By Gino Blefari
This week my travels find me in the Hawaiian Islands for business meetings and my annual family vacation. The islands are nothing short of spectacular: pristine beaches, unspoiled landscape and a welcoming aloha spirit. This spirit is also evident in the history and local legends of Hawaii, like Duke Kahanamoku, whose life and achievements make for an incredible story I’d like to share with you now.
By Amanda V. Stepp-Marcum
Several months ago I received quite possibly the greatest email an agent could get. Subject: Would you like to be on HGTV? Ummm yes! Who has to even think about that!?
I’m a true fan of all HGTV shows, from Property Brothers to (of course) Fixer Upper and couldn’t believe I was being contacted by the same company responsible for the programs I watch—and obsess over—daily. In the email, the producers from A Sale of Two Cities said they found me online because of my strong marketing presence and asked if I had any clients searching for a home in my Richmond, KY market, priced around $500,000 to be featured on the show.
By Gino Blefari
This week my thoughts aren’t so much about my travels as they are about what happened while I was away. Nearly two months ago, on a rare rainy day in Southern California, I received a call from HSF Affiliates CFO Brian Peterson, (who also happens to be my neighbor), letting me know he had picked up a package at my door so it wouldn’t get wet.
“Thanks, Brian,” I said over the phone. “That’s interesting though because I didn’t order anything to my SoCal residence but it’s probably a book.”
In fact, it was a book, a very good book I’d like to discuss with you today.
By Jake Breen
In early April I sent clients a market video that sparked a lot of interest. This video detailed Salt Lake County appreciation rates from April through June. Most locals in Salt Lake know it’s a seasonal market and often we experience a real uptick in sales in the spring and early summer. What most don’t know is how seasonal swings will affect a typical real estate transaction.
During that same period in 2013, the median price in Salt Lake City rose 12%; it added another 4% in 2014. Think about that movement over just 12 weeks and consider statements often heard from potential buyers.
by Gino Blefari
My travels this week took me to Washington, D.C. to help honor Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ top brokerages and hear impressive speakers gathered to provide brokers with new perspectives on real estate, politics, media, business practices and more. These speakers are leaders in their own right, including cyber security expert Joel Brenner, ABC News pollster Gary Langer, CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger, and N.A.R. representatives Lawrence Yun, Bill Gilmartin and Joe Ventrone. I was also honored to meet Real Living At Home leaders Jason Sherman, Justin Levitch and their terrific agents at their Washington, D.C. office.
By Gino Blefari
This week, I found myself in San Francisco for a media interview via skype with Ilyce Glink, host of Big Money Real Estate, a weekly show on the Whatever it Takes Network. Episodes focus on a variety of topics including: real estate, mortgage issues, real estate investing, personal finance and consumer advice. However, I was video chatting with Ilyce about the results from the Q1 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homeowner Sentiment Survey, which assessed people’s aspirations and sentiments surrounding homeownership.
So, my interview began and I was asked this question: When compared to other generations, how do millennials differ in their home buying preferences? How are they starting to resemble previous generations?
REthink report 