The Wisdom of Hindsight in the Real Estate Market

“Consider the following observations about the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. real estate market:

A home in Silver Spring, Maryland comes on the market and sells in one day. That’s no big deal. But the real estate agent received forty-one offers. I’ll repeat: Forty-one offers in only a few hours. A home in the city of Alexandria sells in one day at a price $100,000 over the asking price. I’ll repeat: The house sold for $100,000 more than the seller’s asking price. More than 30 people camped out for 7 days in order purchase units in a new urban townhouse development. I’ll repeat: Thirty people living on the streets with sleeping bags and tents in order to buy in a new townhouse development. ” A dream come true you say? These are excerpts from the article “One Word For Metro Washington Real Estate: Insane, written by Henry Savage for RealtyTimes.com…in March 2004.Almost five years ago Mr. Savage painted a picture of a thriving sellers market that had gained so much momentum that home buyers were waiving financing and home inspections to make their offers more attractive to home sellers. As we have all witnessed, any market, whether stocks or real estate, cannot sustain this level of exuberance before something has to give.Home prices increasing 20% per year eventually results in fewer buyers for these over priced homes. Add to this mix, greedy money lenders offering low introductory interest rates (only to spike in a few years), and resulting in too many people owning homes they can’t afford. The demand for real estate begins to decrease, inventory rises, and eventually home prices drop. Sound familiar?The increase in interest rates, would also have a devastating effect on all of those buyers who purchased homes with little or no deposit and are faced with the expiration of the attractive introductory rates. Foreclosures and housing gluts would be a natural result of this market.Mr. Savage predicted this outcome in his article; stating “the bigger the boom, the bigger the bust”. Real estate, as do all markets, runs in cycles. The plight of our current market is the fall out from the golden age of real estate we experienced a few years ago.Currently, in the Metro D.C. market, the average Sold price is just under $550; a 12% increase from the same time last year. It’s not 20%, but definitely a more realistic increase one would expect. Perhaps we are entering a new cycle in real estate; one that reflects adjusted home prices, sensible lending practices, and smarter buyers.

5 Tips To Help You Purchase An Air Purifier For Your Business

Today, businesses around the world are getting back to normal after the pandemic. However, there is still a lot of risk of airborne transmission of bacteria and viruses. Due to wearing a mask and staying away from people, most people have become weaker as far as immunity is concerned. Therefore, they are unable to protect themselves against respiratory viruses, such as the common cold and flu. If you are in this situation, we suggest that you invest in a good air purifier. Given below is a description of 5 tips that can help you purchase the best unit.

Technology

We suggest that you go for the best technology to cover your needs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), air purifiers with HEPA filters can help you capture tiny particles of COVID-19. As a supplemental treatment, you can also go for germicidal ultraviolet light.

The good thing about HEPA filters is that they are made to capture more than 99% of airborne particles. They also have a high filtration capacity.

Strong Airflow

According to CDC, your chosen unit should have a powerful fan for the best circulation of air in your home or office. In other words, you cannot use residential units in your office or other commercial building. The reason is that they have weekend fans.

The point is that high-powered fans create a lot of air pressure. The idea is to make sure that there is enough airflow for proper air circulation across the whole place. For a commercial, you may want to invest in a medical-grade air purifier.

Reputation

Reputation is another major factor that you must consider. If you want to purchase a business air purifier, we suggest that you don’t just buy from any reputable brand. What you need to do is consider independent scientific testing performed in real-life situations. Besides, these tests should be done at a reputable center for validating claims.

Besides, you may want to consider case studies and get in touch with a few quoted customers in order to know about their experience. As a matter of fact, most buyers can happily share their views about the products that they have purchased.

So, you may want to read the sustainability credentials of the manufacturer before making this purchase for the first time.

Cost

You may want to purchase these devices as if you are going to make an investment. You may not want to take it as a cost or expense. Unlike a residential air purifier, hospital-grade units are far more expensive. Therefore, you may want to consider the cost factor before setting your project and purchasing these units for your business needs.

Conclusion

Long story short, we suggest that you consider these essential factors if you are going to purchase an air purifier for your business for the first time. The idea is to ensure that you get the best product that will cover your needs and stand the test of time. Hopefully, these five tips will help you make an informed decision.