Bicycle Nation: 30 facts and stats about the U.S. cycling movement

From riverside trails that stretch for dozens of miles to midtown streets, rolling hills in the shadow of the Sierras to the streets of Davis, the greater Sacramento is one of the most dynamic bicycling metropolitan areas in the U.S.

To pay tribute to our two-wheeled enthusiasts, we’re bringing you a two-part series that outlines all you need to know about the cycling lifestyle. In this blog, we’ll cover 30 facts and statistics about the cycling movement in the U.S. – and particularly about those who commute to work by bicycle. In part two, we’ll highlight Sacramento’s cycling culture, including the best places to take a spin and rules of the road so drivers and cyclists can coexist safely.

30 facts and statistics about the cycling movement in the U.S.:

1.   In 2016, about 12.4% of Americans hopped on their bicycles and took a spin on a regular basis, adding up to about 59.67 million cyclists in the U.S.

2.   Every year, Americans spend $8.1 billion on bicycles, gear, cycling clothing, events, and other related expenses. That includes approximately 17.4 million bicycles sold every year.

3.   Overall, the cycling industry creates about 770,000 jobs and contributes $10 billion in taxes to the US economy.

4.   Between 1990 and 2009, the number of bike trips we took more than doubled, from 1.8 billion to 4 billion every year!

5.   Those trips are often commutes to work, pedals around the neighborhood, and other short rides, as 50% of all trips Americans make are 3 miles or less, and 28% are shorter than 1 mile.

6.   The number of people who ride their bike to work has surged, with a 60% increase from 488,000 cyclists in 2000 to 786,000 by 2012.

7.   While that still only accounts for 0.6% of all commuters, it marks a steady increase – particularly in major cities.

8.   Growth has been astronomical in big cities like Washington DC (498%), Portland (408%), Chicago, (389%), San Francisco (301%), New Orleans (292%), Philadelphia (296%), and many others.

9.   Portland, Ore., holds the crown as the major city with the highest rate of bicycle commuters, at 6.1%.

10.            Over the last few decades, we've seen a siginifcant growth of bicycle friendly communities across the US. In fact, communities that welcome and accommodate for large-scale cycling have grown 62% nationally in that time.

11.            The Western United States has the highest rates of biking to work, with 1.1% of the working population using a bicycle to get to their job. The Southern U.S. has the lowest rate, at only 0.3%.

12.            One of the hot new trends in these major cities is the growing presence of e-bikes. In fact, projected worldwide sales of e-bikes are expected to climb to 40.3 million by the year 2023.

13.            Almost all of the growth in bicycling in the U.S. over the last twenty years has come from men aged 25-64, not youth or women.

14.            In fact, youth cyclists have declined steadily (gone are the halcyon days of our childhood when the whole neighborhood would be out on bikes until it got dark). But among young adults 18 to 24 years old, the number of cyclists rose by 5.7 million between 2008 and 2013.

15.            Men are far more likely to be cyclists in the U.S., with 76% of all bike trips made by men compared to only 24% by women.

16.            In the US, men are also more likely to commute to work on a bicycle at a rate almost 3-to-1 over women, as 0.8% of men bike to work compared to only 0.3% of women.

17.            But in many European nations, women bike riders equal – or even surpass – men. For instance, in Germany, 49% of all bike trips are made by women, and in the Netherlands, 55% of all cyclists are women!

18.            The average cyclists that commutes to work is a 39-year old professional white-collar male with an annual household income of more than $45,000, riding 10.6 months out of the year.

19.            Interestingly, when it comes to cycling to work, those with a graduate, Ph.D., or professional degree lead all demographics with 0.9% rate of commuting via cycle, but the second-highest group is those with a high school diploma or less, at 0.7%.

20.            Of course, these high rates are born out of necessity, as we can see when we look at the fact that 1.5% of people who make $10,000 or less commute to work on a bicycle, the highest rate of any income category.

21.            Employees with flexible job schedules are more likely to commute to work on bikes than those who have set hours.

22.            The median commute time for to get to work on a bicycle is 19.3 minutes.

23.            What kind of bike do commuters ride?

30% mountain bike,

28% road bike,

18% hybrid, and

17% touring bike

24.            The average cost of that bicycle used to commute to work is $687.

25.            Additionally, 35% of all bicycle commuters have a second bike that they use in bad weather.

26.            In order to frame the conversation about cycling to work, we should point out that, on average, Americans get in their car to make 4 trips a day, totaling 40 miles and 55 minutes. Only 15% of those trips are for work purposes.

27.            What would make more Americans start cycling to work? Reportedly, when gas prices rise above $4, more people start seeking alternative transportation to work, including cycling (as well as carpooling and public transportation).

28.            47% of Americans – almost half – say that they want more bike paths, bike lanes, and trails for cycling in their cities and communities.

29.            Increasing the number of bicycle commuters and riders is often as simple as adding bike lanes. During the summer of 2014, only 53 U.S. cities in 24 states had dedicated bike lanes. But by the start of 2015, that number had nearly quadrupled to 200 cities.

30.            What might a bicycle-friendly society look like? We can take a cue from San Francisco during the annual Bike To Work Day when at least 75% of all traffic on major thoroughfares like Market Street were bicycles!

15 More small space hacks for your home, office, or dorm room!

One of the most interesting trends in real estate these days is the move towards smaller floor plans. In fact, our average home square footage is lower now than even ten years ago, and older homes can be big on charm but short on square footage.

But none of that means you have to sacrifice utility, convenience or even fun, as there are plenty of creative ways to make great use of the space you already have. In part one of this blog we covered our first 10 small space hacks, and here are 15 more great ways to expand, enjoy, and improve any smaller living space!

Floating shelves
You can hang shelves just about anywhere to add storage and display space, including in front of windows, over doors, and even in corners – which is a fantastic way to maximize unused space in a small room!

Eye level shelving
Too often, people think that bookcases or shelving are reserved for the bottom half of the wall, which essentially makes that space unusable for anything else like putting a couch there, a TV, artwork, lamps, etc. But raise your shelves to eye level, reaching up to the ceiling, and you can still use that wall space for just about anything and still have extra storage.

 Fold down desks, tables, counters, etc.
Back in the 1950s and 60s, just about every house was built with an ironing board that folded up into the wall behind a small cabinet door, and then came down when the ironing needed to be done. These days, most houses have dedicated laundry areas or collapsible ironing boards, but you can use that same concept by folding up and hiding desks, counter tops, vanity tables, and just about anything else into the wall

Hang things from ceiling
You know what your floorplan has a lot of, no matter how cramped? A lot of unused ceiling space! You can utilize all of that blank white overhead by adding hanging shelving, lamps, chairs, storage nooks, and just about everything else you need to save space.

Lofts
There are some seriously cool things you can do with lofts in just about any room to add storage, additional fun living spaces, or even an additional place to sleep. Of course, these work best when you have high ceilings but just about any space can accommodate some kind of loft for storage.

Multitasking with furniture
Mix and match the practical uses of your furniture, making a simple cube into a basket, a foot stool, a TV table, a seat, and much more – all easy to move around anywhere in the house you need it.

Racks on the back of doors
Your house also has a lot of doors, with unused space on either side. You probably don’t want to clutter up your front door and the main doors to your living areas, but why not hang some narrows shelves, shoe racks, and hanging carriers on the doors in the other parts of your house? (Just remember to measure or put in a stopper so they don’t bang the wall!)

Storage over the doors
While we're on the subject of doors, each one of your doorways has about 18 inches to 2 feet or more of wasted space right above it. You can easily add some storage racks or shelves above each one without people even noticing as they pass through.

Hide the television in the wall
A small living room or bedroom looks even more cramped once you mount you big screen TV on the wall. But you can save space and create a luxury home affect by hiding your television behind a mirror, a big painting or piece of art, or even a cabinet. Just add hinges and secure it to the wall and it will easily swing aside when you want to watch TV.

Chop table in half and anchor it to the wall
We talked about “skinny” tables that are perfect for the back of couches, but if you have a narrow hallway that won’t accommodate a full table, simply cut one in half and bolt it to the wall, with only two legs on the floor.

Under couch, chair, and table storage
Beneath your furniture there is a void of unused space, so why not just affix shelves to the bottom of your chairs or sofa where you can store books, speakers, the remote, houseplants, or whatever else is convenient.

Staircase shelving
Large “floating” stairways can easily be transformed into closets, reading nooks, or a place for plenty of shelving, but you can even turn your stairwell into more storage space by making each riser its own drawer! Just don’t forget to leave the drawers out when you walk down the stairs!

Mirror in the kitchen
If you have a narrow or crammed kitchen, such as in many urban apartments and older homes, your first instinct may be to cover it with appliances and utensils. But by adding a counter-to-ceiling mirror to line the wall, your kitchen will look and feel WAY bigger. You can still install shelving along the mirrored wall so you don’t lose any functionality.

Over sink storage
Older bathrooms are usually cursed with some serious storage deficiencies, but you can easily add a whole lot of compartments to keep cosmetics, brushes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, lotions, etc. just by installing a simple wooden rack into the wall, over the sink, and below the mirror. Or, try installing a single wooden shelf in the same place.

Baskets
If you don't want to start screwing shelving into the bottom of your furniture or install a custom frame to make this work, you can store baskets or other containers under your couch and furniture instead.

Distressed home sales drop to 2007 levels.

We all know that the real estate market has roared back in a big way – particularly in Sacramento and other markets. But this week we received statistical confirmation of that, as recent data revealed that distressed home sales (foreclosures, REOs, short sales, etc.) fell to 7.7 percent in October 2016. That marks a seminal event – the lowest share of distressed home sales for any month sine October of 2007.

The high point (or statistical low point) was achieved after distressed home sales across the country fell by 2.9 percentage points from September 2016 to October 2016.

In fact, the number of distressed sales fell in all but eight states in the U.S. year-over-year.

Pop the champagne bottles; we’ve officially reached a normalized market when it comes to foreclosures and distressed sales, one we haven’t experienced since the mortgage crash and Great Recession.

Here are some other highlights of the recent findings:

At the peak of the foreclosure crisis in January 2009, distressed home sales accounted for 32.4 percent of all sales – just about one out of every three homes sold.

(Overall, about 14 million homes went into foreclosure, according to ATTOM Data Solutions.)

 REO sales (Real Estate Owned) properties made up 27.9 percent of all sales at that point, meaning more than one out of every five sales was a bank-owned foreclosure.

However, as of October 2016, REO sales made up only 5 percent of total home sales in the U.S., a drop of nearly 23 percent since the dark days of 2009.

Additionally, short sales were down to only 2.6 percent of all home sales as of October 2016, a nominal amount.

Interestingly, Maryland had the biggest ratio (not total number) of distressed sales of any state with 18.6 percent in October 2016. Connecticut (18.3 percent), Michigan (17 percent), New Jersey (15.8 percent) and Illinois (14.7 percent) followed suit as the top-five for the most distressed sales.

Of the states with the lowest share of distressed sales, North Dakota stood out as the best in the country for lack of foreclosures and short sales with only 2.7 percent distressed sales.

While it’s encouraging that distressed sales have fallen to 2007 numbers, one statistical metric does not a recovery make, as there are still signs that we haven’t quite reached a normal market.

For instance, before the real estate and mortgage crisis, the historical average for distressed sales hovered around 2 percent annually. So while our 5 percent is a victory, it still falls short of business-as-usual.

Even with all of the states that have seen decreased, only North Dakota and the District of Columbia are within one percentage point of their pre-crisis levels for distressed sales.

And according to RealtyTrac, there are currently 873,373 properties in U.S. that are in some stage of foreclosure (default, auction or bank owned) – a significant number.

But it’s all moving in the right direction since based on the current year-over-year decrease in distressed sales numbers, we’ll reach that “normal” 2-percent mark some time in the middle of 2018.

How about in the Sacramento region?

For Sacramento, the percentage of distressed home sale shares fell from 9.9 percent as of December 2014 to only 6.4 percent in December 2015.

While we had one of the highest percentages of distressed property sales in the country during the recession, steadily growing real estate prices, robust redevelopment and economic growth have increased the value of homes and led to shrinking foreclosures and short sales.

Why are so many people leaving California? (Or are they?)

Once a year or so, some reporter at some big national media outlet (almost never located in California), writes an article about the “exodus” of residents moving out of California. Their “the sky is falling” headlines usually document the large number of people that leave the state every year, as well as the exorbitant price of real estate, cost of living, an abundance of taxes, and other factors that are turning fertile California into a soon-to-be population wasteland.

While these articles stir up some readers and seemingly tell us what we already know when it comes to the high cost of living in California, they also happen to be largely untrue – or at least inaccurate depending on how you view the issue.

So we searched high and low for credible statistics and facts about population changes in California and will present our conclusions to you in this two-part series of blogs.

Here are 15 facts about the “exodus” of residents leaving California:

1. According to a recent US Census Bureau report, the state of California has “negative out-migration” to other states, with 129,233 residents leaving to live in other states in 2015 alone. That number represents the largest number of migrants to leave California since the recession ended.

2. In fact, California lost about 3.5 million residents to other states between 2010 and 2015, the highest number of any state in the U.S. during that time.

3. During the 12 months ending June 30, the number of people leaving California for another state exceeded by 61,100 the number who moved here from elsewhere in the U.S., according to state Finance Department statistics. The so-called "net outward migration" was the largest since 2011 when 63,300 more people fled California than entered.

4. While it may sound like an alarming number of Californians have moved out of the state since 2010, California has actually experienced negative outward migration in 22 of the last 25 years, so the trend isn’t new.

5. Remember, too, that California also took in 2.9 million new residents between 2010 and 2015, so a whole lot of people were moving into our state. In fact, only Florida (+3.2 million) and Texas (+3.1 million) had more new residents.

6. The conversation about the number of people that leave California needs to be framed by the fact that California is also the state with the largest population in the US, with 38.7 million residents in 2015.

7. Therefore, the population outflow represented a per-capital rate of 1.3 percent of its population annually for California, which is far below the US average rate of 2.3 percent of residents moving out of state that we documented above.

8. How does that compare with other states and the national average? From 2010 to 2015, an average of 2.3 percent of Americans moved across state lines every year – so California is far below the national average.

9. The states with the highest negative migration were Alaska (-11.6 percent), Wyoming (-5.4 percent), and North Dakota (-3.89 percent).

10. Remember that narrative that everyone is leaving California for Texas? While Texas is the top destination for departing California residents, it also had the second-largest negative migration pattern in the US behind California over that term. New York (-2.5 million people) and Florida (-2 million people) were next on the list.

11. In fact, no state had a lower per-capita movement rate than California’s 1.55 percent from 2010 to 2015! Texas (-1.6 percent) and Ohio and Michigan -1.8 percent) were next.

12. How did California fare in 2015? We lost 643,710 residents to other states in 2015, up 8 percent from 2014 and up 12 percent from the end of the recession. While that number may sound huge, California still had the second-lowest departure rate in the US in 2015, with Texas losing the most residents to other states.

13. 2015 was also a hot year for inter-state migration in general – not just for departing Californians. That year, 35 out of our 50 states saw a higher rate of departing residents. In total, interstate moves were up 2.4 percent in 2015 compared with 2014, and 12 percent higher than 2010.

14. Any discussion about people moving into and out of California needs to include a note about foreign migrants. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, California added 1.7 million new foreign residents from abroad, the highest in the country ahead of  Texas (+1.2 million) and Florida (+1.1 million.)

15. Foreigners added to California’s population a rate of about 0.76 percent annually since 201, well ahead of the US rate of 0.6 percent per year. If you look at it by per-capita population, California was the eighth-highest state for international new residents behind Hawaii, Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, New York, Maryland, and Virginia.

***
In part two of this blog, we’ll look at the most common factors why people are moving out of California, including real estate and housing prices, the cost of living, and taxes.

Everything You Need to Know About Home Warranties

What is a Home Warranty?
A home warranty is a service plan that protects a homeowner when their major mechanical systems and appliances break down, saving them from high repair costs. Home warranties are available on residential homes for both new construction and existing homes.

What it’s NOT:
Some people might get confused between a home warranty plan and a homeowner's insurance policy, but homeowners insurance is required by your mortgage company and covers your home and personal property in the event of an accident, fire, flood, or major system failure. Homeowners must maintain a homeowner's insurance policy, while a home warranty is optional.

How long does it last?
Home warranty service agreements can vary, but most last for a term of a year or sometimes more. Home warranties can be renewed.

What does it cover?
Home warranties cover normal wear and tear on a home’s systems and appliances.

Most new-home warranties furnished by builders cover the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of your home. These warranties also cover windows, plumbing, and electrical systems for workmanship and materials, but not the total replacement. Siding, drywall, paint, trim and stucco are also usually included.

However, one distinction to remember is that these MUST be in good working order when you sign the agreement with the warranty company, or else they are not eligible for repair. Most plans are customizable, so make sure to review your agreement before you sign it and ask plenty of questions to ensure that you're adequately covered.

What is NOT covered:
Consumers should be aware that standard home warranties don’t cover new home appliances. Unlike homeowners insurance, home warranties won’t cover the cost of staying in a hotel if you can’t stay in your residence (for instance, if a heater goes out in winter, your water heater causes a flood, etc.). Small breaks and defects like cracked tile, a scratched appliance, etc. are not covered, either.

The cost of a home warranty:
Home warranty policies range greatly based on the company, the level of coverage, the deductible, and the term. Most home warranty plans fall between $250 and $600 annually.

You’ll pay a deductible when you make a claim.
Any time you file a claim with your home warranty company, you’ll be required to pay a deductible, ranging from $50 to $100 per incident.
Different levels of coverage:
There is no one universal home warranty policy, so you’ll want to pick the level of coverage that best fits your needs. Basic coverage usually covers your furnace, A/C, and major appliances, while upgraded plans cover far more appliances and systems, albeit at a greater cost.

How does it work?
When an appliance or system in your home malfunctions due to normal wear and tear, the homeowner will call their warranty company and register a claim. The warranty company will then arrange for a contractor or repairman to come out to diagnose the problem and make the needed repairs or replace them all together.

Do age and condition matter?
As long as your systems and appliances were in good working order at the time you entered into the home warranty agreement, it won’t matter how old they are.

Home warranties also can help home sellers?
Home sellers can also purchase a home warranty plan and include it in the sale, transferring it to the new buyer. Studies show that homes that include a warranty sell 16% faster than homes that do not, with an average of 66.5 days on the market compared to 55.5, respectively. Homes for sale that offer a home warranty also sell for an average of $2,500 more than those without one!

Who does the repair work?
In the event of a problem, your home warranty company will ask you to submit a claim, at which time they will supply their own approved contractor to do the work. These contractors are often on their list due to pre-arranged discounts, so make sure to ask questions and get in writing that the quality of work, schedule, materials used, etc. won't be compromised.

The most common home warranty repairs:
28% Pool, pest, roof, etc.
26% HVAC (heating and air system)
22% Plumbing
13% Appliance
7% Rekey locks
4% Electrical

Customer satisfaction with home warranties isn’t a strong point.
Unfortunately, many consumers are caught unaware when things break in their home, but they aren't covered in their home warranty. Common customer gripes include the abundance of documentation the warranty company requires, the amount of reimbursement, and the fact that some items aren't included, and some claims denied.

It's always best to thoroughly review all agreements and ask plenty of questions before you pay for a home warranty, as well as keeping all receipts, documentation, and paperwork in case of an issue or dispute.

Should you get a home warranty?
Research shows that if your home new construction and homes less than ten years old, the chance of your appliances or systems failing is extremely small, rendering a home warranty an unneeded expense. However, for homes that are older than ten years and especially those with older big-ticket systems like HVAC, home warranties offer great assurance and save homeowners a lot of money.

FSBO Fail: Why trying to sell your own house simply doesn’t work

Every year, a very small portion of brave and misguided homeowners try to sell their homes themselves, without the help of a real estate agent. Why would anyone try to sell their home as a FSBO (For Sale By Owner)? Unless they happen to be a real estate attorney, there is only one likely motive: to try and save money.

After all, a typical full real estate commission is 6%, with 3% going to the buyer’s agent and 3% paid to the seller.

“Isn’t 6% of the sales price a whole lot to give up when selling my house?” their thinking usually goes, and rightfully so.

But remember that when listing FSBO, homeowners still need to pay a buyer’s commission of 3%. If they don’t offer a commission for the buyer’s realtor, no one will ever show the home or do business with them.

But maybe they'll just find a buyer that doesn't want to use a real estate agent, so they won't have to pay their commission? Wrong. The vast majority of buyers use a Realtor to help them and why wouldn't they, since it's free for them. If a buyer doesn't use a Realtor for some strange reason then surely they'll expect the appropriate discount – or more – from the seller.

So we’ve established that FSBOs are essentially just trying to save 3% of the sale price.

All of a sudden trying to go the FSBO route is only half as financially attractive. But FSBOs are even more financial fool’s gold, as we’ll see.

To address the obvious, I am a Realtor, so of course I have a vested interest in people using a real estate agent (me!) when buying or selling their home. But the facts that support using professional representation when selling your home don't need hyperbole or embellishment, as you'll see.

Here are 20 facts about homeowners who sell their home with the help of a Realtor versus those who (try) to sell on their own:

According to the latest reports, 89% of sellers now use a real estate agent to sell their home.

For Sale By Owner (FSBOs) accounted for only 8% of all home sales.

The remaining 3% can be accounted for with real estate attorneys, family-to-family sales, sales occurring during a divorce and the like.

Now let’s look at the ever-important financials when it comes to FSBOs versus using a Realtor to sell your home:

The average FSBO sold for $210,000.

Meanwhile, the average home listed with a real estate agent sold for $249,000.

That’s a difference of $39,000 – or 15.6% in sale price – when listing with a Realtor.

For every sale to be successful they need a buyer, so let’s look at the stats on home buyers using real estate agents to further illuminate this discussion. These days, 87% of homebuyers purchase their home through a professional real estate agent or broker.

That's a marked increase from the low point in 2001 when only 69% of buyers used a real estate agent or broker to sell.

While a good portion of those that don’t use a real estate agent try to sell themselves, there are other factors that contribute to those numbers, like sales between family members, divorcing spouses, direct from the builder and also company relocation sales.

When searching for a home, buyers used these information sources:

• Real estate agent: 87%
• Yard sign: 51%
• Mobile of tablet website or application: 57%
• Open house: 48%
• Mobile or tablet search engine: 54%
• Print newspaper advertisement: 20%

If the average FSBO sells for $210,000, the seller will net (discounting all other factors, taxes, fees, etc. for purposes of this illustration):

$210,000 - $6,300 (3% paid to buyer’s agent) = $203,700

Now let’s look at the average home sold with a Realtor.

Numerous studies and housing market research show that the average Realtor-listed home sells for $249,000. That means the seller would net (discounting all other factors, taxes, fees, again):

$249,000 - $7,470 (3% paid to buyer’s agent) - $7,470 (3% paid to listing agent) = $234,060

Even after paying a full commission to both agents, homeowners who sell with Realtors net 14.9% more profit.

That’s almost a 15% increase in profits just by using a Realtor!

If home sellers were truly motivated by putting the most money in their pockets as possible (and why wouldn’t they be?) and are thinking clearly (that’s the problem), data proves that they can make an additional 1/7th just by enlisting the help of a real estate agent.

But there are other compelling reasons not to list your home as a FSBO.

Time is also not on the side of FSBOs. Considering that:

Average time to sell for FSBO: 88 days
Average time to sell for listings with a Realtor: 69 days

So working with a Realtor saves at least 19 days, which is 22% longer on average, in an industry when time is definitely of the essence during limited hot-selling seasons of spring and summer, and the subsequent cooling of sales and prices during the winter.

Interestingly enough, 20% of FSBOs end up relisting on the MLS after the do not sell the first time, which creates a lot more work and time delays for the sellers.

When it comes to marketing their FSBO, how do sellers fare? Not very well, judging by these statistics:

The most common marketing tactics for FSBOs:

• Yard sign: 42%
• Friends, relatives, or neighbors: 32%
• Online classified advertisements: 14%
• Open house: 14%
• For-sale-by-owner websites: 15%
• Social networking websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.): 15%
• Multiple Listing Service (MLS) website: 10%
• Print newspaper advertisement: 3%
• Direct mail (flyers, postcards, etc.): 3%
• Video: 2%
• Other: 1%
• None: Did not actively market home: 25%

What were the biggest challenges FSBOs reported?

• Understanding and performing paperwork: 12%
• Getting the right price: 6%
• Preparing/fixing up home for sale: 6%
• Selling within the planned length of time: 18%
• Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale: 6%

In fact, a recent survey found that owners of FSBOs reported having 70% more stress during a transaction than those who sold with a Realtor.

The contracts, disclosures, documents, timelines, procedures, etc. necessary to sell a home sometimes reach hundreds of pages, and you can’t just skip them because you’re unfamiliar or selling a home yourself.

Additionally, there is the potential for HUGE liability issues with every single real estate transaction. People do end up getting sued and in court all the time when they don't properly disclose material facts about their house, their neighborhood, etc. A seller essentially magnifies their liability when they represent themselves in the sale of their own home (talk about a conflict of interest!).

There are even things you can’t say as a Realtor that extend to a homeowner when they decide to try and sell their own home, like Fair Housing Laws that curb discrimination, steering, redlining, and other practices. If you don’t know exactly what you can and can’t say – or even write in your ads for your home – you could be violating federal laws.

What does it all add up to?

If you want to net 14.9% more profit,
Have less stress 70% while working far less,
Sell 22% faster,
And avoid a huge liability and potential to be sued,

Then skip the thought of listing your home as a FSBO and do it the right way with a Realtor at the Alfano Group instead!

20 facts about the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

For many of us, one of our greatest childhood memories was when the circus came to town, and there is no better greatest show on earth than The Ringling Bros. circus. Sadly, it’s just been announced that the circus will be putting on its last show in 2017, then folding after nearly 150 years of entertaining the American public.

"After much evaluation and deliberation, my family and I have made the difficult business decision that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will hold its final performances in May of this year,” company's CEO Kenneth Feld said. Feld cited declining ticket sales, the public call for excluding elephants from the show, and high operating costs as a reason the business is no longer sustainable.

To celebrate the Greatest Show on Earth, here are 20 facts about the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus.

1. According to the company’s press release, The Ringling Bros. circus will hold its last performance in Uniondale, New York on May 21.

2. The seven “Ringling” brothers were born in Iowa and raised in Wisconsin, where their real name was Rungeling.

3. The brothers put on their first show in 1882 in Mazomanie, Wisconsin, advertised as the "Ringling Bros. Variety Performance."

4. Originally a competitor of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, the Ringling brothers and agreed to divide the country into territories where they could perform, which kept them out of Madison Square Garden in New York until 1905.

5. That year, the owner of the Barnum and Bailey circus passed away, and the Ringling brothers bought their circus in 1907 for $400,000 (about $8.5 million today). They ran them as two separate entities until 1919 when the Barnum and Bailey's Circus and the Ringling Bros. Circus were merged.

6. On July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, a fire broke out during one of the circus performances, killing 167 people and injuring at least 700 more. The cause of the blaze was never determined, but The Hartford Circus Fire remains one of the worst fires in U.S. history.

7. They certainly take their clowning seriously at the circus so in 1968, a Circus Clown College was founded by Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey to teach, uphold and pass on the art of clowning – although women weren’t allowed to enroll until 1970.

8. In 1978, Feld Entertainment purchased the original Ringling Bros. Circus for $8 million.

9. The owner, Irvin Feld, did away with the freak show section of performances because he didn’t want to make money by exploiting or demeaning other peoples’ appearances. Instead, he led the circus into a more family-friendly era.

10. An entertainment institution in America, around 10 million people visited the Ringling Brothers circus every year, dubbed The Greatest Show on Earth.

11. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to between 90 and 120 cities the U.S. and Canada every year, making sure no city ever sees the same performance twice.

12. The entire circus travels between cities by train, divided into two separate train lines, the Red Unit and the Blue Unit. Both trains consist of 55 or 56 cars, span almost 5,000 feet and weigh more than 4,000 tons.

13. The train lines include 33 conventional passenger cars for personnel, 2 container flats for storage, 17 piggyback flats to carry equipment, props, stage sets, and vehicles, and 4 animal stock cars.

14. In later years, the circus made huge concessions to ensure that their animals were treated well, especially the elephants.

15. Animal stock cars were specially designed for ventilation and climate control, had all animals facing each other, well-trained humans attending them, and sat directly behind the locomotive for the smoothest ride.

16. These pampered elephants were also given a supply of food and water. In fact, each circus elephant ate about 150-250 pounds of hay, grains, fruits and vegetables daily, as well as drinking 30-50 gallons of water.

17. In all, it took six hours to unload the train at every stop and twelve hours to set up for the next show!

18. To answer a rising outcry about the dwindling number of elephants in the wild and their treatment in the circus, The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC) was established in 1995. Sitting on 200 acres in central Florida, it's a place that tends to the safety, health, reproduction, and retirement of the endangered Asian elephant, now with less than 35,000 alive on the planet.

19. However, in 2016, the 40 remaining elephants used by the circus were retired from performing after officials faced decades of lawsuits, protests, and concerns from animal rights advocates. According to the company, ticket sales took a huge hit once elephants were no longer part of the circus.

20. The beloved circus may be closing its doors, but it certainly won't be forgotten, as several books and movies are in the works about circuses in American history, including a movie entitled "The Greatest Showman on Earth" about P.T. Barnum starring Hugh Jackman.

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So what did you like best about the circus?