Miami Real Estate: Tough Real Estate Market Inspires Creativity All Around

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By Tammy Joyner and Rachel Tobin
The housing market’s continuing funk has metro Atlantans using a grab-bag of creative strategies to buy, sell or just tread water so they can make a career move.
For instance:
• Renting out a property has become the end-run around the market’s chokehold on mobility. More homeowners are turning to real estate agents to keep an eye on their homes, not sell them. Homeowners typically rent out their homes so they can buy or rent somewhere else. This has created a new line of property management work for the real estate industry.
• Home-staging has increased in popularity as a tool—and a necessity—for selling homes now that a yard sign and a quick sweep of the front steps won’t get the job done. Today, clearing clutter and redecorating in neutral hues and designs is key to finding potential buyers.
• Consumers and real estate professionals alike are embracing all sorts of technology. Virtual home tours are de rigueur. A twist on barcodes called QR lets people check out a home on a cell phone or other mobile device. Multiple listing services are not only helping consumers find homes but providing financial help as well.
• With stricter mortgage requirements in place, little-known federal and local programs are emerging as rich uncles for would-be home buyers, and not just for those with low income or first-time home buyers.