High gas prices are a hot issue affecting today’s economy, including the real estate market. Before gas prices rose so dramatically, many home buyers opted for suburban homes with big yards and lots of space. Commuting time and gas prices were not as much of a concern. There was an emphasis on suburban home buying and the “white picket fence” depiction of family life and perfect home living in the suburbs. People at the time strove to get a job, make money, start a family, and move away from the city into a nice home with a big yard where you could host parties on the deck and let your children play. But, with rising gas prices is that suburban “white picket fence” lifestyle history?

About a decade ago, it was financially a good idea to pay for gas at $1.25 a gallon in order to commute to work than living in downtown areas closer to work but with a higher cost of living. And, at the time, there were more perks to outweigh the fact that suburban homeowners had to spend more money on gas [1]. Suburban living provided more privacy and open space for families and thought to be more ideal for raising children. Dealing with traffic and commuting was only a small part of daily life, while city dwellers lived in the hectic lifestyle 24/7. Even if they were not driving, but walking, there was constant noise and chaos from the surrounding environment.

Suburban homeowners only had to think about traffic and commuting for a small portion of their day, going to work and coming home. Downtown homeowners had to constantly think about what roads to take to avoid traffic; where and when they can park their car before it’s so packed on the streets that they cannot find a parking spot. And, they would also have to be aware of the people coming into their neighborhood and living space for work and entertainment. But, now with gas prices above three and four dollars nationwide, commuting time and location has become a much bigger impact on home buying.

Many people are looking into moving into the downtown metro areas to avoid their commuting and gas price woes. Suddenly, people are willing to trade in their privacy and larger living space for shorter commute times and less money spent on gas. The real estate market trends are evidence to back up this claim. In a survey of 900 Coldwell Banker agents, results showed that 96% said that rising gas prices were a concern to their home buying clients [3].

Of course that doesn’t mean that they would rather live in the cities than the suburbs; it could mean they still want to live in the suburbs but with a shorter commute time than they already have. But, from the same survey 78% said that higher fuel costs are increasing their desire to move out of the suburbs completely and move into the cities [3]. Home prices out in the suburbs nationwide are decreasing as the demand for them drop, and homes in close proximity to train stations and public transportation have become relatively more expensive and sought after due to current gas prices.

This home buying change results in new condominiums being constructed in downtown cities to accommodate the demand for more urban living. Experts are even saying that we need to prepare for a “city of the future.” There’s going to be a bigger focus on central city living and more public transportation services. Instead of homes and neighborhoods being extended horizontally farther into farmlands and country sides, neighborhoods will be vertical as condominiums and tall skyscraper buildings will be essential in providing many homes and businesses in small, but centrally-located, areas [2].

Although, many realtors are already aware of this switched-location focus, it is going to change the way of selling homes drastically. Realtors had a fixed way of marketing and selling homes because they knew what their consumers wanted and for a long time it did not change. It will be interesting to see what advancements and changes the real estate market will go through to familiarize and adjust to this changing trend that seems like it’s here to stay for quite some time.
References:
[1] www.newsweek.com
[2] www.realestate.msn.com
[3] www.cnn.com

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Consumers looking here. Realtors advertising there?

77% of consumers searched the Internet for information regarding real estate. That is compared to 33% for print. Not surprising, right? What is surprising is that the biggest share of a Realtor’s advertising spend at 40% is print.

A titanic disconnect of where consumers look for real estate and where Realtors advertise.

Based upon a recent study by Yahoo! Inc., here are the results:

• Home buyers and sellers consider approximately two agents on average before making a final decision.
• The Internet impacts consumer trust. Forty percent of respondents credited a site in increasing their trust in the agent.
• 74 percent of people who accessed an agent Web site got there with the help of a search engine.
• The online research process is quick and intense: consumers spent an average of 12 hours online researching agents and 75 percent selected an agent within one week of starting their search.
• 45 percent of respondents used the Internet to learn about agents they didn’t know existed.
• 41 percent discovered special deals and promotions offered from an agent through the Internet.

What is clear is that home buyers, and consumers in general, are moving toward the Internet, not away from it. Shouldn't the savvy Realtor be moving their dollars there as well?

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Do you remember when the Jetsons met the Flintstones? Each felt as if they were in a different world in which they did not belong. The Flintstones had to adapt to the new technology of their surroundings, while the Jetsons had to adapt to living without technology. I think we can appreciate what they dealt with in our own world today.

Technology is booming and the way of the future, but the Green mentality is also taking over. How do we marry the two? Advertisements tell you that you can invest in remodeling your home to benefit both the environment and your pockets, but this poses a concern: Can you really save energy and the economy by living like the Flintstones with the demeanor of the Jetsons?

I believe you can do both. Here are some things that can be incorporated into your house to not only automate, but conserve energy as well:
• Home-automation systems today minimize manual labor while conserving at the same time. Have you ever forgotten to turn the lights out in a closet or bathroom? Install vacancy sensors and you won’t have to worry anymore. These sensors turn lights on and off automatically. They sense changes in heat, including body heat and know when a person enters or exits the room [1]. Stop worrying about remembering the lights; these lights think for themselves.
• How about heating and air conditioning? If you get hot, sensors turn up the air conditioning to let out large amounts of cool air and just the opposite if you get cold. With programmable thermostats, the temperature is automatically adjusted to the occupants comfort level and to the level that is the most efficient for the HVAC system [1].
• Motorized blinds automatically rise, lower, open and close. They too use sensors and can control the room temperature, thus minimizing the need for air conditioning [1].
• An integrated control panel can reduce clutter and help conserve energy at the same time. Put away all those remote controls and use just one. Saves time and energy.
• The iPhone now makes it possible for individuals to monitor a home’s energy consumption. Wow, Apple does it all don’t they? The visual display shows a graphic of the home and how much energy is expended in different rooms of the home and whether energy consumption is low, moderate, or high for that area. It even provides a close-up of the room you choose, telling individuals the amount of energy exerted and from which devices [1].
• In the bathroom, low-flush or dual-flush toilets work to minimize the amount of water used in the toilet.
• Homeowners can use recycled countertops, solar panels, and Energy-Star approved appliances. What a deal!

All of these items do just what they are created to do: They maximize lifestyle and sustainability.

This is not to say that in order to sell a home you have to completely renovate with all sustainable and automated products. That can get expensive in and of itself, but it is the small things that will make the difference.

Installing modern technologies, whether it is Energy-Star-approved appliances or radiant-heated floors, will give your home a distinct advantage over other homes in the market while simultaneously improving the environment.

The trick of today’s household technologies is to keep it modern yet not compromise one’s way of life. No one really wants to employ a wooly mammoth to spray them down in the shower like the Flintstones did, and, I do not think people are truly ready for a Rosie-the-robot-maid in every home either. Create a middle ground between being sustainable and technologically-advanced based on what is acceptable and desired in today’s society.

References:
[1] www.electronichouse.com
[2] www.trendir.com
[3] www.greenhomeguide.com
[4] mag.awn.com/.../goodman05_jetsonsFlintstone.jpg

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Does it seem like sometimes there are just too many websites you need to access online throughout your day? Many of us need to visit a dozen or so different websites to make online payments, check email, receive critical updates, access social networking, all of which require entering their own login information. If this sounds like your daily schedule, remembering various domain names and the occasional “password amnesia” can cause serious frustration and overload.

Pageonce.com, marketed as your “personal internet assistant,” provides a free service to their users which allows them the ability to access all of their various online accounts through one central login screen. Their service allows you to integrate directly with top national banks, cellular companies, utility companies, various email accounts, eBay accounts, social networking sites and many others.

I know firsthand that accessing so many different sites daily can get overwhelming at times, so I decided to setup a Pageonce.com account myself. I was initially skeptical about the service though, heavily concerned about security issues and the possibility that my accounts might be hacked through Pageonce.com. As it turns out, Pageonce.com only has access to your information as part of a “read only” online feed, which can not update or change your accounts. The Pageonce.com service and security is considered to be on par with military level security, certified with Verisign, Truste, and deemed "hacker safe" by McAfee. Another benefit of using a Pageonce.com account is that one can reduce exposure to and eliminate the possibility of “phishing” fraud, a method used to obtain login information of victims online by creating bogus login screens of popular websites.

Though it did take about an hour to setup and store all my usernames and passwords, I believe my preliminary hard work paid off. I can now view from one consolidated login screen and see my credit card balance(s), utility bill balance and next payment, DirecTV balance and next payment, cell phone balance and minutes left, Marriott Rewards balance, LinkedIn messages, Hotmail emails read/unread, Starbuck’s card balance, and a number of others. And even though my local utility company was originally not listed as a partner, I submitted a request to add them as a new partner. About a week later, I received an email notice stating that my utility company was added to my websites, illustrating the adaptability of Pageonce.com. As part of their commitment to user security and communication, Pageonce.com also sends email notices when a significant change is made to one of my accounts through their site.

While still in beta testing, the consolidated website account access from Pageonce.com is a fantastic concept and definitely worth giving a try.

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These were interesting comments from Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. With an FDIC housing conference last week, he shared blunt, tough-love comments about the home foreclosure crisis.

Does Time = Money? Well, it is a bit more complicated than that. Alison Rogers sheds more light on the subject. Her article is called, "Time is money...sometimes."

Would you like to move to one of the best places to live in this fine country of ours? Check out CNNMoney's 100 Best Places to Live.

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Below are a few of the headlines I have culled from the various and sundry sites relating to real estate for the week of July 7, 2008, after the fourth of July weekend:

Would you like to buy a house for as little as $1,800? Yes, that is the entire asking price!

The Starbucks Effect. Would you like a house with that latte?

Can You Rely On Your Home Equity Line of Credit? Check this out!

Are there still buyers for condos in S Florida? Absolutely!

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