Have you ever had your confidence go MIA?   Maybe it was the jitters before a big social event, like a class reunion, or a critical meeting. Perhaps you were meeting someone for the first time or stepping out of your comfort zone in some way…
And even though you are a grown adult who has been in hundreds of situations where you had to be your best self, sometimes your illusive self-assuredness goes AWOL! What’s the deal? I recently addressed an exceptional group of about 200 teens and their private comments had a common denominator:  they thought they weren’t good enough, they thought they might be rejected, they feared they would not be accepted, they worried that they looked weird, or would seem awkward. One said, “I want to have charisma.” Hmmm. Charisma?   Sound familiar? Merriam-Webster defines the meaning of a charismatic person being:  “A person who possesses…
Posted On Sunday, 07 April 2024 00:00 Written by
March data shows the largest share of price reductions since 2019 with 34 out of the 50 largest metros showing an uptick in drops  According to the Realtor.com® March housing report, buyers are looking at an optimistic mix of increasing inventory and an uptick in price reductions going into the Spring season. In March, the percentage of homes with price reductions increased to 15.0% - the largest share in 5 years -  and the total number of homes actively for sale grew by 23.5% compared to last March (but remains well below pre pandemic levels). “Sellers are starting to warm up to the current environment, wading into the market in increasing numbers despite market mortgage rates that are likely above their existing rate, if they have a mortgage.  As a result, data shows surprisingly competitive pricing trends among sellers, especially in the lead up to this year’s Best Time to…
Posted On Friday, 05 April 2024 07:40 Written by
Dr. Gary Burrus, PH.D, expert in Human Resources shares his expertise on what you need to have in order to develop and then drive the right strategies and initiatives to promote successful collaboration between men and women working together.    A Bit About Gary:  Gary Burrus has 27 years of experience in the gaming and hospitality industry. His experience spans property level, regional, and national operations. Specifically within the industry Gary has senior level experience in the areas of Customer Service, Resort Operations, multiple Hotel Operations (1,000+ rooms), RV park operations, Golf Course, Shooting Facilities, Entertainment and Recreation facilities, Convention Center, Retail Store Operations, Human Resource Management (benefits administration, compensation, 401(k) Administration, recruiting, employee engagement, training, union negotiations, employee wellness), Risk Management, Compliance, Government Relations, Community Relations, Security Operations, Transportation and Valet Operations, and interim General Management.
Posted On Friday, 05 April 2024 00:00 Written by
Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.82 percent. "Mortgage rates showed little movement again this week, hovering around 6.8 percent,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Since the start of 2024, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has not reached seven percent but has not dropped below 6.6 percent either. While incoming economic signals indicate lower rates of inflation, we do not expect rates will decrease meaningfully in the near-term. On the plus side, inventory is improving somewhat, which should help temper home price growth.” News Facts The 30-year FRM averaged 6.82 percent as of April 4, 2024, up from last week when it averaged 6.79 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.28 percent. The 15-year FRM averaged 6.06 percent, down from last week when it averaged 6.11 percent. A…
Posted On Thursday, 04 April 2024 09:22 Written by
Millennials have surged ahead to become the largest group of home buyers, marking a significant shift in the housing market’s demographic landscape, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors®. The 2024 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, which examines the similarities and differences among recent home buyers and sellers across generations1, found that the combined share of millennials, both younger (ages 25 to 33) and older (ages 34 to 43), now make up a combined 38% of the home buying market, a substantial increase from 28% last year. Baby boomers, comprising both younger boomers (ages 59 to 68) and older boomers (ages 69 to 77), saw their share decrease from 39% to 31%, relinquishing their position as last year’s largest demographic of home buyers. “The generational tug-of-war between millennials and baby boomers continued this year, with millennials rebounding to capture the largest share of home…
Posted On Wednesday, 03 April 2024 08:27 Written by
There is so much talk about generative AI today, it has become somewhat of a hot-button issue among working professionals and business leaders. We are witnessing firsthand the power of generative AI with applications like ChatGPT, Gemini, and other content-creating software. On Meta, Instagram, and other social media sites, there are works of digital art being created by generative AI applications like Midjourney, Canva and DALL·E 3 to name a few. But despite the fact that many are already implementing it while others are kept up at night about it, even I have to beg the question: So what? Why does the Hard Trend future certainty of generative AI matter so much to society, both professionally and personally? Is there real danger I should be aware of regarding this disruptive digital application? How can it make my life better at work or at home? Again, generative AI is here to stay. So what? Generative AI Is Sculpting Our Professional…
Posted On Tuesday, 02 April 2024 00:00 Written by
If you look at social media at all, you would think the real estate world has come to an end. As usual, those who largely make a living generating clicks as opposed to clients are running crazy with their views on the NAR settlement with the DOJ. The problems come from the fact that many people actually believe what they have read and are panicking themselves and others over things that are NOT set in stone What you need to focus on is current reality. NOTHING is done until a judge agrees to whatever settlement terms are placed on the table. That said, as of this writing, there isn’t even a firm time for a judge to issue any type of comment, much less approve a deal. The next part of this is that NOTHING about this deal prohibits anyone or anything outside of NAR from operating as they always…
Posted On Monday, 01 April 2024 00:00 Written by
-- Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.79 percent. “Mortgage rates moved slightly lower this week, providing a bit more room in the budgets of some prospective homebuyers,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “We also are seeing encouraging data on existing home sales, which reflects improving inventory. Regardless, rates remain elevated near seven percent as markets watch for signs of cooling inflation, hoping that rates will come down further.” News Facts The 30-year FRM averaged 6.79 percent as of March 28, 2024, down from last week when it averaged 6.87 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.32 percent. The 15-year FRM averaged 6.11 percent, down from last week when it averaged 6.21 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.56 percent.
Posted On Sunday, 31 March 2024 06:32 Written by
Over one-third of home purchases in February were made in all cash—not far from the record high The median down payment for U.S. homebuyers was $55,640 in February, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. That’s up 24.1% from $44,850 a year earlier—the largest annual increase in percentage terms since April 2022. The typical homebuyer’s down payment last month was equal to 15% of the purchase price, up from 10% a year earlier. This is based on a Redfin analysis of county records across 40 of the most populous U.S. metropolitan areas going back through 2011. “Homebuyers are doing whatever they can to pull together a large down payment in order to lower their monthly payments moving forward,” said Rachel Riva, a Redfin real estate agent in Miami. “The smallest down payment I’ve seen recently is 25%. I had one client who put down…
Posted On Sunday, 31 March 2024 06:26 Written by
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