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The numbers: The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city price index fell a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in November, marking the fifth consecutive monthly decline.

Year-on-year appreciation was still up 8.6% annually, down from a 10.4% increase in October.

A broader measure of home prices, the national index, fell by a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in November and was up 9.2% over the past year.

Key details: Miami, Tampa and Atlanta reported the largest year-over-year gains among the 20 cities in November. All 20 cities reported lower price increases for the year.

Redfin's new website and app feature will allow homebuyers and renters to save their favorite properties in customized lists and share them with their home search partner to stay organized.

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Here’s one way to get to the top in Hollywood. All you need is $7,495,000.

That’s what’s being asked for a newly renovated, luxury penthouse in the heart of Tinseltown, near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea.

The seller is “Selling Sunset” star Jason Oppenheim, of The Oppenheim Group, who recently completed a “painstaking,” two-year remodel of the penthouse.

The property last changed hands in 2021 for $1.6 million.

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Some house noises are creepy, while others might indicate something that can chill most homeowners to the bone: an HVAC problem.

These interferences can come in the form of a hissing, popping, or clicking noise, or a high-pitched squeal akin to nails on a chalkboard. Don’t ignore these sounds! They could be your HVAC system trying to get your attention.

“Apart from the typical noises the furnace will make when starting up, there shouldn’t be any loud noises coming from the system while it’s on,” says Traci Fournier, vice president of operations at One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. “Oftentimes, this is one of the first indicators that the furnace is on its last legs.”

Being attuned to sketchy noises is one way to identify an HVAC issue. But are you aware of the other telltale signs that might indicate your HVAC needs servicing or is about to go kaput?

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Pamela Grunstein still thinks about the couple who presumed the high-priced, haywire housing market of 2022 was bound to settle down, so they put their house hunt on hold to wait it out.

Grunstein, a real estate agent with the Francie Malina Team in New York’s Westchester County, met the couple when their local market was rife with bidding wars and offers often six figures over the asking price. Although they were eager to find a home for their two young kids, they also worried that market conditions were so nuts that they’d end up overpaying.

“They felt that everything was wildly overpriced and that they were chasing the market up,” Grunstein says.

Eventually, the couple decided to stop home shopping. Instead, they found a place to rent, even though its small size and dated layout made it less than ideal for their growing family.

Thanks to an awareness that design affects children’s development, playrooms are no longer ‘the worst room in the house.’ You may even want to hang out there.

The standard for appropriate business attire is always a moving target, especially in real estate. How should residential real estate brokers navigate this ever-shifting playing field, one full of landmines in every direction?

Your mind is powerful, and these approaches will help you maximize your mindset and take a leap into new next-level territory. Trust yourself, your strengths and your intuitions and you’ll have a year to be proud of. 

If you are wondering how to keep the magic alive after a great conference experience, you are not alone. Coach Jeff Glover says that if you make a plan of action of immediate steps to take after the conference you won't lose that upbeat feeling as soon as you walk through your front door.

Cold calling can be an intimidating prospect for many real estate agents, but it doesn’t have to be, writes renowned trainer Darryl Davis. Real estate agents can turn cold calls into warm leads with practice and preparation, and as it becomes second nature, they will ultimately drive more sales for their business. 

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A house is a massive purchase that has an outsize effect on your finances and quality of life. Unfortunately, though, the current frantic housing market seems to have served up a recipe for regret for many recent homebuyers.

A shocking 72% of homebuyers who purchased in 2021 or 2022 are reeling with regret over their home purchase, according to a study from Clever Real Estate. The most common factors that contributed to their remorse? Spending too much money and rushing into buying.

A number of buyers purchased a house sight unseen during the COVID-19 pandemic. For most of 2021, mortgage rates were at an all-time low, buyer competition was high, and many buyers found themselves writing an offer (often over the asking price) for a house that was smaller or older than they’d originally hoped to buy. And in 2022, rising interest rates and home prices (which peaked in June 2022) increased the cost of financing the typical home by nearly $750 each month compared with a year ago. In other words, many buyers seemed to be settling for less desirable homes or homes that pushed them to the limit of their budget.

Now, amid the drama of a cooling market and a surge in interest rates, some homebuyers are watching their recent purchases drop in value, which is bad enough. But that stress is compounded as the reality of homeownership settles in, and the price of upkeep and repairs skyrockets due to inflation and rising prices for both materials and labor.

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Many high-end homes come with deluxe perks like outdoor living areas with poolside fire pits and seating. Then there are pricey palaces such as this Sarasota, FL, mansion on Flamingo Avenue that boasts a sunken lounge that’s actually in the pool.

This cool pool feature is just one of many luxuries on offer with the area’s most expensive property. Let’s take a closer look.

“You take five or six steps down into this circular seating area, which is amazing for hanging out and having conversations and a glass of wine,” says listing agent Joel Schemmel, with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s one of the really interesting elements of the outdoor space.

“You also have an enormous swim-up bar where, on one side, you can swim up to bar stools in the water, and the other two sides are a bar where people can sit on bar stools,” Schemmel continues.

SHED Architecture & Design via Houzz

There’s the main house, garage, a barn—and you can probably identify a silo. But what if you spy another building that looks kind of old and weathered? Maybe a wooden shack, way out in a field?

In fact, some homes come with several sheds or buildings. But as for their various uses? Well, that might leave you scratching your head.

Having a rustic structure on a large parcel of land can add charm and even value, if the building is still usable.

Amy Rosen, of Ruth Gale Realty in Phoenicia, NY, reports no shortage of these buildings on upstate New York properties; and she says they’re quite desirable.

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A multifamily home is a building with more than one unit where people can live, each with their own separate kitchens, living rooms, electric bills, and so forth. Also called a multidwelling unit, or MDU, they are typically found in densely populated areas such as cities where space is at a premium. Multifamily homes can be rented, be owned, or serve as an investment property where landlords can collect rent from tenants.

There are millions of multifamily dwellings nationwide, compared with 90 million single-family homes. Although living in close quarters with others may not be ideal in terms of privacy or noise, people in multifamily homes generally pay less than those in single-family homes and are taxed with less home maintenance, because a management company may be responsible for repairing the building’s exterior or mowing the lawn.

Types of multifamily homes

Multifamily homes come in all shapes and sizes. Here are some of the more common designs:

Duplex: Two homes in one freestanding structureTownhouse: Any number of homes attached at the sides with separate entrancesCondominiums (condo): A private residence in a building or community with multiple unitsApartment building: Could be up to hundreds of homes in one structure. Unlike the above dwellings, apartment building units are often rented by tenants rather than owned.

How to invest in a multifamily home

Buying a multifamily home to rent out (or where you live in one unit and rent out the rest) is a smart financial strategy—today more than ever. The reason: Homeownership is decreasing, recently dipping below the 66.6% historical average.

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International designer and architect Ettore Sottsass designed only seven homes during his storied career, and one is for sale.

Even better, it’s on the lush island of Maui, in Kula, HI.

The eye-popping property is a colorful, geometric wonder.

“It’s actually a very famous house, and a world-renowned property, and is designed by a very famous architect from Italy,” says listing agent Dean Otto, with Keller Williams Realty Maui. “It’s one of the most famous properties, definitely in the state of Hawaii, if not one of the most famous architectural masterpieces in the country.”

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On “Home Town,” Erin and Ben Napier prove time and again that homebuyers don’t have to pay tons of money for a beautiful house. Sometimes, they might even find one for less than $100,000.

In the Season 7 episode “A Colorful Match,” Erin and Ben meet Rahkeam and LaDijonay Parker, parents of two young boys and first-time homebuyers. The Napiers help this family find a two-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom home in Laurel, MS for just $90,000.

Granted, this 1910 home seems drab and run down, but after a $75,000 renovation, this family of four has a beautiful starter home for a total cost of just $165,000.

The key ingredient that brightens up this humble abode is tons of color. In fact, this home’s bold hues go beyond what the Napiers would typically use, but that’s what these clients request.

Two of the shops will be located in Morganton and one in Nebo, North Carolina. License partners Steve and Polly Leadbetter will lead all three.

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After years of playing a detective on NBC’s “Chicago P.D.,” Jon Seda made the leap to portraying a doctor on the sci-fi hit “La Brea.” With this change in shows comes his decision to move on from his four-bedroom, 4.5-bath home in the Lakeview section of Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

This limestone-clad property was built in 2007 and is now available for $1,799,999.

Set back from the street behind a set of iron gates, the stately 5,000-square-foot home features a two-story entryway, several fireplaces to keep toasty during the frigid winters, and massive windows that flood the living areas with light.

The home was built in 2007.

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QED led a $19.5 million Series A for Freemodel to expand its approach to prepaid, fully managed market preparation renovations, according to an announcement sent exclusively to Inman.

Don’t be afraid to be bold and daring with your design choices this year. We are venturing into better, brighter times, and our homes are a direct reflection of that.