Real Estate News

What to Know about Home Improvement Loans

Apr 4. 2025 U.S News Sometimes the need to renovate or repair a home comes at an inconvenient financial moment, and a homeowner needs some help paying for it. That help could be a home improvement loan, which can cover projects ranging from kitchen or bathroom upgrades to emergency repairs. It's tempting to heed the marketing hype from your bank or another institution, but is a home improvement loan a smart loan? And is one that much different from any other personal loan? The short answer: As with any loan, it may be a good idea or it may be a terrible one, though likely it will be somewhere in between. It always depends on the details. If you’re considering a home improvement loan, here are answers to some of the questions you may have. Is a Home Improvement Loan Different Than Any Other Loan? Is there something special about a loan when it becomes a home improvementloan? Not really, says Jeremy Schachter, a branch manager…

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04/07/2025

new jersey best realtor richard choi

Real Estate News

Office Space Absorption, Rent Growth See Regional Hikes

Unique dynamics in metro areas mean that some office and multifamily markets are on the upswing while others still face negative absorption and lower rent prices. The market for office space is seeing real signs of improvement as vacancy rates turn the corner into positive absorption of square footage. But the upturn isn’t being felt evenly across the country. “Economic trends—whether it’s interest rates, job growth or inflation—have a direct impact on how businesses and investors approach commercial properties,” said Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of real estate research at the National Association of REALTORS®, who shared the outlook for the commercial real estate market during the association’s Real Estate Forecast Summit last week. “In the meantime, commercial real estate has been through a roller coaster ride over the past year.” The glimmer of hope in the office sector comes as companies continue to downsize and vacancies rise. About 2.3 million square feet of office space in the Southeast was absorbed in…

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04/06/2025

new jersey best realtor richard choi

Real Estate News

Wellness and Real Estate: What Practitioners Need to Know

February 18, 2025 More buyers and homeowners want wellness features in their homes, and real estate agents need to be ready to deliver. Architects, designers and wellness experts are curating wellness spaces for individual and group activities in large part because of demand for these kinds of features. Certain demographics such as Gen Zers and Millennials show extra interest, according to McKinsey’s latest wellness report, which pegged the 2024 global market at $1.8 trillion. Real estate professionals will find more and more of their customers seek homes with wellness-specific features or examples of how to add wellness into their lives. Here are ways to share with homeowners how wellness can become part of their residential surroundings and lives: Use Natural Elements in the Home To fashion the right backdrop and mood for a wellness space, more professionals incorporate the tenets of biophilic design, which connects users to nature through views and access to the outdoors and choices of natural materials. Designer Alena Capra,…

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04/06/2025

new jersey best realtor richard choi