Tips for working remotely in a tiny home

I seem to recall a lot of talk about tiny homes a couple of  years ago – heck, I even wrote about them in  Tiny house with great views for $40,000.

Boston.com has an intriguing article about Working from Home in a Tiny House/.

For those considering joining the tiny-house movement while working remotely, Stephanie Burrows, founder of the Tiny Homes of New England Meetup group, offered advice. (more…)

Property Insurance Costs Too Much? 7 Ways to Reduce It

When is the lowest-cost insurer not the lowest-cost insurer? When another company actually charges less because you bundled or installed security or did something else.

NEW YORK – The price of homeowners’ insurance is on the rise, and many owners may be looking for ways to reduce their high premiums. While discounts can vary greatly based on location, size, and age of the house, some credits may be available that could reduce some homeowners’ premiums by as much as thousands of dollars per year, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The average premium for a homeowner’s insurance policy increased 3.1% to $1,249 in 2018, the latest year for which data is available. Luxury homes tend to be much more costly to insure than standard homes since they’re larger and have more decorative features within.

Here are some ways homeowners may be able to save on their homeowners’ insurance costs: (more…)

How about a Home Classroom?

Latest ‘Blow Me Away’ Amenity for Buyers? Home Classrooms

Some parents home-schooled their kids even before the pandemic. But after the recent lockdowns, more buyers with kids see it as a golden amenity.

NEW YORK – Despite more school districts returning to in-person learning, the pandemic has many more parents appreciating the importance of organized, stand-alone learning areas for their children.

In addition to repurposing rooms in existing homes, developers and real estate agents are now marketing and staging these spaces to prospective buyers.

“The family’s priorities have changed,” says Fredrik Eklund, an agent with Douglas Elliman in New York. “People want these learning centers.”

According to Realtor.com, listings over $1 million that included a learning space spent a median 45 days on the market in 2021 – 12 days less than homes that didn’t mention a room for teaching. In May, 1,178 homes mentioned terms related to learning spaces, up 58% from the same period last year.

According to Eklund, some luxury listing sellers are forgoing traditional libraries, man caves and multiple offices so they can have dedicated areas for young students. Going forward, developers expect increased demand for these organized learning areas. (more…)