edges… the market will prefer solutions that are closer in.”

In spite of these comments, one can’t help thinking that Phillips is misguided in this belief. No arguments that younger people prefer a more ‘exciting’ and convenient lifestyle at the moment, but once these people grow up, get sick of the urban lifestyle, and develop responsibilities like providing a safe and secure home environment for their children, their priorities could easily change.

Property dealings are not as simple as shopping in the mall for clothes, shoes, or accessories. It’s not as easy as just choosing the home you want and paying the asking price. Both buying and selling are difficult deals, and you must be alert enough so that the opposite party doesn’t take advantage of your naivety and cause you to lose out financially.

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It seems to be a requirement these days that buyers and sellers hire real estate agents to act on their behalf in property transactions, but the truth is that these people will take a large portion of whatever price is agreed for themselves.. Agents are in such demand because many of those who want to buy or sell a property feel that they cannot do so without them. People are worried that all the legal aspects of the deal are too complex and they’ll never be able to get things done alone.

Skip Real Estate Agents

With the dawn of the internet, that scenario has changed. You no longer have to depend on agents to locate that dream home – you can find them yourself. When looking for a home to buy, the last thing you want to do is go through a real estate agent, who’ll only try to push you into buying one of his or her own listings, rather than the home that’s actually best for you.

Act Smart – Get a Real Estate Valuation

Nevertheless, when it comes to the negotiations, you’ll probably have to deal with the seller’s estate agent, and so a word of caution is advised – do not agree to whatever price they first quote you. Be sure to negotiate, and to boost your argument, get a commercial real estate valuation done from a certified, legal property appraiser. They can help you set an accurate and fair price for the property so that you won’t fall into the real estate agent’s trap.

With real estate appraisal services, you no longer need the help of an agent in property dealings. Appraisers don’t take sides in any deal, so they’re a much more trustworthy source of help in such matters – as such, you can be guaranteed that whatever price they quote is a reasonable indication of the property’s true value.

About the author: Aiesha Wells is the staff writer of RD Clifford Associates. RD Clifford Associates, that blogs about property appraiser and helps people on real estate investing. If you want to invest in property, you can check out New York property appraiser for more information.

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Take care of the basic points

Amazingly, a significant number of burglaries on the private home happen as a result of a burglar entering through an unlocked door or an open window. Keeping all doors and windows locked, even when inside the house, is a good habit to get into for this reason.

Naturally, regularly checking all entrances and windows and, if necessary, checking again before going out is another sensible precaution. As for being an affordable step to take, that it costs nothing other than thought and common sense is perfect.

Another basic point to cover off is setting lights to come on automatically whenever the house is empty – particularly for long periods of time. Have someone come over to check on things every once in a while, and draw any drapes or blinds to remove the temptation generated by TVs and other personal effects.

Take care of the finer points

While looking after such basic points will remove the threat from a significant number of burglars and vandals, there will always be those with enough guile or stupidity to keep on trying. As a result, taking a few extra precautions that do not cost megabucks is sensible.

For example, any exterior doors and entrances should have the extra protection of a dead bolt, which should be strong steel and have a throw of at least an inch. Any double entryways should be secured in much the same way with a vertical deadbolt.

Another great way to secure entrances and windows is through a security shutter system. These are ideal for locking down a property at times when it will be left vacant for some time too. However, even when in the house, shutters work very well in all sorts of areas, such as garages and yards.

Similarly, mesh grilles on windows can be extremely effective. With great solutions to ensure sensitive installation, you will only know the grilles are in place when being used. Ideal for in the warmer months too, they can secure a house fully even when the windows are left open for the refreshing breeze.

Take care of each other

Getting to know your neighbors is, perhaps, the single most effective way of protecting your home, while it also makes for a far better community. Acquainting yourself with the neighbors on either side and opposite just makes sense. You can all look out for each other, ask for favors, and easily raise concerns over something a little awry without fear of embarrassment.

Whether a key to the home is left when on vacation is an important decision to make; really, this should only ever be given if there is a very good relationship in place. Ideally, having a good friend or close family member to make a physical check on the property is best – just as long as they are introduced to the now friendly neighbors of course!

These are all great ideas to make a home safer and, being friendly with your neighbors has a great many other benefits too. Another simple idea is to get a dog and post a sign in the yard. A cheaper alternative is to have a motion triggered barking dog alarm. It is simple and effective as no one, criminal or otherwise, is really willing to become Cujo’s dinner.

About the author: Ian Blackmore works for DMI Security Group Ltd – a London based designer, manufacturer and installer of high-quality security products. Catering for both the commercial and domestic markets, it calls upon its expertise and highly qualified, experienced installers to provide an efficient and ultra-professional service to suit all security needs. Specialising in such crime prevention accessories as roller shutters, retractable grilles, alarms and security fencing, more information about DMI’s products and services can be found at www.securityshuttersolutions.co.uk

The index shows that from January 1 to March 31, exactly 73.7% of all homes sold (incl. new and existing properties) were in the affordability range for households that earn the national median income of $64,400 or more, says the NAHB. This represents a slight drop from the 74.9% of affordable properties in the fourth quarter of last year.

According to NAHB chairman Rick Judson, the biggest factor in high affordability remains the current record low mortgage rates. Nevertheless, from the perspective of builders things aren’t quite so rosy. Judson warned that the costs of building materials, labor and lots are all rising, making it somewhat more expensive to construct new homes than it has been.

The NAHB’s home affordability Index also listed its latest affordability rankings for major markets in the US, providing details on the five most affordable and five least affordable markets during the first quarter.

According to the NAHB, Ogden-Clearfield, Utah, was the most affordable major housing market in the US during that period, with 93.4% of all properties sold rated as being affordable to households that earn the median income of $70,800 in that area. This was followed by Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind., in second place, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla., in third place, Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pa., in fourth and Syracuse, NY., in fifth place.

As for the least affordable major housing markets, first place currently goes to San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif., where just 28.9% of homes sold were considered to be affordable to households earning the $102,000 median income. Other markets where the average buyer will struggle to find an affordable home include New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ., Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, Calif., Los Angeles-Long beach-Glendale, Calif., and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.

Those interested in viewing the full report can do so here. The NAHB said that its next report on housing affordability in the US will be released on June 7, 2013.

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The article in the magazine points out that the successful realtor has not only made the most of her opportunity to assist others through her real estate endeavors but that she’s dedicated her life to it. Traina says “Helping people to achieve the American Dream is the best job in the whole world.”

Traina’s My Heavenly Rewards program allows her to fulfill her dream of getting back to the community that has supported her. She donates a portion of each sale the client buys or sells to any 501 3C charity of the client’s choice. Over the past couple of years this program successfully brought over $10,000 to MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, MUSC Children’s Hospital, Roper St. Francis Foundation and numerous other charities throughout Charleston.

Josephine Traina is also the marketing director for Bee Street Lofts, condos homes that have not only survived the economic downturn but which have thrived and sold out. Traina was the Number One Broker on the Peninsula for 2012.

In the article Traina explains that Charleston captured her soul and integrated and inspired her to do greater things. Her aim is for philanthropy in real estate to be something all realtors embrace as part of their profession.

Top Agent Magazine is published by an award-winning publisher and features articles highlighting real estate agents and firms, as well as industry expert editorials focusing on the business of real estate.

Josephine Traina is a Broker Associate with Carolina One and is a member of the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors as well as a Realtor of Distinction for 2010, 2011 and 2012. She has more than 25 years in the Real Estate industry and is a licensed broker in South Carolina and Georgia. Traina is an accredited buyer’s representative, a graduate of The Realtor Institute and a senior Real Estate specialist. Josephine is dedicated towards understanding client needs and providing exceptional real estate experiences.

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The new standards were announced by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and introduce 13 new questions that banks need to answer before they can sell a foreclosed home, reports American Banker. Questions include whether or not borrowers have protection from foreclosure by bankruptcy, and whether or not borrowers have negotiated a loan modification arrangement.

JPMorgan also announced a temporary halt on foreclosure sales, only to quickly resume doing so.

The halt in foreclosure sales appears to be most evident with Wells Fargo, which has seen a dramatic fall in the number of such transaction. In addition, it’s seen a big decrease in the number of sales currently being processed. Wells Fargo foreclosure sales in the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have fallen from an average of 349 per day to just 10 per day, according to stats from Foreclosure Radar.

Speaking to American Banker, a spokesperson for Wells Fargo confirmed the bank’s decision:

“Wells Fargo has temporarily postponed certain foreclosure sales while we study the revised guidance from the OCC,” said the spokesperson

Officials from Citibank also confirmed that the lender was studying the new guidelines before resuming foreclosure sales.

Speaking on behalf of the OCC, Bryan Hubbard told American Banker that the agency wasn’t responsible for slowing down or pausing foreclosure sales.

“However, if servicers are not certain they are meeting these standards, pausing foreclosures is a responsible and productive step,” stated Hubbard.

The latest version includes a number of updates such as responsive design for mobile users and improved search features. These should all make their landlord brand the easiest to use in the competitive tenant screening market.

Stephen White, CEO of Fidelis Screening Solutions says “We are a young, forward-thinking company that actually woke up one day and realized we were missing the boat. In a sea of industry competitors, nobody is focusing their attention to what really matters; the landlord’s user experience. Our team built this new version from the ground up with the only goal of making RentPrep brand better than anything on the market today for tenant screening.”

Notable features in the new version include a responsive client area that enables reports to be ordered from any device, including smart phones and tablets. There is an improved home screen that is intuitively easy to navigate, and it’s now possible to search by the applicant’s name. The billing page allows invoices and receipts to be printed for orders, and everyone can now manage their credit cards online for a faster checkout. It’s also possible to add sub accounts, and this feature is ideal for anyone with multiple users or property management companies and enables everyone to access the same account with their own login credentials.

RentPrep 1.1 is scheduled to be released in June and will include even more features such as an affiliate section and live chat. The affiliate link allows clients to earn passive income for doing nothing more than giving out a link. Live chat will allow real-time support for ordering and navigating the site. The new version will also include a new support section that allows users to get answers on anything from FCRA questions to interpreting reports.

Rent Prep is a unique service in that it offers a blend of technology combined with FCRA Screener Intelligence providing the most accurate and relevant background checks available to property management companies and landlords.

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Speaking at the Commercial Economic Issues & Trends Forum at the 2013 Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C., last Thursday, Yun described how commercial real estate markets had suffered huge collateral damage as a result of last decade’s housing crisis. He warned that the current economic upsurge was still largely uneven, alluding to the fact that many low-income Americans are yet to see much difference in their lives. Indeed, many people in this demographic – who’re still unemployed and lack investments – believe that the economy is getting worse, not better, reports Realtor Mag.

Citing research data from Real Capital Analytics, Yun revealed that global investments in commercial real estate had risen by 4% over the last year. Despite this, the retail, office and industrial sectors of the US remain largely stagnant, with only the strong performance of multi-family homes driving its growth. Yun said that a truly robust recovery would be one that indicates growth across all sectors.

According to Yun, the decline of smaller lenders is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for the commercial real estate sector. Back in 2000, smaller lenders controlled roughly two thirds of deposits, but today this figure has been reduced to around 50%. The problem is that regional and community banks have traditionally been the big financiers of commercial real estate, and if the biggest lenders get any bigger, financing for commercial real estate would become difficult to source.

Another challenge is with inflation, which currently stands at around 2% a year according to the Consumer Price Index. Yun warned that this was likely to increase to around 4%-6% by 2015 due to the governments quantitative easing programs.

With the rise of WordPress and its growing popularity among real estate agents looking for a simple, affordable, and easy-to-manage web presence, numerous plug-ins and tools associated with this platform continue to give agents the kind of edge they need to not only develop a strong web marketing strategy, but maintain it over a long period of time. It’s no secret that one such tool—e-mail marketing—is a great way to compliment your website or blogging efforts by continuing to stay in constant contact with potential clients, home buyers, home sellers, renters, or just plain followers. And thanks to 40Nuggets, implementing a near effortless e-mail marketing campaign has never been easier, especially if you’re currently using WordPress for your real estate blog or website.

As the first WordPress auto-newsletter creator that can routinely generate and send out personalized newsletters from your website’s content based on user interaction, the 40Nuggets Smart Auto-Newsletter Plug-in is easy to install, simple to manage, and provides in-depth analytics information as to who opens each e-mail, open-rate percentage, user click-through-rate, and several other key pieces of information that give your e-mail marketing campaign the absolute best chance for success. In addition, you’ll also have the option of which blog posts you want to include or exclude, as well as how many times you want each newsletter sent out per week.

While content subject matter may not be an issue when it comes to real estate, always be sure the content you’re sending out is in accordance with the 40Nuggets terms of use. For more information on the state-of-the-art 40Nuggets Smart Auto-Newsletter Creator for WordPress, check out a video tutorial here or visit the 40Nuggets website today to learn more!!

Rick Otton is warning that this increased investment combined with a rising market means UK residents may find it even harder to buy their own home. He said “This is yet another example of how buyers, and first time buyers in particular, are being squeezed out of the market. The very thing which makes the UK market attractive to investors is the same thing which makes it harder for people to buy homes. The UK already has a shortage of affordable housing, with millions of people struggling to achieve the dream of homeownership through traditional lenders-the banks. Now that they are up against US international investors as well, it’s clear that alternative real estate investment strategies need to be used if they are to get a foot in the door.”

The UK is proving attractive to institutional investors from the US due to the growing momentum in the housing market. Some of this momentum can be attributed to new household formation which is growing at nearly 3 times the speed of additional housing.

Mr Otton went on to say “The number of people in the UK who own their own home has been going backwards, with 200,000 less homeowners now than four years ago. We know that it’s hard for people to get into the market, and these figures show that it’s hard to stay in the market. With increased competition from institutional investors making scarce property less affordable, it’s going to be even harder for people to borrow from traditional banks. This is where my alternative strategies will help people get into, and stay in, the market.”

Rick Otton’s real estate investment strategies shows people how to get onto the property market without having any existing property equity, a bank mortgage, and a deposit or stamp duty. Those interested in gaining an insight into his techniques can download his Power Property Profits Pack which is available free from his website.