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Thursday, July 25, 2024

Register Lead Certificates for Pre-1978 Rentals by October 1, 2024

Rhode Island law requires lead inspectors to file lead certificates for pre-1978 rental properties after inspecting them. A newer law requires property owners to register their pre-1978 rental properties by October 1, 2024 with a new Department of Health registry that is in the process of being created. Governor McKee filed legislation to postpone the law for a year, but it did not pass.

 

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Thursday, July 25, 2024

New Law Makes Fees Charged to Tenant More Transparent

Starting on January 1, 2025, a new law will make it easier for tenants to understand the full cost of a rental.  Rhode Island Public Laws 308 and 309, which are identical,  will require a landlord to disclose all fees to a tenant in writing as part of a written rental agreement or a separate disclosure if there is no written rental agreement.  The fees must be mentioned in the same section as rent.

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Monday, July 22, 2024

Though inventory grows, R.I.’s median home price continues to rise

By RI REALTORS

Warwick, R.I. – July 22, 2024 – Despite a 32% increase in the number of single-family homes on the market since June of last year, the median price of Rhode Island homes sold last month continued to rise, hitting a new high of $494,000. The figure represented an 11.6% increase in median price from 12 months earlier, the Rhode Island Association of Realtors reported today.

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Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Changes to RIAR Purchase and Sales Agreements

By RI REALTORS

On August 14, 2024, State-Wide Multiple Listing Service, Inc. will remove compensation fields and rules from MLS to comply with the proposed NAR antitrust settlement agreement. To help members comply with the settlement agreement, the Rhode Island Association of REALTORS® has added a new Professional Services Fee section to the purchase and sales agreements. 

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Friday, June 21, 2024

R.I.’s Single-family and Multifamily Home Sales Hit New Highs

By RI REALTORS

Warwick, R.I. – June 21, 2024 -- Today, the Rhode Island Association of Realtors reported that the median price of residential property sales in Rhode Island soared to new heights in May, with multifamily home sales leading the pack. Multifamily homes with up to four units saw a 23.9% increase from the median price of $440,000 realized just 12 months earlier. The median price of multifamily homes has increased 78.7% in the past four years, hitting a new record of $545,000 last month.

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Tuesday, June 18, 2024

New Shoreline Access Disclosure Law

In late June, 2023, a new law gave members of the public the right to access private beaches up to ten feet above the “recognizable high tide line.”  In 2024, legislation was filed to require sellers to notify buyers of the public’s shoreline access rights to make sure that new owners are aware of the law and do not interfere with these rights.

On June 17, 2024, Governor McKee signed H7376A and it went into  effect immediately. 

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Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Electrical Inspection Legislation Not Good News for Prospective Homebuyers

Warwick, R.I. – May 28, 2024 – (Updated June 13, 2024) --A controversial bill will be voted on by the R.I. House Corporations Committee on Wednesday which would create more costs to homebuyers and delay closings, adding to the state’s housing woes, cautioned the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. 

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Monday, May 20, 2024

Dual Facilitation and Conflict of Interest

A real estate licensee represents a buyer and seller as a dual facilitator in the same real estate transaction. Before the closing, that licensee helps the buyer negotiate a contract to re-sell the property to another buyer.  Immediately after the closing, the same buyer – now the new owner - re-sells the property for more than 50% more than he/she paid for the property with the assistance of the same licensee.  Did the licensee act ethically and legally?

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