Issue link: http://dsnews.uberflip.com/i/975135
ยป VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 93 California YIMBY, a statewide pro- housing group, remains a key supporter of the bill, arguing on their website that "Last year, California passed laws to designate over $800 million per year for public transportation by increasing vehicle and gas taxes. SB 827 makes good on that investment by allowing more people to live near transit-rich areas." RE/MAX Acquires Technology Firm booj Real estate brokerage firm RE/MAX acquired booj, an award-winning Colorado- based web design, and technology company as part of its technology strategy. Moving forward, RE/MAX will lever- age the capabilities of booj and other strategic partners to deliver core technology solutions designed for and with RE/MAX affiliates, the company said in a statement. e acquisition will help RE/MAX use technology platforms that create a distinct competitive edge for its brokerages and agents and complement other tech products they choose to use. "Our strategy is to serve the industry's most productive agents by providing technology that saves them time, connects them to buyers and sellers, helps them leverage the brand and its many competitive advantages, and ultimately enables them to be even more productive and suc- cessful," said Adam Contos, RE/MAX CEO. Booj has developed powerful technology systems for more than 40 regional real estate companies and 20,000 agents, allowing agents and brokerages to grow their business. ese platforms, designed by and for the real estate industry, include websites, mobile apps, lead generation and cultivation systems and predic- tive analytics. "We're passionate about building technol- ogy that changes agents' lives and makes buy- ing and selling a home easier," said Ido Zucker, Enterprise Director and Managing Partner of booj. "Putting our existing platform and inno- vations into the hands of RE/MAX agents will be incredibly rewarding for our entire team. We're excited to see what world-class technolo- gies we can build together." San Francisco and San Jose Approaching Pre- Crash Highs e most recent Home Value Forecast (HVF) Monthly Housing Report by Pro Teck caught its readers with a bit of a surprise. ere Velocify LeadManager SMS texting un- locks a better prospect experience by integrat- ing and synchronizing text with other commu- nication channels while giving organizations a better way to ensure compliance and standards are followed. More Housing Near California Transit Stops Like many parts of the country, California is facing a crisis of housing availability and affordability. According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, 97.6 percent of California cities failed to meet their affordable housing goals in 2017. One proposed bill (SB 827) introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would attempt to combat this problem by eliminating restrictions on the number of houses permit- ted to be built within a half-mile of train, bus, and other transit routes and stations, as well as increasing height limits on new buildings constructed within that zone. "We have a severe housing shortage and part of the problem is that core areas with tran- sit access don't allow much housing," Sen. Wie- ner told the LA Times. "at creates sprawl, huge commutes and it's not sustainable." How much of a difference could this change make? Quite a bit, according to a 2016 study by think tank the McKinsey Global Institute. ey found that California could add as many as 3 million new homes if the state rezoned to allow housing within the half-mile limit of transit stops. However, the bill has its detractors. Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz didn't mince words when he called the plan "the worst idea I've ever heard." Koretz, who repre- sents parts of LA's Westside, told the Times, "I would have a neighborhood with little 1920s, '30s, and '40s single-family homes look like Dubai 10 years later." Koretz argues that the increase in home building would dramatically increase traffic in the existing single-family neighborhoods that would be affected. is past week, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti joined the voices in opposition to SB 287, citing concerns about affordability issues with the new home developments and potential impacts to the existing "character" of the neighbor- hoods that would be affected. Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar said in a statement, "Mayor Garcetti appreciates Sen. Wiener's bold proposal to help address our housing crisis, and the most recent amend- ments are encouraging. But this bill is still too blunt for our single-family home areas." sand people," Cox said, "but it's not going to help the hundreds of thousands who are living day-to-day spending 40 to 50 percent of their income on housing." Ellie Mae's Velocify Platform Wins LeadsCouncil Leader Award Pleasanton, California-based Ellie Mae, which provides a cloud-based analytics plat- form for the mortgage industry, announced that its platform, Velocify, was recognized with a LeadsCouncil LEADER award for outstanding performance and innovation in the lead generation industry. Velocify is the recipient of one of only six coveted accolades awarded annually by the LeadsCouncil organi- zation, the company said in a statement. e LeadsCouncil LEADER Awards are the online lead generation industry's first and only independent award program designed to acknowledge outstanding lead generation and lead technology companies. "It's incredibly humbling for Velocify to be recognized by LeadsCouncil and our industry peers for being a top innovator," said Nick Hedges, SVP, Consumer Engagement Strategy at Ellie Mae. "With Ellie Mae, we're continuing our commitment to innovation and launching initiatives like enriched text messag- ing in LeadManager to better mobilize sales organizations and give them the tools they need to provide a winning consumer engage- ment experience." Ellie Mae has also unveiled a completely redesigned Velocify LeadManager SMS texting functionality that provides a seam- less and simple way to send automated and individual texts to mobile phones from within the solution. Velocify LeadManager SMS texting em- powers sales professionals with the combined strength of integrated individual and bulk mes- saging and the administrative controls needed to engage prospects and customers on their mobile phones quickly, easily, and in a legally compliant way. "With the enriched texting functionality in Velocify LeadManager, sales organizations can boost engagement, drive quicker decisions, and improve conversions by intelligently and respect- fully weaving text messaging into the sales pro- cess," Hedges said. "No other technology delivers such powerful mobile communications integrated into a centralized lead management solution."