How to buy a home without busting your budget

All the decisions and expenses that go with buying a new home could be overwhelming. A house is a massive purchase and you only want the best value for your money. Affordable housing manager Martin LaMar shares some easy tips on buying your first home without going completely broke or in debt.

Combine and add up your monthly income. If you are buying a home with your partner or spouse, make a budget based on your accumulated income. Take the time to add every source of income you receive each month. Once you have figured out total monthly income, you will be able to draft a budget plan based on the timeframe you have set for buying a house.

Compute your living expenses. Martin LaMar reminds that purchasing a house means spending money on utilities and maintenance each month. These items include gas, water, infotainment bills (cable and internet), electricity, garbage pick up, parking, homeowners association fees, insurance, and so on. Find out your average total each month and work hard not to go overboard.

Keep track of where your money goes. Taking down notes on where your money goes each month will help you understand your spending habits. It will help you determine which expenses you need to cut down.

Martin LaMar has over a decade of broad-based experience in the operations and management of affordable housing, which includes a clear comprehension of affordable and public housing programs. For more articles on affordable housing and budget management, visit this page.

2019 real estate trends that you can’t ignore

Real estate is an ever-changing industry with shifting trends that change every year. And factors such as prices and location are always part of the discussion. And now that 2019 is coming up, here are some real estate trends to keep track of in 2019 if you are thinking of purchasing your first home.

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 Prices will continue to go up. If there is anything that you need to know about real estate, it’s the fact that prices will just continue to spike up. Over the past 30 years, prices continually rise at an average rate of 3 to 5 percent each year. Remember that only 1 in 3 homes on the market today are priced below $200,000, and most buyers are competing for homes in that specific price range.

The resurgence of the co-op. For the past few years, new developments in the condominium market took a bite out of the co-op resale market. There will be new and more expensive projects, and real estate experts are experiencing buyers return to the uptown areas to purchase co-ops because of its moderate prices.

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More millennials can afford to buy homes. Because they are getting more streams of income, young adults will have a better capacity to purchase homes in the next year. This results to a rise in homeownership for this age group, who are still currently prancing on the luxury rental market at the moment.

A specialist in the field of operations and management of affordable housing, Martin LaMar is the Regional Vice President of McCormack Baron Salazar. Holding a clear understanding of affordable and public housing programs, Mr. LaMar carries full-management responsibility and oversight of financial, operational, marketing, and budgetary sides of the McCormack Baron Management communities in his territory. For more articles like this, visit this page. 

Could micro-apartments be the real estate wave of the future?

A number of factors have to be considered in building affordable housing for communities. In this blog, we’ll take a look at micro-apartments and how they can potentially solve the housing crisis in many cities.


There are two considerations here—population increase and the rising demand for living space (which leads to higher prices). People and city planners are finding it more difficult to find affordable places that at the same time provide acceptable standard of living.


While many areas around the country are getting more and more crowded, micro-apartments represent comfort in the midst of space maximization. Architects, interior designers, and furniture makers have developed methods for optimizing a small living space.


With spaces as small as 300 square feet, micro-apartments have it all, from a living room to a nook, to a bathroom, to a kitchen. Sofas have beds installed behind them, tables and chairs are foldable to create spaces when they are not in use, and storage spaces can be found behind stairs, which double as cabinets and book shelves.


There is of course, still the question of personal preference, especially when it comes to comfort. However, if the rent of a micro-apartment can match its size, people could find it easier to warm up to the idea.


What do you think of micro-apartments? Would you live in one? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.


Currently the Regional Vice President of McCormack Baron Salazar, Martin LaMar has more than 10 years of broad-based experience in the operations and management of affordable housing, which includes an in-depth knowledge of affordable and public housing programs. For more articles like this, visit this page.

Evergreen real estate tips to remember

Everyone who has been in the process of buying or selling a house knows that a lot of time, effort, and people skills are needed for sale to push through. This is the reason why having proven real estate tips up your sleeve is important, as it will make the sale, easier, faster, and stress-free. Here are some examples.

Stay on top of current housing and real estate trends. Whether you’re buying or selling, it is important to know fluctuating real estate values based on market dynamics and economic shifts. Use different resources so you will be comfortable in accepting or offering a price.


Buy whenever you can. One rule of real estate is that there’s never a wrong time to buy, only a wrong time to sell. Anything you buy will increase its value after a year or whenever a good time arrives. Hold the property until there’s an excellent opportunity to sell.

If you’re selling, keep your house in its best condition. Small maintenance jobs such as keeping your garden lovely, or making sure that the fence is painted go a long way. Know the selling point of your house and highlight it to potential buyers. You don’t have to always think that putting your house up on the market could be a stressful ordeal. If you think it’s too much work, it won't hurt to seek the help of a real estate agent or housing expert.


Martin LaMar is a specialist in the area of operations and management of affordable and public housing. His work places emphasis on real estate, property management, community development, asset management, new market tax credits, sustainability, and human capital among many others. For more similar reads, click here.

How housing improves overall quality of life.

The answer to what makes a long, fulfilling, and high-quality life is likely to involve the picture of a safe, comfortable house where one can live and thrive. In fact, housing programs can lay the foundation for people of varying ages and incomes to improve their chance of raising a happy family and being successful in their senior years. Here are ways that housing and an effective housing policy can lead to better quality of life in general.

Housing becomes a vehicle to improve the quality of life of residents toward better health, security, financial stability, and employment opportunities, to name a few. It has profound effects on individuals as well as communities, particularly when the project is designed with a modern, effective urban plan in mind.


Quality housing attracts top service providers to the community, from teachers and doctors to police and entrepreneurs. The flow and system of transportation enable residents to access jobs and attain job security, improving their financial standing and eliminating the need for long commutes or even cars. When there’s bustling housing, commercial spaces are aplenty, and there are more opportunities to earn a decent living, connect with people, or upgrade one’s level of living comfort. Walkable complexes, too, promote human interaction and strengthen social ties and communication.



Even affordable housing for seniors improve care and longevity, providing the necessary nursing services, wellness classes and opportunities to be fit and healthy, and facilities to monitor or manage disease.


In a nutshell, a strong housing in place helps people and families build wealth and prosperity, send their children to good school, and live in communities that are more conducive to long-term stability and success. The challenges in the housing sector remain and include a decline in income as well as overall ability to own a home, but the fact remains that respectable shelter is and will always be a basic human necessity.


Martin LaMar is the Regional Vice President of McCormack Baron Salazar. With more than 10 years of broad-based experience in the operations and management of affordable housing, including a deep comprehension of affordable and public housing programs, Mr. LaMar carries the full-management responsibility and oversight of the financial, operational, marketing, and budgetary aspects of the communities in his territory, under the McCormack Baron Management. Read more on this site.

Martin LaMar: Housing and development: A day in the life of a developer

Housing and development:  A day in the life of a developer

There is a common misconception that real estate and housing developers have glamorous lives. If by glamorous, people mean busy, then sure. But rest assured, there is very little glitz to be had for full-time developers. Let’s take a short look at their day.

In the morning, a developer is usually up and about as soon as the sun shines. He /she either works out, jogs a little bit, does some yoga, or any exercise that gets his/her mind ready and his/her blood flowing for what’s to come later on in the day.

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During breakfast and coffee, the developer goes online to scour the news, checking if any developments in the community real estate and housing sector affects his projects.

 An hour or two later, the developer visits the project site and goes over a number of details with the foreman. He/she finds out if there are additional issues, and thinks of solutions on the spot. He/she also calculates additional expenses, if any.

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After visiting the project site (where he’ll probably swing by again later in the afternoon), the developer heads out to the local government offices to talk to building inspectors and furnish all the required documents.

Before he/she ends his/her day, the developer then drives around town, looking for other promising areas where he/she could break ground in the future.

Martin LaMar is the Regional Vice President of McCormack Baron Salazar. With his career, he aims to make an impact on housing, social, health, and education policies. For more about Martin LaMar and his work, visit this page.

Martin LaMar on the Challenges of Toledo Housing

Martin LaMar on the Challenges of Housing in Toledo 

When Martin LaMar first arrived in Toledo to take over Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA), he knew then and there it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. The region was undergoing a huge change, which presented a number of challenges. The goal was to put up close to 200 new housing units that cost over $33 million overall. And it was a project that came in three phases. 

LaMar was quick to point out that three of the biggest tasks in the project were to update technology operations, collect data, and finally, market the LMHA.

It was evident at the onset that there was a gap between the technology at the agency’s disposal and the technology needed for the operation. To ensure more efficient communication, LaMar noted that an upgrade in their basic IT structure was a priority. This was going to be difficult with the annual decrease in funding.


One thing the lack of technology affected was the collection of accurate data on LMHA’s residents. This information, LaMar stressed, was of utmost importance since one of the agency’s aims was to align development with the specific needs to the residents, which were unique in many ways.

Marketing the LMHA, on the other hand, encountered a number of problems because as mentioned, Toledo had been undergoing a change wherein its citizens were migrating to a more progressive Atlanta.

All in all, LaMar did what he could with what he had, and in many ways, achieved a degree of success in helping the people of Toledo.

Martin LaMar worked with the Atlanta Housing Authority, holding positions such as Senior Project Manager, Director of Business Operations, and Director of Policy, Development, and Regulatory Affairs. He had shared his expertise with the Philadelphia Housing Authority as its Senior Vice President and Director of Resident Services and with Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Learn more about Martin here.