Real estate trends for 2016 are positive. And in my opinion, number 10 is the best trend for you!

The top 10 real estate trends of special interest to keep your eye on this year are:

1. People Prefer 18-Hour Cities Over 24-Hour Cities
   18-hour cities such as Nashville, San Antonio, Portland, Austin and Raleigh-Durham are “the place to live” for:

• Being hip, cool or trendy
• Having a lower cost of living
• How easy it is to stay connected to the city from a far distance
• Being affordable

2. Parents of Millennials Will Move to the Suburbs

Baby Boomers, or the Gen-Y generation, expect that in five years they will live in single-family detached homes in the suburbs. Wikipedia defines this type of home as a single-detached dwelling, single-family residence (SFR) or separate house. It is a free-standing residential building defined in opposition to a multi-family residential dwelling. Gen-Y will look for homes in suburbs with transportation options to connect them to all that big cities offer. Suburbs that connect Baby Boomers to urban center activities will continue to grow in popularity.

3. Office Space Will Keep Shrinking

Available office space is decreasing while rent is increasing. This combination will change the average square footage for office workers. An average 253 square feet in 2000 is predicted to shrink to 138 square feet by 2020.

4. People Will Experiment with New Housing Options

Homeownership decreased from 70 percent before the Great Recession to 63.5 percent in the spring of 2015 for all age groups. This drop in homeownership has stirred up a demand for rental housing and microhousing.

5. Parking Lots Will Change Into Better Pieces of Real Estate

The way people get around is changing. Many are choosing not to own a car and are trending toward ride-sharing (carpooling). This trend is eliminating the need for parking lots. City developers and officials are investigating how to put parking lots to better use.

6. More Are Investing in Infrastructure

Buildings, roads and power supplies needed for operation or enterprise in America have been crumbling for years. This has been in the news for a while now. Since the need for new mass transit, better roads and highways and improved aircraft and rail transport facilities has not been met yet, interest in new infrastructure funding, public-private partnerships and real estate investment trusts (REITs) is growing.

7. Urban Farms and Rooftop Gardens Are On the Rise

Urban farms and rooftop gardens are growing in number. There’s one called Brooklyn Grange here in New York, large urban farm operations in Detroit, and a vertical farm in Newark, New Jersey will be completed soon.

8. The Need for Niche Lenders is Increasing

The need for lenders to lend to specialized corners of the market is increasing this year. Many developers turn to larger banks to lend them money for bigger projects that require more lead-time and more capital. But larger banks are constrained by recent regulations allowing smaller banks and community lenders to fill the gaps.

9. S. Real Estate Capital Isn’t Slowing Down This Year

The increased volume of real estate capital for 2016 is expected to be equal to or greater than it was in 2015. The real estate landscape will change because real estate capital isn’t slowing down this year.

10. Human Touch Is Just As Important As Ever

In spite of the reliance on computers and technology, the good old-fashioned human touch is just as important as ever. People still need and desire intuition and authenticity of real estate professionals’ personal understanding of the market.

Are you interested in and following the real estate trends for 2016? I have over 30 years of experience to help buyers find new housing options, available lenders and more. Call Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or email, [email protected] today. With a personal understanding of the market here in Brooklyn, I’ll help you find just what you’re looking for.

by Charles D’Alessandro | Leave a Comment

What is downsizing? It is the concept of living simpler, utilizing space to its fullest. It is having fewer financial burdens, living in a home that requires minimal maintenance. It is getting rid of excess stuff that has been accumulated over time and paring down to basic essentials. After all, how much stuff do we really need to live a normal life? How much living space do we really need? There’s a trendy movement among us called micro-living. Fans of micro-living swear by it, and they are encouraging others in Brooklyn to start thinking big by living small.

Many people live beyond their means and accumulate stuff over time. Living beyond your means creates one or more of the following realities in day-to-day life that must be dealt with, sooner than later:

• Excessive debt
• Too much stuff
• Debilitating stress

Enter the desire for change, the desire for simplicity, the desire for downsizing. Downsizing in Brooklyn can be stressful, but the benefits listed below far outweigh the negatives. Advocates of micro-living say downsizing will:

• Increase cash flow
• Provide more time
• Lower utility bills
• Reduce consumption
• Minimize stress

Downsizing in Brooklyn requires:

• Assessing your actual needs
• Prioritizing needs versus wants
• Getting rid of clutter. (If you don’t need or use an item within 6 months, give, sell or throw it away). (When you come across boxes of items that haven’t seen the light of day for years, get rid of them at once. You don’t need them).
• Donating electronics and furniture
• Moving to within walking distance of work, grocery shopping and downtown amenities

Once your downsizing in Brooklyn is complete, try to stay organized. Be ruthless about what enters your space. Then, relax and enjoy surrounding yourself with only those things that are truly most important to you. You’ll be able to rest a little easier knowing that a move to living a simpler life will be smoother, too.

And, of course, your Brooklyn area real estate agent, Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, knows where the smaller and good-quality houses are. I will find you just the right location to meet your needs for downsizing in Brooklyn. Contact me by email at [email protected] or by phone at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 today.