The stock market turmoil does not seem to interfere with homeowners’ home improvement plans for the upcoming year. This is very promising for service providers.

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Following the showdown between the Panthers and the Broncos, the attention will quickly turn to the new stadium being built in Inglewood.

The new home of the St. Louis Rams has everyone in the financial world wondering how it will affect the local real estate market.

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The rental vacancy rate for the Los Angeles area is down to 2.7 percent. This is down from 3.8 percent from the beginning of 2015 and 7 percent lower than the national average.

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Real estate in 2015 saw some major growth and stood in strong contrast to the decline in total sales in 2014.

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Home staging affects the sales process in many significant ways; if it’s done right. Check out these essential home staging tips to prepare a home for sale by The New York Times:

1. Reduce clutter

Remove anything that’s unnecessary to the space and only keep what adds to the room. Making the home look desirable is crucial and clutter will only increase the chances of turning potential buyers off, because it makes it less appealing for them to envision a future in the home you’re trying to sell.

2. Clean out closets

An extension of the tip above. Another space that needs de-cluttering are your closets. If it looks like there’s a lot of room and storage to spare in the home, it will make the space seem larger.

3. A new paint job

It’ll give the home new life by making it look fresh and clean. Probably the best money you’ll spend on staging.

4. Create an accent wall

Painting one of the walls in a room in a different color adds an interesting dimension and statement. An accent wall is a great way to highlight an architectural feature, to emphasize an architectural feature, or to just add something extra to a room.

5. Edit personal photos

The general advise is to remove all personal photos when showing a home. However, it can be a good addition if they’re good photos in pretty frames.

6. Skip the stage set

Avoid setting the table, as this will only make the surroundings seem forced and arranged.

7. Replace traditional furniture

Freshen up the space by renting or buying inexpensive, modern furniture.

8. New towels and linens

Replace the old sheets and towels with new ones to easily and inexpensively add a sense of luxury to your home.

9. Stay away from scents

Scents that are appealing to you might be off-putting to others. You don’t want to chase away a potential buyer because you decided to douse your home in lavender. Avoid scented candles, fragrant flowers or baking and/or cooking before a showing.

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Another year has come to an end and what better way to commemorate it than to look back on the trends and milestones that took place. One interesting trend to look back on are the reasons for why Americans decided to pack up and search for a new place to live.

Click HERE to read about the relocation trends of Americans in 2015.

Going green is an increasingly popular lifestyle trend. Not only will green real estate decrease your carbon footprint — you’ll also be the talk of the neighborhood.

Click HERE to read about six green homes that offer energy-efficient lifestyles.

These 12 trends reflect ways to deal with environmental challenges, the incorporation of new building materials and methods, and changing the looks and functionality of our homes.

Click HERE to read about why these trends are important and how they’ll influence real estate choices moving forward!

Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. The process, in many ways, resembles the search for a significant other. We’re always looking forward to what’s next and therefore forget to appreciate the options that’ve been right under our nose the entire time. Finding the perfect home is no easy task, but being too picky during your quest for the home of your dreams can leave you with the short end of the stick; and a great deal of frustration.

According to realtor.com, there are three questions you should ask yourself that’ll help you determine whether you’re ready to settle or not:

1. Are my expectations realistic?

Most people spend a good amount of time envisioning what their dream home will look like. The pitfall of this is that you’ll rarely find a house that will completely fit your expectations. It’s therefore extremely important that you’re being realistic.

“There is no such thing as a ‘perfect home,’” says Ryan Fitzgerald, Realtor® and owner of Raleigh Realty in Raleigh, NC.

Come up with a list of amenities that you need to have and ones that you can do without. That way, you’ll open yourself up to a lot more options.

2. How many properties have I viewed?

Holding on to the hope that the perfect house is just around the corner can sometimes distract you from settling. To avoid a never-ending house hunt, you should set yourself a limit to how many viewings you’re willing to go before making your final choice. This, of course, doesn’t include looking at listings online.

If you view too many homes, you might not be 100% sure what exactly it is that you’re looking for. Making a list of pros and cons for each house can be a great way to gain an overall perspective of your search. From here on, compromise is a major key.

3. What am I willing to compromise?

Make sure you never compromise on factors that’ll make you regret your decision. Buyers remorse is never fun, especially when it comes to homes. One of the factors you should never compromise on is location. It doesn’t matter what the house looks like or if it has the perfect view if you have to commute several hours to work every day.

Never hesitate to consult your Realtor if you’re not sure where to compromise.

With that being said, if you reach the conclusion that compromising is impossible even after you’ve reached your viewing limit, it’s OK to keep on searching. The last thing you want is to be pressured into settling for a house.

Read the original article HERE.