FRIDAY - FALLING FOR FALL
Contractor Tips: How to Shop for Your Remodel
Bay Area apartment rents at record high
How to Buy a Home in One Market While Selling in Another
49ers fans crunch Santa Clara hotel market; Will new rooms get built?
Google's Silicon Valley hometown targets $15 minimum wage
More Americans Are Going Solo
Rent vs. Buy: Which is Cheaper for You?
Enjoy!
Bay Area apartment rents at record high - According to a third-quarter report Wednesday from RealFacts of Novato, Bay Area apartment rents have jumped 11.4 percent from last year to an average of $2,234 a month. That's the highest it's been in records going back two decades, a company spokesman said.
How to Buy a Home in One Market While Selling in Another - Someone being transferred for work or making a major move for personal reasons may end up selling in one market and buying in another. The ideal scenario would be to sell in a sellers’ market, like the San Francisco Bay area or Seattle, and buy in a buyers’ market, such as Providence, RI. The worst-case scenario is to do the opposite.
49ers fans crunch Santa Clara hotel market; Will new rooms get built? - “You’re competing against other property types,” hotel consultant Rick Swig told the Business Times. “There’s a shortage of hotel rooms, but there is a greater shortage of residential right now. The highest and best use of available land right now is residential, followed by commercial office space.”
Google's Silicon Valley hometown targets $15 minimum wage - While Mountain View has been inundated with young professionals, new luxury apartments and high-end restaurants during Silicon Valley's current tech boom, the upswing has also ushered in steep rent increases and a spike in homelessness. The city has responded with more urgency than many of its counterparts by requiring new developer fees and landlord payments to evicted tenants.
More Americans Are Going Solo - The U.S. is becoming a nation of singles. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, half of all American adults live in one-person households, and this demographic is heavily influencing the companies that want to reach out to them. Restaurants are including more communal seating to be inclusive for single diners. Multifamily communities are offering shared spaces such as home theaters, outdoor spaces, and work areas so that singles can socially connect while still having a private apartment.
Rent vs. Buy: Which is Cheaper for You? - The decision to rent or buy a home depends on where you live and also on your mortgage rate, tax bracket, and time horizon. Read Trulia's report here.
8 Little Remodeling Touches That Make a Big Difference - Make your life easier while making your home nicer, with these design details you'll really appreciate. Some of my favorites:
