News and Insights

Here a some recent stories you may have missed.

Marketing strategies, environmentalism during the Trump era, and creating greener cities are among the topics. 

The American Institute of Architects’ quarterly Home Design Trends Survey, 2016 Q2, identifies emerging home design trends. 

According the survey, electrical docking stations for cars are beginning to build momentum, and energy efficiency and home automation systems remain popular.

Here are additional findings.

You already know that smart home technology is becoming increasingly important to your clients, whether they fall into the category of tech geeks who just love smart gadgets or those who look to the devices to save money and create a more comfortable home. 

NAR’s debut report, Smart Homes and REALTORS®, looks at the importance of smart home technology to REALTORS® and the value practitioners see clients placing on certain pieces of technology. 

Taking the GRC’s “Green Day 1: The Resource-Efficient Home” was never high on my priority list. 

Don’t get me wrong. Like most people, I love energy efficiency, want the planet to survive, and like to operate my real estate investments as efficiently as possible. 

But because I live and work in Philadelphia, where much of the housing stock was built more than 60 years ago when materials were less costly and energy conservation was of little concern, the course didn’t seem all that applicable to my business. 

And though I love me a zero-carbon footprint, I thought that the GRC training was the stuff of high-end commercial properties and aspirational design for new homes. 

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

During the dead of winter, wouldn’t it be nice to have a taste of fresh basil or be able to nip off some chives to toss on a potato? 

Try growing a few herbs on your windowsill as you await spring.