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‘Biohacking’ Amenities Are What Wealthy Homebuyers Are Clamoring for Right Now—but Is It Worth the Investment Long Term?

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Once considered the pinnacle of wellness living, gyms and swimming pools were the go-to amenities for health-conscious homeowners. Today, affluent buyers are looking for "biohacking" amenities designed to optimize the body and extend longevity.

This includes everything from cold plunges and infrared saunas to luxury kitchens designed for optimal health.

"Million Dollar Listing New York" star Fredrik Eklund recently revealed that celebrity clients are moving beyond traditional gyms and spas to install these high-tech wellness features at home.

But will these investments actually hold up in resale?

The rise of biohacking amenities in luxury real estate

Fredrik Eklund tells Fortune magazine that celebrities are outfitting their homes with biohacking tools, and that the trend is intensifying.

Biohacking is a DIY approach to improving health, longevity, and well-being through wellness routines, recovery tech, and home-based optimization.

"Today’s luxury buyer places enormous emphasis on personal wellness and optimizing their living environment," says luxury real estate broker Jenny Lenz, managing director of Dolly Lenz Real Estate in Manhattan. "Biohacking amenities speak directly to that priority, which is why more developers and homeowners are leaning into the trend."

Many high-profile adopters swear by these biohacking techniques. Jason Buechel, the CEO of Whole Foods, is a long-time proponent of infrared saunas, as well as cold and hot plunges. Thrive Market co-founder and CEO Nick Green also has a barrel sauna and ice bath right outside his bedroom. And Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tangen calls steam saunas “a key to happiness.”

The most in-demand features right now

Wellness designer Sharon L. Sherman of Thyme and Place Design says steam showers and air tubs are in demand at the moment.

"They offer a great source of relaxation and recharge for the whole family," she says.

According to Lenz, high-profile buyers are also hyper-focused on wellness features such as purified air and water systems.

"They want to drink the cleanest water and breathe the purest air, even in the middle of a dense city like New York," she says.

Real estate agent Kirsti Jane, CEO of House of Luxury Group, has seen a surge in interest for smoothie stations, yoga spaces, and red light therapy beds in the luxury market, as well.

Lenz says saunas and cold plunges are also fast becoming must-haves for her high-end clients, while Sherman says she's getting more requests for refrigerated drawers in bathrooms for chilled towels and skincare elixirs.

"While traditional luxury amenities like pools and gyms are still sought after, biohacking features go deeper, supporting physical, emotional, and mental well-being," says Sherman. "They’re less about entertainment and more about optimizing how people feel and function every day."

Will these investments pay off in the long run?

San Diego-based real estate investor Jessica J. Vance, who often installs biohacking amenities in her resale properties, says cold plunges and hot tubs typically run anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000, while infrared saunas can run up to $10,000.

"In my opinion, these investments will pay off in the right property," she says. "Any biohacking improvement will be a value-add to a luxury buyer."

Andrew Tanner, global real estate advisor at Premier Sotheby's International Realty, says biohacking amenities are much more than a niche attraction for luxury buyers.

"If the right wellness features are available, there will always be a market for them—which makes them future-proof," he says. "Most of these buyers travel extensively and experience these things in wellness spas and luxury hotels, so why not at home?"

However, Sherman predicts that some of these features will age better than others.

"Cold-plunge pools might be more trend-sensitive, but steam showers and air tubs have already stood the test of time," she says.

Right now, red-hot biohacking features increase marketability.

"Biohacking amenities create buzz," says Lenz. "In a crowded market, anything that draws attention and brings buyers through the door is an advantage."

Many experts believe that biohacking amenities will boost resale value in the future, as well.

"Biohacking amenities, such as saunas, add $10,000 to $20,000 to resale value in wellness markets like Maui, and that’s a sign of modern luxury," says Evan Harlow, a real estate agent at Maui Elite Property. "Their attraction to health-aware clients will increase the property worth on average by 2% to 5%."

But biohacking can pay off in other ways, too.

Luxury real estate agent Casey Gaddy, of The Gaddy Group in Philadelphia, says, "Some of my clients see the return on investment in their well-being, which is worth the price tag."

Read more at Realtor.com

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Thinking About Renting Your House Instead of Selling? Read This First.

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If your house is on the market but you haven’t gotten any offers you’re comfortable with, you may be wondering: what do I do if it doesn’t sell? And for a growing number of homeowners, that’s turning into a new dilemma: should I just rent it instead?

There’s a term for this in the industry, and it’s called an accidental landlord. Here’s how Yahoo Finance defines it:

“These ‘accidental landlords’ are homeowners who tried to sell but couldn’t fetch the price they wanted — and instead have decided to rent out their homes until conditions improve.”

Why This Is Happening More Often Right Now

And right now, the number of homeowners turning into accidental landlords is rising. Business Insider explains why:

“While there have always been accidental landlords . . . an era of middling home sales brought on by a steep rise in borrowing rates — is minting a new wave of reluctant rental owners.”

Basically, sales have slowed down as buyers struggle with today’s affordability challenges. And that’s leaving some homeowners with listings that sit and go stale. And if they don’t want to drop their price to try to appeal to buyers, they may rent instead.

But here’s the thing you need to remember if renting your house has crossed your mind. Becoming a landlord wasn’t your original plan, and there’s probably a reason for that. It comes with a lot more responsibility (and risk) than most people expect.

So, if you find yourself toying with that option, ask yourself these questions first:

1. Does Your House Have Potential as a Profitable Rental?

Just because you can rent it doesn’t mean you should. For example:

  • Are you moving out of state? Managing maintenance from far away isn’t easy.

  • Does the home need repairs before it’s rental-ready? And do you have the time or the funds for that?

  • Is your neighborhood one that typically attracts renters, and would your house be profitable as one?

If any of those give you pause, it’s a sign selling might be the better move.

2. Are You Ready To Be a Landlord?

On paper, renting sounds like easy passive income. In reality, it often looks more like this:

  • Midnight calls about clogged toilets or broken air conditioners

  • Chasing down missed rent payments

  • Damage you’ll have to fix between tenants

As Redfin notes:

“Landlords have to fix things like broken pipes, defunct HVAC systems, and structural damage, among other essential repairs. If you don’t have a few thousand dollars on hand to take care of these repairs, you could end up in a bind.”

3. Have You Thought Through the True Costs?

According to Bankrate, here are just a few of the hidden costs that come with renting out your home:

  • A higher insurance premium (landlord insurance typically costs about 25% more)

  • Management fees (if you use a property manager, they typically charge around 10% of the rent)

  • Maintenance and advertising to find tenants

  • Gaps between tenants, where you cover the mortgage without rental income coming in

All of that adds up, fast.

While renting can be a smart move for the right person with the right house, if you’re only considering it because your listing didn’t get traction, there may be a better solution: talking to your current agent and revisiting the pricing strategy on your house first.

With their advice you can rework your strategy, relaunch at the right price, and attract real buyers to make the sale happen.

Bottom Line

Before you decide to rent your house, make sure to carefully weigh the pros and cons of becoming a landlord. For some homeowners, the hassle (and the expense) may not be worth it.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Patience Won’t Sell Your House. Pricing Will.

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Waiting for the perfect buyer to fall in love with your house? In today’s market, that’s usually not what’s holding things up. And here’s why.

Let’s be real. Homes are taking a week longer to sell than they did a year ago. According to Realtor.com:

“Homes are also taking longer to sell. The typical home spent 60 days on the market in August, seven days longer than last year and now above pre-pandemic norms for the second consecutive month. This was the 17th straight month of year-over-year increases in time on market.”

Part of that is because there are more homes on the market. So, with more options for buyers to choose from, they aren’t getting snatched up quite as fast. But there’s another big reason: price.

The Average List Price Isn’t Going Up – and That Matters

Today, a lot of homeowners are overshooting their list price. They remember the big climb in home prices a few years ago, and they don’t realize how much has changed.

One of the most important, but often overlooked, changes in today’s housing market is this: average list prices have held steady for the past few years.

That’s a big shift from a typical market, where prices were rising steadily each year. And it’s significantly different than the 2021-2022 surge when sellers could set their price just about anywhere and still attract multiple offers over asking.

But now? That trend has leveled off – and sellers who want to stay competitive need to take note.

Buyers are a lot more price sensitive now. And sellers can’t keep trying to inch the bar higher, or their house will sit without any offers.

Homeowners who expect to bring in more than their neighbors did last year may be setting themselves up for a longer, more frustrating experience.

And while homeowners are starting to realize prices can’t keep climbing at such a rapid pace, the hiccup is that list prices aren’t actually coming down yet as a result. They’re hanging around, holding steady. And sellers who make this mistake are often holding onto hope that they’ll be able to eek a few more dollars out of their sale. But that’s the problem right there.

If you want to sell today, you need to be in line with where the market is today. Not last year. Not during the pandemic. Today.

Because buyers will skip over homes that feel overpriced, even if it’s only by a little. It’s not that they aren’t interested. It’s just that in a market with more homes to choose from, buyers can be more selective, and sellers don’t get the same benefit of the doubt. If your house isn’t priced to sell, buyers just move on. They’ve got other options anyway.

4 Signs Your Price May Be Too High

You may already be feeling this yourself. If your home is listed and you’re not seeing results, watch for these common red flags noted by Bankrate:

  • You’re not getting many showings

  • You haven’t gotten any offers (or you’ve only gotten lowball offers)

  • Buyers that do come to see your house leave overly negative feedback

  • Your house has been sitting on the market longer than the average for your area

If any of these sound familiar, know that waiting it out won’t fix it. But adjusting your price will.

So, What’s the Solution?

Work with your agent to make sure your house is positioned for today’s market. Depending on your what’s happening in your local area, a few weeks without traction can raise questions for buyers about whether your price is realistic. And don’t worry – it doesn’t have to be a big drop. Even a small adjustment can be enough to bring the right buyers through the door.

And if you’re worried you won’t get the high-ticket sale price you thought you would be able to land, keep in mind that your equity has probably grown quite a bit. Chances are, you’re still ahead of the game simply because you invested in a home over the last 5, 10, or more years. You’re still winning when you sell today.

Bottom Line

Patience isn’t a strategy. Pricing is.

If your home isn’t moving, the market is telling you something – and the right price can change everything. Your house will sell, if you price it strategically.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Garden Experts Share the One Thing You Should Never Do When Planting Bulbs This Fall

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The window for bulb planting is almost here, and your technique now will have a direct impact on the health of your flowers next year. Whether you’re planting tulips in the front yard or adding daffodils along a walkway, how you handle this stage of planting can be the difference between a thriving, show-stopping bed or a disappointing, thinned-out display.

While the process may seem relatively simple—dig, drop, cover, and wait for spring—several garden experts warn that a simple misstep can significantly undermine your efforts. They also point out a few other mistakes to avoid with your bulbs this year for the best results possible.

The One Thing You Should Never Do When Planting Bulbs

Let’s start with what we’re told matters most: Don’t plant your bulbs, corms, tubers, or rhizomes upside down. If you accidentally get it wrong, the shoots will still fight their way to the surface. However, this struggle saps energy and often leaves you with fewer or weaker flowers, and in some cases, no flowers at all.

“It sounds simple, but it happens often,” says Petar Ivanov, gardening and plant expert for Fantastic Gardeners. “The pointed end should face upwards, and the flatter, root plate end should face downwards.”

Lucie Bradley, a greenhouse expert from Easy Garden Irrigation, says you should look for signs of roots. “To identify the base of the bulb, study the shape and look for the flatter, rougher part of the bulb—you may even see where there have been roots before," she explains. "This is the base of the bulb and goes to the bottom of the hole you have dug."

Both experts note that it isn’t always easy to tell the top from the bottom of certain bulbs. If you’re stuck, they say you can just lay the bulb on its side. “Although this will slow down growth, it’s better than planting it upside down,” says Bradley.

Other Things You Shouldn't Do When Planting Bulbs

Unfortunately, putting your bulbs in the ground the wrong way isn’t the only mishap you can make. Here are several other bulb planting mistakes that can keep your flowers from blooming at their best.

Planting at the Wrong Depth

According to the plant experts we spoke to, this planting error was nearly as detrimental as planting the bulbs upside down. “Many people either only skim the surface or bury the bulbs too deep,” says Ivanov. “As a general rule, bulbs should be planted at a depth of about two to three times their own height. If they’re too shallow, they’re likely to get pushed up by frost or disturbed by animals. If they’re too deep, they will struggle to emerge.”

While that general depth guidance works for most bulbs, Bradley recommends checking the supplier's recommendations on planting depth whenever possible. “Smaller bulbs, such as crocuses, will be planted closer to the surface, while larger bulbs, such as daffodils, will be planted deeper,” she says. To keep at the right depth, find a trowel with a measuring gauge down the blade.

Planting Too Early

Keep an eye on overnight temperatures before you start planting. “For best results, plant the bulbs when there's a chill in the air, typically when nighttime temperatures are between 40 and 50 degrees—usually around late October to early November,” says Laura Janney, the founder of The Inspired Garden Masterclass.

Trent Brown, a landscape designer from Ground Break Design, says when you plant bulbs too early, they could start growing before the frost and get damaged through the winter. “Exact timing depends on the hardiness zone that you live in, but cool soil temperatures are ideal for bulb planting. As long as the soil is still workable and not frozen, try to wait as long as possible,” he says, adding that early to mid-October is usually a good time if you live in cooler climates.

Ignoring Soil Drainage or Quality

Bulbs hate sitting in waterlogged soil, and Ivanov says one of the biggest causes of bulb rot is planting them in heavy clay soil without amending it. “The right way is to work in grit, sand, or compost to improve the drainage," he says. “In very wet gardens, planting the bulbs in raised beds or pots can also solve the problem.”

Once you have the soil properly draining, Brown says you need to think about soil quality: “Consider mixing a good potting soil back into the hole you've dug to create favourable conditions in the spring. It doesn't hurt to sprinkle in a bulb fertilizer as well to help with root development when they take off.”

Using Damaged Bulbs

Unfortunately, buying damaged bulbs is relatively common and can result in poor growth or no growth at all. “Ideally, check how the bulbs look and feel before making your choices,” says Bradley. “Otherwise, if you are shopping for them online, buy from a well-known grower or from a company recommended to you, so you know you will get good-quality bulbs.”

When buying in person, select bulbs that are firm when squeezed. “Any that are soft or squishy are not healthy,” she says. Additionally, the surface of the bulb should look clean and dry, with no signs of mold, dark spots, or a shrivelled, papery texture.

“If you can check the weight of the bulb in your hand, then the weight should match the size—not too lightweight, as this indicates that the bulb has dried out, probably due to incorrect storage or being stored for too long," Bradley continues. A heavier bulb is usually healthier, fresher, and has been stored correctly, with the correct level of moisture and stored nutrients for healthy growth.

Read more at Real Simple

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Mortgage Applications Today: New Homeowner Loan Demand Climbs to 3-Year High as Interest Rates Fall

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Home loan applications jumped 9.2% from a week earlier, reaching the highest level in more than three years for the week ending Sept. 5, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. These results include an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday.

The surge comes after mortgage interest rates slipped to an 11-month low. The average rate on a 30-year fixed home loan was 6.5% for the week ending Sept. 4, according to Freddie Mac. The rate was down from the prior week when it was 6.56%.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, saw a 9.2% increase on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous week. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 3% from a week ago.

The refinance index increased 12% from the previous week and was up 34% from the same period a year ago.

The seasonally adjusted purchase index grew 7% from a week earlier. The unadjusted purchase index decreased 6% compared with the previous week and was 23% higher than the same week one year ago.

The amount of homeowners refinancing swelled. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 48.8% of total applications from 46.9% the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity increased to 9.2% of total applications.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) share of total applications decreased to 18.5% from 19.9% the week prior.

Veterans Affairs share of total applications increased to 15.3% from 13.8% the week prior. The USDA share of total applications increased to 0.6% from 0.5% the week prior.

"Mortgage rates declined for the second consecutive week as Treasury yields moved lower on data indicating that the labor market is weakening," said Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist. "The downward rate movement spurred the strongest week of borrower demand since 2022, with both purchase and refinance applications moving higher."

The economist added that purchase applications reached the highest level since July and continued to run more than 2% ahead of last year's pace.

Contract rates

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($806,500 or less) decreased to 6.49% from 6.64%, with points decreasing to 0.56 from 0.59 (including the origination fee) for 80% loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $806,500) decreased to 6.58% from 6.67%, with points decreasing to 0.39 from 0.44 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA decreased again to 6.31% from 6.35%, with points decreasing to 0.74 from 0.80 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.84% from 6.03%, with points increasing to 0.84 from 0.77 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to 5.9% from 5.94%, with points decreasing to 0.34 from 0.68 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

Mortgage rates calculated

Mortgage rates are calculated by various factors in the economy, and the length of your loan will also figure into the mortgage rate you qualify for.

The 30-year mortgage rate is tied to the yield of the 10-year Treasury note, according to Fannie Mae. As the yield on the 10-year Treasury note moves, mortgage rates follow.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note is determined by expectations for shorter-term interest rates in the economy over the duration of a bond, plus a term premium.

Read more at Realtor.com

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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