Tag Archives: women

How Women Behind the Scenes Helped Sandra Oh Make Emmy History

Posted on by NAWRB
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17 Jul

History was made when this year’s 70th Annual Primetime Emmy nominations were announced on July 12th and Sandra Oh took a Lead Actress nod for her portrayal of Eve Polastri on the BBC series ‘Killing Eve.’ With her nomination, Oh became the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for a Lead Actress role. Oh first came to widespread attention as an actress with the 2004 independent movie Sideways, but like most successful actors and actresses, Oh had been building a career both on the stage and screen long before.

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If Men and Women Are More Similar Than Not, Why Do They Feel Differently About Homeownership?

Posted on by NAWRB
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06 Jul

The unique challenges women have faced in the past and continue to face today make owning a home a tangible sign of success for a woman. A woman’s home is a space to creatively express desires and dreams and to evoke certain feelings. From a practical standpoint, it’s an investment and source of security that remains a constant regardless of her marital status.

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First Lady of Illinois Delivering Keynote Address at NAWRB Conference

Posted on by NAWRB
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06 Jul

Women in the Housing & Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) is honored to announce that Diana Mendley Rauner, Ph.D., President of the Ounce of Prevention Fund and First Lady of Illinois, will deliver a Keynote Address during the 2018 NAWRB 5th Annual Conference, “Year of Women,” on July 29th-31st in Chicago, IL at The Standard Club.

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Single Mothers at the Border: A Crisis with Lasting Impact

Posted on by NAWRB
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24 Jun

As we think of the recent crisis at the South Texas border with children separated from their parents, first and foremost, the policy’s immediate impact comes to mind.  A child’s primary bond is with his or her parent. To anyone who understands that bond no analysis is needed to comprehend negative implications.

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Settling Up in Cincinnati, a Top City for Single Women Homebuyers

Posted on by NAWRB
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22 Jun

June is National Homeownership Month. This article is part of an ongoing series focusing on different aspects of women’s homeownership.

 

Single Women Outpace Men in Homeownership

 

In our 2018 Women in the Housing and Ecosystem Report, we found women have outpaced single men in homeownership consistently since 1986. This trend has most likely sustained because the reasons women seek homeownership are powerful, both from an economic and an emotional standpoint.

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Power-up Your Policymaking

Posted on by NAWRB
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20 Jun

How to turn your passion into action from boosting your local engagement or running for office

“This woman’s place is in the House-the House of Representatives”-Bella Abzug

It’s no new news that although we comprise a little over half the human population, women are severely underrepresented in both politics and business. Although great strides have been made and new fissures and cracks appear every day in that storied glass ceiling, for the busy everyday woman, moving from awareness to engagement can seem daunting. Continue reading →

Beyond Abuse: Finding Our Voice on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Posted on by NAWRB
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15 Jun

It started with a phone call from Capital One Financial Corporation on January 14th, 2016. “Ms. Patno, are you the sole owner of Desiree Patno Enterprises, Inc.?”

That simple call was how I found out that my husband’s accountant had been dispersing my unsigned business checks illegally, with some going into her personal accounts and several others paying her bills directly.

I was (and still am) angry that not only my trust was betrayed, but after years of hard work and developing a reputation as a successful businesswoman in the housing and real estate sector, I was, to put it quite simply, duped.

How could this happen to me? And if this could happen to me, in my mid-fifties, plugged into and engaged fully in my businesses, what happens to women older than me, with fewer resources at their fingertips and perhaps cognitive issues?

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Goodbye Sweet Spade: Remembering the Influential Style of Kate Spade

Posted on by NAWRB
05 Jun

Today we are saddened to find out that the influential designer Kate Spade was found dead. For someone known for an elegance associated with brightness and a certain smart yet playful style- it’s painful to think of such a voice being extinguished.

Kansas City, Missouri native Spade, who recently legally changed her name to Kate Valentine was an answer to an unspoken sartorial prayer: smart, put-together clothing with a quirky flair. Distinguished while not shying away from femininity, Kate helped women in the 1990s and early 2000s realize that to be taken seriously in the workplace doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have massive shoulder pads, dress like a man, or wear uncomfortable heels.

It really started with a handbag. The quest for an attractive yet practical tote, often a woman’s rolling office, medicine cabinet, and make-up bag, was the driving force behind the start of her eponymous brand.

She grew Kate Spade into what we would call today a fully fledged lifestyle brand: including a home and jewellery line.  In the process she became much more than a designer: she became a woman to admire for her unique blend of tastemaking and business acumen. Not unlike a Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch or Donna Karan.

As recently as 2015 she was named amongst Creative People in Business by Fast Company and inducted into the University of Missouri-Kansas City Hall of Entrepreneur Hall of Fame this past year.

She was someone to look up to and will be dearly missed. Our condolences go out to her family and everyone whose lives she touched.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU)s Could Help Women Meet Housing Goals

Posted on by Desiree Patno
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02 Jun

California has the highest poverty rate in the nation and we have an extreme shortage of affordable hosing. Single mothers are at a disadvantage of chosing to work an additional job to be able to afford housing for her family and still provide adequate supervision.

ADUs are small dwelling units on an existing residential property. Recent state policies, passed in 2016, have made it easier for homeowners in L.A. County to construct these additional dwelling units whether they are detached from the home or attached with a separate entrance, or even a garage conversion.

The advantages to having an ADU on your property are numerous: whether for extra rental income, a home office, or as a guest house. If done properly (up to code, enhancing rather than detracting from the aesthetic of your property), ADUs can add value to not only your residence but your life: turning unused space into a value generator.

However, the impact of building an ADU can have for an existing woman homeowner or single mother renter could be even more profound.

For a Home-Based Business

As highlighted in our 2018 Women in the Housing Ecosystem Report, Volume I that focuses on The State of Women’s Homeownership, aside from viewing a home as a secure sanctuary, women seek homeownership as a stable location to build a home-based business. An ADU provides extra space to grow that business, a safe-space to meet clients without having them directly enter into your living space and a location close enough to be super-convenient but separate enough to provide a distraction-free workspace.

An Additional Revenue Stream

There are more working mothers heading up families with children, or single-working mothers as well as women taking care of aging parents. An ADU can provide an additional revenue stream, allowing a woman to better care for children and aging adults without relying on a second income. On a side note, the homeowner could play it forward to help provide a more homebased living arrangement to single mothers. Who knows, maybe their kids would be a perfect playdate or their mother create some mommy time! There is social impact that also offsets financial impact.

Converting a Property to Rent-Controlled Status  

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors just approved their own new rules and several cities are in the process or already have their own specifc rules for dwellings. Adding an ADU might trigger rent stabilization because it is no longer considered a single-family residence, even if you are living in the same residence.

Before building an ADU, make sure to check any guidelines or restrictions put out by your city and county. Know your options, do your homework and this includes not only detached and attached additions, but pre-fab units as well.

Has the Role of Women in Business Made Progress?

Posted on by Debbie Hoffman and Alexandria Decatur
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11 May

During 2017, there was a noticeable increase of women’s leadership conferences held across the country and the world. At these conferences, women participated in dialogues regarding business strategies and discussed mutual professional challenges. Thus, while 2017 was a year in which women made strides, what was the path leading up to this movement toward professional growth? Specifically, are women in the industries of real estate and technology ready for change?

History
Women first became involved in the real estate industry as brokers and agents in the late 1800s and became well accepted as real estate professionals due to, if nothing else, the sheer number of women involved in the industry. Today women hold the majority of residential real estate positions, but men still maintain most executive positions. In the commercial real estate market, men dominate the profession.

A 2016 Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that women working in the real estate industry earn only 64 percent of a man’s annual average salary. While women have advanced in the residential real estate industry, they can still make strides by bridging the pay gap, gaining equal leadership positions and increasing sales in commercial real estate.

Compare this to women in technology. In the past thirty years, relatively few women have developed careers in technology fields, let alone high tech fields. In fact, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology’s (NCWIT) 2016 Women in Tech Report, the peak of women’s involvement in technology occupations, such as computing industry careers, was in 1991 when women held 36 percent of computing jobs. Women’s involvement has never since reached this percentage, but as the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, more women will likely enter the field.

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