We are excited to announce a new feature that will further improve the property search experience for agents and consumers: Multi-Area Search!

You can now search multiple areas at once in Homesnap rather than having to jump back and forth between different searches. Additionally, Multi-Area Search is supported by our recently-released Saved Search Alerts to allow users to receive alerts for multiple areas. The feature is available nationwide on all platforms (Android, iOS, desktop).

How does it work?
Step 1: Pick your first search area. (For example, Minneapolis.)

Step two: Tap into the search bar at the top of the screen where it says “add another area” and add your second (or third, or fourth, or fifth!) search area. (For example, St. Paul.) Note: the “+1” in the bubble at the top of the screen indicates how many areas are already selected for your search.

Once you’ve selected your additional area, the map will zoom out to encompass the areas you’ve selected.

FAQ:

How many areas can be searched at once?
Up to 5 areas at a time

What types of searches are supported by multi-area searches?
Schools, Neighborhoods, City, Town, Zip Code, Street Name

What types of searches are not supported by multi-area search?
Specific addresses, self-drawn polygons, areas that are 60+ miles apart

What happens to my multi-area search if I move the map?
If you move the map far enough that none of your current search areas are within the map view then the search is automatically cleared.

The National Association of REALTORS^® secured key victories in COVID-19 relief legislation that cleared the U.S. Senate & House of Representatives overnight, including various key tax extenders, additional support for the Paycheck Protection Program and funding for rental assistance. Roughly 38% of NAR’s 1.4 million members own at least one rental property throughout the U.S.

“NAR has been one of the loudest voices in Washington advocating for rental assistance these past few months,” said NAR President Charlie Oppler, a REALTOR^® from Franklin Lakes, N.J., and the CEO of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. “While REALTORS^® worked to ensure thousands of American families would not go homeless, it was clear that broad, ongoing eviction moratoriums were jeopardizing the very housing opportunities we were trying to protect.

“More than 40% of rental units nationally are owned by ‘mom and pop’-operated small businesses, many of which have been struggling to pay their bills and keep a roof over their tenants’ heads. Rental assistance helps stabilize that housing and keep families in their homes, and we’re grateful that Congress could secure this and other critical relief measures in this legislation.”

 More specifically, the agreement:

• Provides $25 billion to the states through September 30, 2022, for rental assistance and allows landlords to apply for funds on behalf of tenants.
  • Includes payments for rent as well as utilities and other expenses related to housing
• Provides a new round of direct stimulus payments of $600 to most Americans
• Extends all unemployment assistance
• Provides hundreds of billions in additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and for Economic Injury Disaster Loans
  • Allows certain eligible businesses to receive a second PPP loan
  • Creates a simplified forgiveness process for most PPP borrowers
• Extends for five years the exclusion from income for mortgage debt forgiveness and permanently extends the energy-efficient commercial buildings deduction
• Increases fair housing funding

In-depth analysis of these provisions created for REALTORS^® is available at nar.realtor/coronavirus#section-181292.

The National Association of REALTORS^® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

SOURCE

On December 10th, NAR held a virtual Economic and Real Estate Summit that provided a year-end review and outlook on the post-election real estate market and the economy.

Summit Discussion Topics included:

• 2020 year-end review of real estate market performance
• 2021 and beyond real estate market expectations
• Challenges and risks facing the real estate industry
• Residential and commercial real estate markets
• Topical public policy measures

If you missed the live event, you can now view the 3-hour recording online! So get comfy and watch on as NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun and 12 leading real estate and banking economists and researchers arrive at a consensus real estate market forecast for 2021 and beyond!

SOURCE