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This week, we interviewed Andrew McCarthy from Ethos.

Let’s get to it!

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Andrew McCarthy, I’m originally from Mexico but living in New York for the past 5 years. Practiced law, moved to real estate and hospitality and then transitioned to the startup world. I’m the co-founder of Ethos Remote, a solution in which we create temporary remote offices and campuses in existing properties for teams to work and reclaim creativity, efficiency, and serendipity in a community of their peers while striving for holistic wellbeing and balance, as an alternative to work from home or the typical office. The Ethos Remote experience provides for amazing lodging, food and programming, and everything else needed on the ground.

What problem does your product/service solve?

Even before the pandemic but now more so than ever with work from home and a broken figure of remote work, we take on the issues of employee isolation and depression, loss of company culture, missing serendipity and creativity of teams and employees, overworking, and reduced work-life balance and wellbeing of employees, difficulties with talent attraction and retention and team building.

What are you most excited about right now?

We are excited by a shift in the mindset of people and employees all over the world that have figured out that the old way of living and working is not the only option; now you can live and work anywhere but also find balance in community and mind, body and spirit wellbeing.

We have personally experienced the transformation that living and working like that has on people, from the moment they arrive with fear, uncertainty, and doubt from all this time in isolation to the time they leave our experiences with hope, a shift in their outlook and perspective on what is possible!

What’s next for you?

We are focusing on two main drivers for the company:

  1.  Launching an incredible partnership with 1 Hotels to create our Ethos Remote experiences together with them to offer to their customers as well as ours; we believe this is very exciting as it proves the demand for this new type of product and customer that travels more often, for longer periods of time and that wants to work while they travel while striving for incredible experiences.
  2. Finalizing our seed round to hire a team for sales and execution of our pipeline of more than 15 companies, create our “Airbnb” of remote work platform, and achieve +$2M ARR.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

I care deeply about social issues and inequality as being from Mexico and being fortunate enough to travel to many countries, has opened my perspective as to the possibilities of progress and education. I am also very interested in how psychedelics can revolutionize the world of health and wellness, together with a revolution in conciseness and better choices that can save the planet.

Thanks to Andrew for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop us a line (Community @ geekestate dot com).

Source: geekestateblog.com

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Mortgage credit availability dropped in May, a consequence of a tougher mortgage landscape that has resulted in lender consolidation as well as high rates and limited inventory that has stretched consumer budgets.  

The monthly Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell by 3.1% to 96.5 last month, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. A decline of the index, benchmarked to 100 in March 2012, indicates that lending standards are tightening while an increase suggests loosening credit.

“Mortgage credit availability decreased for the third consecutive month, as the industry continued to see more consolidation and reduced capacity as a result of the tougher market,” Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting, said in a statement. “With this decline in availability, the MCAI is now at its lowest level since January 2013.”

While the Conventional MCAI, which does not include loans backed by the government, decreased 2.3%, the Government MCAI, which examines FHA, VA, and USDA loan programs, fell by 3.8%.

Of the two component indices of the conventional index, the Jumbo MCAI fell by 1.5% and the Conforming MCAI dropped by 3.9%.

The jumbo index had its first contraction in three months, as some depositories assess the impact of recent deposit outflows and reduce their appetite for jumbo loans, Kan said.

Wells Fargo, a formerly important jumbo mortgage lender, is reducing its home lending footprint, and JPMorgan Chase’s acquisition of First Republic Bank will result in the discontinuation of its popular jumbo mortgage program.

The drop in mortgage credit availability follows a spike in mortgage rates during the month of May, which rose to 6.43%, according to Freddie Mac.

Single-family home prices also rose to about $450,000 in May, according to data from Altos Research, up from around $443,000 in April.

Source: housingwire.com

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[Editor’s note: This is an announcement for an event put on by a member of the GEM.]

As part of a new initiative to involve the greater vendor industry, Keller Williams is hosting its first-ever Research Webinar hosted by the Corporate Development team. In the Webinar, they will be examining the impact that COVID had on the residential real estate industry.

Hosted by Jeff Tamaru (Director, Corporate Development) and Luke Mizell (Corporate Development Analyst).

The Zoom webinar is taking place June 11th at 12:00 PM Central Time.

Register Now

Source: geekestateblog.com

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Are you thinking about renting a home for the summer? Similar to buying or renting a permanent home, it is necessary to do thorough research.

Follow our guide to help you choose the best summer rental:

Why Rent: Renting a vacation house or apartment is a fun way to get away and spend the summer somewhere new. Staying at hotels with your family can be pricey, but renting a space allows you and your family to make your own meals, explore the surrounding area, and have a space that feels like home.

Location: Choosing the right location for your family is the most important component of picking a summer rental. Do you and your family enjoy water sports? Choose a location near the ocean or lake. Are you looking for outdoor adventures? Find a cabin in the woods.

Property Type: There are many types of rental properties to choose from. Single family homes are a popular option for families with young children or larger families who need extra space. Condominiums or time shares require less maintenance and come with amenities.

Pricing: The cost of summer rentals vary depending on property type and location. Some things to take into consideration are maintenance fees, amenities, and size.

List out the features you’d like your rental to have and plan accordingly then call a CENTURY 21® Agent who can help you find your dream summer rental!

Recommended Resources:

–Mortgage Calculator

–Affordability Calculator

–Amortization Calculator

–Refinancing Calculator

Source: century21.com

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Congratulations! You are ready to buy a home.

Purchasing a home is an exciting life milestone and is a huge decision with so many factors to consider. Finding the right property can be a challenge for growing families. What may seem like a good fit now may not be the best choice for your family in the long run.

Here are our 5 best tips when buying a home for your growing family:

  • Neighborhood – Do your research before looking at homes in neighborhoods that aren’t convenient for young families. Look into school districts, local parks, neighbors and proximity to doctors and hospitals. Consider the length of your commute to work so that you can maximize the amount of time you have to spend with your family.
  • Space – How many kids do you want to have? Simple things like sharing a bathroom or closet space can become a hassle in the long run. Families with small children might want to look into an open-concept floor plan for safety reasons. A designated playroom might be a smart idea for your family, or maybe you’d prefer two levels instead of three. List out what your priorities before making the move.
  • Affordability – Now that you know what you’re looking for, the next step is figuring out what type of home you can afford. A review of your income, savings, monthly expenses and debt will be necessary. Use our Affordability Calculator!
  • Offer – Once you’ve found your ideal house, it’s time to get started with the financial and contractual side of the purchase. Let your CENTURY 21® real estate professional guide you through this process. Purchase contracts vary in length and terms from state to state, and sometimes within a state. Multiple offers on the same home are not uncommon, so you may only get one chance to make an offer that the seller will consider. That’s why it’s important to think carefully about your strategy. In most cases it is better to have your real estate professional present the offer. Learn more here!
  • Inspection – Once you’ve made an offer, hire a professional home inspector to give the house a standard inspection and make sure that it is a safe home for your family.

Agents affiliated with the CENTURY 21 System are ready to make a commitment to help you capitalize on current market opportunities and assist you in making an informed decision. A CENTURY 21 Agent can help ensure you make the right choice for the long term, get a better understanding of different neighborhoods, schools, and market conditions, find a mortgage specialist, and more. Find an agent today!

Recommended Resources:
–Mortgage Calculator–Affordability Calculator–Amortization Calculator–Refinancing Calculator

Source: century21.com