Here are the latest trends in new homes:

• Kitchen Central
  Today’s homes are all about casual living.  Gone are the formal parlors and living rooms.  Instead, the kitchen has become the heart of the home.  Kitchen space has expanded and absorbed family seating areas, making dining rooms nonessential.
• Getting Outside
  The other increasingly popular place for today’s families is outside.  Outdoor living areas, often with fire pits, sofas, and televisions, are becoming more and more essential in home design.  The line between indoors and outdoors is becoming more blurred through the use of glass doors that can turn a wall into an open space.
• Flexible Space
  Flex rooms, which are areas of the home that do not have a dedicated purpose, have become more common and can easily be transformed from one purpose to another without costly renovations.  For example, quiet office space or a suite for an aging relative.
• Healthy Living
  Green building is going mainstream.  The trend is towards healthy paints, high-efficiency AC/heating units, and the use of natural materials.
• Energy Efficiency
  Both government mandates and homeowner demands are pushing for an increase of a new home’s efficiency.  Solar power, better insulation, thermal windows, and LED lighting will continue to become features.
• Aging in Place
  America’s aging population is also influencing home design.  Older residents are looking for smaller, single-story homes that are easily navigable.
• Finding Community
  Homebuyers are looking not only for a home but also for a community.  New-home projects are adding fitness centers, clubhouses, and barbecue areas where people can socialize.

Original article can be found here:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/real-estate/home-pride/sd-ad-nh-homepride-trending-new-homes-20170912-story.html

A Zillow analysis of more than 32,000 photos from sold residential properties shows that specific colors can increase a home’s sale price. The analysis controlled for square footage, the age of the home, the date of the transaction, and location, and then compared the sale prices of homes with white walls versus those with more colorful paint.

Other than postponed closings, Hurricane Irma will not impact our booming real estate market.  Interest from out-of-state buyers remains very strong.  Florida is still better than living in most states.  California has earthquakes, wild fires, and mud slides, while the Midwest has tornadoes.  In Florida, the population has advance warning to prepare or evacuate before a hurricane hits.  Read full article here :
https://www.tbo.com/news/business/realestate/will-hurricane-irma-slow-tampa-bays-booming-real-estate-market/2337471

Even though a sinkhole has been deemed as repaired, it may still pose a major issue.  It is important that repairs were completed fully and properly to avoid a recurring issue.  Reviewing the completion reports by the engineers that oversaw the repairs can help to understand the extent of the repairs.

Take a look at the full article here:
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/is-sinkhole-damage-sinking-tampa-bay-property-values/2331077