Real Estate

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  • Ask the HOA Expert

    Realty Times
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:00 pm

  • Do Photos Sell a Home?

    REALTOR.com® Blogs
    Lisa Lyons
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:00 am
    So many buyers, especially first-timers, are out looking  not so much for a house, but for a house that’s a real deal. And many assume that a “deal” equals a foreclosure.But not every foreclosure is a deal, as REALTOR® Kathy Novak of Racine, WI explains.“A foreclosure is not a deal when:– The cost of repairs and the price of the house exceed the home’s worth.– You don’t have the cash, talent, and/or time to fix it up.– The house doesn’t ‘fit’ your needs; it’s not practical. It may be too small and/or not have space for your beloved hobby, whether it is…

  • Hotels Poised to Shed Properties

    WSJ.com: Commercial Real Estate
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:10 pm
    Some home builders are re-examining land contracts, asking sellers for lower prices or abandoning deals entirely.

  • SL Green Sale Signals Pickup in New York

    WSJ.com: Commercial Real Estate
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:12 pm
    The U.K. office and retail REIT's strategy is to sell mature properties in order to raise cash for new investments.

  • Selecting and Designing the Ideal Office Space

    The Tenant Advisor
    CoyDavidson
    6 Sep 2010 | 9:08 pm
    Broker and Lawyer Collaboration in Lease Negotiations Commercial lease agreements are complex legal documents and in spite of their complexity some tenants tend to think of a lease as a rather simple, “standard” document. Often a tenant will make either the mistake of either not hiring a broker to represent their interests or not consulting an attorney before signing a landlord’s lease form. Every Tenant in a lease transaction should have legal counsel involved in the negotiation of the actual lease document. The best real estate attorney’s prefer to work with a client…
 
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    Wash Post Real Estate

  • Where We Live: Ashburn Manor in Virginia's Loudoun County

    Amy Reinink
    3 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Ashburn Manor is a neighborhood best defined by what it is not. Virginia - Loudoun County Virginia - United States - Loudoun - Counties

  • Lender could end up paying if all fees were not revealed at buyer's closing

    Ilyce R. Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin
    3 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Q: My wife and I purchased a house in Florida last April. This past weekend we received a letter and an invoice from the law office that acted as the parties' closing agent, informing us that we owed fees for "additional endorsements requested by the lender after the closing." Real estate - Business - Loan - United States - Mortgage

  • Featured Advertiser

    3 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm

  • Housewatch: Doctors prescribe a daily dose of nature

    Katherine Salant
    3 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    When cognitive psychologist Paul Atchley wants to take a break during his workday, he steps outside to roam a few of his 26 acres near Lawrence, Kan., and contemplate the vast expanse of the Great Plains. Although many have derisively characterized his landscape as being "flat as a pancake" and b... Health - United States - England - India - Shopping

  • Think ahead when doing work on a home about wiring rooms for TV cables

    Post
    3 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    If you're doing remodeling work or building a new home, it takes very little extra work to extend traditional cables to the various walls in a home that might eventually have a TV on or near them. Be sure to include in your budget money needed to extend these cables. If you can't do that, at leas... Television - Cable - Business - Accessories - Electronics
 
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    msnbc.com: Real estate

  • Home lending pace rises; most are refinancings

    8 Sep 2010 | 2:58 pm
    Americans applied to buy homes at the highest pace last week since May, but more than 8 of every 10 loan requests was for a refinancing, Mortgage Bankers Association data show. Mortgage Bankers Association - United States - Refinancing - Loan - Mortgage

  • Colleges going on real estate shopping sprees

    7 Sep 2010 | 2:58 pm
    Colleges and universities are buying up chunks of land at bargain prices, sometimes without a clear idea how they'll be used. Real estate - Business - Education - Colleges and Universities - Directories

  • Plan launched to help 'underwater' borrowers

    7 Sep 2010 | 2:12 pm
    The Obama administration is trying to jump-start its sputtering attempts to tackle the foreclosure crisis with an effort to assist homeowners who owe more on their properties than their homes are worth. Foreclosure - Presidency of Barack Obama - Jump start - Business - United States

  • Closing Costs: Recently sold megahomes

    7 Sep 2010 | 8:19 am
    These recently sold expensive homes sold on Realtor.com are as distinct as the regions they’re from. Realtor.com - Real estate - Business and Economy - United States - For sale by owner

  • Builders of N.Y. mosque face financial hurdles

    2 Sep 2010 | 4:37 pm
    The developers planning to build a $100 million Islamic center near the World Trade Center site are nearly a quarter-million dollars behind on real estate taxes and late fees. World Trade Center - Islam - Real estate - New York City - September 11 2001
 
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    BloodhoundRealty.com

  • Practical examples of how we cherry-pick profitable rental home investments in the near-suburbs of Phoenix.

    Greg Swann
    1 Sep 2010 | 1:10 pm
    Phoenix handyman Mark Deermer and I took a look at five relatively inexpensive homes in Surprise, a northwest suburb of Phoenix, that could work well as rentals properties. Our findings — with photos, links to MLS listings and projected financials — are linked here: Rental home investment possibilities in Surprise, Arizona. Here is one of the properties we saw, as an example of the kinds of things we’re taking into account: 17410 West Lisbon Lane, Surprise, AZ 85388 List price: $79,900. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. 1,578 square feet. Courtesy of: RE/MAX Professionals. Google map.

  • 50 under 100: Fifty three-bedroom and larger single-family homes in the western suburbs of Phoenix selling for less than $100,000.

    Greg Swann
    12 Aug 2010 | 6:36 pm
    I’ve been talking about low-priced condos lately, but don’t get the idea that single-family homes are selling for a king’s ransom. Just the opposite is true. If you’re willing to drive to some of the near-in suburbs, you can pick up a newer single-family home for less than $100,000. Want proof? Shown below are fifty decent homes selling for very low prices. These are the kind of homes I pick out for rental-property investors, but these houses would make nice homes for owner-occupants, as well. And, unlike condominiums, these homes can be financed. If you’d like…

  • 50 under 100: Fifty two-bedroom and larger condos in Central Phoenix selling for less than $100,000.

    Greg Swann
    9 Aug 2010 | 3:45 pm
    Central and North Central Phoenix are going to be at the center of everything when the metropolitan Phoenix real estate market gets back to normal. If we assume steadily higher gas prices, homes in town will do even better. Shown below are (count ‘em) 50 two-bedroom or larger condominiums right in the heart of everything, all of them selling for $100,000 or less. These are true condos, not co-ops, and the HOA fees are $250 a month or less for all of them. In other words, these properties will make good homes or profitable rental homes. And they’re all ready to be sold right now…

  • Phoenix-area condominium prices are in free fall: Here are 26 opportunities — out of hundreds — to buy a profitable rental property.

    Greg Swann
    4 Aug 2010 | 3:25 pm
    I’ve never loved multi-family properties as rental home investments. Phoenix is the world’s largest cow-town, and cowboys love their land. Fee-simple housing — the structures that come with their own dirt — has always performed better here, over the long haul, than any sort of condominium plat. My opinion hasn’t changed — but the prices sure have! Most condos cannot qualify for conforming Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA-style loans right now, with the result that condominium prices are effectively in free-fall. You’ll have to pay all cash to buy one, and…

  • Listing Phoenix-area real estate the Bloodhound way: QR codes are one more tactic to draw attention to your home.

    Greg Swann
    2 Aug 2010 | 1:52 pm
    Take a look at this: That’s a “QR code” that says: “Text HOUND9 to 88000.” If you snap a picture of it with a QR-code-reading client on your smart-phone, it should, in three steps or fewer, take you to a DriveBuy Technologies mobile web page for one of our short sale listings. We’ve been using DriveBuy’s SMS text messaging technology to promote our listings for some time. Adding the QR code to the DriveBuy mix will make it that much easier for people driving by to find out all about your home. If you appreciate good design, QR codes are plug ugly. But…
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    Bubble Meter - A housing bubble blog

  • Cash for Clunkers hurt poor and unemployed drivers

    James
    3 Sep 2010 | 3:29 am
    One year later, Cash for Clunkers was still a dumb, economically harmful idea:IN THE market for a used car? Good luck finding a bargain: The price of “pre-owned’’ vehicles has climbed considerably over the past year. ...No great insight was needed to realize that Cash for Clunkers would work a hardship on people unable to afford a new car. “All this program did for them,’’ I wrote last August, “was guarantee that used cars will become more expensive. Poorer drivers will be penalized to subsidize new cars for wealthier drivers.’’ ...When all is said and done, Cash for…

  • Aid for homeowners may be doing more economic harm than good

    James
    2 Sep 2010 | 4:35 am
    Fortune Magazine questions the usefulness of government programs to aid struggling homeowners:It's easy to see the need for such programs. Theoretically, they keep people in their homes and bring some stability to fragile housing market. But the plethora of programs announced since the housing crisis started have largely been failures, suggesting that any effort to fight foreclosures and boost home sales is going to be a futile one. ...Not even record low mortgages rates have boosted home sales or enticed a debt-weary public. Of course, this doesn't seem much of a shocker. Experts say home…

  • Banks helping more troubled homeowners than Obama

    James
    31 Aug 2010 | 2:55 am
    That's the claim made by CNNMoney:Remember how everyone complained that banks weren't doing enough to help troubled borrowers?Well ...Banks have realized that foreclosing on home after home after home may not be in anyone's best interest — least of all their own. So they've ramped up the number of loan modifications they're handing out to their delinquent clients.Banks are doing nearly twice as many modifications under their own foreclosure prevention initiatives than under the Obama administration's signature Home Affordable Modification Program, known as HAMP.But before homeowners…

  • Homeownership fetish harmful

    James
    30 Aug 2010 | 3:34 am
    Washington Post columnist Robert J. Samuelson writes:The relentless promotion of homeownership as the embodiment of the American dream has outlived its usefulness.Historically, the pursuit of homeownership dates to the Great Depression of the 1930s, notes historian A. Scott Henderson of Furman University. In some ways, it's a great success story. In 1940, 44 percent of households owned a home; by 1985, the rate was 64 percent. The size and quality of homes have increased dramatically. Owning a home contributes to neighborhood stability and encourages property improvement.Unfortunately, we let…

  • CNBC housing market discussion

    James
    27 Aug 2010 | 3:46 am
 
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    Paper Economy - A US Real Estate Bubble Blog

  • Beveridge Curve Balancing Act: July 2010

    SoldAtTheTop
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:04 am
    Looking deeper at today’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover report you can see that while the unemployment rate is showing notable initial signs of establishing a peak, the job openings rate is showing an equal but opposite troughing dynamic.Further, the latest data indicates that job hires are occurring at a rate of 3.7% of total employment while total job separations occurs at a rate of 3.7%.So, currently job hires and seperations are canceling each other thus resulting in, more or less, a stagnant job market and more evidence that the unemployment rate may stay elevated for some time.It's…

  • Economic Jolt: Job Openings and Labor Turnover July 2010

    SoldAtTheTop
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:54 am
    Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released their latest monthly read of job availability and labor turnover (JOLT) showing that private non-farm job “openings” increased 7.33% since June and rose 33.09% above the level seen in July 2009, job “hires” increased 0.35% since July and rising 4.07% above the level seen last year, while job “layoffs and discharges” declined 15.83% over the same period.Job “openings” (click chart below for larger version), the reports most leading “demand side” indicator, clearly appears to be in the process of defining a bottom vacillating…

  • Reading Rates: MBA Application Survey – September 08 2010

    SoldAtTheTop
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:34 am
    The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) publishes the results of a weekly applications survey that covers roughly 50 percent of all residential mortgage originations and tracks the average interest rate for 30 year and 15 year fixed rate mortgages, 1 year ARMs as well as application volume for both purchase and refinance applications.The purchase application index has been highlighted as a particularly important data series as it very broadly captures the demand side of residential real estate for both new and existing home purchases.The latest data is showing that the average rate for a 30…

  • First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, an Unmitigated Failure

    SoldAtTheTop
    7 Sep 2010 | 9:33 am
    At the risk of beating a dead horse I’d like to highlight very clearly exactly why the first-time homebuyer tax credit should unambiguously be considered failed policy that did (and will continue to do) far more harm than good.Recall that before its implementation the main argument against the policy was that by incentivizing home purchases, the government was at best forestalling the inevitable completion of the correction occurring in the nation’s housing markets while simultaneously encouraging millions of hapless American households to leverage up large debt burdens at the very moment…

  • Burying America’s Future One “Shovel Ready” Stimulus Plan at a Time

    SoldAtTheTop
    6 Sep 2010 | 12:46 pm
    With the administration slated to announce another $50 billion “shovel ready” stimulus plan today, Einstein’s oft quoted definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result) seems more relevant than ever.No… more infrastructure stimulus will not do the trick for our ailing economy but its proposal boldly demonstrates the incompetence of the current administration and the elites in Washington DC, continually focusing their attention on short-term gimmicks rather than formulating a real, confidence building, long term economic…
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    RISMedia » Consumer News and Advice

  • Exceeding Expectations, Pending Home Sales Rise 5.2%

    susanne
    2 Sep 2010 | 1:50 pm
    RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—Following a sharp drop in the months immediately after the expiration of the home buyer tax credit, pending home sales have modestly risen, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator, rose 5.2% to 79.4 based on contracts signed in July from a downwardly revised 75.5 in June, but remains 19.1% below July 2009 when it was 98.1. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, cautioned that there would be a…

  • HUD Announces First Look Program to Help Communities Stabilize Neighborhoods Hard-Hit by Foreclosure

    susanne
    2 Sep 2010 | 1:43 pm
    RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced an unprecedented agreement with the nation’s top mortgage lenders to offer selected state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations a “first look” or right of first refusal to purchase foreclosed homes before making these properties available to private investors. The National First Look Program is a first-ever public-private partnership agreement between HUD and the National Community Stabilization Trust (Stabilization Trust). In collaboration with national servicers,…

  • Simple Tips to Update Your Home and Create a Relaxing Sanctuary

    susanne
    2 Sep 2010 | 1:40 pm
    RISMEDIA, September 3, 2010—(MCT)—Some rooms scream “Help!” Others say nothing, and that’s a problem, too. Take the typical bedroom. Michael Payne has seen thousands. “The bedroom tends to get forgotten—you spend all your money elsewhere in the house,” said Payne, a celebrity interior designer and makeover specialist best known for his “Designing For The Sexes” series on HGTV. “You end up with a totally forgettable room that you don’t want your best friend to see.” Helping people find indoor harmony—particularly at affordable…

  • FHA Gives Home Buyers One Month Window to Lock in Low Insurance Premium

    susanne
    1 Sep 2010 | 1:34 pm
    RISMEDIA, September 2, 2010—“The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is giving homeowners and buyers until October 4, 2010 to lock in a low monthly insurance premium,” said Gibran Nicholas, chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that trains and certifies mortgage bankers and brokers. “After October 4, the monthly insurance premiums on FHA loans will increase by over 63%.” What does this mean for home buyers? A home buyer purchasing a $200,000 home using a $193,000 FHA mortgage before October 4 would pay an insurance premium of $88.46 per month. If the same home buyer waits…

  • Real Estate Veteran Offers Cure for Home Seller’s Blues

    susanne
    31 Aug 2010 | 1:18 pm
    RISMEDIA, September 1, 2010—With existing U.S. home sales diving to 15-year lows and millions of homes stagnant on the market, home sellers are suffering increasing anxiety, uncertainty and financial stress. To address these symptoms, motivational author Joan Gale Frank has published Home Seller’s Blues (And How To Beat Them). “This is the first book of its kind to cheer people on and up when their home isn’t selling,” says Frank, a long-time real estate investor domestically and abroad. “It also provides hundreds of practical tips on how to sell a home faster…
 
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    Home mortgage rates and real estate news - CNNMoney.com

  • A reward for responsible homeowners

    7 Sep 2010 | 2:52 am
    The government has bailed out Wall Street firms, giant banks, creditors of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- and is trying to bail out people who've defaulted or are about to default on their mortgages. But let's say you're a hardworking family that has done nothing wrong except buy a home when the housing bubble was at its peak a few years ago. Your mortgage is now way underwater, but you're still making payments because you want to stay in your home -- and you're actually honorable. You're paying for everyone else's bailout, but because you have no equity in your house, you can't refinance to…

  • Housing quagmire: Is it time to remove relief?

    2 Sep 2010 | 3:06 pm
    For the growing number of struggling homeowners in this country, more help is on the way. Additional aid from the federal government will begin making its way to them next month -- one program would help qualified homeowners refinance their mortgages after seeing their property values fall below the amount they owe, and the other includes another round of funding to help the unemployed or underemployed with their payments.

  • Tips for getting homeowners insurance

    2 Sep 2010 | 12:18 pm
    1. Loyalty is overrated

  • Home prices gain 3.6% in past year

    31 Aug 2010 | 6:53 am
    Despite a recent spate of bad news coming out of the housing industry, home prices show signs of stabilizing.

  • Surprise! Banks help more homeowners than Obama

    30 Aug 2010 | 4:21 am
    Remember how everyone complained that banks weren't doing enough to help troubled borrowers?
 
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    Commercial Property Executive

  • Canyon-Johnson Partners with HYM, Atlas on NorthPoint Development

    Allison Landa
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:53 pm
    September 8, 2010 By Allison Landa, News Editor Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds is joining forces with The HYM Investment Group, L.L.C. of Boston and Atlas Capital Group to develop the largest remaining land parcel in the city of Cambridge. That 44-acre lot, also known as the NorthPoint development, will eventually house a mix of residential, office, retail, hospitality and life sciences space as well as a 10-acre central park. Formerly a Pan Am rail yard, the lot is located across the Charles River from Massachusetts General Hospital. Daily planning and on-site development will be directed by…

  • USRC Survey: Hotel Market in Recovery Mode

    Allison Landa
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:48 am
    September 8, 2010 By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor Courtesy Flickr Creative Commons user timparkinson The hotel market is now on the road to recovery, as US Realty Consultants Inc.’s Mid-Year 2010 Hotel Investor Survey reveals. For both limited-service and full-service properties, the signs are there. As is the case with most other commercial real estate sectors, while investors have been able to get good deals on certain properties, those highly anticipated, bargain-basement prices never quite materialized, and now the price tags are slowly getting bigger. A rebound is in the air.

  • SL Green to Trade Midtown Manhattan Office Building for $123.2M

    Allison Landa
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:51 am
    September 8, 2010 By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor Continuing its portfolio repositioning strategy, New York City-based SL Green Realty Corp. has inked a deal to sell the 292,000-square-foot office building at 19 West 44th Street to Deka Immobilien for $123.2 million. SL Green will turn a none-too-shabby profit on the disposition, pocketing net proceeds of $118 million after having acquired the property for $67 million in 2004. Originally developed in 1916, 19 West 44th underwent a renovation program that paved the way for the REIT to increase the building’s occupancy level from 86…

  • Economy Watch: CRE Prices Inch Up: Green Street

    Allison Landa
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:41 am
    September 8, 2010 By Dees Stribling, Contributing Editor Courtesy Flickr Creative Commons user doug.siefken Commercial real estate transactions are still quite slow, at least when compared to the mid-2000s, when the market had rockets in its pockets and hustle in its muscle. But even in these flabbier times (in terms of CRE volume), some meaning can be teased out of the few sales that there are, says Newport Beach, Calif.-based Green Street Advisors, Green Street’s Commercial Property Price Index rose by 1 percent in August, the company said on Tuesday. Property values have now risen 25…

  • HFF Arranges $114M for Six-Property Industrial Portfolio

    Allison Landa
    7 Sep 2010 | 2:40 pm
    September 7, 2010 By Allison Landa, News Editor The Portland, Oregon office of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler said Tuesday that it has nailed down an impressive amount of financing for a six-property industrial portfolio: $114 million. The facilities are located in Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas and total 4.7 million square feet. According to HFF senior managing director Lloyd Minten, who worked exclusively on behalf of Cardinal Industrial Real Estate Services to secure the loan, the planned securitization underscores the improvements in the capital markets through the re-emergence…
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    Go Beyond MLS

  • The End Of Dotnext and LeapFish???

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    23 Aug 2010 | 10:47 am
    Shortly after publishing the previous post, an anonymous comment was submitted via contact form of the website. Here is what it said: just so you know, Ms. Slader is the only employee left at Dotnext. Everyone was let go yesterday Note to new readers: Dotnext Inc is a parent company of LeapFish. The Contra Costa Time in fact confirms that Dotnext has been “downsizing” while quoting the CEO of the company: ….”The company has downsized,” said Ben Behrouzi, a Danville resident who is founder and principal executive at DotNext…. …At its peak a few months…

  • Bloggers Are Disgusting & Twisted… According to LeapFish Employee.

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    10 Aug 2010 | 9:54 am
    LeapFish has been given a cold shoulder on many occasions by the leading technology blogs. However, today the things you say on the internet tend to stick around, something LeapFish management and employees fail to understand over and over again. Ms. Slader, who according to her several online profiles is an executive assistant of Dontnext, Inc. as well as company called LeapFish.com wrote the following Tweet: I rarely challenge people about what they say on twitter, unless their profile clearly states association with a particular company or institution. Here is what Ms. Slader’s…

  • Selling Your Website or Blog: eBay vs Flippa.com

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    7 Jul 2010 | 2:06 pm
    When I wrote about my intention to sell this blog, I certainly did not expect to still be it’s owner more than one month down the road. I would like to thank those offering feedback. Most of those providing the feedback agreed that when it comes to decidea price/value/worth of a website, the buyer will have a final say. Exposing this website to as many potential buyers as possible may not be as easy as initially envisioned. Part of me sincerely hope that the future owner of this website will be one of the regular readers or subscribers. I understand, however that my hope may not…

  • Make Your Google Local Listing “Stand Out” For $25 Per Month

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    25 Jun 2010 | 12:00 pm
    It was not the question of “if” but rather “when” would Google finally monetize on their “free” service called Googe Places (aka “Google Local Ads” and “Google Local Business Center”). If you have not logged into your account today, there is a surprise waiting for you. Google is offering you to “yellow tag” some features on your listing for a flat $25 per month fee. Depending on your choice, a yellow tag will appear in your listing, which should encourage internet users visit your website, browse your business’…

  • Would You Pay $234,706 For This Blog?

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    30 May 2010 | 6:10 am
    One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to downsize as far my websites and blogs are concerned. You probably guested alredy, Go Beyond MLS will be for sale soon, maybe days from now. To be honest I have never sold a website before, so this list of online website value estimators was rather handy to help me write this post. As you can see bellow the estimate range from over $200,000 to $103 (some of the widgets bellow may change by the time I publish this post though). So here are some of the estimates along with my thoughts on some of them… Markosweb.com estimate…
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    Housing Doom

  • Is Using A “Victim Strategy” In The Housing Market So Bad?

    twist
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:58 am
    It’s been a long time since we’ve visited Realty Times. A website that caters to realtors, it can always be counted on to look on the bright side, even when there isn’t one. Today they have an article by PJ Wade, a Canadian financial commentator.  As more and more people are hesitant to purchase a home in the current economic environment, Wade offers this advice: Waiting for things to go back to the way they were, and other “caught in the headlights” reactions, waste time and use up valuable resources. These “victim” strategies can make financial…

  • Happiness? £50,000. Once. Americans Need Not Apply

    johnm
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:01 am
    Surely somewhere old (and I do mean old) Bob Fludd is laughing his head off. Seems some bay leaf crowned idiot has been running around claiming that happiness maxes out at an annual salary of $75k.  Sounds suspiciously like a plot to get most people to try harder for a promotion.  Sort of the motivational HR manager’s equivalent of dangling the carrot in front of the horse. Guardian (9/6 ’10): “The price of happiness? £50,000pa” Well as it happens, the figure is right dead on, but the terms are incorrect.  As Bob’s good buddy Hilary Mantel well knows, just…

  • Bill Maloni: Private Label Securities, Redux

    johnm
    7 Sep 2010 | 12:01 am
    Doom and Bill Maloni go back several years. Although I rarely agree with the former senior Fannie lobbyist’s defense of the GSEs we are often ready to re-post his insightful articles. Especially when they say nice things about us ———————————————————– Happy September; Welcome Back to Work!! by Bill Maloni Private Label Securities, Redux In last week’s blog, I noted that Fannie’s and Freddie’s regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) took a surprising…

  • Crack of Doom: Did Ben Spill the ABCP Beans?

    johnm
    6 Sep 2010 | 1:30 am
    With the Fed possessing a world-class stable of lawyers, it’s a safe bet that every jot and tittle of the boss’ sworn testimony is rock-hard supportable.  Here I’m more interested in what he doesn’t say. Hat tip to Crane’s on this one.  Last Thursday Ben Bernanke unleashed a long, turgid clot of prepared Congressional testimony. (Now there’s a falsifiable statement and if you find it to be wrong congratulations on your good fortune! )  The prose was evidently so mind-numbing that even the Fed’s ace proofreaders’ glazed eyes read right through…

  • Pending Sales Show Pending Doom

    twist
    6 Sep 2010 | 12:01 am
    Thanks as always to Michael David White, who’s graphs always equal a thousand words: What’s a government to do?  The New York Times said yesterday: Over the last 18 months, the administration has rolled out just about every program it could think of to prop up the ailing housing market, using tax credits, mortgage modification programs, low interest rates, government-backed loans and other assistance intended to keep values up and delinquent borrowers out of foreclosure. The goal was to stabilize the market until a resurgent economy created new households that demanded places to…
 
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    TRANSPARENT REAL ESTATE

  • Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended for Some Military Personnel

    Pat Kitano
    25 Aug 2010 | 11:25 pm
    Due to the U.S. military’s involvement in overseas conflicts from 2008 to the present, the government has extended the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit until April 30, 2011, for some military personnel.Those who have been unable to receive this benefit due to military service now have the opportunity to utilize the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers or the $6,500 tax credit for existing home buyers.Qualifying for the Tax CreditActive-duty military members who served at least three months outside the U.S. during the last year may be able to purchase a home with the tax credits.

  • Engage your community by giving them what they want: Daily Deals!

    Pat Kitano
    23 Aug 2010 | 8:55 pm
    You may have been introduced to Groupon from last week's $25 for $50 worth of Gap clothes offering. It sold 441,000 coupons across America and made "Daily Deals" the war cry of the new local advertising model for the Great Recession. We've always believed the best way to engage your community is to give them what they want. In today's economy, deep discount daily deals makes complete sense. Yet, most consumers don't know hundreds of these great deals exist right in their own neighborhood. Well, give the people what they want to see: We've added a Deals! page onto our Breaking News Network…

  • Why HOW (Home Ownership Workshop) is the new WOW!

    Shashank Shekhar
    13 Jun 2010 | 10:57 pm
    Real Estate and Lending industry has always been ridiculed for not doing enough towards educating the home buyers. In fact a lot of blame for the mortgage meltdown was placed on the fact that the buyers were not made aware of "what they were getting into." Now real estate professionals across 15 states have come together to put Home Ownership Workshops (called HOW in short) for First Time Home Buyers. These professionals are part of Breaking News Network and are already providing value to their communities by being their real time media resource. Home Ownership Workshops are a series of web…

  • The Breaking News Network is meeting at Inman Connect in San Francisco

    Pat Kitano
    19 May 2010 | 6:19 pm
    We're having our first face-to-face gathering of our Breaking News Network participants at Inman Real Estate Connect between July 13-15 in San Francisco. Inman has generously offered us a 25% discount if you register here with the code BNN . Register before the prices go up this Friday, May 21! ...

  • Guest post: Buying Real Estate While in College: A Very Possible Dream

    Pat Kitano
    8 May 2010 | 5:19 pm
    Melissa Tamura approached me to write an article about a collegiate perspective on real estate. The best thing Melissa has done in this article is to tangibly describe how college students think about real estate, and she has outlined a mission statement that can be applied to any college student. I wish Melissa all the best. In the future, with the experience of purchasing a home under her belt, she could use her blog Zen College Life to guide other college students to do the same. In fact, we have a national network of Breaking News sites run mostly by Realtors that can support her message.
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    InfoCentral

  • What We’re Reading: Aug. 28-Sept.3

    David Shumaker
    3 Sep 2010 | 7:28 am
    Third edition of OED unlikely to appear in print format (The Guardian UK) How panhandlers use free credit cards (The Toronto Star) Boston.com Launches a Free Real Estate App for the iPhone (MarketWatch) Food fights: Locavores, conventional food fans battle over benefits (Chicago Tribune) Paying Off the House in 15 Years (Wall Street Journal) I admit it. I was wrong. Now I’m a Twitter convert (MarketWatch) From The Future of Screens, Circa 2014 (Gizmodo)

  • The benefits of a local board, 99 years ago

    rcarlson
    2 Sep 2010 | 1:23 pm
    In 1911 real estate professionals saw the benefits of organizing a local real estate board.  In August of that year, Wycliffe A. Hill’s argument in favor of local real estate boards was published in the National Real Estate Journal. As Executive Secretary of the Texas State Realty Association (a precursor to today’s Texas Association of REALTORS®), Hill argued that local Boards can inspire “a spirit of good fellowship among the different men…engaged in the same line of business…it will promote acquaintance and co-operation among its members, thereby…

  • Top August 2010 Field Guides

    David Shumaker
    1 Sep 2010 | 8:38 am
    The list of the most popular Information Central Field Guides for the month of August 2010 was released today. They are: Field Guide to Short Sales Field Guide to Preparing & Staging a House for Sale Field Guide to Quick Real Estate Statistics Field Guide to Opening a Real Estate Brokerage Field Guide to Errors & Omissions Insurance Field Guide to 1031 Exchanges Field Guide to Buying vs. Renting Field Guide to Foreclosures Field Guide to Real Estate Office Policy Manuals Field Guide to Personal Assistants Field Guides are one-stop resource packages on dozens of subjects of interest to…

  • Vote for NARdiGras 2010 Video Contest

    David Shumaker
    30 Aug 2010 | 10:13 am
    The National Association of REALTORS® Convention group has announced the five finalists of the NARdiGras 2010 Video Contest. From the homepage: Congratulations to the five finalists of the NARdiGras 2010 Video Contest! Now it’s up to you to choose the winner. View the finalists in the player below – then vote for your favorite. Poll closes September 25. Reminder – the winner receives an all-expense paid trip to NARdiGras 2010, November 5-8, in New Orleans. Viewing and voting takes place here.

  • What We’re Reading: Aug. 21-27

    David Shumaker
    27 Aug 2010 | 7:51 am
    Inside the Secret World of Trader Joe’s (Fortune) Don’t Call Sprouter ‘Twitter for Entrepreneurs’ (WebWorker Daily) Outsourced Call Centers Return, To U.S. Homes (National Public Radio) Watts up? People Habitually Underestimate their Energy Consumption (The Economist) Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Say (NY Times) 5 Strategies for a Captivating Social Media Conversation (iMedia Connection) Florida Real Estate Professionals Receive $16 million from Special BP Fund (Florida REALTORS® Magazine) Be Polite and Put your Smartphone Down (CNN)
 
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    Death and Taxes Blog

  • New Professional Reponsibility Rules for Estate Planners

    7 Sep 2010 | 2:00 pm
    In last month's Illinois Bar Journal, Katarinna McBride and Graham B. Schmidt discuss a couple of new aspects of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct (the "Rules"). Their summary (here, but you have to be an ISBA member) is well worth reading. The Rules were revised effective 1/1/10. The two of particular interest for estate planners are the following (my comments are in italics): 1. Client with Diminished Capacity. Revised Rule 1.14, which now states as follows: (a) When a client’s capacity to make adequately considered decisions in connection with a representation is diminished,…

  • Who's The Boss? The Fiduciary-Beneficiary Relationship

    24 Aug 2010 | 10:25 am
    If you grew up in the 1980's like I did, you know that the question "Who's The Boss?" has a few possible answers: Angela, Tony, or maybe Mona. But on a more serious note, the question of "Who's the boss?" in a probate or trust context is more difficult to answer. On the one hand, you have the fiduciary (trustee, executor, or administrator); on the other hand, the beneficiaries. If there's a conflict between the two, who wins? Does one always control? Here's the difficulty: the relationship between fiduciary and beneficiary is not a straightforward one. A fiduciary does have title to property,…

  • What the heck is "bond in lieu of probate"?

    17 Aug 2010 | 12:40 pm
    In Illinois, you can avoid a probate proceeding so long as the assets you owned in your own name at your death (that is, assets OTHER THAN joint assets, assets with a beneficiary, or assets in trust) have a value of less than $100,000. But what if you are over that amount, yet your only asset is Illinois real estate? Is there a way to transfer your house to your heirs or legatees without a probate? The answer is (surprisingly) "yes." You can do this by a process called "bond in lieu of probate," by which the heirs or legatees can transfer title to a buyer (maybe one of them, maybe a third…

  • Illinois Pet Trusts: An Introduction

    4 Aug 2010 | 12:05 pm
    A line in my baby book reads: "Joel is afraid of animals, clowns, and men with beards." That's still pretty much true; in other words, I'm not an animal lover (although I'm not as bad as this guy). But, obviously, I'm in the minority -- lots of Americans have pets that are a big part of their lives. What happens to a deceased person's pets? Usually a family member or friend takes them in. But how are the pets provided for? For a long time, you couldn't create a trust for your pets because a trust must have a human beneficiary. How to get around that? Enter the pet trust, and pet trust laws --…

  • Refuse or Lose: The Doctrine of Election

    27 Jul 2010 | 8:29 am
    Robert S. Held has a nice article in this month's Illinois Bar Journal (registration required -- but it's here) regarding the doctrine of election. What is the doctrine of election? According to the author, it's a "common law doctrine... which prevents a beneficiary from accepting benefits under a will and then challenging that same document." So, if you're left $5,000 under your dad's Will (with the rest going to your ugly stepsisters), you can't accept the $5,000 and then contest the Will. It's an either/or proposition. Mr. Held also indicates that the doctrine probably applies to bequests…
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    Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog

  • How Does Your Bank Define “Performing Loan”?

    Clint Coons
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:16 pm
    This week I met with one of my commercial lenders, whom I will refer to as Barry, for lunch.   Barry thought I might be interested in some of the business banking options his bank could offer my law firm.  Essentially, Barry was prospecting for additional banking business.  The services and fees he offered sounded very appealing but I had to ask “would his bank call in a loan if the borrower is current on his payments.” I could tell from the look on his face that this question came from left field.  So I repeated my inquiry by asking why a bank would…

  • 6 Ways to Sell a Home FAST!

    Ryan Moeller
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:35 am
    What seller doesn’t want to sell a home fast and for top dollar?  It is hard to get both but here are 6 creative techniques to help sell a home FAST!Round robin auction – Market and hold a one day open house.  Get initial starting bids then call them in round robin style bidding up the price until there is only one person left.  You can get a quick sale, sometimes for a decent price and can even get backup offers.Lower the price a very small amount every week – Small weekly price reductions will keep your listing at the top of buyers agent searches with the hope the exposure will get…

  • Over 45? Heading For Retirement Or A Life Sentence? Time Ain’t Your Friend

    Jeff Brown
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:46 am
    If you’re in your mid-40s or older, this one’s for you. Several times a week I received calls/emails from regular folk who’re coming to the realization that their plan for retirement has either been A) Slowed down to a crawl, a speed at which their retirement simply won’t cut it. B) Derailed — not catastrophically, but definitely stalled. C) Derailed, in the ditch, and on its side, engine smoking.They realize most, if not all of the following.1. Relying on Social Security for anything other than spending money on a vacation is not only unwise, given it’s…

  • 3 Things You Need to Focus on Before Getting Started in Commercial Real Estate

    Khary Reynolds
    7 Sep 2010 | 5:13 am
    Investing in Commercial Real estate can provide you with an opportunity for passive income and financial freedom that most people can only dream about. In addition to the income, investors also have the opportunity to increase their net worth from the appreciation of the property and additional tax benefits. However, as with most things in life, there is ALWAYS two sides of the coin. In order to succeed in any endeavor you have to have focus.Here are the three things that you need to focus on before getting started in Commercial Real Estate… 1.) Focus on a Specific Property Type. Most…

  • Housing Market Insight – Week of September 6th

    Ryan Hinricher
    6 Sep 2010 | 3:12 pm
    Last week the sentiment in the housing market seemed to turn slightly for the better. This post will tell you why as we cover the discussion over more tax credits, interest rates, the mortgage application index, and a surprise in pending home sales.Tax Credit Discussion, QuelledWhat seemed to be a stirring of a potential renewal of the home buyer tax credit this week was squashed by the White House and several industry trade groups, including representatives from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Association of Home Builders. Walter Molony, spokesman for NAR was…
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    GeekEstate Blog

  • How much time do you spend on social networking vs working?

    Drew Meyers
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:35 am
    It’s proven that social media marketing, if done right, can lead to business — there are plenty of agents around the country that can tell you that. But how do agents find the time for social media amidst their busy days selling real estate? There’s a great question in Zillow Advice I wanted to link to in order to get feedback from the Geek Estate audience –”How much time do you spend on social networking vs. working?” and it was posted by Marsha Mayer in Florida: I have to work real estate at least 12 hours per day which leaves 1 a.m. and later to review…

  • CoRE #177 is Now Online

    Drew Meyers
    1 Sep 2010 | 2:23 am
    I published the 177th edition of the Carnival of Real Estate yesterday at the Virtual Results blog – head over and check out this month’s winners! The September CoRE will be hosted by Kris Berg, at her San Diego Home Blog. Submit your best September article here before the submission deadline of September 26th Midnight Pacific time!

  • Open Beta Announcement for Local Market Explorer 3

    Andrew Mattie
    26 Aug 2010 | 12:33 am
    I’m really happy to say that the version 3 beta of the Local Market Explorer WordPress plugin is finally available for everyone to try out. For those who don’t know what Local Market Explorer is, it’s a way to embed local area info from Zillow, Education.com, Walk Score, Yelp, TeachStreet, and Nile Guide directly into your WordPress-powered site in order to benefit your visitors and give search engines more content. You can see a demo of Local Market Explorer v3 on Geek Estate, on BankVibe’s new real estate center, and on my dev blog. Screenshots of v2 and other info is…

  • What Direction Is Your Market Headed

    Jeff Manson
    24 Aug 2010 | 1:47 pm
    With the recent news of existing July home sales plunging (27.2%) to its lowest level in approximately 15 years. Some economists are predicting a double dip recession. A couple reasons are because a lot of the banks are holding foreclosures off the market along with weak employment numbers. It would be great to hear your take on the market in your area. Where it is now and the direction you think it’s headed. It would also be great to hear what you think is going to help things get better in the future. Good business people make adjustments depending on the market conditions. I would love…

  • Supra eKey available on iPhone & iPod Touch

    Geordy Rostad
    23 Aug 2010 | 5:15 pm
    Supra has been promising a version of eKey for the Apple iPhone for several months now.  I was starting to think it was vaporware until the application finally showed up on the iTunes store recently.  I personally don’t own an iPhone and I was a little concerned that I might be excluded because the iPhone was the only compatible device shown in Supra’s marketing material.  Thankfully, it turns out that my hunch was correct.  The iPod Touch works as an eKey flawlessly.  There is one caveat however… Before you go to buy a dongle from your local MLS office, you should…
 
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    Mortgage News Daily

  • Mortgage Rates Mostly Unchanged After Treasury Auction

    Victor Burek
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:21 pm
    Posted To: Mortgage Rate WatchWhen economic data is thin the stock market tends to have a larger impact on the direction of mortgage rates. The session began with stocks moving lower yesterday. With no data on the economic calendar to reverse the market's direction, the bond market was able to rally all day (higher bond prices = lower bond yields). This allowed most lenders to reprice for the better. Like yesterday, the economic economic was quiet today. Two events influenced the marketplace... The Department of Treasury auctioned $21 billion 10-year notes today. Before the auction, the bond…

  • USDA Rural Development System Upgrade Complete. Now Processing Conditional Commitments

    Adam Quinones
    8 Sep 2010 | 1:23 pm
    Posted To: MND NewsWireIn March we learned that USDA Rural Housing funds were expected to run dry by the end of April . A month later, even though the legislation intended to provide the funding had not passed, USDA began issuing commitments for new loans, but there was a caveat: Loan approvals would be "subject to the availability of funds and Congressional authority to charge a 3.5 percent guarantee fee for purchase loans and a 2.25 percent guarantee fee for refinance loans." Finally, on July 29 Congress passed HR 4899 to reestablish the program as one that would no longer be subject to the…

  • Beige Book: Housing Market Experiencing "Sustained Lull"

    Adam Quinones
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:24 pm
    Posted To: MND NewsWireThe Federal Reserve has released the Beige Book The Beige Book is a compilation of anecdotal information and data on current economic conditions across the country. The findings are NOT THE VIEWS OF FEDERAL RESERVE OFFICIALS ...instead, each Federal Reserve bank interviews key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources in their specific district. This report is published eight times a year. They call it the Beige Book because its Beige . This edition was prepared at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and is based on information collected on…

  • Indirect Bidders Steal the Show at 10 Year Auction. Yields Lower as Shorts Cover

    Adam Quinones
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:02 am
    Posted To: MBS CommentaryTreasury just auctioned $21 billion 10 year notes . Auction demand was healthy thanks to one group of bidders specifically. The bond market has responded favorably in post auction trading. The high yield was 2.67%, which was 1.5 basis points below the 1pm "When Issued" yield, indicating bidding was aggressive, mostly because the market was able build in a big pre-auction concession. The bid to cover ratio was 3.21 bids submitted for every 1 accepted by Treasury. This is the strongest btc ratio since the June auction. Primary dealers took down 38.3% of the competitive…

  • Purchase Apps Up 6.3%. Refinance Demand Declines 3.1%

    Adam Quinones
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:14 am
    Posted To: MND NewsWireThe Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 3, 2010. The MBA's loan application survey covers over 50% of all U.S. residential mortgage loan applications taken by retail mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and thrifts. The data gives economists a snapshot view of consumer demand for mortgage loans. In a low mortgage rate environment, a trend of increasing refinance applications implies consumers are seeking out a lower monthly payment. If consumers are able to reduce their monthly mortgage…
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    Talk to CJ

  • How do I build equity in my home? Five steps to building home value.

    CJ Brasiel
    22 Aug 2010 | 5:22 pm
    Because real estate is cyclic and none of us have much control over a global economy, it is important to do everything we can to maintain and grow value in our homes.  Here is an overview of some ideas on how you can build equity even in a down housing market: 1.) Leveraging your home [...]

  • Downtown San Jose living. The 88 got it right!

    CJ Brasiel
    7 Aug 2010 | 9:28 pm
    After living in San Francisco for a few years, moving back to San Jose and its suburban nature took some getting used to.   I missed the ability to walk to a variety of restaurants at any time of the day or night.  I missed the ability to stop in at a library without getting in [...]

  • Behind on your mortgage? Check out this resource.

    CJ Brasiel
    2 Aug 2010 | 10:40 am
    If you are behind on your mortgage payments and do not know what your options are, your first stop should be Making Homes Affordable web site. This site is full of great information and provides all the information about the new government based programs like HARP, HAMP, and HAFA.  There is contact information for lenders [...]

  • Why should I short sale my home?

    CJ Brasiel
    22 Jul 2010 | 7:39 pm
    Anytime a home owner can no longer afford to make their house payments and the home’s value is less than what is owed, a short sale should be considered.  You do not have to be behind on your payments to request a lender to approve a short sale.   For a home owner to qualify for [...]

  • Why buy a house?

    CJ Brasiel
    1 Jul 2010 | 9:08 am
    Ahhh, the question that will be on everyone’s mind for at least the next decade.  I bought my first house in the late 1980′s.  I sold it about a year and a half later and had to pay at the closing table.  My interest rate was about 8% on that loan.  The first month I [...]
 
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    National Commercial Real Estate News From CoStar Group

  • Investor Hunger for Apt. Properties Still Sharp in Second-Half 2010

    8 Sep 2010 | 8:14 pm
    Multifamily property in major metro markets remains the asset of choice for many commercial real estate investors, with momentum fueled by a number of large late-summer sales transactions following a solid first half of 2010. Public and private REITs...

  • US Banks Report CRE Loan Troubles Subsiding Amid Strong Quarterly Earnings

    8 Sep 2010 | 7:15 pm
    It appears that commercial real estate adversity at U.S. banks has reached the high-water mark and is abating. According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), second quarter numbers show 90-plus day delinquencies leveling and eventually set to...

  • Retail Owners/Investors Drive August Surge in Fund Raising

    8 Sep 2010 | 7:14 pm
    Companies and funds reported raising $8.55 billion in August for real estate-related acquisitions or debt repayment -- more than double the amount raised in July. That brings the total real estate-related funds raised through August to $63.9 billion from...

  • Callahan Capital Withdraws Planned IPO

    8 Sep 2010 | 12:37 am
    Callahan Capital Properties, Inc., a company headed by former Equity Office Properties Trust and Trizec Properties chief executive officer Timothy Callahan, this week became the latest prospective REIT to withdraw or delay plans for an initial public...

  • BioMed to Acquire 405,000-SF Life Science Portfolio

    8 Sep 2010 | 12:25 am
    BioMed Realty Trust has agreed to acquire a five-property life science portfolio in San Diego, consisting of 405,000 square feet in 14 buildings. The properties, which would increase BioMed's San Diego portfolio to about 1.8 million square feet, are...
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    1000Watt Consulting

  • The whole world is watching

    Brian Boero
    1 Sep 2010 | 9:34 pm
    A large billboard came into focus along the interstate, the final indicator that my weeklong vacation at Lake Tahoe was over: “Now recruiting dual-career agents” Big. Bold. Proud. And insane. A large regional real estate company planted this billboard. I wondered for a moment why a respected real estate brand would do such a thing. But then it occurred to me that “respected” made no sense here; “recognized” was more appropriate. Like in, “I recognized the familiar aroma of grease wafting from the lunch truck.” I spent the next half hour thinking about statements that were…

  • Brokers: are you in the real estate business?

    Brian Boero
    26 Aug 2010 | 8:52 am
    Spencer Rascoff is ZIllow’s chief operating officer. A smart guy I respect. He co-founded Hotwire and was part of Expedia’s management team. Now, he’s explaining the foreclosure process to homebuyers and sellers. He’s doing it clearly, credibly and in a manner that at once plays off and enhances the Zillow brand. And he’s offering up a nice little content morsel for the search engines. Take a look: If you’re a broker and you’re not doing this sort of thing, you have no right to complain about Zillow kicking your butt on Google, getting their chief economist quoted in your local…

  • Tag it, like it, share it

    Joel Burslem
    25 Aug 2010 | 7:00 am
    It was a beautiful Portland summer morning. Quiet. Cool. Before the heat of the day really started cranking up the thermometer. Between juggling a fussy baby and and even fussier Labrador, I finally got to my local Starbucks for my morning coffee. In the calm of that moment, staring over my steaming cup, I pulled out my iPhone and fired up the new Facebook app. Nothing unusual there: part of my morning routine these days is to see what’s been happening in my friend’s and family’s lives. Only this time, I checked-in first and let them all know where I was. Check-in behavior like this has…

  • Smart Real Estate

    Marc Davison
    19 Aug 2010 | 9:31 pm
    I’m not claiming this is genius. Or the most unordinary thing ever. But I passed many real estate stores while here in PDX over the last three weeks. Almost all have pasted flyers of homes for sale on their windows. Nothing else. Not Smart Real Estate. They understand people require something deeper than sexy images of domiciles to stimulate decision making. So they taped market trends printed from their MLS right on their storefront window for everyone to read.   It’s just so simple. And pretty darn smart. Sign up for the 1000watt Spotlight e-newsletter and keep up with the…

  • Your “Contact Us” page: What does it say to your visitor?

    Marc Davison
    18 Aug 2010 | 3:29 pm
    I see it over and over again. On the “Contact Us“ page. A lonely form. It speaks to me. And what it says is… You’d rather collect leads than make a sale If I had a super power, it wouldn’t be flight, invisibility or Hulk-like strength. My super power would be to make all the bad ideas expressed across real estate’s websites vanish with the snap of my fingers. My first snap: The “Contact Us” page. And the minefield of form fields that stand in the way of a simple, clean, invitation to engage. I came across this form today on the contact page of an IDX…
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    Zillow Blog - Real Estate Market Stats, Celebrity Real Estate, and Zillow News

  • Improvement in Home Value Depreciation Stalls in July

    Stan Humphries
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Home value depreciation stayed constant in July with home values registering a 0.2% decline between June and July and a 3.2% decline over the past one year, according to Zillow’s July Real Estate Market Reports. Home value depreciation was -0.4% in December of 2009 and had improved in each of the subsequent six months before going sideways in July (see Figure 1 below). Considering home sales fell 27% between June and July, sideways really doesn’t seem that bad. Foreclosure re-sales as a percentage of all sales in July notched up slightly to 18% (up one percentage point from June).

  • Mortgage Definition: VA Loan Certificate of Eligibility

    Michael Price
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:00 pm
    This week, mortgage lender Justin McHood explains what you’ll need if you’re a vet, active duty, national guard or reservist in order to obtain a VA-backed loan. Justin includes links to the VA home loan program web site. The VA’s web site is very comprehensive and includes a table for determining which forms you’ll need based on your service status along with links to more detailed information and an FAQ page. I found it interesting that you can also connect with the VA via social media links for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. The Zillow Mortgage Marketplace can…

  • Jeter Leaving New York?

    Diane Tuman
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:04 pm
    Say it ain’t so, Derek! The contract of beloved New York Yankees captain, Derek Jeter, is up at the end of the year and while the odds are very high that Jeter will remain with the Yanks, fans have to wonder why Jeter’s penthouse home in New York City’s Trump World Tower is listed for $20 million. Does it mean he wants out of NY? Is it just a ploy to get contract talks under way? Seems hard to imagine that a $20 million property would move off the market that quickly. But, there is that fine little estate that Jeter is having built down in Tampa Bay (you can see an aerial…

  • Ricky Martin’s Golden Beach, FL Home Listed for $18.9 Million

    Diane Tuman
    8 Sep 2010 | 1:00 pm
    If you want to live la vida loca (“Livin’ the crazy life”), you can slip right into it, easily, if you buy singer Ricky Martin’s sweet Golden Beach, FL home because it’s back on the market for $18.9 million. Martin purchased this 9,882 sq ft Mediterranean-style estate in 2007 for $16,250,000 and listed it last year for $22.5 million, only to have it disappear and reappear as an $18.9 million listing. According to Shelter Pop, Martin has never lived in this home, but he has homes in New York City, Puerto Rico, and one on a private island off the coast of Rio de…

  • Rental Eye Candy: Paradise Valley, AZ

    Lauren Riefflin
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:00 am
    Almost 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon every year, easily making this natural wonder Arizona’s main attraction. Could luxury real estate be a close second? While the scorching climate and desert terrain don’t exactly yield fantasies of extravagant homes, hidden just 10 minutes west of the state capitol of Phoenix is a little town with a reputation for lavishness. Paradise Valley is the resort town of Arizona – literally! According to Wikipedia, Paradise Valley is home to 12 resorts making it one of Arizona’s “premier tourist destinations.” And, for $12,500/month,…
 
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    Trulia Blog - Real Estate Blog

  • New CNBC/ Trulia Home Traffic Report

    Ken, head of communications
    1 Sep 2010 | 8:17 am
    This morning we released a new monthly exclusive report with CNBC titled the CNBC/Trulia Home Traffic Report. The monthly reports will look at the share of traffic in local markets, relative to the top 100 cities searched across the country in the given month. We compare that traffic year over year to understand where consumer interest is really firing up or slowing down. Looking forward to next month’s report. Thanks to Trulia’s VP of Marketing, Heather Fernandez, aka @heathermirj, for doing a great job in her early morning LIVE on-air interview with Diana Olick of CNBC. Related…

  • Christina Aguilera reduces asking price of Los Angeles pad $255K

    Sharon, Marketing Specialist
    26 Aug 2010 | 2:07 pm
    Christina Aguilera just reduced the asking price of her Mid Century Modern home with jetliner views of downtown LA, the ocean and is just minutes away from Beverly Hills and Sunset Strip. Check out the gorgeous pads and see what else is for sale in her ‘hood. 1443 Devlin Drive, Los Angeles CA 90069 $5,995,000 | 4bd | 7ba REDUCED: $255,000 See more homes for sale in Hollywood Hills near Christina. 8312 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles CA 90069 1525 Blue Jay Way, Los Angeles CA 90069 9342 Sierra Mar Drive, Los Angeles CA 90069 Love the celebrity gossip? Keep up with us! Follow Trulia on…

  • Halle Berry and baby Nahla’s moving to the Bay (Yay) Area!

    Sharon, Marketing Specialist
    26 Aug 2010 | 12:05 pm
    SF Gate told us the other day that actress AND diva, Halle Berry and daughter Nahla are considering moving to the Bay Area. Reason? She wants to get away from the snap happy papparazzi and find a less crazed area to raise baby Nahla. Halle - San Francisco would be more than happy to have you come stay with us. We’ve scouted the Bay Area and here are a few sweet picks (with variety, of course) you may potentially fall in love with. See more homes in the Bay Area. 1 Cliff Road, Belvedere CA 94920 $28,850,000 | 7bd | 6 full, 1 partial ba | 8,000 sqft 255 Golden Gate Avenue, Belvedere CA…

  • Jersey Shore’s ‘The Situation’ may earn $5M in 2010 - buy a home Mike

    Sharon, Marketing Specialist
    24 Aug 2010 | 10:34 am
    People online reported this morning that Jersey Shore’s “The Situation” (aka Mike Sorrentino) will most likely earn $5M this year (combining earnings from MTV, endorsement deals, personal branded products and club events). Make it rain Mikey! Word from the wise though - be smart and don’t throw it all away. Put some of those ‘hard’ earnings in the bank, or even better, invest. Whatever you decide, we’ve got your back. Check out these condos for sale in Miami Beach. Buy now and never have to worry about having a place to stay should the bank ever run…

  • Brett Favre’s staying another year with the Vikings

    Sharon, Marketing Specialist
    24 Aug 2010 | 9:34 am
    Even at the age of 40, Brett Favre is still going strong (granted there were a couple of ‘hot fixes’). The QB will be playing yet another season with the Minnesota Vikings. Brett, we wish you the best of luck with minimal injuries. Here are three reasonably priced rentals to help you kick off the season and that won’t break the bank (since you still have a fam to support). See more rentals in Minneapolis, MN. 401 North 2nd Street #701, Minneapolis MN 55401 $5,500/mo 3bd | 2ba | 3,309 sqft | Condo 618 Washington Avenue N, Minneapolis MN 55401 $5,250/mo 3bd | 3ba | 2,000 sqft…
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    Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog

  • How Does Your Bank Define “Performing Loan”?

    Clint Coons
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:16 pm
    This week I met with one of my commercial lenders, whom I will refer to as Barry, for lunch.   Barry thought I might be interested in some of the business banking options his bank could offer my law firm.  Essentially, Barry was prospecting for additional banking business.  The services and fees he offered sounded very appealing but I had to ask “would his bank call in a loan if the borrower is current on his payments.” I could tell from the look on his face that this question came from left field.  So I repeated my inquiry by asking why a bank would…

  • 6 Ways to Sell a Home FAST!

    Ryan Moeller
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:35 am
    What seller doesn’t want to sell a home fast and for top dollar?  It is hard to get both but here are 6 creative techniques to help sell a home FAST!Round robin auction – Market and hold a one day open house.  Get initial starting bids then call them in round robin style bidding up the price until there is only one person left.  You can get a quick sale, sometimes for a decent price and can even get backup offers.Lower the price a very small amount every week – Small weekly price reductions will keep your listing at the top of buyers agent searches with the hope the exposure will get…

  • Over 45? Heading For Retirement Or A Life Sentence? Time Ain’t Your Friend

    Jeff Brown
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:46 am
    If you’re in your mid-40s or older, this one’s for you. Several times a week I received calls/emails from regular folk who’re coming to the realization that their plan for retirement has either been A) Slowed down to a crawl, a speed at which their retirement simply won’t cut it. B) Derailed — not catastrophically, but definitely stalled. C) Derailed, in the ditch, and on its side, engine smoking.They realize most, if not all of the following.1. Relying on Social Security for anything other than spending money on a vacation is not only unwise, given it’s…

  • 3 Things You Need to Focus on Before Getting Started in Commercial Real Estate

    Khary Reynolds
    7 Sep 2010 | 5:13 am
    Investing in Commercial Real estate can provide you with an opportunity for passive income and financial freedom that most people can only dream about. In addition to the income, investors also have the opportunity to increase their net worth from the appreciation of the property and additional tax benefits. However, as with most things in life, there is ALWAYS two sides of the coin. In order to succeed in any endeavor you have to have focus.Here are the three things that you need to focus on before getting started in Commercial Real Estate… 1.) Focus on a Specific Property Type. Most…

  • Housing Market Insight – Week of September 6th

    Ryan Hinricher
    6 Sep 2010 | 3:12 pm
    Last week the sentiment in the housing market seemed to turn slightly for the better. This post will tell you why as we cover the discussion over more tax credits, interest rates, the mortgage application index, and a surprise in pending home sales.Tax Credit Discussion, QuelledWhat seemed to be a stirring of a potential renewal of the home buyer tax credit this week was squashed by the White House and several industry trade groups, including representatives from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Association of Home Builders. Walter Molony, spokesman for NAR was…
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    The Real Estate Bloggers

  • Commercial Mortgage Securities Defaulting at 8.22 Percent Rate

    Tom Royce
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:39 am
    If you are in the commercial mortgage lending world there are some new and interesting numbers out there. The credit crunch has stifled much of the lending for new construction but that is not being a very big help to those who own commercial real estate. The default rate for commercial and multi-family mortgages is rising, but mainly in those that have been packaged up as commercial mortgage backed securities. The rest seem to be doing okay. The latest data published by the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that the delinquency rate on CMBS loans now stands at 8.22 percent in contrast to…

  • If we keep trying to stimulate the market, that’s the definition of insanity.”

    Tom Royce
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:30 am
    Read this and just nod your head. As the economy again sputters and potential buyers flee — July housing sales sank 26 percent from July 2009 — there is a growing sense of exhaustion with government intervention. Some economists and analysts are now urging a dose of shock therapy that would greatly shift the benefits to future homeowners: Let the housing market crash. When prices are lower, these experts argue, buyers will pour in, creating the elusive stability the government has spent billions upon billions trying to achieve. “Housing needs to go back to reasonable…

  • Sex Sells is New Marketing Campaign For Charlotte Real Estate Agency

    Tom Royce
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:17 am
    Sex Sells is an adage that has been around for a long time. We also know that being attractive in real estate is never been a hindrance for an agent. However for an agency to build their marketing campaign around how sexy their agents are does not make sense for a number of reasons. First, even though people tend to like to be around attractive people, when buying and selling a house competency should be the driving factor. Secondly, the process of real estate sales includes a great deal of alone time in the car or homes with the buyer and the agents. If my marketing campaign was based…

  • Government Cuts Out Private Sector In Foreclosure Market

    Tom Royce
    2 Sep 2010 | 8:04 am
    What do you call cutting out part of the marketplace to support a special interest. If it was done in the private sector the government would be screaming cats and dogs and investigators will be running rampant. But when the Federal Government cuts a deal to remove the private sector from the market they call it progress… You have to be kidding me! The Obama administration said Wednesday local officials could benefit from acquiring these properties and renovating them or using the land for redevelopment projects. Congress has provided $7 billion to buy the homes, but these groups are…

  • Recession Impacts 73% Of Americans – How Will That Affect Your Business

    Tom Royce
    2 Sep 2010 | 7:37 am
    A new survey just released shows that 3 out of every 4 American’s have been affected by the recession. The report, prepared by Rutgers professors Carl Van Horn and Cliff Zukin, find that 73% of Americans have either been unemployed themselves (14%) or saw an immediate family member (12%), another member of their family (30%) or a close friend (17%) lose a job. via the Huffington Post Sobering news for sure, but since this is a real estate blog the question that comes to my mind is this; What is the best way to model my real estate business to handle today’s…
 
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    Rain City Guide

  • Why can’t banks approve short sales for people with assets?

    Jillayne Schlicke
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:40 pm
    Dear Jillayne, I just read your article on short sales while searching for some insight into why it takes banks so long to approve these transactions. In states where no deficiency is permitted after an owner-occupied non-judicial foreclosure, why does the bank care about the financial status of the home owner who is completely underwater? Example:  Loan Balance is $550,000 and today’s fair market value is $300,000.  Homeowner is retired with little income, but with assets needed for retirement. This home can be short sold for $300,000. So, why would the bank NOT approve a short…

  • Friday’s Rates following the Jobs Report

    Rhonda Porter
    3 Sep 2010 | 9:31 am
    It’s the first Friday of the month which means the Jobs Report was released this morning.   Typically “good news” from the Jobs Report translates to higher mortgage rates…and you’ll see by the red arrows below that today is no exception.    The data released today showed that “only” 54,000 non-farm payroll jobs were lost in August which was better than expected and unemployment is reported at 9.6.  In addition, 67k private sector jobs were created last month and there were positive revisions to June and July’s Jobs Reports.   The news…

  • When does a “Buyer’s Agent” earn his compensation?

    Craig
    31 Aug 2010 | 1:35 pm
    As we grow our real estate brokerage, we regularly come across one issue in particular: the SOC (Selling Office Commission) and when it is “earned.” Our brokerage is based on a flat fee, and we rebate the commission we earn as a buyer’s agen– er, I mean as a buyer’s broker. Accordingly, our clients have a very direct interest in the SOC, because it goes to them, not us. But often times our clients hire us AFTER they have identified the house on which they want to make an offer. Thus, it is not uncommon for our clients to have been given access to the subject…

  • Friday’s Rates

    Rhonda Porter
    27 Aug 2010 | 2:29 pm
    photo credit: nzgabriel via Flickr Today would be a good example of the ‘typical’ relationship between stocks and bonds with one small exception: current rates aren’t reflecting the beating that mortgage backed securities took today.   You see, typically when stocks are doing terrible,  investors will seek the safety of bonds, like mortgage backed securities which improves mortgage rates.  The reverse is also true.  To picture this relationship, you can picture a see-saw with mortgage rates on one side and the DOW on the other.   Today the DOW closed up 164 and MBS…

  • Seattle Home Prices – 98103

    ARDELL
    24 Aug 2010 | 2:48 pm
    Homes Sold (recorded in the mls as closed) in the last 30 days in 98103. In this segment I am excluding the townhomes, as they were the subject of their own separate review yesterday. Frankly I was surprised that the various valuation tools were not more accurate in the townhome market. I expected townhomes to be similar enough to pinpoint value more easily than the wide variety of differences between older single family homes. Since I gather the data in real time while writing the post, I don’t know if they will be better value indicators in the single family (non-townhome) market,…
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    Real Estate Market Conditions

  • Seattle, WA – Whatcom County Housing Update for July 2010

    ziprealty
    20 Aug 2010 | 8:00 am
    County: WhatcomYear to Year Comparison  Month to Month ComparisonMonthJul-2009Jul-2010% Change Jun-2010Jul-2010% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price95%95%0% 96%95%-1%Sold Homes262147-44% 223147-34%Sold Price Per Home $ 320,038 $ 314,109 -2%  $ 272,938 $ 314,109 15%Asking Price Per Home $ 305,107 $ 299,195 -2%  $ 262,578 $ 299,195 14%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 170 $ 163 -4%  $ 152 $ 163 7%MLS Days On Market Per Home148138-7% 12413811%Available Homes on Market 2,095 2,281 9%  2,215 2,281 3%Talk with a local Seattle Real Estate Agent. Search for…

  • Seattle, WA – Thurston County Housing Update for July 2010

    ziprealty
    19 Aug 2010 | 9:00 pm
    County: ThurstonYear to Year Comparison  Month to Month ComparisonMonthJul-2009Jul-2010% Change Jun-2010Jul-2010% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price98%97%0% 98%97%-1%Sold Homes278220-21% 304220-28%Sold Price Per Home $ 281,496 $ 263,288 -6%  $ 257,660 $ 263,288 2%Asking Price Per Home $ 274,700 $ 256,113 -7%  $ 253,080 $ 256,113 1%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 141 $ 132 -7%  $ 130 $ 132 1%MLS Days On Market Per Home111101-8% 981013%Available Homes on Market 1,936 2,105 9%  2,006 2,105 5%Talk with a local Seattle Real Estate Agent. Search for featured…

  • Seattle, WA – Snohomish County Housing Update for July 2010

    ziprealty
    19 Aug 2010 | 7:00 pm
    County: SnohomishYear to Year Comparison  Month to Month ComparisonMonthJul-2009Jul-2010% Change Jun-2010Jul-2010% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price98%98%0% 97%98%1%Sold Homes831563-32% 898563-37%Sold Price Per Home $ 319,227 $ 324,388 2%  $ 301,363 $ 324,388 8%Asking Price Per Home $ 313,617 $ 318,626 2%  $ 292,275 $ 318,626 9%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 164 $ 156 -5%  $ 149 $ 156 5%MLS Days On Market Per Home132103-22% 106103-3%Available Homes on Market 5,743 5,881 2%  5,832 5,881 1%Talk with a local Seattle Real Estate Agent. Search for…

  • Seattle, WA – Pierce County Housing Update for July 2010

    ziprealty
    19 Aug 2010 | 5:00 pm
    County: PierceYear to Year Comparison  Month to Month ComparisonMonthJul-2009Jul-2010% Change Jun-2010Jul-2010% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price97%98%0% 98%98%0%Sold Homes906570-37% 901570-37%Sold Price Per Home $ 269,869 $ 245,420 -9%  $ 251,489 $ 245,420 -2%Asking Price Per Home $ 261,892 $ 239,286 -9%  $ 245,546 $ 239,286 -3%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 133 $ 122 -9%  $ 128 $ 122 -5%MLS Days On Market Per Home156114-27% 131114-13%Available Homes on Market 6,195 6,504 5%  6,455 6,504 1%Talk with a local Seattle Real Estate Agent. Search for…

  • Seattle, WA – Kitsap County Housing Update for July 2010

    ziprealty
    19 Aug 2010 | 3:00 pm
    County: KitsapYear to Year Comparison  Month to Month ComparisonMonthJul-2009Jul-2010% Change Jun-2010Jul-2010% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price96%97%1% 96%97%1%Sold Homes270191-29% 294191-35%Sold Price Per Home $ 306,853 $ 318,804 4%  $ 311,768 $ 318,804 2%Asking Price Per Home $ 293,600 $ 308,457 5%  $ 299,729 $ 308,457 3%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 155 $ 155 0%  $ 155 $ 155 0%MLS Days On Market Per Home151112-26% 1091122%Available Homes on Market 2,167 2,171 0%  2,129 2,171 2%Talk with a local Seattle Real Estate Agent. Search for featured…
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    HomeGain Blog

  • Analysis of Lead Conversion Administrators

    Mitch Ribak
    6 Sep 2010 | 9:00 am
    Several months ago I wrote a follow up blog post on our LCA program and I’m glad to say it has worked out great. Our sales are 20% of last year with the same amount of leads generated. In a market where we are still hurting, especially since the tax credit stopped, we are continuing to [...]

  • Realtors, YOU Are the Face of Your Clients

    Marie Scheuring
    1 Sep 2010 | 1:13 pm
    When you are representing a buyer or seller, it is important to remember that the other side will develop an opinion of your client based upon your communications. Carefully chosen words will help to maintain a realistic and positive impression. When negotiations get hairy, you want the other side to feel positively about your client. [...]

  • Making the Move on Opportunity

    Brian Kinkade
    26 Aug 2010 | 8:04 am
    Here I am, broker and lead of a Denver real estate team here in the heart of the country. We’ve had our share of challenges. However, we continue to invest into our business and persevere and it’s paying off. When others are asking, “How’s business?”, we can truthfully say, “You know it’s great. In fact [...]

  • 5 Things That Makes Realtors Cringe

    Marc Rasmussen
    23 Aug 2010 | 9:00 am
    Want to make your Realtor cringe? Say any of these 5 things: “We would like a tour.” This usually translates into, “We don’t know the area. We are not ready to buy but would like you to drive us around for several hours showings us the area to see if we like it.” Despite what you [...]

  • HomeGain Releases 2nd Quarter 2010 Arizona Home Prices Survey Results

    Louis Cammarosano
    18 Aug 2010 | 12:09 pm
    In July, HomeGain, the first company to provide free instant home valuations online, released the second quarter results of our nationwide survey of over 3500 home owners and 900 current and former HomeGain members. Our survey asked their opinions on home values and what they thought of President Obama’s performance as President. On the HomeGain blog we published the [...]
 
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    MyTechOpinion.com

  • Forget What the Experts Say…You CAN Shortcut Your Way to Success with Social Media

    MyTechOpinion
    23 Aug 2010 | 10:52 am
    The Social Media Experts I’m a fan of will tell you that if you want to succeed in applying social media as a business strategy that it requires planning, consistency, balance, originality, relevancy, and listening…among other things. And they would be right. But when it comes to real estate marketing, many agents struggle with working ON their business because they’re tapped by working IN their business. And for the most part, I’ve always considered that an excuse (myself included). There is some validity however, to the shear amount of effort required in implementing social media…

  • Lost & Found: My Blogging Voice

    MyTechOpinion
    15 Aug 2010 | 9:17 pm
    The past year has been crazy for the Nicolay household…to say the least! Reggie started his new job with RPR…and has been passionately reaching out to curious agents and creating a variety of helpful resources that are soon to launch. I, on the other hand, have been extremely focused on my new company.  Agent Evolution was born from our efforts right here on MTO! After all, many of you have regular questions for us…and occasionally ask for help with your blogs. So we answered by mixing my teaching skills with Chad’s blog shop to provide a full service new media company! In the midst…

  • Why I Wanna ROCK Agent Reboot!

    MyTechOpinion
    28 Jun 2010 | 4:02 pm
    A great opportunity to get excited about the future of real estate, and your role in it, is headed your way. Agent Reboot is a new conference tour created by Inman News. This road show of sorts is hosted by yours truly (Woohoo!) and Daniel Rothamel. The goal of the event is to examine and identify new technologies that are shaping and changing the real estate industry, and ideas on how they are being implemented…or should be. This one-day party, oops, I mean conference will be taking place in 12 cities. My boogie shoes are packed for: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, Las…

  • The New Rules of Content Creation & Curation

    MyTechOpinion
    2 Jun 2010 | 12:38 pm
    Yesterday I had the opportunity of being a guest on #RTB on the Radio. Many of you may be familiar with this crew, but if you’re not…you’re really missing out! Really! So jump in and join the conversation. Michael McClure, Todd Waller, and Maya Paveza are hitting the #RTB nail on the head with each and every guest on their show, as well as just by being their uber-professional selves out there in the RE.net. Lead by example folks, woohoo! I told them this already, but I’ll put it in writing again…I could have spent all day chatting about life, liberty and the pursuit of…

  • How-To: Manage Your Events Using WordPress

    MyTechOpinion
    27 May 2010 | 4:27 pm
    In “4 Ways To Add An Event Calendar To Your Wordpress Blog“, we looked at options for adding an event calendar to your Wordpress website. The solutions were offered with an emphasis on sharing community events. But, what if you have an event you are producing yourself? Maybe that event requires managing RSVP’s or even selling tickets to the event. You’ll need a more specialized system than a basic calendar. Fortunately, there are several Wordpress plugins that will help you pull your event off without a hitch. Advanced Events Registration Pro Version The first option…
 
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    Matrix

  • [Housing Market Seminars] MillerQA Launched

    Jonathan J. Miller
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:10 pm
    In an economic downturn, many people take the opportunity to reinvent or reinvest in themselves and go back to school, take classes, seminars etc. There is a lot of conflicting information and statements made on the housing market these days. We launched MillerQA to provide an easy way for busy professionals to gain insights on the housing market that may help them or their clients make more informed decisions. And obtain continuing education credits at the same time.* *Application for accreditation of this program in New York is currently pending. Real estate agents, attorneys and…

  • [RSS] Wednesday Morning Pre-Java Infomosis

    Jonathan J. Miller
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:00 am
    [click to open - Curbed] Tuesday Townhouse: Underground Railroad Stop Now Asking $4.975 Million And some other interesting not always housing related stuff that’s been accumulating in my RSS reader… [Jeff Matthews Is Not Making This Up] Here They Go Again: “The Death of Housing” [Bloston Globe] ‘Clunkers,’ a classic government folly [Zero Hedge] Guest Post: Primer #2: Is there a housing bubble? [WSJ/Developments] Home Buyer Tax Credit Price Tag: $22 Billion [WSJ/Wealth] The Perfect Salary for Happiness: $75,000 [The Real Deal] Open house bandit freed of felony charges…

  • [FedCharts] Economic Summary Charts From NY Fed

    Jonathan J. Miller
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:15 pm
    I like to check in on this NY Fed chart summary: U.S. Economy and Financial Markets – lots of national data located in one place.

  • [Shortsighted] Appraisal Institute Decides To Leave Appraisal Foundation

    Jonathan J. Miller
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:01 pm
    [click to hear presentation by Appraisal Institute President Leslie P. Sellers, MAI, SRA] In a period with perhaps the most turmoil in the history of the appraisal profession including The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC), Appraisal Management Companies (AMC) and Financial Reform legislation, the Appraisal Institute is needed now more than ever on behalf of the appraisal industry. Despite this need for its members, the Appraisal Institute [AI] has decided to leave the Appraisal Foundation [TAF]. The Appraisal Foundation was founded in 1987 by eight major appraisal organizations to help…

  • [Three Cents Worth #153] 30 Days Hath September Inventory

    Jonathan J. Miller
    7 Sep 2010 | 2:00 pm
    It’s time to share my Three Cents Worth on Curbed, at the intersection of neighborhood and real estate. …There’s always hype surrounding the likely jump in available Manhattan inventory for the month of September, after the Labor Day weekend. Slow news cycles, people wrapping up their summer, sellers waiting until after the holiday, kids getting back to school—they all seem to provide a summer bookend for listing activity… Three Cents Worth: 30 Days Hath September Inventory [Click to expand and read full post on Curbed] Check out previous Three Cents Worth posts.
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    The Real Estate Bloggers

  • Commercial Mortgage Securities Defaulting at 8.22 Percent Rate

    Tom Royce
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:39 am
    If you are in the commercial mortgage lending world there are some new and interesting numbers out there. The credit crunch has stifled much of the lending for new construction but that is not being a very big help to those who own commercial real estate. The default rate for commercial and multi-family mortgages is rising, but mainly in those that have been packaged up as commercial mortgage backed securities. The rest seem to be doing okay. The latest data published by the Mortgage Bankers Association shows that the delinquency rate on CMBS loans now stands at 8.22 percent in contrast to…

  • If we keep trying to stimulate the market, that’s the definition of insanity.”

    Tom Royce
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:30 am
    Read this and just nod your head. As the economy again sputters and potential buyers flee — July housing sales sank 26 percent from July 2009 — there is a growing sense of exhaustion with government intervention. Some economists and analysts are now urging a dose of shock therapy that would greatly shift the benefits to future homeowners: Let the housing market crash. When prices are lower, these experts argue, buyers will pour in, creating the elusive stability the government has spent billions upon billions trying to achieve. “Housing needs to go back to reasonable…

  • Sex Sells is New Marketing Campaign For Charlotte Real Estate Agency

    Tom Royce
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:17 am
    Sex Sells is an adage that has been around for a long time. We also know that being attractive in real estate is never been a hindrance for an agent. However for an agency to build their marketing campaign around how sexy their agents are does not make sense for a number of reasons. First, even though people tend to like to be around attractive people, when buying and selling a house competency should be the driving factor. Secondly, the process of real estate sales includes a great deal of alone time in the car or homes with the buyer and the agents. If my marketing campaign was based…

  • Government Cuts Out Private Sector In Foreclosure Market

    Tom Royce
    2 Sep 2010 | 8:04 am
    What do you call cutting out part of the marketplace to support a special interest. If it was done in the private sector the government would be screaming cats and dogs and investigators will be running rampant. But when the Federal Government cuts a deal to remove the private sector from the market they call it progress… You have to be kidding me! The Obama administration said Wednesday local officials could benefit from acquiring these properties and renovating them or using the land for redevelopment projects. Congress has provided $7 billion to buy the homes, but these groups are…

  • Recession Impacts 73% Of Americans – How Will That Affect Your Business

    Tom Royce
    2 Sep 2010 | 7:37 am
    A new survey just released shows that 3 out of every 4 American’s have been affected by the recession. The report, prepared by Rutgers professors Carl Van Horn and Cliff Zukin, find that 73% of Americans have either been unemployed themselves (14%) or saw an immediate family member (12%), another member of their family (30%) or a close friend (17%) lose a job. via the Huffington Post Sobering news for sure, but since this is a real estate blog the question that comes to my mind is this; What is the best way to model my real estate business to handle today’s…
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    360Digest

  • Alternative cooking methods for the busy real estate professional

    Marlow Harris
    16 Aug 2010 | 3:53 pm
    It’s going to be a hot day. You might have been showing houses to a difficult client or put out fires for a challenging escrow. You know you’re not going to want to go home and turn on the oven to cook. Make that hot car do double-duty. Some chicken or salmon, maybe a few onions and peppers, wrap in foil, lodge on a flat service over the engine, perhaps around the valves. Use a clamp if you need to. A 30-45 minute drive oughta do it. Here are step-by-step instructions: Cooking in your car by Instructables A car’s interior can get as high as 160 degrees. You can bake cookies.

  • What Bill Gates said

    Marlow Harris
    29 Jul 2010 | 12:23 am
    In his book entitled The Road Ahead, published in 1995, Bill Gates said about finding homes for sale on the Internet: “If you put your home on the market, you will be able to describe it fully and include photographs, video, floor plans, tax records, utility and repair bills, even a little mood music. The chances that a potential buyer for your house will see your ad are improved because the information highway will make it easy for anyone to look it up. The whole system of real estate agencies and commissions may be changed by the principals having direct access to so much information.

  • Learning about home building and real estate is child’s play

    Marlow Harris
    10 Jun 2010 | 12:13 am

  • Light a commodity?

    Marlow Harris
    26 Apr 2010 | 11:10 pm
    I have an unusual listing for sale, it’s an American Institute of Architects-award winner and was featured in Pacific NW Magazine, so I’m excited about the property and wanted to share the details. I just did an interview with NPR and it’s featured on their website. There’s a short article about light and how it affects Seattle home prices. You can read the interview on the NPR website, or you can listen to the Podcast and my interview starts at minute 10.00. It’s on the local channel KUOW. It’s always so weird to hear yourself on the radio. Why do I sound…

  • Buying a house with street cred

    Marlow Harris
    12 Apr 2010 | 11:21 pm
    Buzz Osborne wastes an unidentified real estate agent’s time in this amusing little video. Agent to Buzz: “Go back to Seattle!”
 
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    A Bird's Eye View

  • Roost Goes Social!

    roostblog
    1 Sep 2010 | 4:19 pm
    We have big news to share today.  After six months of research and prototyping, and with more than 17,000 users, we’ve officially shifted all of our focus to the Roost Social Real Estate Toolkit. The consumer property search engine at Roost.com will no longer be accessible as we put all effort and resources into building upon the amazing success our Social Real Estate Toolkit has seen. We’re proud of the comprehensive and accurate search engine we built for consumers. [...]

  • Incredible Demand for Roost Social Real Estate Toolkit for Brokerages

    roostblog
    1 Sep 2010 | 8:48 am
    Image via Wikipedia We all know Facebook is changing the way companies do business and those companies that jump in with both feet now will reap the rewards in the near and long term. Roost is supporting those initiatives with imaginative solutions that help real estate agents and brokerages leverage the power of social media. Roost has already seen the incredible adoption of the Roost Social Real Estate Toolkit for Agents, but Brokerages are also looking to the social application [...]

  • Help Us Choose the “People’s Choice” Facebook Webinar

    Derek Overbey
    31 Aug 2010 | 11:46 pm
    Image via Wikipedia We’re putting together our Facebook Webinar schedule for September and thought it would be interesting to ask the Roost Community to set our cirriculum. Let us know what you want us to cover and we will tally the votes to pick our subject matter. Either leave a comment on this post or leave  a comment on our Facebook Application Page with the subject you would like us to cover. This webinar will take [...]

  • Save Time with the New Roost Publisher for Facebook

    roostblog
    24 Aug 2010 | 8:04 am
    Roost Publisher Saves You Time & Effort Roost has developed a publisher tool within its Social Real Estate Toolkit on Facebook to allow you to easily customize and schedule wall posts to your Personal Profile and/or Facebook Business Page(s). The scheduling function is extremely useful for the busy real estate professional that knows the importance of their social efforts, but finds it difficult to dedicate an abundance of time to their efforts. With the Roost Publisher, you can customize links and schedule posts [...]

  • Your first seven days with social networking

    roostblog
    20 Aug 2010 | 10:47 am
    (Note:  We’re thrilled to share this guest post from Jerry Kidd at RealtyTechBytes.com ) By Jerry Kidd CRB CRS GRI Let’s pretend that you have never heard of social networking until just now.  And from what you have heard, you are excited because you have learned that you can use it to stay in touch with past clients, meet new prospects and also use it to nurture those new relationships until they are ready to move from interaction to transaction.  And [...]
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    AgentGenius - Real Estate News & Opinion Magazine

  • America’s most stressful cities – and other city trivia

    Lani Rosales
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:08 pm
    Portfolio.com studied America’s 50 largest metropolitain areas to rank them for how stressful each one is. They studied housing costs, unemployment, income growth, poverty, sunshine, unhealthy air, robberies, murders, deaths from circulatory-system diseases and commuting. Given that stress is a major killer and according to a CBS Evening News fifth annual Labor Day survey, more than half of Americans are somewhat or extremely stressed at work. Also, a shocking one in six workers reported being “angry enough to hit a co-worker.” Each city has different stressors and not…

  • Real ramifications to Realtors giving mortgage advice to buyers

    Jeff Belonger
    8 Sep 2010 | 2:17 pm
    What does the word Realtor mean to you?  What would you consider your duties as a Realtor? I always find some sort of issue when reading mortgage related questions by Realtors on Trulia.  My first question would be… why do Realtors even answer these questions?  Is it to get their name out there? Self-promotion? Do Realtors know anything about the “Safe Act”? The Safe Act will go into effect on October 1st, 2010, stating that you have to be licensed as a Mortgage Licensed Originator (MLO).  The overall policy of the act is that in order to take a full mortgage…

  • Are you the Ricky Roma or the Elle Woods of real estate sales?

    Janie Coffey
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:16 am
    I have come to realize there is a divide, a great divide among real estate agent personas.  One side sees real estate as a hand numbers game, one filled with scripts and charts and hard sales.  The movie Glengarry Glen Ross takes the persona of that hard sales agent with a close for every season and puts it him/her on a coke binge.  It’s almost painful to watch. On the other side of the divide is the real estate version of Elle Woods, from Legally Blonde.  The social butterfly who’s chatty with everyone and who knows everyone’s birthday and everyone’s kids’…

  • New Realtor.com iPhone app makes search more intuitive

    Lani Rosales
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:10 pm
    Since launching in January 2010, the Realtor.com iPhone app has been downloaded over 1.5 million times and according to Clareity Consulting, visits, e-mail leads and phone calls from the Realtor.com real estate search iPhone app rose over 60% in the second quarter of 2010 as compared to the first quarter. Recently, a new version of the iPhone app has been released to the public with a variety of updates. As one of the most downloaded real estate apps, it is well used by consumers and agents alike. The new version has quite a few additional features that are mostly consumer focused but are…

  • Two real estate videos on how to buy a home – which is better?

    Lani Rosales
    7 Sep 2010 | 8:02 am
    A great resource for web videos is Howcast which hosts novice and professional video about a wide array of topics. We’ve featured videos about homeowners insurance, real estate auctions, home staging and (our favorite) 10 mistakes sellers make. Today, we bring to you two videos instructing buyers on the fine art of buying a home and you might be surprised to learn that both actually recommend using a Realtor (although we could argue as to what the role of an agent is, given that it seems minimal in the videos). Watch both videos and let us know in comments which you think is better,…
 
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    About.com Real Estate Business

  • Real Estate Videos - Too Much Information & Too Little

    8 Sep 2010 | 4:28 am
    This is a video almost three minutes in length, with about 30 seconds of real information.  Too much information is in front of the revelation of where to place bandit signs.  Then there's no information about the statement that "relationships" are started with store owners.  Are they paying for this sign's placement?...Read Full Post

  • How Low Can They Go? - Mortgage Interest Rates

    3 Sep 2010 | 12:32 am
    Over at Bankrate.com, another record low interest rate benchmark was set this week.  It's the lowest in their 25 year tracking history.  The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 6 basis points this week, to 4.53 percent....Read Full Post

  • Numbers Don't Lie? - S&P Case-Shiller vs FHFA Home Price Index

    2 Sep 2010 | 4:58 am
    This month I received both the S&P Case-Shiller and the FHFA Home Price Index reports.  I glanced through them as always, and again felt like I was looking at data ...Read Full Post

  • Commercial Property Owners Choose to Default - WSJ.com

    25 Aug 2010 | 2:24 am
    Commercial Property Owners Choose to Default - WSJ.com.  While the media is all about covering "strategic default" by homeowners, there's a trend growing in commercial properties as well.

  • Bad Hair, More Fear, Wanna Be In Real Estate

    21 Aug 2010 | 2:35 am
    I recently read that the number of new applicants for real estate licensing is moving higher in some states.  Interesting, as it's a pretty challenging time to be in this or the mortgage business right now.  Up in New York state, there's been a 23% increase in licensed agents and brokers.   One theory is that there are a great many more unemployed people out there who are now looking for a new career.  It's probably true, but they're in for a rough go just starting out in today's market....Read Full Post
 
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    The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

  • Win a Kurt Warner Autographed Helmet. Help the Highland HS Band Program!

    Jay Thompson
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:24 pm
    Those that have read here for awhile know my daughter is in the Highland High School Marching band (and various other HHS bands as well). The Highland Marching Band is the reining Arizona state champion high school marching band, I might add! (Fair warning, that linked story makes some people cry.) Highland (and Gilbert schools in general) has a wonderful music program, but running these programs costs money – and sadly budget cuts have hit hard. Trust me, band parents write a fair amount of checks to the band department, but we are always looking to raise more funds. One band family is…

  • Phoenix Short Sales: Short Sale Seller Advisory

    Jay Thompson
    5 Sep 2010 | 9:12 pm
    At this moment in time, there are 17,066 homes listed as short sales in the Phoenix real estate market. With 43,998 total listings, that means 38.8% of all homes listed for sale in the Phoenix area are short sales (meaning the owner is attempting to sell their home for less than they owe on their loan(s) — they are “under water” on their mortgage). In other words, short sales aren’t going away any time soon. The decision to short sell your home is not an easy one – there is a lot, a WHOLE lot, to consider. And the considerations can be overwhelming. Fortunately, the Arizona…

  • Thompson’s Realty Welcomes Vince Muscat!

    Jay Thompson
    31 Aug 2010 | 1:48 pm
    We’re most pleased to announce the latest addition to the Thompson’s Realty agent team – Vince Muscat. Vince got his real estate sales license in 2002 and is the managing member of Apparent Technologies, LLC – which is creating PaperFree Agent — an advanced computing system for real estate offices. I’ve had a look at both the lead routing product and the beginnings of a real estate transaction management system that is, honestly, second to none. Look for more about PaperFree agent soon. Vince is a graduate of Springhill College, where he received his B.S. degree and the Maston…

  • Will the Homebuyer Tax Credit Return? Should it?

    Jay Thompson
    30 Aug 2010 | 2:18 pm
    It’s starting to sound like, “The Song that Never Ends”… On Sunday, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan implied on an interview with CNN’s Ed Henry that the Obama administration that the $8,000 home buyer tax credit could be revived. From the transcript: HENRY: Let’s end on two quick points. First of all, along the lines of this debate, there are some critics saying the federal government can’t keep up the intervention to try to prop up the industry much longer. Along those lines, you mention the $8,000 first-time home buyer credit expired a couple of months ago. Many people…

  • How Many Realtors are Out There? Per Person?

    Jay Thompson
    26 Aug 2010 | 5:53 pm
    Earlier today I was chatting with a random stranger. Oddly enough the topic of real estate came up. Random stranger said he’d often pondered getting his real estate license. I tried to wave the guy off, but he wouldn’t listen. He asked me a question that I couldn’t answer… How many Realtors are there per capita, and how does Arizona compare to other states? I felt relatively confident in saying that Arizona was near the top (or bottom depending on your perspective) of the list of states with a high Realtor count. Lots of my real estatey friends across the country often seem surprised…
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    BloodhoundBlog

  • Learning the art of selling consciously

    Scott Cowan
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:32 am
    I do not contribute much mostly due to my fears of my writing not holding up well next to so many of the great writers here. However, the only way my writing can improve is by writing and submitting so with that in mind. I sell real estate. Those four words do a great job of describing me as a professional. Of course there are other things I do with my life but the engine that powers the other areas is selling real estate. I have been on a path to living more consciously for the past few years.  One of the take aways from living consciously is that I need to be focused on whatever task I am…

  • How do you make the praxis of continuous goal-pursuit work in practice? It’s not a matter of avoiding the negative consequences of failure, but of celebrating the steady accumulation of successes.

    Greg Swann
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:00 pm
    I think Jeff Brown and I are both thinking out loud, by this point, and I want to emphasize that I am not quarreling with him. It’s his hammering away on the topic of goal-achievement that induced me to think about the subject in a systematic way, and I am by his discourse and by his good example much enriched. So here’s where I am tonight: You have to make the commitment, yes. Without a sincere resolution to do something different, you don’t have a goal, you just have a wish, a whim, a will-’o-the-wisp wheedle issued for any reason or for no reason to a benignly…

  • The Goal of Achieving…Goals

    Jeff Brown
    7 Sep 2010 | 2:36 pm
    “But a deed cannot be both wise and unintended.” Greg Swann Substitute goal for deed, and it’s still a profoundly affecting thought. In the context of Greg’s post, one could reasonably assume deed could be construed as goal. The thrust of the post talks about the tactic of exposing your goals to the ‘public’, or at least a person(s) you know. The thinking is that you will tend to be more motivated by the fear of others knowing you not only failed, but failed by lack of commitment or best effort. Clearly their are two schools of thought on this. One is the…

  • Splendor and Labor Day…

    Greg Swann
    6 Sep 2010 | 12:25 pm
    This is me looking back on looking back on a Labor Day a long time ago. The first extract was written on Labor Day, 2005, as the City of New Orleans was demonstrating for all of us that dependence on government is a fatal error. The second extract was written a year or two before that. And the Labor Day I am talking about there must have been eleven or twelve years ago. Even so, every bit of this is perfectly apposite to the world we live in now — more is the pity. This is me from elsewhen. I think about this every year at Labor Day. I spent much of the weekend working on business…

  • Mad Men for Labor Day: Your compensation for doing your job comes in the form of — wait for it — compensation.

    Greg Swann
    6 Sep 2010 | 8:27 am
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    Rofo Blog

  • How commercial real estate professional Tracey Johnson uses social media

    Mariange
    31 Aug 2010 | 9:06 am
    Tracey Johnson from Norris & Stevens Inc. discusses how she markets her services and CRE experience online.  How are you using social media to market your services? I have a website- www.pdxbrokerscommercialinsights.com that I incorporate with all the social media I use: Twitter (PDXComBroker), LinkedIn, Facebook, and my blog which like the website is also titled “PDX Broker’s Commercial Insights“. How have you marketed your service online? What’s working and what isn’t? I market myself all over the web and I am constantly trying new websites and advertising…

  • Introducing Commercial Real Estate Professional Justin Carlucci

    Mariange
    26 Aug 2010 | 11:46 am
    Justin Carlucci from Sperry Van Ness in Seattle discusses business, social media marketing and how to get a new brokerage business launched!   How is your new team, Jansen Commercial doing? We are very excited about the team and how quickly we have gotten off the ground.  Already we have over a dozen deals under contract in both sales and leasing, as well as in King and Snohomish Counties and including nearly every asset class. What is the toughest property request you have received? I was recently working for a medical marijuana collective that was involved in providing information to…

  • Find out how Coy Davidson uses the first real estate application on LinkedIn

    Mariange
    18 Aug 2010 | 6:02 pm
    Coy Davidson from Colliers International gives us a few tips on how he uses Real Estate Pro to market his available listings on LinkedIn and keep tabs on professionals in his market. In addition to adding your listings on LinkedIn using Real Estate Pro, you can feature up to two listing on your LinkedIn profile. Each time Coy feature’s a new listing on his profile, a LinkedIn network update is generated, announcing the new listing to his connections. There are other “social features” to the app as well, such as sharing a listing with up to 50 of your LinkedIn connections. The app, he…

  • Announcing Real Estate Pro for Linkedin

    Alan Bernier
    21 Jul 2010 | 8:26 pm
    Our mission at Rofo is to simplify the process we all go through to find the right real estate listing and/or connect with the right estate agent or broker to help us out. We do this on Rofo.com with some powerful and unique free tools and have extended that functionality to other platforms and devices like our augmented reality mobile app. Today I’m excited to announce the launch of our Linkedin app, Real Estate Pro, which blends our real estate search tools and content (the peanut butter) with the Linkedin platform (the chocolate). If you think about it, the process you go through to find…

  • Rofo’s Building Search: A New Way to Search for Commercial Space

    Mariange
    1 Jul 2010 | 10:37 am
    All of us have that ideal building in mind of where we’d like to locate our business. Could be the location, the character, or the other tenants. Maybe you’ve worked in that building before. Or maybe the office rent is known to be downright cheap. There’s a little known feature on our site called building search that lets you keep tabs on that specific building and check for availability. Building pages on Rofo help you decide if a space is right for your business. Building pages, such as the Oregon Trail Building below, feature available office spaces for lease within the building,…
 
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    Future of Real Estate Marketing

  • 4 Free Google Tools You Must Use in Your Business

    Katie Lance
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:00 am
    Guest Blogger Stephen Pacinelli has delivered presentations to thousands of REALTORS® on the benefits of sales automation, social media, blogging and online marketing. Stephen’s strategies come first hand from some of the best Realtors around the country. Steve co-founded Tech Savvy Agent and helped build it from the ground up to provide the best technology and marketing information to REALTORS® seeking the latest strategies and tools. Let’s face it, Google pretty much runs the Internet.  It dictates where we go and what we see.  So if I want to play nice with anybody, guess who…

  • 3 Steps To Your Own Social Web

    Katie Lance
    7 Sep 2010 | 5:20 pm
    Guest Blogger, Suzanne Roy is Lead Contributor with Tech Savvy Agent and Owner of V.A. Work, and has been working with Real Estate Agents throughout North America since 2002 – initially as a virtual assistant, and more recently as a social media specialist, concentrating her efforts in assisting Real Estate Agents with blog design, content and syndication, custom Fan Page designing, keyword research and search engine optimization. The World Wide Web (better known as “www”) is described by Wikipedia as “a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet.” …

  • Ten Signs That You Need Time Off From SM

    Katie Lance
    3 Sep 2010 | 3:59 am
    Guest Blogger Alex Cortez is a REALTOR in Hawaii, specializing in Maui Condos. Visit his Maui Real Estate Blog for local market information. With social media becoming one of the newest and hottest tools in a real estate agent’s bag, there are some who have taken to SM a bit TOO much. Have you met anyone who tweets EVERYTHING they do? Or someone who LIVES on Facebook? Or how about the one who FourSquares their entire day, one location at a time? Well, this one is for them. Top Ten Signs You Need a Break From Social Media You can tweet faster than you can talk. You ask yourself…

  • Using Google to Work More Efficiently

    Katie Lance
    1 Sep 2010 | 3:59 am
    Guest Blogger Alex Cortez is a REALTOR with Hawaii Life Real Estate Services. Visit his Maui Real Estate site for local information. The keys to Google’s success as a search engine have been its perfect blend of simplicity and functionality. Fortunately, those traits have transcended to other applications as Google has grown from a SE to a powerful work center. In the past month I have been making a slow transition from working on various PC and Mac-based programs to using Google as my primary workstation (both mobile and static). And although most people who use Gmail or other…

  • 5 Tools to Turbo-Charge Your Social Media

    Katie Lance
    31 Aug 2010 | 5:59 am
    Guest Blogger Alex Cortez is a Realtor in Hawaii, specializing in Maui Condos. Visit his Maui Real Estate Blog for local market information. The importance of social media in a real estate professional’s marketing plan is undeniable.  And although there are many different approaches as to how to best implement a strategy, the need to streamline the SM integration process on a day-to-day basis grows constantly.  Below I have listed 5 tools that have helped me tremendously in effectively managing time and increasing efficiency. Use one, a combination thereof, or all of them! 1.
 
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    Tracy's LA Real Estate

  • Latest Market Update for South Pasadena

    Tracy
    21 Aug 2010 | 6:58 pm
    The current theory is that communities like South Pasadena  have held their value pretty well over the last few years of economic crisis. This is partly true. They have held their value much better than Highland Park and Eagle Rock have. But the trend has still been down with South Pasadena over the last 3 years. It’s difficult to get a handle on the market just like it is in Eagle Rock, partly because few houses actually sell in each community, between 3 and 20 a month for South Pasadena, 7 and 14 for Eagle Rock. The average sales price has dropped about 30% over the last 3 years in Eagle…

  • Glassell Park Views

    Tracy
    19 Aug 2010 | 3:27 pm
    We are on the amazing Broodwork tour. A very special view of Los Angeles: xeriscapes, graywater installations, raised garden beds, a green roof. Much to learn… Posted via email from Tracy’s LA Real Estate

  • Help the Animals – Come to My Wine Tasting Fundraiser!

    Tracy
    14 Aug 2010 | 6:30 pm
    Thursday, August 19, 2010, 7-9 pm. Winetasting Benefit for the Wiggle Waggle Walk! Come to the Colorado Wine Company for a fun evening. For $20, you get a flight of wine, hors d’ouevres, and donate to the animals! There will also be a raffle with prizes from local businesses. Meet and greet! See and be seen! I am proud to be raising money for the animals at the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA (PHS). PHS cares for more than 12,000 animals a year by providing food, shelter, veterinary care, adoptions, reunification and so much more. Times are tough, and the animals need our help.

  • August Newsletter Now Available!

    Tracy
    9 Aug 2010 | 10:24 am
    The August edition of my newsletter is available now – you can download a PDF version here, or pick up a paper copy at one of the shops and restaurants along Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock.  If you are on the mailing list, a copy is on it’s way to you as we speak!  Want to be on my mailing list? Shoot me an email at tracy@tracyking.com. Let me know what you think of this month’s issue!

  • Agent Reboot

    Tracy
    9 Aug 2010 | 9:56 am
    I’m seeing a lot of my cutting edge real estate colleagues here. Posted via email from Tracy’s LA Real Estate
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    Real Central VA

  • Charlottesville is #6 – #6 College Town, That Is

    Jim
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:05 am
    I’m betting that for this list, they are considering “Charlottesville” to be at least “Charlottesville + Albemarle.” Simply put, the Charlottesville area is a great place to live. We benefit from the University tremendously – and this is reflected in the rankings. From USA Today: “Most students and their parents think about location in a vague way. They have a general impression of locales, but they don’t have much solid information, and it’s hard to compare one to another. And that’s what we’re trying to do — so they can get…

  • Defining Insanity

    Jim
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:30 am
    ““If we keep trying to stimulate the market, that’s the definition of insanity.”” Dear Government: Please stop. Search the Charlottesville MLS Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCentralVA.comwhere this was originally posted. Defining Insanity

  • Walking to School – Let’s Make it a Habit Again

    Jim
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:12 am
    I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy the writing and the message of the Free Range Kids blog … today she pens Whatever Happened to Walking to School? in the Wall Street Journal. How did we get to this point? How did we forget that it’s just a walk to school? Simple. We bought the line that good parenting is the same as over-parenting. That the more we could do for our children, the better. We forgot the joy of scuffing down the street when we were young, crunching leaves, picking up seeds, and decided we’d do it all for our kids, independence be damned! Except…

  • Buying a Home in Charlottesville – Title Insurance

    Jim
    7 Sep 2010 | 5:06 am
    I have been meaning to do this video for years; the question of title insurance always seems to be a surprise at the closing table, and buyers – particularly first time homebuyers – are frequently confused, surprised, curious as to what title insurance is, why they have to pay for lender’s title insurance and whether they need to buy owner’s title insurance for themselves. So … this is another video in my “real estate questions” series that I will send to my buyer clients as they approach closing. Better informed, better educated clients are better…

  • Who Pays the Buyer Broker Fee?

    Jim
    7 Sep 2010 | 3:54 am
    This is a far-reaching and informative conversation/debate at Rain City Guide, which is worth the thirty minute read if you’re interested in this sort of thing. (And you should be interested if you’re in or will be in the market to buy or sell a house in Charlottesville or if you’re a Realtor … times continue to change as people continue to question and challenge the archaic way by which the real estate world operates) And here is the crux of the issue: If a broker just opens the door for a buyer, has that broker become the “procuring cause,” thus entitling that…
 
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    L.A. Land

  • Stock mutual fund cash outflows hit 3-month high

    Tom Petruno
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:13 pm
    Investors pulled money from stock mutual funds in late August at the heaviest pace since late May, new data show. Bad timing: Many of the sellers were exiting just as the U.S. market was hitting seven-week lows -- and just before it rebounded at the start of September. No wonder so many people feel so frustrated by the stock market, and that they’ll never get it right. Net cash outflows from domestic equity funds totaled $7.6 billion in the seven days ended Sept. 1, the Investment Company Institute reported Wednesday. That was up from $4.3 billion the previous week and the biggest outflow…

  • A conversation with Mattel CEO Bob Eckert

    Andrea Chang
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:58 pm
    It’s been a decade since Bob Eckert left his post as chief executive of Kraft Foods Inc. to become CEO of Mattel Inc. But employees at the toy maker’s El Segundo headquarters still fondly remember Eckert’s first day on the job, when the Midwest native strolled into the building’s cafeteria wearing his badge and announced that he wanted to improve the culture of Mattel and focus on “people development.” In a recent interview from his office -- which, with months to go before the holidays, was already flooded with the company’s classic Barbie dolls and other toys --…

  • Chef David Myers buys restaurant space at Hollywood and Vine

    Roger Vincent
    8 Sep 2010 | 1:11 pm
    High-profile Los Angeles chef David Myers has purchased space at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street where he intends to open a new restaurant. Myers paid $7.2 million for two retail condominium spaces in the ground floor of the historic Equitable building at 6253 Hollywood Blvd., his real estate broker Ramsey-Shilling Commercial Real Estate Services said Wednesday. One of the spaces is already occupied by Dillon’s Irish Pub & Grill, which will continue to operate as a tenant of Myers’. The new restaurant is expected to open next year.  Retail condominiums…

  • Wall Street Roundup: Wall Street job losses. Soft landing for AIG boss.

    Nathaniel Popper
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:59 am
    Wall Street job losses. Analyst Meredith Whitney is estimating that securities firms may cut 10% of their workforce around the world over the next year and a half as the industry consolidates after the financial crisis. Emerging market optimism. Stock markets in emerging markets may quintuple in value over the next two decades, according to a new paper from Goldman Sachs. Soft landing for AIG boss. Martin Sullivan, the much-maligned chief executive of American International Group during the financial meltdown, has found a new job at Willis Group Holdings, an insurance…

  • The economy's real problem is that you're overpaid

    Tom Petruno
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:00 pm
    Kevin Hassett thinks he has the solution to America’s employment problem: Pay cuts all around.“The biggest problem with the labor market right now is that wages are too high,” Hassett, director of economic-policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, writes in his latest column for Bloomberg News.He concedes that his proposal is the kind that is “perfectly at home in economics textbooks” but “so beastly in practice that nobody is willing to mention them.”But he’s willing. He writes:Economics teaches that full employment would be reached if wages adjust…
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    The Realty Buzz ...

  • Real Estate and Economic Links

    PropertyQwest.com
    7 Sep 2010 | 9:59 pm
    BiggerPockets.com Blog: * Housing Market Insight – Week of September 6th Inman News: * Most bankers don't see credit easing RealtyTimes.com: * From "Double Dip" to Double Opportunity New York Times (Economix): * Mortgage Rates and Home Prices * Interest Rates and House Prices: A Murky World Calculated Risk: * Mortgage Rates and Home Prices * Housing Starts and Vacant Units * Housing Completions will set new record low in 2010

  • Landlord, Tenant, and an Eviction on Rye

    PropertyQwest.com
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:50 pm
    This kind of news gets to be awfully exasperating. When do people learn to simply get along and work together? Does everything have to come down to a lawsuit? Are the issues needing to be addressed here so insurmountable that all parties being impacted can't get into a room, have a civil discussion, and find an amicable solution? Oh right, I'm assuming that people are willing to find some middle ground. How simplistic and foolish of me!

  • Jamie Dimon Singing the Real Estate Blues

    PropertyQwest.com
    6 Sep 2010 | 12:00 am
    The Los Angeles Times blog recently posted an article titled, "Jamie Dimon's real estate woes" noting that Dimon hasn't been immune to the housing downturn either as he has had to drop the asking price of his Chicago mansion: "The mansion, where Dimon lived back when he headed up Bank One, originally went on the market for $13.5 million in 2007. The bad real estate market has forced a series of reductions that have brought the listing price down by nearly half, to $6.95 million."As a result of Dimon's misfortune, the author (Daniel Popper) states: "As homeowners have struggled to modify their…

  • Tony Robbins Warns on Housing and the Economy

    PropertyQwest.com
    5 Sep 2010 | 11:59 pm
    Tony Robbins gives a "special warning" regarding where he believes the U.S. economy is headed: " ... the financial world, as you know it, is about to change radically at levels you won't even imagine and it's coming really quick. I can't tell you when, but I know it's coming quick; sometime in the next three, four, five, six, seven months it's going to happen".In the same camp as many economists, Robbins' is predicting more difficult times around the corner (stock market and housing). In fact, Robbin's is citing that the U.S. economy is on the cliff again as the stimulus effect is weaning.

  • Jim the Realtor, the Courthouse Steps, and Insanity

    PropertyQwest.com
    4 Sep 2010 | 12:48 pm
    Good ol' public trustee auction house bidding action at the courthouse steps courtesy of Jim the Realtor. Despite watching the back and forth bidding action driving the final sales price of this property up, the intriguing point to note here is Jim the Realtor's following acknowledgement [actual YouTube posting by Jim the Realtor]: "I submitted an offer of $600,000 on this house on July 1st when it was listed as a short sale for $649,000. The sellers didn't respond, but I think the bank would have wanted to know about it."Keep in mind this home sold at the courthouse steps for $540k, despite…
 
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    Lanser on Real Estate

  • Really? Tax credits cost US $22 billion

    Jeff Collins
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:00 pm
    Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” THE CHECK, PLEASE: The total estimated cost of the home buyer tax credits since April 2008 is about $22 billion, according to a federal report. Some critics maintain that much of that is going to people who would have bought a home anyway. (WSJ) MORE HERE! GOV’MINT TO THE RESCUE: The Federal Housing Administration will allow lenders to provide underwater borrowers with refinanced loans if the lender agrees to forgive at least 10% of the original mortgage amount.. (AP) MORE HERE! DISTRESS IN BIG D:…

  • Fed sees ‘weakened’ Western housing

    Jon Lansner
    8 Sep 2010 | 2:21 pm
    Fed’s San Francisco unit says Western housing “weakened somewhat” this summer in the 6th version of the “Beige Book” report for 2010. This is a Federal Reserve Board summary on regional economic conditions that’s done eight times a year. This summer admission of regional housing malaise is a stark contrast from relatively upbeat asessmenst we saw in the spring. We note that the Fed researchers found enough housing angst in the western U.S. 12th District for their July report to say demand for housing “appeared to deteriorate somewhat” vs. “largely…

  • Hear why O.C. home prices will creep up

    Jon Lansner
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:56 am
    Recently, we told you about a home price forecast from property evaluator Veros from Santa Ana that sees Orange County home prices rising 1.8% in the year ending June 2011. We figured we’d hear what was behind this outlook, so we got Veros’ Eric Fox to explain the logic within the forecast. Fox told ocregister.com in a podcast interview that projected gains — and losses — will be modest here and across the nation. Plus, he thinks the recent drop in home sales and prices in recent weeks following the end of the federal tax credit for buyers will be a short-lived drag.

  • Housing’s cure? Higher mortgage rates!

    Jon Lansner
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:34 am
    Why aren’t rock-bottom mortgage rates helping the local housing market more than one would think? Because history suggests that cheaper home loans offer little more than a coin-toss chance of being associated with rising housing values. That’s why the cheapest home loans in generation can’t get the local real estate market — nor the national one — back in high gear. I dusted off my trusty spreadsheet to ponder the relationships between financing costs (measured for this exercise by a Federal Reserve monthly index of 30-year mortgage rates) and home values in Los…

  • Really? $150 million ‘Manor’ hits market

    Jeff Collins
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:00 pm
    Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” NOW LISTED: It’s long been reported that TV producer Aaron Spelling’s widow, Candy, had her mansion up for sale for $150 million. That home is now listed on the open market, it’s original asking price still intact. (Real Estalker) MORE HERE! SPELLING STALKER: Candy Spelling wants protection from a “mentally ill stalker” who allegedly believes he lives at Spelling’s Holmby Hills mega-mansion. (TMZ) MORE HERE! HOME IS A CASTLE: A billboard trumpeting, “King Wanted,”…
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    Rainmaker Properties

  • 1SiliconValley.com Wins Zillow’s “Best San Jose Real Estate Blog” and the iPad Winner is…?

    Alex H. Wang
    30 Aug 2010 | 8:48 am
    A special thanks to all of our readers and Facebook fans for your support in voting 1SiliconValley.com as the ‘Best San Jose Real Estate Blog’ as sponsored by Zillow’s People’s Choice Awards. As promised, we are raffling an Apple iPad to everyone who voted and commented on our Facebook Fanpage to let us know about their vote. Before we start the raffle, we wanted to acknowledge a few voters: The Most Passionate Voter Award goes to Christina Yuen. To say it in Christina’s own words, “Voted! 29%!! talktocj is at 32% – BOO!! I’m rounding people up…

  • Vote for 1SiliconValley.com as Best San Jose Real Estate Blog and Win an iPad!

    Alex H. Wang
    17 Aug 2010 | 11:50 am
    Rainmaker Properties’ Silicon Valley real estate blog 1SiliconValley.com was recently nominated as one of the best San Jose Real Estate Blogs by Zillow. Help vote for our real estate blog and if we get the most votes and win the ‘Best Blog San Jose Real Estate’ title, you’ll be entered into a chance to win your own Apple iPad! Here’s how to get started: STEP 1: Click on the ‘Best Blog Nominee’ logo below and vote for 1SiliconValley.com (only one vote per 24 hour period) through Wednesday August 25, 2010. (Flash required, sorry!) STEP 2: Visit…

  • Rainmaker Properties sends an Angel-for-a-Day

    Alex H. Wang
    10 Jul 2010 | 7:20 pm
    Octogenarian, Rita is happy with the new condo she recently purchased with Rainmaker agent, Ceci Ellis.  It was a bit of an adjustment, however, after selling the large family home she’d shared with her late husband for 35 years and there were a few things about the condo that just didn’t quite fit. Making your new house your home sometimes takes some adjustments. In Rita’s case a previous owner had installed closet organizers in the master bedroom walk-in closet that didn’t fit Rita’s diminutive stature. It seemed that EVERYTHING was out of her reach. It was Angel, our…

  • Rainmaker Properties Ranked #19 in Top 24 Residential Real Estate Firms in Silicon Valley

    Alex H. Wang
    21 May 2010 | 10:55 am
    We just wanted to thank all of our supporters for helping to make Rainmaker Properties one of Silicon Valley’s top 24 residential real estate firms. Ranked by gross dollar volume of closed sales in 2009 for Silicon Valley offices, this is a huge honor and we look forward to continuing to serve and empower Silicon Valley residents and newcomers with the tools they need to make strong real estate decisions. Enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to our blog!

  • How Do You Know if Real Estate Financing Advertisements are Legit or Fraudulent?

    Alex H. Wang
    9 Oct 2009 | 10:15 am
    Rainmaker Fan Mail [Q&A Series] Oct. 2009! As a part of our new Fan Mail Q&A Series, we invited Dave Tang; a Realtor & Mortgage Consultant with Portfolio Lending. Curious George Goes Green hd Bloody Sunday video “With all the radio ads for low interest mortgage rates…How  does one discern which are legit and which ones are borderline   fraudulent? “ Bad Boys II the movie The Country Bears move Titanic film Kill Me Later download King Kong vs. Godzilla release -Tim Well Tim…. I am always concerned about ads that just feature a rate   because there is so…
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    Ubertor Real Estate Blog

  • Google Instant: It Searches AS You Type

    Stephen Jagger
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:12 am
    Big day at Google today, I’ll let Google’s Jonathan Effrat explain in the video below: You should see this feature rolling out tomorrow.

  • Ubertor Update: Twitter Integration

    Stephen Jagger
    6 Sep 2010 | 8:26 pm
    A quick note, Twitter has changed their API and any Ubertor clients with existing Twitter integrations needs to re-authorize their Ubertor websites to post directly to Twitter. You can do this quickly and easily by clicking on the “marketing” tab within your control panel, and then the “Twitter” tab. This is a great update as it enhances the security between Ubertor and Twitter.

  • Guest Post: Video Blogging

    Stephen Jagger
    3 Sep 2010 | 1:11 pm
    Editor’s note: Kelley Skar has been a REALTOR® in Calgary, Alberta for the past three years and has recently implemented social networking as a major part of his business plan. Kelley started out like any other REALTOR® knocking on doors, doing mail outs & open houses, advertising in print newsletters, etc. He is now doing 100% of his marketing online, including self promotion, and now has a solid internet marketing plan for all of his listings. Kelley incorporated a daily video blog series titled The Calgary Real Estate Connection into his plan 2 months ago to not only provide good…

  • The Vancouver Real Estate Tech September Meetup

    Stephen Jagger
    1 Sep 2010 | 12:47 pm
    The Vancouver Real Estate Technology Meetup is back from a summer break. Come join us for the 38th RE Tech Meetup since we started back in October 2006. This month we have Tom Everitt of ThinkTom.com as our guest speaker. Tom Everitt is a 5 time Medallion member of the REBGV and winner of the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver Outstanding Achiever award for 2010. He is the also the mentor for WhiteSpot Corporation’s Toastmasters public speaking group. He has been ThinkTom.com since Jan of 2000 and combines ‘old school meets new school’ real estate marketing. Using his well known humour…

  • Guest Post: Parketing

    Stephen Jagger
    31 Aug 2010 | 10:48 pm
    Editor’s note: Guest author Cameron Herold has been coaching, speaking to, and helping entrepreneurs on five continents build their companies. He started BackPocket COO to be able to coach and mentor young, fun companies, and help them make their dreams happen. Cameron Herold is one of the country’s most innovative business leaders and was a leading force behind one of the most successful new business ventures of the last decade, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. (complete bio) Parketing, which is parking branded vehicles at high traffic locations has been around forever yet many companies still…
 
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    Reverse Mortgage Daily

  • Volume Jumps 12% During August, Top Reverse Mortgage Lenders

    admin
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:19 pm
    Reverse mortgage lenders endorsed 6,645 HECM units during August, up 12.6% from July.  It’s the third consecutive month over month increase in volume and signals things could be turning around after an extremely challenging first half of 2010. Overall volume for 2010 is still down 37.7% from the same period last year, but individual lender performance is improving.  According to Reverse Market Insight, the average number of monthly endorsements per lender (almost 9) is at its second highest number in the last two years. Additionally, the number of new active lenders…

  • Percentage of Older Americans Filing Bankruptcy Up 61% says Study

    admin
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:04 pm
    A study released in the September issue of the ABI Journal found that Americans ages 55 and older are filing for bankruptcy at an increasing rate. The study, “Aging and Bankruptcy Revisited,” was written by John Golmant and James Woods at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to update a 2002 study that examined the degree to which bankruptcy filings are a function of age. While the bulk of bankruptcies are filed by middle-aged Americans, the percentage of filers ages 55 and over grew 61 percent from 2002 to 2007, according to Golmant and Woods. “This significant demographic…

  • WSJ: Federal Backing of Mortgages Could Be Paid by Industry Fees

    admin
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:51 am
    The Wall Street Journal is reporting the Obama administration may propose that any federal backing of mortgages be paid for through fees on the lending industry, according to people familiar with the internal discussions. While the administration hasn’t settled on a plan to revamp failed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a consensus appears to be emerging that some type of government guarantee will be needed to keep the ailing mortgage market functioning. Some conservatives don’t believe the government should offer any type of guarantee, while others advocate limited,…

  • Second Consecutive Quarterly Decline in Negative Equity Rates

    Kelly
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:39 am
    CoreLogic released new data last week showing a decline in national negative equity rates for the second consecutive quarter. Approximately 11 million (23 percent) of all residential properties with mortgages were in negative equity at the end of the second quarter. This is down from 11.2 million (24 percent) in the first quarter. There is an additional 2.4 million borrowers with less than five percent negative equity as well. However, CoreLogic points out that foreclosures, not meaningful price appreciation, are the main stimulant in this decline. Negative and near-negative equity mortgages…

  • Bank of America Rolls Out No Servicing Fee Adjustable Rate HECM for Wholesale

    admin
    7 Sep 2010 | 12:36 pm
    Bank of America introduced a new adjustable rate Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) product to wholesale partners on Tuesday. Starting September 7th, the company is offering a no servicing fee set aside (SFSA) monthly LIBOR HECM with a margin of 225 to brokers and closed loan sellers. The new option should help brokers compete with MetLife and Wells Fargo, which have been offering a no SFSA adjustable rate product to consumers through their retail channels. While brokers have been able to offer the HECM fixed without a SFSA for some time, BofA is the first wholesaler to introduce an…
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    Wallingford Wired

  • Wallingford’s Hallmark Hill Community

    Harriman Real Estate
    6 Sep 2010 | 10:40 am
    Wallingford’s Hallmark Hill CommunitySet amongst rolling hills and green pastures, Hallmark Hill Condominiums of Wallingford boasts a clubhouse for entertaining, 2 regulation tennis courts and a swimming pool for relaxing in the hot summer sun.  The complex is managed by Prime Property Management of North Haven and was built in two phases.  The first phase, called Hallmark Hill, was completed in 1973; the second and newer phase, called Colonial Hill, was completed in 1986.  There are a total of 133 units and of those 133 units, only 6% are rented.  There are Townhouse units and…

  • The Connecticut Wine Trail: Stops Six and Seven

    Harriman Real Estate
    5 Sep 2010 | 5:32 pm
    The Connecticut Wine Trail: Stops Six & SevenBack on the Connecticut Wine Trail after a short hiatus, the last weekend of August found us visiting two more wineries, Jones Winery of Shelton and Savino Vineyards of Woodbridge.Jones WineryJones Winery is located on a 150-year-old farm in Connecticut’s White Hills, and has the distinction of having been named “Best Wine” in Connecticut Magazine’s September issue. This is quite an accomplishment, seeing as how they’ve only been in production for six years. To celebrate the award, the winery will be hosting a “Best of…

  • The Connecticut Wine Trail: Fifth Stop

    Harriman Real Estate
    31 Aug 2010 | 2:40 pm
    The Connecticut Wine Trail: Fifth StopThe fifth stop on our trip through Connecticut’s wine country saw us spending the 4th of July at Litchfield’s Haight-Brown Vineyard. Founded thirty-five years ago, Haight-Brown is Connecticut’s oldest vineyard and was the first to plant Chardonnay and Riesling varietals on the slopes of the Litchfield Hills. Those first pressings earned the winery gold and silver medals at the prestigious Eastern Wine Competition.Our holiday visit to the winery found us trying several excellent wines worthy of those medals. Some of the best were the Covertside…

  • Meriden Market Update July 2010

    Harriman Real Estate
    30 Aug 2010 | 3:28 pm
    Meriden Market Update for July 2010Here’s the way the housing market is shaping up in Meriden as of July 31, 2010:There are currently 264 single family homes for sale in Meriden (down slightly from last month):Low list price: $34,900High list price: $699,000Average list price: $203,921Median list price: $192,400Average Days on Market: 70 (up 56% from last month)Homes sold on average for 96.4% of list price (unchanged from last month)There are 74 homes currently under contract, priced between $39,900 and $389,900. Based on the number of homes sold in July (26), it would take…

  • Wallingford Market Update July 2010

    Harriman Real Estate
    30 Aug 2010 | 11:49 am
    Wallingford Market Update for July 2010Here’s the way the housing market is shaping up in Wallingford as of July 31, 2010:There are currently 199 single family homes for sale in Wallingford (down slightly from last month):Low list price: $45,000High list price: $895,000Average list price: $322,509Median list price: $294,900Average Days on Market: 110 (up 77% from last month)Homes sold on average for 96.1% of list price (down slightly from last month)There are 62 homes currently under contract, priced between $126,700 and $999,900. Based on the number of homes sold in July (16), it would…
 
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    Blogging In The Rain

  • Using SMS to Grow Your Real Estate Contact Database

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    22 Aug 2010 | 5:46 pm
    Using SMS to Grow Your Real Estate Contact Database   Do you have a strategy for Mobile Marketing?  According to Gartner Inc., "By 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide."   So how do you get started?  All along you have been told to build your email database and grow your RSS readers and now mobile?  Well mobile isn't going anywhere and in fact resides on the hips and in the pockets and purses of most of your clients and potential customers until their heads hit the pillow for bed.  So while you are growing your…

  • The Liberties of a Real Estate Entrepreuner

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    4 Jul 2010 | 6:59 am
    The daily grind of a career in real estate can be exhausting.  Your clients and vendors needs (and sometimes demands) may seem never ending. The hustle and bustle of real estate starts at the listing or home buying purchase and doesn't end with each transaction until it closes. You might say a career choice in real estate is truly suited for a few determined souls. Living in the land of the brave A Real estate career is not all a tale of woe It is a choice both of career and lifestyle It has it's challenges but is rewarded by it's freedoms Today let us celebrate and remember  …

  • Five Ways to Upgrade and Put the "Bam" in Your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page (Part IV- THE FINALE)

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    7 Jun 2010 | 12:55 pm
    Five Ways to Upgrade and Put the "Bam" in Your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page (Part IV- THE FINALE) Let's recap our delicious Facebook Fan Page offerings for a moment.  If you have followed Part I, Part II, and Part III of this Facebook Fan Page series you now know how to: 1.  Customize for your Real Estate Facebook fan page using the static FBML application. 2.  Get rid of extraneous tabs on your wall (with the exception of the "wall" and "info" tab which are static applications and cannot be deleted. 3.  Add a real estate listings tab to your Facebook fan page using the Roost Social Real…

  • Five Ways to Upgrade and Put the "Bam" in your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    27 May 2010 | 7:50 am
    Five Ways to Upgrade and Put the "Bam" In Your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page (Part III) If you have followed Part I and Part II of this Facebook Fan Page series you now know how to customize tabs for your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page using the static FBML application, how to get rid of extraneous tabs on your wall (with the exception of the "wall" and "info" tab which are static applications and cannot be deleted), and how to add a listings tab to your Facebook fan page using the Roost Social Real Estate Platform Application. In Part III of this series we are going to add two more tabs to…

  • Five Ways to Upgrade and Put the "Bam" In Your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page (Part II)

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    25 May 2010 | 10:01 am
    Five Ways to Upgrade and Put the "Bam" In Your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page (Part II) In  Part I of "Five Ways to Upgrade and Put the Bam in Your Real Estate Facebook Fan Page" we discussed why it's important to have a full service offering that is branded toward your real estate business and market.  We built the foundation of that customization process by learning how install and use the static FMBL application for Facebook. In Part II of this series we are going to start using our real estate marketing skillz, and the tools and applications available to customize your Real…
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    Tina Fountain

  • 5 Tips to Finding a Great Home

    27 Aug 2010 | 2:35 pm
    By Marc Rasmussen – LuxurySarasotaRealEstate.com Now is probably a pretty good time to be a home buyer. No one can tell you for sure if the real estate market has bottomed out but prices are much lower now than they were in 2005. Real estate h...

  • 627 Tabbystone Street Marietta, Georgia 30064

    23 Aug 2010 | 9:43 am
    Just Listed - The Park at Latimer Farm 627 Tabbystone Street Marietta, Georgia 30064 FMLS # 4110372 Located in The Park at Latimer Farm, 627 Tabbystone Street is an immaculate home with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. Homes for sale in The Park at Lat...

  • 2083 Kilbirnie Court Kennesaw, Georgia 30152

    12 Aug 2010 | 11:22 am
    Just Listed - Overlook at Marietta Country Club 2083 Kilbirnie Court Kennesaw, Georgia 30152 FMLS # 4108558 Located in The Overlook at Marietta Country Club, 2083 Kilbirnie Court is a charming five bedroom four bathroom home with one bedroom and...

  • 115 Rocky Creek Trail Woodstock, Georgia 30188

    29 Jul 2010 | 11:42 am
    Just Listed - Estates of Fernwood Creek Subdivision 115 Rocky Creek Trail Woodstock, Georgia 30188 FMLS # 4101973 115 Rocky Creek Trail is a magnificent custom built home located on a large, private, lot with fenced in backyard. Five over-size...

  • 2329 Whiting Bay Courts Kennesaw, Georgia 30152

    27 Jul 2010 | 1:15 pm
    Just Listed - Overlook at Marietta Country Club 2329 Whiting Bay Courts Kennesaw, Georgia 30152 FMLS # 4099872 2329 Whiting Bay Courts is a highly desired five bedroom five bathroom floor plan that features a bedroom and full bathroom on the ma...
 
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    Office Search Toronto

  • Small Office Space – Downtown North Toronto – September 2010

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:01 am
    Commercial Real Estate Toronto For floor plans or a survey of available office space in Toronto provide your contact info here and I will be in touch with a custom survey of office space tailored to your needs. It can’t get any easier that that! Open publication – Free publishing Address Available Space (sf) Asking Gross Rental Rate (psf) Asking Monthly Rate 123 Edward Street 1,526 $35.93 $4,569.10 123 Edward Street 2,758 $35.93 $8,257.91 180 Dundas Street W 5,958 $33.74 $16,751.91 180 Dundas Street W 2,602 $33.74 $7,315.96 2 Carlton Street 3,795 $32.94 $10,417.28 2 Carlton Street…

  • 28 useful websites for commercial real estate practitioners

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:42 am
    My sincere apologies to Duke Long of Agent Genius. I incorrectly named ROFO as the group that put together this previous list. With this post I’ll get it right! Here’s another 28 useful CRE websites you may want to check out. Keep up the great work Duke!!  Please note these are Duke’s comments, not my own.  Give him some Twitter love here. MYROFO- on top again but this time for augmented reality office search app. These guys just keep pushing the edge. Minutebids- starting with online bids nationwide for contractors and affiliates. This platform has no limits for cre…

  • Commercial Real Estate Toronto – Landlord Listings Downtown West Toronto – September 2010

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    6 Sep 2010 | 5:54 am
    Open publication – Free publishing For commercial real estate advice or a custom survey of available office space call 416-992-9869 or contact us here! Address Available Space (sf) Asking Gross Rental Rate (psf) Asking Monthly Rate 102 Atlantic Avenue 4,234 $29.07 $10,256.87 110 Spadina Avenue 4,787 $30.25 $12,067.23 111 Peter Street 4,019 $30.33 $10,158.02 111 Peter Street 6,652 $30.33 $16,812.93 1137 King Street W 4,088 $36.94 $12,584.23 116 Simcoe Street 3,475 $37.76 $10,934.67 116 Spadina Avenue 4,475 $26.40 $9,845.00 119 Spadina Avenue 4,405 $31.60 $11,599.83 129 Spadina Avenue…

  • Lennard Commercial – GTA Office Listings

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    5 Sep 2010 | 9:27 am
    Lennard – Monthly mailer september View more documents from Chris Fyvie. Please note the attached office space is not listed with OfficeSearchToronto.com but call us first at 416-992-9869 or email us here!

  • Yonge and Sheppard Toronto – Office Space September 2010

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    4 Sep 2010 | 6:58 am
    Open publication – Free publishing OfficeSearchToronto.com tracks available office space across the GTA. Want a survey or availability report somewhere else in Toronto? Are these space too big? Call us at 416-992-9869 or E-mail Me!
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    OfficeFinder Blog

  • Leasing Medical Office Space - Part 2

    7 Sep 2010 | 7:47 am
    In Leasing Medical Office Space - Part 1, we delved into some of the challenges facing medical and healthcare practitioners when leasing office space in which to provide their services to the public. While it’s true that established medical services don’t frequently relocate, more and more practices are opening branch facilities to better service their existing clients and attract new patients.  Today, we’ll look at even more considerations a healthcare provider should consider when wishing to open a new practice, new branch, or relocating their primary office to a new, more convenient…

  • Third Biggest Mistake Made By Tenants

    30 Aug 2010 | 5:25 pm
    Failure to understand all the office leasing costs There are more costs involved in leasing office space than just the rent.  Many of these costs are quoted in different fashions so it can all get quite complicated when comparing alternatives. It becomes difficult to compare proposals on an apple-to-apples basis. In fact, it can even become difficult for an inexperienced tenant representative to decipher the various costs involved in comparing different office space alternatives. First of all, there are different lease types including full service, gross, semi-gross, net, triple net and…

  • Office Relocation - Phone Service Timing

    27 Aug 2010 | 9:29 am
    When moving your business to a new location, it is very important to include and inform your telecom provider early in the process.  Your provider needs time to research your new address for the proper facilities; order and have the service operational before you move in.Remember that it can take anywhere from two to six weeks to complete the order.  We recomend that you have an overlap of service at both locations for at least a week in case your new location needs additional or unexpected work.National ComTel has the ability to assist with the new location research and confirmation of…

  • Negative Results in First Half 2010 for Regus

    27 Aug 2010 | 7:54 am
    Regus, the world's largest provider of executive suites, realesed its half year results today for the six months ended June 30, 2010. Highlights compared with same period in 2009: Revenue down by 7.5% Earning per share down by 76% (prior to exceptional charges) A before tax loss of £6.1 million (H1 2009: Profit £69.0 million) After exceptional UK restructuring charge of £15.8 million Workstation increase of 1.8% to 176,760 44 new centers opened Businessworld - increase of 111% to 475,896 members ( 127% increase in revenues from 2009) Cash generated from operations (before exceptional…

  • Leasing Medical Office Space - Part 1

    26 Aug 2010 | 8:42 am
    Healthcare is a huge industry today and every type of healthcare provider requires medical office space in which to perform their practice. Whether the medical office space provides clinical services, diagnostic services, laboratory services or another niche of healthcare services, the needs of these providers differ greatly from the traditional office rental lease template. Here are a few of the most important issues and concerns to be aware of securing a medical office space lease that will help meet the unique needs of healthcare providers. Convenience: All healthcare providers need to be…
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    Vero Beach Real Estate

  • NORTH PASSAGE Homes For Sale | Jupiter Real Estate

    starfish
    3 Sep 2010 | 7:45 am
    Find NORTH PASSAGE Homes For Sale and NORTH PASSAGE Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Jupiter Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful Palm Beach COUNTY Florida. Jupiter Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of the Treasure Coast, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including NORTH PASSAGE, school districts and the Jupiter Real Estate market in this beautiful Palm Beach County…

  • SAN MICHELE Homes For Sale | Palm Beach Gardens Real Estate

    starfish
    3 Sep 2010 | 7:41 am
    Find SAN MICHELE Homes For Sale and SAN MICHELE Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Palm Beach Gardens Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful Palm Beach COUNTY Florida. Palm Beach Gardens Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of the Treasure Coast, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including SAN MICHELE, school districts and the Palm Beach Gardens Real Estate market in this…

  • SEWALLS POINT Homes For Sale | Stuart Real Estate

    starfish
    3 Sep 2010 | 7:35 am
    Find SEWALLS POINT Homes For Sale and SEWALLS POINT Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Stuart Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful Martin COUNTY Florida. Stuart Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of the Treasure Coast, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including SEWALLS POINT, school districts and the Stuart Real Estate market in this beautiful Martin County town. Paul…

  • INDIAN RIVER CLUB Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate

    starfish
    3 Sep 2010 | 7:29 am
    Find INDIAN RIVER CLUB Homes For Sale and INDIAN RIVER CLUB Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Vero Beach Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Florida. Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of Vero Beach, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including INDIAN RIVER CLUB, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian…

  • INDIAN MOUND Listings | Vero Beach Real Estate

    starfish
    30 Aug 2010 | 10:09 am
    Find INDIAN MOUND Homes For Sale and INDIAN MOUND Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Vero Beach Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home on INDIAN MOUND. Vero Beach Real Estate Paul Kitchen and Starfish Real Estate provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of Vero Beach, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including INDIAN MOUND, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian River County town. Paul Kitchen…
 
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    Oh My Apartment

  • What To Do If Your Noisy Neighbor Is Your Landlord

    Staff Writer
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:13 am
    Living with a noisy neighbor can be a miserable experience, but it’s even worse when that neighbor is your landlord. You can pretty much forget about renting the apartment for long, if you decide to confront your landlord about the noise. In rare cases, your landlord may see the light and change his ways. In many cases though, your landlord may retaliate against you and try to kick you out of the apartment. Talk to Your Landlord One of your basic tenant rights is to live in a peaceable and quiet environment. The landlord has a duty to ensure that, and if you were dealing with another…

  • How to Keep a Pet Snake in Your Apartment

    Staff Writer
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:04 am
    Owning a pet snake does not have to be slippery business. In fact, there are only two main issues to consider if you would like to own a pet reptile or any other unusual pet. If you understand the pet laws in your state and if you understand the unique needs of any given species of snake, you are well on your way to successfully raising a pet snake within the letter of the law. Pet Snake Laws Some states do not allow residents to possess certain animals, including snakes. In Alaska, for example, it is against the law to possess reptiles. In others, owning certain species of snakes is against…

  • Forgot to Knock: What to Do If You See Your Roommate Naked

    Rachael Weiner
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:56 am
    Seeing your roommate naked is one of those uncomfortable situations that no one ever wants to encounter. Awkward as it is, if it happens you shouldn’t freak out. Situations are best remedied by acting maturely. So whether you forgot to knock or came home early to an unprepared unclothed roommate, here’s what you should do. Be the First to Break the Silence Awkward situations become even more awkward when people refuse to talk about them. Don’t be one of those people. Instead of walking around in silence afraid to say something about it, break the silence. Your roommate is…

  • Water and Conservation: 5 Tips to Save You Money

    Staff Writer
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:34 am
    Water and conservation is an important subject that you need to tackle to save money. Even if your landlord pays the water bill, you can reduce your electricity bill by using less heated water. It’s also good for you to practice how to conserve water in case there’s a natural disaster or some other emergency that stops running water from flowing into your apartment. Whatever your reasons for water conservation, these tips will help you use less water: Tip #1: Shut Off Faucets When You’re Not Using Them It’s so easy to get caught up in a telephone conversation while cooking or…

  • Babies and One Bedroom Apartments: When Is It Time to Upgrade?

    Staff Writer
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:27 am
    Searching for one bedroom apartments when you’re expecting a baby is not a bad idea. If you’re already in one, then there are ways to make the room comfortable for you and your baby and you may not have to upgrade to a two-bed apartment for a few years. A baby doesn’t require much space in the bedroom. The space issues often involve storing clothes, diapers and toys which can be stored elsewhere in the apartment. Crib Placement You’ve probably seen the pictures in the parenting magazines of the separate nursery that contains the crib, rocking chairs and ample floor space.
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    Missouri Living at it's BEST

  • 7127 South Hwy 13, Lampe, MO 65681 FOR SALE!!!

    Steve Mattison (Carol Jones, Realtors)
    20 Aug 2010 | 3:48 pm
    Home with Table Rock Lake on 3 sides about a mile away. Overview Maps Photos Features Description $49,900 Single Family HomeFor Sale Main Features 2 Bedrooms1 BathroomInterior: 1100 sqftLot: 0.28 acre(s) Location 7127 South Hwy 13Lampe, MO 65681USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Steve Mattison Carol Jones, Realtors(417) 338-2022steve@ozarksagent.comhttp://www.ozarksagent.com Listed by: Carol Jones, Realtors Our recent listings Home with Table Rock Lake on 3 sides about a mile away.Lakefront acreage at Table Rock Lake, MOHome…

  • 8.8 acres on Greenbriar, Kimberling City, MO 65686 For Sale!

    Steve Mattison (Carol Jones, Realtors)
    20 Aug 2010 | 3:11 pm
    Lakefront acreage at Table Rock Lake, MO Overview Maps Photos Features Description $175,000 Lots and LandFor Sale Main Features Lot: 8.80 acre(s) Location 0 GreenbriarKimberling City, MO 65686USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Steve Mattison Carol Jones, Realtors.(417) 338-2022steve@ozarksagent.comhttp://www.ozarksagent.com Listed by: Carol Jones, Realtors Our recent listings Lakefront acreage at Table Rock Lake, MOHome with acreage between Branson and Springfield.Home with almost 20 acres for sale near Springfield,…

  • Branson Missouri Real Estate Market Report for July 2010

    Steve Mattison (Carol Jones, Realtors)
    6 Aug 2010 | 3:55 pm
    According to the latest statistics, Branson, MO, Taney County, single family homes sales last month total was 15  homes with the highest priced one selling for $756,550 and the lowest priced one selling for $105,000.  That is ten less than last month with a medium price of $175,000 which shows more short-sales and foreclosed home sales.  Not much positive to report for the Branson area Single Family "built on site homes" Real Estate Market.   There were 10 condos that closed escrow last month and they ranged from $152,000 to $34,500 in price.  These sales were the…

  • Stone County Missouri around Table Rock Lake Market Report for July 2010

    Steve Mattison (Carol Jones, Realtors)
    6 Aug 2010 | 3:48 pm
    According to the latest statistics, Stone County MO single family homes sales last month total was 30  homes with the highest priced one selling for $405,000 and the lowest priced one selling for $22,000.  That is 1 less than last month with a medium price of about $200,000 which shows little change worth noting.  Not much positive to report for the Stone County & Table Rock Lake Area Single Family "built on site homes" Real Estate Market.   There were 6 condos that closed escrow last month and they ranged from $105,000 to $77,900 in price.  These sales were 4…

  • Home on 5 acres with shop for sale.

    Steve Mattison (Carol Jones, Realtors)
    8 Jul 2010 | 10:18 am
    Home on 5 acres with shop too. Overview Maps Photos Features Description $110,000 Single Family HomeFor Sale Main Features 3 Bedrooms2 Bathrooms1 Partial BathroomInterior: 2532 sqftLot: 5.00 acre(s) Location 252 Horseshoe DriveGalena, MO 65656 To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Steve Mattison Souvenir Reatly, Inc.(417) 357-8326steve@ozarksagent.comhttp://www.ozarksagent.com Listed by: Souvenir Realty, Inc. Our recent listings Home by Table Rock Lake on 49 Acres.Home on 5 acres with shop too.Whole 300 Block of College St.
 
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    Nelson NZ Real Estate

  • NZ Property Report – August 2010

    Alistair Helm
    31 Aug 2010 | 1:03 pm
    The August 2010 NZ Property Report published by Realestate.co.nz provides an insight into the state of the New Zealand property market as measured by the supply side of the property market over the month of August. The key measures of the market analysed in the report are the number of new listings, the asking price expectation for those new listings and the level of inventory of unsold houses on the market at this time. The report is compiled from data captured by the website and represents close to 95% of all property movements in the NZ market as managed by licensed real estate agents. The…

  • The smartest agents recognise the power of technology – how we are helping

    Alistair Helm
    30 Aug 2010 | 4:30 am
    Later this week Realestate.co.nz will host its first ever conference focused on the role that technology in all its forms is having on the real estate industry. Titled the “Future of Real Estate” the conference to be held on Friday 3rd September at Waipuna conference centre in Auckland and will feature both domestic and international speakers as well as workshop sessions focused to the key business tools of the web – Facebook, blogs and Twitter. The conference is very much influenced by the experiences I have encountered in attending the Inman Connect conferences in the…

  • Where to advertise your property? – be aware of the small print!

    Alistair Helm
    29 Aug 2010 | 3:23 pm
    Just last week Nielsen Research Company released its annual study on the real estate market borne of an online intercept survey. It detailed very clearly the trend of the polarisation of media preference amongst property buyers and sellers. The ascendancy of the web versus the demise of printed publications – specifically specialist real estate magazines and metropolitan newspapers. How strange then to be the recipient of this tweet from Matthew Harman: Latest issue of Property Press says there’s 56% ‘future intention’ to advertise in this mag. Ahead of online. Course…

  • NZ Property Market Pulse – August 2010

    Alistair Helm
    25 Aug 2010 | 12:38 pm
    The Property Market Pulse report provides a set of factsheets for each of the 19 regions of the country consolidating the latest data from key sources in the real restate market. From the Real Estate Institute (REINZ) comes the latest sales numbers for June as well as the median sales price for key regions and the stratified sales price for key centers. From the Realestate.co.nz comprehensive database of listings comes the key measure of inventory of unsold properties on the market. Property Sales The number of property sales is a key measure of buyer activity. The Real Estate Institute…

  • Southland – Monthly Property Market Pulse factsheet – August 2010

    Alistair Helm
    25 Aug 2010 | 12:13 pm
    The Southland  district region Property Market factsheet for August 2010 can be downloaded by clicking this icon. The median property price in Southland rose sharply in July, from the June figure of $172,000, it rose to $210,000. As compared to a year ago prices in the region are in the month are up 10.5%. Property sales in the region rose slightly in July on a seasonally adjusted basis with to 109 properties. On a moving annual basis property sales are down 3.8% with 1,632 properties sold in the past 12 months compared to 1,696 in the prior 12 month period. Inventory of houses on the market…
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    Andy Tolbert

  • More Great News for Florida Real Estate Agents!

    Andy Tolbert
    2 Sep 2010 | 2:14 pm
    You already know that I don’t watch the news… but there’s been some amazing stories that seem to keep finding their way on to my radar screen… just wanted to take a minute to share some of them with you! After the first ever DECLINE since the 50’s in Florida’s population in 2008-2009, we’re showing an increase again!!! (Except in MY county… That means more people will need to buy or rent houses! To see the full story, Click Here. American’s Economic Confidence is Up… we’re still low, but it went up a few ticks when analysts…

  • Do you have your DREAM business?

    Andy Tolbert
    27 Aug 2010 | 9:18 am
    I had the wonderful pleasure of hearing Wendy Kurtz speak at a meeting I was at this week. Wendy consults with some of the top speakers and authors in the country on building their brand and selling more books. Since I’ve been tossing around the idea of writing a book, I figured I’d hear what she had to say… and boy am I glad I did! (find out more at www.WendyKurtz.com) One of the things she shared right at the end was her “DREAM Principle” which is an easy to follow 5-step process for business success… and even though she was talking about authors, my mind…

  • Today Fannie Mae launched a new consumer education website on foreclosure options…

    Andy Tolbert
    4 Aug 2010 | 9:28 am
    Today Fannie Mae launched a new consumer education website on foreclosure options. The way I found out about it was when I received a call from the Orlando CBS affiliate, Channel 6 News asking if they could interview me about the new site… www.KnowYourOptions.com So while he was asking me questions about the ramifications of a foreclosure on your life (credit, jugdments, etc.) I pulled the site up quickly to take a peek! It’s actually a pretty good site! A lot of the information they are sharing is similar to the info I put on MY info site, www.BeforeYouShortSale.com which is for…

  • Halfway through 2010… what’s your year look like?

    Andy Tolbert
    22 Jul 2010 | 10:46 am
    Here we are… halfway through the year. Time to take a look back at the last 6 months and see where you’ve been and what your results were. Set aside at least a half hour to complete this… 1. Look at your closed transactions so far this year: How many? Average transaction size? Average gross commission? How many buyers vs. sellers vs. both? How many short sales vs. REO’s vs. “regular”? This will give you an idea of what “niche” you’ve been working whether you realize it or not! 2. Look at your marketing: How often did you send out a mail…

  • Cruddy, Useless Mortgage Pre-Qual Letters and How to Spot Them!

    Andy Tolbert
    14 Jul 2010 | 1:08 pm
    There has always been a lot of incompetence in the mortgage business, but when the money was flowing it really didn’t matter because if you had a heartbeat you could get financed, so inexperienced mortgage brokers could still be successful. But now that money has tightened up, you can’t risk your deals on a mortgage broker or an approval that is bogus. This deal was kind of funny. When the buyer’s agent submitted the offer, they included a very weak pre-qualification letter. When I called the loan officer who’s name and number was at the bottom to ask for some…
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    BostonKayakGuy...John Prescott's The MetWest Scene

  • Lemongrass and Blue Ginger’s Ming Tsai

    bostonkayakguy
    1 Sep 2010 | 8:37 am
    Image via Wikipedia It’s all about cooking with lemongrass! Chef Ming Tsai shares a widely used Thai cooking ingredient that will turn your routine meals into a lip-smacking delight. - Today Show on NBC A lemongrass-inspired meal you’ll love – foodwine – Today: Food: Recipe – TODAYshow.com. Tagged: blue ginger, blue ginger restaurant, BostonKayakGuy, cooking, [...]

  • Framingham Public Schools 2010 – 2011 Bus Routes

    bostonkayakguy
    31 Aug 2010 | 5:55 am
    Framingham Public Schools has released its school bus routes for 2010 - 2011 school year...

  • Jimmy Fallon and ‘Glee’ Cast Kick Off 2010 Emmys

    bostonkayakguy
    31 Aug 2010 | 5:34 am
    Betty White, John Hamm, Tina Fey, Kate Gosselin, Randy Jackson - only 2010 Emmys host Jimmy Fallon could mashup these luminaries with the cast of 'Glee' and the rockin' sounds of Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' for a spectacular opening for television's annnual awards ceremony...

  • Sudbury Schools – Bus Routes 2010

    bostonkayakguy
    31 Aug 2010 | 5:21 am
    Sudbury Schools Bus Routes 2010 - A new interactive bus route finder allows you to enter your school and street to find the right bus route...

  • DARK N’ STORMY

    bostonkayakguy
    28 Aug 2010 | 6:43 am
    It's been a summer full of good weather and good friends. And in these last days of summer entertaining treat yourself and your guests to a rum beverage that will entice their taste buds...
 
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    Realty Times

  • Ask the HOA Expert

    7 Sep 2010 | 11:00 pm
    The board is thinking about circulating a survey to evaluate the manager company’s effectiveness. Any suggestions? Can we publish the complete list of what each HOA employee makes or is this a breach of privacy?

  • Fall Decorating Tips

    7 Sep 2010 | 11:00 pm
    The classic earthy colors associated with Fall decorations are an homage to Mother Nature herself. The burnt oranges, browns, and golden wheats are the colors we witness first-hand as the seasons change.
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    craigmische.com : lakefront real estate in Alexandria, MN

  • $500,000 Price Improvement

    Craig Mische
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:56 am
    That, a $500k price change, isn't a misprint. The owner of 6587 Stardust Lane has now lowered his ask price on this stunning Lake Carlos property by a total of $755,000. The starting price was $2.75 million and after many showings we didn't have an offer so the price was improved about a month ago to $2.495 million. Again, we had showings and lots of love, but no offer. It is a tough pill to swallow taking off $500,000 from such a beautiful home with one of the best views, if not the best, on The Chain of Lakes especially since the current list price is well below the cost of this newly…

  • Words of Wisdom from a 97 Year Old Real Estate Agent

    Craig Mische
    1 Sep 2010 | 8:28 am
    A real estate agent named George Johnson has been working in the Seattle real estate market for over 70 years. Yesterday, I read an article about him over at MSN. A few of his sage thoughts and comments: After every housing recession, the market has "gone higher than the one before." You have to have the stomach to hang on through all of the twists and turns, he says. "I've lost a lot of money in a lot of things, but I've never lost in real estate," Johnson says. He remembers selling his first house in the 1930s for about $1,500. "It's probably worth $300,000 now." Johnson counsels homebuyers…

  • Ductless Air Conditioning

    Craig Mische
    29 Aug 2010 | 1:51 pm
    If a home or cottage is on a slab or an old house that has no ducts, or it is a newer house that does not use forced air heat (and does not need ducts), a ductless air conditioner is an excellent way to circulate cool air. What I really like about them is that they are whisper quiet, don't take up much space and are very cost-effective as they use considerably less power than traditional air conditioners. They are also really easy to operate as most have remote controls that allow you to adjust the temperature. And, each room can have its own unit. As you will see in this YouTube video,…

  • Over 50 Years Ago in Alexandria, Minnesota

    Craig Mische
    27 Aug 2010 | 11:51 am
    A video produced by Pioneer Public Television was shared with me earlier today by someone in my family. The video is an episode from a program Pioneer produces called Postcards. In this episode, the subject is Alexandria, Minnesota 50 years ago. There is some great video footage of the area, some shot from a plane, from over 50 years ago and it is fun and very interesting to see. Postcards Program : Episode 113

  • Price Change on Lake Darling Property - Randy Fischer Real Estate

    Craig Mische
    23 Aug 2010 | 8:13 am
    There are quite a few opportunities on the lakes of Alexandria and this morning I'd like to draw your attention to a Lake Darling property on Casa Marina Lane. This lake property was first listed in February of 2009 with Randy Fischer Real Estate at $674,900. There have been some price changes along the way and a few days ago Randy Fischer Real Estate entered a price reduction in the MLS to $488,900. Douglas County's EMV is $574,900 and the owner paid $610,000 in 2005.
 
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    WSJ.com Video - Real Estate

  • Home Front: Beach-Front Living in East Hampton

    2 Sep 2010 | 3:00 pm
    Ad man Jerry Della Femina has created campaigns for companies from Meow Mix to Pan Am Airways. Now, he's pitching his sprawling East Hampton estate, priced at $35 million.

  • Katrina's Wake: Still Rebuilding Five Years Later

    27 Aug 2010 | 5:07 pm
    On the five-year anniversary of what many in New Orleans simply call "the storm," the city and its residents are still trying to rebuild after the damage of Hurricane Katrina. From a church pastor to a Bourbon Street performer, for those who actually survived it, it doesn't seem that long. WSJ's Neil Hickey reports.

  • San Francisco Sandwich Shop Avoids Eviction

    25 Aug 2010 | 3:39 pm
    Ike's Place, a popular sandwich shop in San Francisco's Castro district, narrowly avoided eviction this week. But just because the eatery is still open doesn't mean it's the end of the story.

  • News Hub: Top Developers Giving Up on Properties

    25 Aug 2010 | 6:39 am
    Angela Pruitt explains why some of the largest commercial-property owners are defaulting on debts and surrendering buildings worth less than their loans, just like homeowners walking away from mortgaged houses that plummeted in value.

  • AM Report: Voters Send Mixed Messages in Primaries

    25 Aug 2010 | 6:09 am
    Jerry Seib looks at how voters in several states across the country sent mixed signals about the strength of the anti-establishment wave and discusses results from key primary races in Florida, Arizona and Alaska.
 
 
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    HUD Press Releases

  • ON THE ROAD FROM RECOVERY TO REVITALIZATION

    26 Aug 2010 | 5:02 am
    Five years ago, one of the most destructive natural disasters in our nation's history hit the Gulf Coast. When they hit the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita took thousands of lives, displaced millions of residents, wiped out hundreds of square miles of coastal land, and inflicted major damage to nearly 300,000 homes.

  • HUD AWARDS $312 MILLION IN DISASTER RECOVERY GRANTS TO HELP STATES REDUCE DAMAGES FROM FUTURE DISASTERS

    26 Aug 2010 | 5:01 am
    WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $312 million to 13 states to invest in efforts to reduce the human, physical, and economic toll of future disasters. The grants announced today are provided through HUD's Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund (DREF) and are intended to encourage states to undertake activities and long-term strategies that focus on reducing damages from future natural disasters.

  • DONOVAN ANNOUNCES $65 MILLION IN AVAILABLE FUNDING TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN INDIAN COUNTRY

    25 Aug 2010 | 5:06 am
    SIOUX FALLS, SD - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan traveled to a Native American community in South Dakota today to announce $65 million in available funding to support a variety of community development and affordable housing production in Indian country throughout the U.S. Donovan made the announcement following a tour of the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota with Senator Tim Johnson.

  • HUD ANNOUNCES $189 MILLION AVAILABLE TO REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES

    25 Aug 2010 | 5:02 am
    WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is making $189 million in grants available to transform public and assisted housing and to revitalize communities. Appearing in today's Federal Register are the Notices of Funding Availability, the federal application, for two revitalization initiatives: The Choice Neighborhoods FY 2010 and the HOPE VI FY 2010. Both applications can be accessed at www.grants.gov.

  • HUD CHARGES NORTHEAST OHIO LANDLORD WITH HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

    24 Aug 2010 | 5:01 am
    WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging Testa Family Enterprises, LTD, owner of Royal Arms Apartments in Ravenna, Ohio, and the complex's manager with housing discrimination for allegedly refusing to rent certain apartments to families with young children. HUD's charge alleges that manager Christine Testa and Testa Family Enterprises, LTD, violated the Fair Housing Act by limiting or refusing to rent to families with small children.
 
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    What's New on HUDclips

  • Mortgagee Letters

    3 Sep 2010 | 10:19 am
    10-31 Annual Base City High Cost Percentage and High Cost Area Revisions for 2010 10-30 Revised Temporary Authority for Multifamily Hubs to Process Waiver Requests Pertaining to the Three-Year Rule for Section 223(f) to Allow for Acquisitions.1 10-29 Minimum Credit Scores and Loan-to-Value Ratios

  • Housing Notices

    3 Sep 2010 | 10:15 am
    10-20 Annual Base City High Cost Percentage and High Cost Area Revisions for 2010 10-19 Revised Temporary Authority for Multifamily Hubs to Process Waiver Requests Pertaining to the Three-Year Rule for Section 223(f) to Allow for Acquisitions.1

  • Federal Registers

    3 Sep 2010 | 10:10 am
    FR-5404-N-02 Federal Housing Administration Risk Management Initiatives: New Loan-to-Value and Credit Score Requirements FR-5375-N-34 Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless FR-5390-N-01 Notice of Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Section 202 Demonstration Pre-Development Grant Program

  • Form HUD-52665

    1 Sep 2010 | 7:30 am
    Family Portability Information Section 8 Tenant-Based Assistance

  • Mortgagee Letter 2010-28

    1 Sep 2010 | 12:15 am
    Changes to FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums
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    The Washington Independent » housing crisis

  • Conyers, Kaptur Bash Fannie for Penalizing Strategic Defaulters

    Annie Lowrey
    13 Aug 2010 | 2:12 pm
    This week, Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Edward DeMarco, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, asking them to justify Fannie Mae’s policy of penalizing or suing strategic defaulters — those who can pay their mortgage but chose not to. “We believe that this opaque, overbroad, and punitive policy, as conceived by Fannie Mae, is a poor use of taxpayer dollars  and will unnecessarily include individuals who are not choosing to default on their mortgage,” they write.

  • Another Month, Another Lackluster HAMP Scorecard

    Annie Lowrey
    20 Jul 2010 | 10:25 am
    Today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released a new monthly scorecard on the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP — the Obama administration’s signature effort to keep underwater and distressed homeowners in their homes. The report is, well, not great. And the accompanying press release is short of triumphant. “The housing market is performing better than the predictions made over a year ago,” Raphael Bostic, a HUD assistant secretary, says in the release. “We’re absolutely not claiming victory, but due to the Obama…

  • Existing Home Sales Drop Unexpectedly

    Annie Lowrey
    22 Jun 2010 | 8:45 am
    Another sign of weakness in the housing market: This morning, the National Association of Realtors said that sales of existing homes declined 2.2 percent from April to May. NAR revised its estimate of April sales — bolstered by the end of the Obama administration’s homebuyer tax credits — up to 5.79 million units, 8 percent higher than March. All in all, 5.66 million homes sold in May, 19.2 percent more than a year before. You might wonder: Given that the tax credit ended at the end of April and mortgage applications have plummeted, shouldn’t sales have dropped more in…

  • House Republicans Target Strategic Defaulters

    Annie Lowrey
    10 Jun 2010 | 2:45 pm
    HuffPo’s Ryan Grim reports that House Republicans have introduced a motion to penalize strategic defaulters — underwater homeowners who simply stop paying their mortgages — by barring them from obtaining Federal Housing Administration-backed loans in the future. Grim explains the Republican maneuver: The GOP offered its provision as “motion to recommit,” which is one of the minority party’s few ways to amend a bill on the floor. Known as an MTR, the motion is generally stripped out in the Senate if it is adopted in the House. Such measures are put forward…

  • Home Prices Declined in February

    Annie Lowrey
    27 Apr 2010 | 7:09 am
    This morning, Standard & Poor’s released its S&P/Case Shiller housing index data for February. It is not pretty. The composite index declined for the fifth straight month. Of the 20 cities Case Shiller follows, only Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, Las Vegas and New York registered gains in home prices between January and February — in all of the 14 other cities, home prices declined. In 11 of the 20 cities, though, home prices increased year-on-year, and for the first time since December 2006, the two composites Case Shiller measures both made…
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    HousingWire

  • Double dip in home prices coming in 2011: Clear Capital

    JON PRIOR
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Home prices gained 5.7% over the three months ending in August, according to real estate data provider Clear Capital. But analysts added price growth has slowed and will drop to a new low in 2011. The price gain through August is down 240 basis points from the July report, which dropped 70 bps from June. Alex [...]

  • Fannie, Freddie mortgage refinancing increases one-third in August

    JON PRIOR
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:50 pm
    Refinances on mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac showed double digit increases in August, but analysts differ on whether or not a refi wave has hit. Fannie Mae reported a 27% monthly increase in aggregate prepayment rates on 30-year mortgages. In the same month, Freddie reported a 32% increase, according to JPMorgan. According to Barclays [...]

  • 7 indicted in state's biggest mortgage-fraud scheme

    JON PRIOR
    8 Sep 2010 | 1:03 pm
    Federal agents say they have dismantled the largest mortgage-fraud conspiracy in state history by indicting seven people on charges they bilked banks and other financial institutions out of $48 million, pocketing more than $9 million to fund lavish lifestyles that included matching Lamborghini sports cars. A grand jury issued a 40-count indictment naming two Bellevue mortgage [...]

  • Paying down our way into even more debt

    JACOB GAFFNEY
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:25 pm
    The Federal Housing Administration this week began its latest save-the-economy campaign with the new Short Refinancing program. What is interesting to note is that this campaign lived to breathe after multitudinous voices in the mortgage finance industry detailed what a bad idea it is. For the weeks running up to the program, just about every single [...]

  • More home listings seeing price reductions in August

    JASON PHILYAW
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:41 am
    Nearly half of the houses for sale in the U.S. are listed for less than what the seller originally asked for, with the average list price declining 7.1% in 26 U.S. markets, according to a survey released by ZipRealty. The Emeryville, Calif.-based Internet real estate brokerage said that in August, 47% of houses for sale had [...]
 
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    Real Estate Broker Market News- IQ Real Estate

  • Free Real Estate Marketing

    9 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    Get quality referrals and leads. Post Flash Property Listings (up to 10 photos per listing, no limits). Upgrade to Photo / Premium Broker / Agent Listing for free. If you are a 4-Star Agent or Broker, you should check IQRealEstate.com out. Over 900,000 agents listed. We are by far the Fastest Growing Directory online. Over 300,000 pages indexed in search engines. Be IQ Smart.

  • State Senate District 10

    8 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    Name: Lynn Nunes Age: 25 Party Affiliation: Democratic Party Occupation: Real Estate Agent/Mortgage Broker Decision To Run: The rough economy has hit our communities hard and our needs are being neglected by a dysfunctional government. It's time for new leadership to provide for our communities and protect our families. As State Senator for Southeast Queens, I will be a strong voice for our ...

  • House Hunting in ... Greece

    7 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    Until the financial crisis, foreigners had been a significant force in the real estate market, an area broker said.

  • Short sales: the alternative to foreclosure (Video)

    7 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    A North Texas real estate broker says the short sale process is simpler and better for both banks and customers.

  • Baird Back as Industrial Broker at HFF

    7 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    DALLAS-After more than two years trying his luck as owner of an industrial real estate investment firm, Randy Baird has joined the local office of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler to return to brokerage.
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    Real Estate Agent Market News- IQ Real Estate

  • Free Real Estate Marketing

    9 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    Get quality referrals and leads. Post Flash Property Listings (up to 10 photos per listing, no limits). Upgrade to Photo / Premium Agent Listing for free. If you are a 4-Star Agent or Broker, you should check IQRealEstate.com out. Over 900,000 agents listed. We are by far the Fastest Growing Directory online. Over 300,000 pages indexed in search engines. Be IQ Smart.

  • State Senate District 10

    8 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    Name: Lynn Nunes Age: 25 Party Affiliation: Democratic Party Occupation: Real Estate Agent/Mortgage Broker Decision To Run: The rough economy has hit our communities hard and our needs are being neglected by a dysfunctional government. It's time for new leadership to provide for our communities and protect our families. As State Senator for Southeast Queens, I will be a strong voice for our ...

  • Real estate agents may file for money from BP oil spill

    7 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    BP has set aside some money for those affected by the Gulf oil spill, and some of that money is earmarked for real estate agents.

  • State Senate District 10

    7 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    Name: Lynn Nunes Age: 25 Party Affiliation: Democratic Party Occupation: Real Estate Agent/Mortgage Broker Decision To Run: The rough economy has hit our communities hard and our needs are being neglected by a dysfunctional government. It's time for new leadership to provide for our communities and protect our families. As State Senator for Southeast Queens, I will be a strong voice for our ...

  • Real estate agent catches alleged thief at open house

    6 Sep 2010 | 3:41 am
    Copyright 2010 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. FORT THOMAS, Ky. - Sibcy Cline agent Doug Schuerman said police alerted agents about a man stealing prescription drugs during open houses.
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    The Washington Independent » housing market

  • A Revival of the Homebuyer Tax Credits?

    Annie Lowrey
    30 Aug 2010 | 7:02 am
    This weekend, Shaun Donovan, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said that “it was too soon to say” whether the Obama administration might revive its $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers or $6,500 credit for other home buyers. Speaking on CNN, Florida Gov. (and independent Senate candidate) Charlie Crist recommended re-upping the programs, which he said would help “enormously.” Last month, housing slumped to its worst state in decades. The National Association of Realtors said home sales declined 27 percent to a 15-year low. And the Commerce…

  • On the Future of Fannie and Freddie

    Annie Lowrey
    17 Aug 2010 | 6:15 am
    Today, I’ll be covering a Treasury Department conference on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that provide liquidity to the mortgage market and have required $150 billion in a taxpayer bailout so far. Reform will prove difficult and will happen slowly because Fannie and Freddie control or backstop so much of the housing market. The two entities guarantee about three-quarters of mortgage-backed bonds — and the government backstops all but just 3 percent of mortgages. Reform them too quickly, and risk cratering the nascent, if extant,…

  • Foreclosure Filings Increase for 8th Straight Month; Economists Foresee Double Dip

    Annie Lowrey
    12 Aug 2010 | 12:15 pm
    Today, RealtyTrac announced that lenders repossessed 93,000 homes in July — 9 percent more than in June, and up 6 percent since 2009. Again, California had the most filings, and Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate, for the 43rd straight month. Still, while banks foreclosed on more homes, the total number of filings has continued to fall, a sign that the foreclosure crisis might have peaked. Last month, 325,000 homes received a notice of default, auction or repossession — up 4 percent from June and down 10 percent from 2009. All in all, it has been a horrible day in economic…

  • What To Do With Fannie and Freddie

    Annie Lowrey
    12 Aug 2010 | 8:22 am
    Washington is quiet, but that does not mean it is dormant. Staffers on the Hill and in the Treasury Department are working on a plan to restore normalcy to the mortgage market and to fix Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that buy up mortgages from lending banks, providing liquidity to the housing market. The New York Times has a series of op-eds on the subject, and taken together, they are a good primer on the intractable problems facing legislators. Take this argument from the former president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, William Poole, advocating for…

  • Foreclosures Increase in Most Metro Areas

    Annie Lowrey
    29 Jul 2010 | 9:21 am
    Today, RealtyTrac reported that foreclosure notices increased in three out of four metro areas — cities with more than 200,000 residents — in the first six months of the year, compared with the first six months of 2009. The cities and states with the biggest bubbles and biggest collapses remained the worst-hit, with the most foreclosure notices going to metro areas in Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona. All in all, 1.6 million properties received some form of foreclosure notice between January and June. Nevertheless, the report shows that foreclosures seem to have peaked and…
 
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    Planetizen - Urban Planning, Design and Development Network

  • Can A City Function on Low Taxes?

    Tim Halbur
    8 Sep 2010 | 2:00 pm
    Colorado Springs, Colorado has some of the lowest property taxes in the nation, and its heavily right-wing residents like it that way. But with the recession, the lack of tax income is causing some heavy cuts to city services. read more

  • The Economic Benefit of Density

    Tim Halbur
    8 Sep 2010 | 1:00 pm
    Richard Florida says that the economic benefits of 'agglomeration' are seldom given the attention they deserve. A new study by Florida and the Martin Prosperity Institute aims to do just that. read more

  • Brownfields Into Beaches

    Tim Halbur
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:00 pm
    Alex Bozikovic hits the beach with his son at a new public space in Toronto: Sugar Beach, an urban park built on a former industrial site. read more

  • The Best Cities and Towns for College

    Tim Halbur
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:00 am
    The American Institute of Economic Research ranks the best cities and towns in which to attend college, using academic achievement, quality of life, and professional opportunities as factors. read more

  • Pedestrian-Only Zone Proposed for San Diego

    Tim Halbur
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:00 am
    With the centennial of the Panama-California Exposition that created San Diego's Balboa Square approaching, the city is considering turning back the neighborhood to its former car-free glory. read more
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    Business Insider

  • "Politico hires Michael Kinsley (away from The Atlantic) and Joe Scarborough (who stays w MSNBC) to write dueling co...

    8 Sep 2010 | 6:27 pm
    "Politico hires Michael Kinsley (away from The Atlantic) and Joe Scarborough (who stays w MSNBC) to write dueling columns" —@jwpetersNYTJoin the conversation about this story »

  • Nikkei Kicks Off Thursday With A Rally

    Joe Weisenthal
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:08 pm
    A quiet-night so far news wise, but Japan is kicking Thursday off with a rally. ForexLive notes that there's some new chatter about the Financial Minister talking about the yen, and as such the yen is weakening, but we highly doubt this means anything substantive. For a recap of Wednesday's action, see here.Join the conversation about this story »

  • The Deeply Ironic Side Of Obama's Political Predicament

    Joe Weisenthal
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:56 pm
    The fact that in September 2010, Obama had to toss out a bevy of partial-stimulus projects and pick a personal fight with John Boehner only emphasizes the dire straits he seems to be in politically. Forget the midterms, the 2012 election is basically here, and though we doubt it will ever happen, we're guessing there are a lot of Democrats that wish Hillary would run against her boss. This is all very ironic though. When he was campaigning, the knock on Obama was that he was all flash, no substance. But his first two years are looking like the opposite. He's actually done A LOT (whether you…

  • Flipboard CEO: Only A Tiny Handful Of Publishers Have Complained About Our App Taking Too Much Content

    Dan Frommer
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:35 pm
    One of the early concerns about Flipboard -- the beautiful reading app for Apple's iPad -- was that it pulled lengthy excerpts of content from web publishers, without paying them or pulling in their ads. It turns out most publishers don't really care, at least not enough to complain. Instead, the vast majority of publishers that Flipboard has been in touch with since launching in July want to work with the company, cofounder and CEO Mike McCue told us today during a brief visit to Flipboard's Palo Alto, Calif. headquarters. McCue says only a tiny handful of publishers have complained about…

  • Olympic Disaster In Vancouver As Taxpayers Get Billed For $1 Billion "Ghost Town"

    Mike "Mish" Shedlock
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:01 pm
    It boggles the mind to think that anyone can possibly think of Olympics as doing anything more than throwing taxpayer money straight down the toilet. Of course vendors and real estate agents do not give a damn about the long-term consequences as long as a quick buck can be made. Now it's payback time as Vancouver taxpayers on hook for $1-billion as most Olympic Village units unsold Sixty-six per cent of Vancouver’s pricey Olympic Village condos remain unsold — a total of 483 units at the massive False Creek development that served as athletes’ housing during the two-week…
 
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    Housing Crisis

  • Time Out! Rethinking Homeownership? Or Rethinking Newsweeklies?

    jmcmanus
    2 Sep 2010 | 1:02 pm
    The people that bring you People have too much spare Time on their hands, or so it seems. Maybe it’s just the month of August, but it strikes us that the editors at the nation’s remaining significant and viable newsweekly go off their rockers each summer as they pick their dog days issue cover topics. This one, for instance. This cover ran August 17, 2009. The story tells Time’s audience of millions that the widely held belief, or myth, that exercise and cupcakes lead to weight loss is untrue. “It’s what you eat that really counts” is the contrarian,…

  • News Flash: Ashton Woods Puts $75 Million to Work for Home Builder Acquisition

    jmcmanus
    31 Aug 2010 | 12:15 pm
    Correction–An earlier version of this post contained two incorrect statements: One of Ashton Woods’ banks was misstated. The correct name is Regions Bank. Also, Cory Boydston’s title while serving at Beazer Homes was incorrect. The correct title was senior vice president and treasurer at Beazer. We regret the errors. Ashton Woods, the Roswell, Ga.-based, No. 24-ranking home builder in the nation, completed a re-capitalization with investors 40 days ago that will provide the company with $50-to-$75 million over a five-year period, to target acquisition and set up or…

  • A Home Buyer Tax Credit, Version 3. For or Against?

    jmcmanus
    30 Aug 2010 | 12:19 pm
    Another tax credit for home buyers? Not very likely, but if it were to come trundling down the pipeline when our dear Congressional representatives punch back in from their Summer vacays and try to get reelected, would home builders support it? Again, would home builders “just say no” if the government asks nicely whether it’s okay to stimulate the “engine of the economy,” to stabilize home prices by stoking home buyer demand yet again? We’d bet on it. Yet, trundle down the pipeline the proposal may, for after the lagging indicator rout that has been…

  • Home Builders Eye the Gap Between New and Existing Sales

    jmcmanus
    26 Aug 2010 | 1:01 pm
    It’s one of the things that makes home building executives lose sleep these days (or nights). It’s what no home building company executive alive ever had to contend with in all of his or her downturns past. It’s the yawning divide between existing home sales and new home sales. Bill, the rock-star economics and housing analysis blogger formally known as Calculated Risk, calls the widening spread between resales and new sales The Distressing Gap.  In fact, he traces the ratio of new to existing home sales going back to the 1960s, and finds that for most of that…

  • Does Rupert Murdoch’s US Flagship Have Something Against Home Building?

    jmcmanus
    25 Aug 2010 | 2:34 pm
    News flash. The Wall Street Journal is anti-home builder. Or else why this cynical piece of snittishness in the Op-Ed pages of the WSJ today? If a housing recovery is finally upon us, it will be no thanks to Washington’s serial interventions, nor to the home builders who have cheered so vigorously for them. Together with the Realtors and mortgage bankers, the home builders form a lobbying army of the Potomac. The mission is to secure ever higher federal subsidies for housing. The strategy is to convince politicians of both parties that a robust economic recovery can only occur if…
 
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    Wash Post Housing Market

  • Lender could end up paying if all fees were not revealed at buyer's closing

    Ilyce R. Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin
    3 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Q: My wife and I purchased a house in Florida last April. This past weekend we received a letter and an invoice from the law office that acted as the parties' closing agent, informing us that we owed fees for "additional endorsements requested by the lender after the closing."

  • Fannie Mae's national lending program HomePath is worth a look

    Kenneth R. Harney
    3 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    If you fit the profile -- typically buyers with little cash on hand or small-scale investors looking for a deal on a foreclosed house -- a little-publicized national lending program could be just what you need this fall.

  • Rebuild the path to the American homeownership

    Arkadi Kuhlmann
    2 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Here's how lawmakers can help the mortgage industry evolve.

  • Color of Money Live

    Michelle Singletary
    2 Sep 2010 | 9:00 am
    Whether the struggle is saving for retirement, organizing your bank files, or talking about money responsibility with your spouse or loved one, Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary offers her advice and answers your questions.

  • New rules for your money

    Post
    28 Aug 2010 | 9:00 pm
    In this era of high unemployment, flat home prices and do-it-yourself retirement savings, some traditional rules of saving and investing are due for an overhaul.
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    House Price Crash News Blog

  • Guardian: Connaught administrators say they need goodwill of councils

    enuii
    First part of their name is apt as just four months ago connaught told investors: "We have had a really, really great six months, really excellent. And the outlook for the full year is probably even better ... our prospects are virtually limitless." Fi

  • CNN Money: Big bank bloodbath fears. They're ba-ack!

    mark
    But for a look at just how bad things could get if credit conditions were to become as dire as they were in the wake of the Lehman Brothers collapse, check out the chart at the top of this story. It features data from Hidden Levers.

  • Mortgagestrategy: FSA could kill off interest-only, warns CML

    jack c
    The Council of Mortgage Lenders says the Financial Services Authority risks killing off interest-only mortgages if it goes through with the proposals in its Mortgage Market Review. In its latest issue of News and Views the CML says lenders taking responsibility for the performance of the repayment method could lead to the withdrawal of interest-only mortgages from the market. It says in the current risk-averse lending environment, with the FSA adopting a more interventionist and prescriptive approach, firms will react cautiously to a tightening of the rules on interest-only mortgages.

  • Property Talk Live: Stop the housebuilding insanity

    ontheotherhand
    If you all keep building I might not make any money.

  • Telegraph: How house prices and debts are building ugly tensions between parents and their children

    quiet guy
    The gap between baby boomers, who continue to enjoy the wealth-enhancing effects of decades of house price inflation, and their adult children, who are burdened with soaring debts and the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, is growing wider. Several independent reports published today suggest these macroeconomic trends are creating ugly tensions in millions of homes and there may be trouble ahead for many parents and their grown-up children.
 
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    InvestorCentric

  • New Book Discusses The Role Of The Dismal Science

    The Capital Spectator
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:55 am
    A new book by economics professor Roger Backhouse defends the field of economics as still being useful despite it's inability to predict recessions. Although the economics field has become more quantitative, it is still far from an exact science with tests of theories that are often inconclusive. See the following post from The Capital SpectatorYes, judging by the criticism heaped upon the dismal science in recent years. Macroeconomists in particular, we're told, were blind to the rising risks that eventually killed the economic expansion and unleashed the Great Recession—the deepest…

  • Can Obama's New Stimulus Plan Boost Jobs?

    NuWire Investor
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:51 am
    Peter Morici, writing in The Street, argues that Obama's new $50 billion proposal will do little to help the job market, since it is funded by cuts from other areas. Additionally, payroll taxes do not get to the root of the problem for small businesses - the lack of customers and orders. See the following post from The Street. With congressional Democrats facing a November shellacking, President Obama is floating new programs to aid troubled homeowners and create jobs that will prove costly and ineffective.Despite rock bottom interest rates, residential home sales are at historic lows and 2…

  • Obama Expected To Unveil A Flurry Of Economic Initiatives

    Economist's View
    7 Sep 2010 | 5:53 am
    While the debate over the future of the Bush tax cuts rages on, Obama is expected to unveil a flurry of economic initiatives in time for the Nov 2nd elections. One initiative will focus on long-term infrastructure improvement while others could include a payroll tax holiday and middle class tax cut extensions. See the following post from Economist's ViewThe Economist asks:Should the Bush tax cuts be extended?Here are the answers, including one from me: Tom Gallagher Yes, but only for a short periodMichael Bordo Yes, their benefits outweigh their costsAlberto Alesina Maintain the cuts and…

  • Will Business Owners Hold Back On Hiring If The Bush Tax Cuts End?

    NuWire Investor
    6 Sep 2010 | 5:58 am
    Matthew Buckley, writing in The Street, argues that ending the Bush Tax Cuts will hurt employment as small business owners may compensate for paying higher individual taxes by not hiring additional help. The small increase in private sector hiring was unable to keep up with job losses and unemployment increased to 9.6%. See the following post from The Street for more on this. Thank God, the "summer of recovery" is over.Now it's time for the "fall of despondence."The markets rallied this morning on a jobs report in which the private sector added enough jobs to be found in my couch and the…

  • Is The Private Job Market Getting Weaker?

    The Capital Spectator
    6 Sep 2010 | 5:53 am
    The loss of 114,000 temporary Census workers in August and a small gain in private employment continues the sub-par performance of the labor market. The 67,000 private jobs gained is much smaller than the 241,000 jobs gained in April, which may signal that the private sector job market is weakening. See the following post from The Capital SpectatorNonfarm payrolls retreated by a net 54,000 last month (seasonally adjusted) and the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.6% from 9.5% in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning. The payroll loss for August isn’t as steep as the…
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    The Housing Chronicles Blog

  • The Challenges of Building Affordable Housing

    18 Aug 2010 | 10:05 pm
    Given the enormous inventory of unsold homes in the marketplace, it’s very easy to claim that the U.S. is simply over-housed.But despite 300,000 new foreclosures per month and a national apartment vacancy rate of nearly 8%, in many metro areas there is still not enough housing for low-income households.The reasons for this shortfall are many, including high prices for land, impact fees, zoning requirements and pricy carrying costs.Add to that list uncooperative neighborhood groups who assume that affordable housing equals increased traffic, utilitarian architecture and neighborhood decay,…

  • Yes, there is still a move-up market in the Inland Empire!

    13 Aug 2010 | 3:25 pm
    Although one would think that the Inland Empire would not be a primary place for a builder to build move-up product, with the right price point even half-million dollars can be sold, something which Ryland Homes has been finding out lately. From a story in the Riverside Press-Enterprise: Dale F. Casey, Ryland's Southern California division president, said Sunset Ridge is the first new community that Ryland has launched in the region in about five years. He said Ryland aims to build homes that can compete with existing houses for sale in The Retreat. He said he also expects to attract buyers…

  • August column for Builder & Developer magazine now online

    13 Aug 2010 | 3:17 pm
    My August column for Builder & Developer magazine is now posted online. For this month's issue -- which is oriented towards green home building and entitled "Green Building Success Equals Proper Execution" -- I wanted to discuss how the most forward-thinking builders such as Pulte and Pardee are profiting by educating buyers throughout the sales and process and partnering with outside providers to troubleshoot once the sale has closed.An excerpt:For the building industry, given the complexity of marketing, merchandising and selling the benefits of sustainability and green technology,…

  • 50 Ways for Home Builders to Waste Money

    13 Aug 2010 | 1:52 pm
    If a penny saved is a penny earned, then it certainly makes sense to avoid wasting money. To help builders avoid common pitfalls in today's environment, Builder magazine has compiled a list of 50 ways to boost profits and avoid leaving money on the table:It’s fair to say that home builders are more worried about cash flow and cost efficiencies today than ever before. It’s a necessity. After all, that botched foundation pour, costly callback, or unchecked billing error could mean the difference between making or breaking a wafer-thin margin.Which makes it all the more mystifying that so…

  • Who will buy the $75 million Porcupine Creek property?

    2 Aug 2010 | 5:21 pm
    Recently a reporter for Palm Springs Life magazine called me regarding the listing for the $75 million Porcupine Creek in Rancho Mirage, which on its 249 acres includes a true rarity -- a 19-hole private golf course with its own clubhouse and driving range. Who might the potential buyer for this ultra-exclusive property might be? You can read the article by clicking here.
 
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    House Keys | Sun Sentinel Blogs

  • Citizens Property Insurance grilled about rate hike request

    8 Sep 2010 | 9:05 am
    Citizens Property Insurance Corp. officials were questioned Tuesday about the insurer's request for an average 8.4 percent statewide rate hike. That includes an average increase of as much as 11.3 percent in parts of South Florida and a 9.3 percent statewide rate hike for policies that cover homes, condominium units, renters, mobile homes and vacation or rented property. Some policyholders' rates would decrease under the proposal. Regulators have until Sept. 23 to approve the requested rate hike for homeowners policies and until Oct. 17 for condominium association policies. Citizens is the…

  • HUD sends $40 million in foreclosure aid to 17 communities across Palm, Broward

    8 Sep 2010 | 8:51 am
    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday awarded an additional $1 billion in funding to states and communities hit hard by the foreclosure debacle. Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach and Miramar are among 17 local governments in Palm Beach and Broward counties getting roughly $40 million of Florida’s $208.4 million share. The money is to be used to buy, redevelop or demolish foreclosed properties. The governments also can use the money to offer downpayment and closing cost assistance to low- and moderate-income homebuyers. “These grants will support local efforts to…

  • Is latest government plan for underwater borrowers just more red tape?

    8 Sep 2010 | 5:00 am
    Arguably the most revealing part of the Obama administration's latest plan for underwater borrowers is contained deep in an Associated Press story. “Government officials acknowledge that getting the plan going will be complicated.” Let's just say that’s not what homeowners want to hear from an administration whose previous attempts at fixing the housing mess were widely criticized for being ineffective and bogged down in bureaucracy. The Federal Housing Administration is allowing lenders to give underwater borrowers refinanced loans backed by the government. The lenders must forgive at…

  • FDLE review of FPL complaints finds no criminal misconduct but ethical questions remain

    7 Sep 2010 | 1:30 pm
    The Florida Department of Law Enforcement ended a 7-month review of anonymous complaints about Florida Power & Light. An FDLE report the Sun Sentinel obtained Tuesday concludes state police found no evidence of criminal wrong-doing by FPL managers but it says other state agencies could look into allegations of ethical lapses. The report notes that Carlton Fields law firm, which FPL's parent company hired to investigate the complaints, found no evidence of criminal misconduct. But the report does not reference another investigation FPL's parent company commissioned to look into a similar…

  • Home loan defaults rock Broward County since 2007

    7 Sep 2010 | 10:25 am
    South Florida is hurtling toward $65 billion in residential loan defaults since 2007, CondoVultures.com says in a report Tuesday. Broward County leads the tri-county region with $26.5 billion in past-due loans on 110,571 foreclosure filings in the past three years. Broward has been hammered by the housing crisis and consistently has one of the highest foreclosure rates in Florida, according to RealtyTrac Inc. Palm Beach County has $18.8 billion in defaults on 74,399 foreclosures, while Miami-Dade is third with $18.3 billion and 66,112 foreclosure filings. Bal Harbour-based CondoVultures…
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    Latest News (RSS)

  • Minnesota Wild helps out TC Habitat

    20 Aug 2010 | 8:44 am
    With a hammer in hand, Wild netminder Josh Harding took some time before training camp begins next month to give back to the community that has cheered him on throughout his five seasons in Minnesota, volunteering at a Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity build. Read more...

  • Elected Officials Day on the 2010 Women Build in North Minneapolis

    3 Aug 2010 | 10:59 am
    Just days before the primary, elected officials from Minnesota are taking a break from the campaign trail and picking up hammers to help rebuild a North Minneapolis home, as part of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's Women Build project. Read more...

  • Home's 'heartbeat' lives on

    24 Jul 2010 | 2:30 pm
    David Lual and Suzy Benjamin couldn't stop smiling. As their three children played outside, the couple joined about 40 others in dedicating their new Habitat for Humanity home. Among those in attendance were Jerry and Terrie Schrank, who donated the home, which they originially built in 1984 and lived in for nearly 25 years. Read more...

  • 2010 U.S. Olympians team up with Twin Cities Habitat

    21 Jul 2010 | 10:22 am
    It is sure to be a painting event of Olympic proprtions. Members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Curling and Luge Teams will spend the day volunteering with Twin Cities Habitaty for Humanity's A Brush with Kindness program on Saturday, July 24. Read more...

  • Habitat for Humanity achieves No. 8 on the ‘Builder 100’ list

    13 Jul 2010 | 9:58 am
    Twin Cities Habitat helped Habitat for Humanity achieve the rank of No. 8 on the Builder 100 list, marking the first time the nonprofit has been among the top 10 biggest builders in the United States. The list also shows Habitat, with 5,294 closings last year, moved up three spots in 2009 from its 2008 ranking of No. 11.
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    msnbc.com: Real estate

  • Home lending pace rises; most are refinancings

    8 Sep 2010 | 2:58 pm
    Americans applied to buy homes at the highest pace last week since May, but more than 8 of every 10 loan requests was for a refinancing, Mortgage Bankers Association data show. Mortgage Bankers Association - United States - Refinancing - Loan - Mortgage

  • Colleges going on real estate shopping sprees

    7 Sep 2010 | 2:58 pm
    Colleges and universities are buying up chunks of land at bargain prices, sometimes without a clear idea how they'll be used. Real estate - Business - Education - Colleges and Universities - Directories

  • Plan launched to help 'underwater' borrowers

    7 Sep 2010 | 2:12 pm
    The Obama administration is trying to jump-start its sputtering attempts to tackle the foreclosure crisis with an effort to assist homeowners who owe more on their properties than their homes are worth. Foreclosure - Presidency of Barack Obama - Jump start - Business - United States

  • Closing Costs: Recently sold megahomes

    7 Sep 2010 | 8:19 am
    These recently sold expensive homes sold on Realtor.com are as distinct as the regions they’re from. Realtor.com - Real estate - Business and Economy - United States - For sale by owner

  • Builders of N.Y. mosque face financial hurdles

    2 Sep 2010 | 4:37 pm
    The developers planning to build a $100 million Islamic center near the World Trade Center site are nearly a quarter-million dollars behind on real estate taxes and late fees. World Trade Center - Islam - Real estate - New York City - September 11 2001
 
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    The Housing Helix

  • [Interview] Mark L. Stark, Owner/Broker/CEO, Prudential Americana Group, Las Vegas

    jmiller@millersamuel.com (Jonathan Miller)
    1 Sep 2010 | 9:35 am
    Source: Las Vegas Sun A few months ago I met Mark Stark, CEO of Prudential Americana Group in Las Vegas, NV so I thought I’d ask him to have a conversation about the challenges of his market. Mark is very candid about his market and we had a compelling conversation. Audio MP3Audio MP3 Please upgrade your browser

  • [Interview] Ilyce Glink, Author, Blogger, Columnist, TV Reporter, Talk Radio Host, Think Glink Publishing LLC

    jmiller@millersamuel.com (Jonathan Miller)
    20 Aug 2010 | 8:26 am
    I met Ilyce Glink a few years ago when she moderated a panel I was on during an Inman conference and she impressed me.  She is a high energy, prolific writer and provider of personal finance, real estate and consumer advice through countless medium.  Her efforts include her recent book Buy, Close, Move In!, her publishing company Think Glink, LLC, her web site ThinkGlink.com, her weekly radio show on WSB in Atlanta, her blog, or should I say, blogs, nationally syndicated column and, well, you get the picture. She sets me straight on eBooks, typos and provides insight on how she gets it all…

  • [Interview] Jon Gollinger, Founder, CEO, Accelerated Marketing Partners, LLC

    jmiller@millersamuel.com (Jonathan Miller)
    17 Aug 2010 | 6:44 am
    I have a great discussion with Jon Gollinger, Founder and CEO, Accelerated Marketing Partners who sets me straight on the concept of accelerated marketing as a process (hint: it’s not all about auctions). In early 2009, he and I were part of a New York Times page one story on his marketing prowess. Jon pulls no punches when it comes to understanding the consumer – they are the ones who set market price.  I have long admired his skill in creating a market environment that attracts real participation, best exemplified in his company slogan: “You bid it, you win it.”…

  • [Interview] Ian Huckabee, Founder, Weejee Media, Web Marketing Strategist/Technologist, Home Builder

    jmiller@millersamuel.com (Jonathan Miller)
    12 Aug 2010 | 10:24 am
    I spoke via Skype with Ian Huckabee, who is a web marketing strategist/technologist, self proclaimed Chief Weejee at Weejee Media and developer of DwellWell.  He has a unique background with audio and marketing stints at Sony and a successful home builder. Our mutual friend Andrea Powell, when she is not a vampire, suggested we would get along famously (no pun intended). Ian’s got great insights into social media and I really enjoyed the conversation. Please upgrade your browser

  • [Special Report] 2Q 2010 Queens Market Overview

    jmiller@millersamuel.com (Jonathan Miller)
    15 Jul 2010 | 8:35 pm
    Here’s a quick recap of the 2Q 2010 Queens Market Overview that we prepare for Prudential Douglas Elliman that was released today. Please upgrade your browser
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    WestchesterCribs

  • We can’t critique your home if you’re following us

    Jaime Tineo
    31 Aug 2010 | 7:18 am
    We can’t talk about the home if the owner is following us around. “Why are they following me“.  This is what my clients tell me when I’m showing them a house and the owner is home.  The consensus among home buyers is that they would prefer to see a home when it’s either vacant or no one [...]

  • Real Estate transactions may be more difficult than they appear

    Jaime Tineo
    17 Aug 2010 | 7:57 pm
    Why does everyone think that real estate has to be filled with drama? Does it require days or weeks of dead-end frustrating negotiations? Does it really require misleading stories about why the house is overpriced and how the house is “unique” or “special”?  And who can forget about the baseless assumptions and innuendos about [...]

  • Radon: it’s not a bug repellent.

    Jaime Tineo
    26 Jul 2010 | 6:24 am
    I can not lie. I copied the entire content from a continuing education program I was taking the other day.  I know what radon is, however, this excerpt seems to do a better job at explaining than I ever can. —— Radon gas decays, giving off radioactive particles. Radon gas enters buildings through cracks in basement floors [...]

  • Advice for home sellers from my 4 year old

    Jaime Tineo
    11 Jul 2010 | 8:05 pm
    Every parent truly believes they have a genius (kid) in the lot.  And guess what? I’m no exception.  I have 3 of them in fact.  All genius in their own special way.  But this post is specifically about my 4 year old son.   Sometimes I see or notice things in him that leave me [...]

  • What if real estate agents got paid at the client’s discretion…

    Jaime Tineo
    24 May 2010 | 7:16 am
    I read this article last about how Panera Bread is piloting a “pay what you want store” in St. Louis and it got me thinking.  Since there’s no established fee or percent for what a real estate agent can and can’t charge for his or her services, would this type of model work in the [...]
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    Alter NOW

  • Housing Sales Plummet, Set Off New Economic Jitters

    Mike Ochs
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:05 am
    Are housing prices about to experience a double dip?  Existing home sales fell 27 percent in July to the lowest level reported since 1995.  The plunge occurred even though mortgage rates are at their lowest levels in decades and houses in most regions are priced to sell.  July sales fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.83 million, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).  This was the largest monthly drop dating back to 1968, and the numbers raise questions about the overall health of the economy. “The housing market is undermining the already faltering…

  • Federal Presence Strengthens Washington, D.C.’s Office Market

    Matt Ward
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:07 am
    Washington, D.C.’s commercial real estate market - including its Virginia and Maryland suburbs - continues to be the nation’s most stable with vacancy rates far below the national average.  The area’s vacancy rate stood at 10.4 percent at the end of the first quarter, far below the 17.3 percent national average, according to Reis, a New York-based real estate research firm.  Effective rents have fared well through the Great Recession, sliding just five percent from their 2009 peak high of $41.43 PSF. “There is a tremendous amount of domestic capital looking to invest…

  • Flood!

    Sheila Roche
    2 Sep 2010 | 8:47 am
    America’s states are under water in more ways than one.  This writer got a close-up view of how our aging infrastructure is being taxed by the elements.  A summer storm that brought as much as eight inches of rain in just two hours in the wee hours of Saturday, July 24 wreaked havoc in Chicago’s near western suburbs as streets, viaducts and even condominium garages flooded with dirty water when overfilled sewers backed up.  Mine was among them. One of the hardest hit communities was my home of Forest Park, IL, a diverse suburb of approximately 15,000 just west of the more…

  • Real Estate Bonds More Attractive to Investors

    James I. Clark III
    1 Sep 2010 | 9:44 am
    Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are in the process of trying to sell their fourth CMBS package in 2010 with $788 million of debt from 48 properties as investor interest in these vehicles rekindles.  Although the Federal Reserve noted that commercial real estate is still slowing economic growth, bond investors believe that growth is strong enough for borrowers to meet debt payments.  According to Dan Castro, chief of structured finance analytics and strategy at BTIG LLC, “CMBS is an avenue that’s going to provide better returns.  There’s a lot of guys clamoring for these…

  • Anthony Downs On Financial Reform

    Tom Silva
    31 Aug 2010 | 1:19 pm
    The nation’s financial system needs significantly more regulation than exists now.  The lack of tough regulatory powers strongly impacted the recent financial crash and the Great Recession that ensued.  The good news is that the Obama administration is moving firmly in this direction with financial reform legislation a critical item on its agenda.  This is the opinion of Anthony Downs,  a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution and former President of the Real Estate Research Corporation.  In a recent interview for the Alter NOW Podcasts, Downs said that between 1980 and 2007,…
 
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    NHC Open House Blog

  • NHC's Newest Addition

    8 Sep 2010 | 12:37 pm
    National Housing Conference is happy to welcome our newest addition. Ranjani Prabhakar is the Executive Assistant for NHC. Ranjani is a recent 2010 graduate of Emory University, with a Bachelors Degree in History and Political Science. She moved to Washington, DC in hopes of learning more about policy work, nonprofits and advocacy. Ranjani was most impressed by NHC's fast-paced, mission-driven and initiative-rich atmosphere. She is excited to jump start her post-college life and grow, shape and mature into her career in policy and advocacy at NHC. Please join us in welcoming Ranjani!

  • Housing Matrix: Providing Housing Under One Virtual Roof

    3 Sep 2010 | 10:54 am
    With housing becoming an increasingly nationally recognized issue of importance, the amount of information on the topic from a diverse variety of outlets can be overwhelming. If you find yourself drowning in the sea of news, opinions and insights on housing, Housing Matrix may just be the solution. Housing Matrix acts as a clearinghouse for information, products and services that impact the housing industry. The site boasts an impressive amount of resources for housing professionals – all under one roof and free of charge. In addition to providing commentaries from notable housing…

  • Donovan Announces "First Look" at REO Summit

    2 Sep 2010 | 12:06 pm
    On September 1, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD)Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a new partnership with the National Community Stabilization Trust to launch the HUD National 'First Look' Program at the Federal Reserve Board REO Summit on Neighborhood Stabilization. Recognizing the vital edge 'First Look' creates for NSP grantees, including select state and local governments and nonprofits, to beat private investors to the foreclosed properties most strategically important to their local programs, HUD is throwing its support behind First Look as an essential component in…

  • Around the Block: Singin' in the Rain Edition

    2 Sep 2010 | 9:16 am
    As the East coast braces for Earl, we bring you the top 5 reasons to stay optimistic: Irwin Predicts Blue Skies Post writer Neil Irwin breaks down the top 5 reason to stay, or start to become, optimistic about the economy. Savings: Americans have doubled their savings since the start of their recession. Although, the penny-pinching may have initially hurt the economy now people have saved enough to start spending again. Credit: There is a gradual healing process in place although it may take months before the affects are felt in the market and in people’s pockets. Manufacturing: Both…

  • Around the Block: Living on the Edge Edition

    1 Sep 2010 | 10:34 am
    Banks on the Brink Banks posted their largest quarterly profit in nearly three years. However, with the number of banks at risk of failure rising to 11%, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair cautions banks are in no way out of the weeds: “Given the economic uncertainties, we believe all banks should continue to exercise caution and maintain strong reserves.” Housing Limbo Home prices continue to rise but at a slower rate suggesting, given the sensitive market and hesitant buyers, that prices could start to fall in the coming months. With a trend leaning toward a downward shift in home prices, why…
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    Patrick Stewart Properties Blog

  • Coachella Valley and Palm Springs real estate foreclosures dip

    Dennis
    13 Aug 2010 | 10:57 am
    July 2010 Foreclosure stats It’s never good to hear about home foreclosures, but there appears to be a positive trend starting to take hold in the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs real estate market. According to a recent study by RealtyTrac, which measures home foreclosures nationwide, the number of Coachella Valley homeowners forced into foreclosure dropped by about 41 percent in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period last year. Although home foreclosures have fallen, home auctions rose 13.1 percent, and the volume of bank-owned properties rose about 19 percent, according…

  • Coachella Valley real estate auction coming soon

    Dennis
    8 Jul 2010 | 10:25 am
    Are you ready to move to Palm Springs? Now is a great time to explore Mid-Century homes for sale in the Coachella Valley. This month Bank of America will hold a live auction of more than 100 bank-owned properties located in and around the Coachella Valley. The auction is scheduled for July 24, at the Ontario Convention Center. Only buyers who intend to live in the homes can participate in the auction. Homes up for auction include properties in Desert Hot Springs, Indio, Palm Desert and Palm Springs. “It gives the bidders an even better first shot at these homes,” said Colleen…

  • Mortgage rates lowest since 1950’s

    Dennis
    25 Jun 2010 | 11:19 am
    Sunny Lane, Rancho Mirage As reported in the Desert Sun, June 25, 2010 Desert Sun business reporter Mike Perrault contributed to this story. Valley real estate professionals are hoping that more activity will follow… Mortgages are cheaper today than they’ve been in a half-century. If only most people had the job security, the credit score and the cash to qualify. The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan sank to 4.69 percent this week, beating the low set in December and down from 4.75 percent last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Rates for 15-year and five-year mortgages also hit…

  • Palm Springs Real Estate Sales Rise Along With Statewide Stats

    Dennis
    18 Jun 2010 | 12:13 pm
    California real estate sales rose by about 5 percent last month over the prior year, according to the latest sales figures. MDA DataQuick, which compiled the statistics, recorded 40,965 single-family home and condo sales across the state compared to only 39,051 in May 2009. The sales peak came in 2004, when about 68,000 homes were sold. The median price also rose statewide, according to the report. The median home price last month was $278,000, up from $255,000 in April. Compared with last year, the median price rose 20.9 percent, from $230,000. Prices peaked at about $484,000 in 2007. About…

  • Mortgage Rates at New Lows, Thanks to Europe’s Debt Crisis

    Dennis
    25 May 2010 | 10:48 am
    Published: Monday, 24 May 2010 By: Mark Koba Senior Editor Here’s some good news for the struggling US housing market: Thanks to the European debt crisis, mortgage rates are at historic lows. The current average rate for a 30 year fixed loan is 4.87 percent, according to Bankrate.com. That’s the lowest rate for the 30 years since Bankrate started keeping track 25 years ago. Even jumbo loan rates—loans for more than $417,000—have fallen. The 30-year fixed jumbo loan is at an average rate of 4.5 percent, down from nearly 6 percent at this time last year. “It’s the…
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    Cool Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

  • How to be a Social (Media) Butterfly on Facebook

    Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
    8 Sep 2010 | 2:21 pm
    With the advent of Facebook as a keeping-in-touch tool for (just about) everyone over the past year or two, I am often surprised by how much my friends and acquaintances remember about my status updates and my life in general.  It often serves as a conversational shortcut, keeping me from the necessity of catching everyone up on what I’ve been doing, even when I haven’t seen them in months. Conversely, I think some people expect me to pay attention to each of their updates.  Herein lies the challenge.  “I don’t know if you saw it on Facebook or not, but…

  • I Turned 40 Today, and I've Lost 40 Pounds so Far! (Before and After Pictures Included)

    Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
    17 Aug 2010 | 7:18 pm
    After posting a couple of times about my weight loss and fitness goals here, I am very pleased to report that I met and exceeded my original weight loss goal yesterday.  Since today is my 40th birthday, this was a terrific gift. I started out at 248 pounds (my heaviest ever) and today, I weighed in at exactly 208 pounds.  Needless to say, I was truly excited. I've worked very hard at getting this weight off and the speed with which it happened surprised me, frankly.  When I wrote about my goals publicly, I promised to update my profile picture when I got to 210 pounds or…

  • Jason Crouch Turns 40 Today! Help make it a special day!

    Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
    17 Aug 2010 | 6:47 am
      This Re-Blog is actually being done by Jeremy Blanton.  I have hi-jacked Jason's blog here on ActiveRain to share with you about his birthday today.  Comments will be shut off here too.  Make sure to visit the original post here and comment!  That way the comments are all in place for Jason to see!   Via Jeremy Blanton (210 Consulting~ Social Media Advisors):Today is a very special day.  It is the day we get to celebrate the 40th birthday of my business partner, Jason Crouch.  I met Jason several years ago and I must admit I am very happy to have done…

  • How to Use Twitter (Part 3) - The Johnny Carson Principle

    Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
    15 Aug 2010 | 9:07 pm
    This is the third post in a series about how to use Twitter to form relationships for business and personal connections (which could lead to business, too, right?). One of the quickest ways for me to explain how to properly use this platform is to use a real-life analogy.  Pretty much everything you can do in person while networking can be done online now, with the notable exception of a handshake or hug.  Video conferencing even allows you to make eye contact with the person you’re getting to know. If you’ve read Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People”,…

  • "Must-Watch" Video I Found

    Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC)
    14 Aug 2010 | 1:33 pm
    This is one of the most touching videos I've seen this year.  It's a montage of various members of our troops returning home and surprising their loved ones.  Quick warning: I would highly suggest having Kleenex nearby.  I watched most of it with tears in my eyes. Interestingly, they used the exact same music as one of my all-time favorite videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY Enjoy! If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me elsewhere or subscribe via email? If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can also visit my primary Austin real estate website at…
 
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    Start With the House

  • 15 Year Mortgages

    Tom Tousignant
    30 Aug 2010 | 7:33 am
    Since the start of 2010, the 15 year mortgage has become more popular in Charlotte, North Carolina.  A recent article in the Wall Street Journal gave some reasons why this is happening.With the low mortgage interest rates, many homeowners are finding that a 15 year mortgage is more affordable than previously.  In addition, for those homeowners that have been in their house for 5-7 years, the leap to a 15 year mortgage isn’t as big of a stretch as it was then they bought their house a few years ago.Should you consider a 15 year mortgage?The Benefits of a 15 year fixed rate…

  • Who to Call for a refinance?

    Tom Tousignant
    30 Aug 2010 | 4:31 am
    For many homeowners, their monthly mortgage statement for their mortgage includes a sales pitch to call in to refinance.  Too many people do this to their own harm.  Right now, if you are paying over 6%, does your current lender really want you to refinance?  Short answer: No, but if you are going to they would rather have you refinance with them than with someone else.Why would a mortgage servicer to whom you paying 6% interest want to help you refinance to 4.5% or anywhere else?Since they don’t really want you to refinance, do you think they will really work on your behalf?  Too…

  • Life insurance and your home loan

    Tom Tousignant
    11 Aug 2010 | 5:25 am
    Many home owners in Charlotte are conditioned to hate whole life insurance, however, I think it deserves a second look in terms of your home ownership and mortgage strategy.As a rule of thumb, consider a whole life policy equal to your mortgage balance. Here’s why: 1. You mortgage will always be protected. 2. You will build cash value as you also pay down your mortgage balance. 3. When you pay off your mortgage, you will still have Insurance protection, and the cash value in the policy will likely be more than the original loan was.If you never looked at permanent Life Insurance, the…

  • A Better Strategy

    Tom Tousignant
    10 Aug 2010 | 3:32 am
    Since the Great Depression, conventional wisdom said you should buy a house for both shelter and investment and pay off your mortgage as fast as you can.  No wonder many Americans store a large portion of their wealth within the walls of their homes.Unfortunately, many of those people have seen their wealth disappear.It’s time to re-visit conventional wisdom. With the real estate-led recession, many Americans are finding that 80 year old financial advice may not be right for today.I believe the right mortgage should help you:Build and conserve wealthBecome debt free as quickly as…

  • Using Life insurance in your Mortgage Plan

    Tom Tousignant
    6 Aug 2010 | 6:57 am
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    REALTOR.com® Blogs

  • When is a Deal not a Deal?

    Lisa Lyons
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:00 pm
    So many buyers, especially first-timers, are out looking  not so much for a house, but for a house that’s a real deal. And many assume that a “deal” equals a foreclosure.But not every foreclosure is a deal, as REALTOR® Kathy Novak of Racine, WI explains.“A foreclosure is not a deal when:– The cost of repairs and the price of the house exceed the home’s worth.– You don’t have the cash, talent, and/or time to fix it up.– The house doesn’t ‘fit’ your needs; it’s not practical. It may be too small and/or not have space for your beloved hobby, whether it is…

  • Do Photos Sell a Home?

    Lisa Lyons
    8 Sep 2010 | 11:00 am
    If you want to know whether photos can truly sell your home, the answer is that it depends. The quality of the photos and what you are taking pictures of count more than just displaying any old photos. North Carolina REALTOR® David diCecco is a strong advocate of taking quality pictures. “There is an old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.  That may not be truer than in real estate.  Buyers today have a lot of choices available to them in regards to homes to choose from.  It is truly a buyer’s market right now.  So, how do you separate your listing from that of…

  • Get Copy of Property Disclosure Statement

    Lisa Lyons
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:00 am
    There is so much new terminology to learn when you start the search for your first home.  If you don’t understand something, you could pay the price later if something is not correct.Atlanta, Georgia REALTOR® Mike Sherrard explains one required document that you and your Realtor should ask to see.“When writing an offer to purchase a home, be sure and request a copy of the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement to be included as an exhibit on the contract.  The Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement is designed to assist the Seller in disclosing adverse conditions relating…

  • Is This a Good Time to Buy?

    Jill Kipnis
    7 Sep 2010 | 3:00 pm
    Q: Is this a good time to buy?A: This is the time to buy a house. Not only are prices low, but something that most people don’t seem to consider or agents don’t seem to understand, is interest rates.I’ve been in the business 48 years and they’re lower than they were when I started in 1962. And the loss of purchasing power, by an increase in the interest rate, is very, very large even in a swing of 4.5% to 8 or 9%.So it is an extremely big deal right now to buy a house if you can because the prices are low, but the interest rates you will never see again.Richard Williams is a REALTOR®…

  • Secure Your House on the Outside

    Lisa Lyons
    7 Sep 2010 | 3:00 pm
    Last month, the country recognized National Home Safety Week. The occasion inspired Nebraska REALTOR® Robin Jones to suggest ways to keep the exterior of your home safe:“Store flammable liquids like gasoline and paint thinners outside the home and away from anything that could spark a flame. These liquids could explode.Make sure your garage and shed either have a convenient light source or a flashlight available right where you walk in.Store pesticides, antifreeze, gasoline, paint thinner, lighter fluid, etc. in a locked cabinet out of reach of pets and children, preferably in…
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    LoopNet Commercial Real Estate Blog

  • Access Owner, Tenant, Mortgage, Historical Listing, Building Info on LoopNet

    Justin Hu
    7 Sep 2010 | 4:53 pm
    The days of overpaying for property data are gone. 7.5 million property records are only a few clicks away with LoopNet’s new Property Research Database. And best of all… access to the database is FREE with Premium Membership – limited time offer.Access valuable information including:Owner & Tenant DetailsMortgage & Lender HistoryTax Records & Assessed ValuesHistorical Listing InformationProperty Details & PhotosAsking Price & Asking Rent TrendsWith the essential property information you need in one place, start your research at LoopNet.Here are some tips to get your…

  • LoopNet’s Comps Product Gets an Upgrade

    Kelly - Marketing Team
    26 Aug 2010 | 7:57 am
    If you haven’t searched comps on LoopNet, now is the time for a test drive! We’ve optimized our RecentSales product by kicking the search speed and functionality into overdrive.With this new upgrade, RecentSales now offers:Over 1.1 million sales compsResearched and recent deed dataMap Searching UPGRADEDPhotos on Search Results – Subscribers Only UPGRADEDQuick and Easy Access UPGRADEDProfessional Reporting Capabilities UPGRADEDFlexible Purchase Options: A La Carte ($2.95-$4.95) or Subscription ($34.95)Here’s more information on 4 key upgrades that we are excited to introduce.1. Search…

  • Get the Most Out of the New LoopNet Map Search

    Justin Hu - Product Team
    6 Jul 2010 | 9:58 am
    The next time you run a LoopNet search, look at the top right corner of the search results page (make sure you're logged in). You'll see a mini map there that allows you to zoom in or pan around to search a specific area. Note that the map search is only available to Premium Members when searching For Sale and all members when searching For Lease.To see a larger map, click Expand Map.(click to enlarge)(click to enlarge)While we don't have polygon search yet, here's a trick. Hold down the ALT key on your keyboard and click your mouse down to draw a rectangle on the map then let go of the…

  • LoopNet’s New Property Database Frees Up Valuable Time and Resources

    Kelly - Marketing Team
    5 Jul 2010 | 6:27 pm
    Thanks to LoopNet’s Property Research Database, Nicholas Dizona from Real Property Appraisals, PC now has a full-time employee available to focus on fresh initiatives. "I have an employee that has been doing nothing but adding historical listing information into the company database. He would type the address into Google and gather information to help us build out our market data. We don't need to do that anymore.”LoopNet’s Property Research Database has changed the way Mr. Dizona does business. Waiting on data gathering, consolidation and reporting to get rigorous market data once cost…

  • LoopNet Wins Digie Award for Best Technology within Commercial Real Estate Sector

    Michele - Marketing Team
    13 Jun 2010 | 8:30 pm
    We are excited to announce that LoopNet won the prestigious Digie award for Best Technology within the Commercial Real Estate Sector on June 9th for the launch of our new commercial property database.Realcomm designed these awards to give credit to those who endeavor to transform the industry into a 21st Century Digital Model. The Digie award winners are announced every year at their annual conference and expo. (“Digie” is short for Commercial Real Estate Digital Innovation Awards.)We are honored to be recognized by such an esteemed organization and look forward to continuing to enhance…
 
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    Web Real Estate Marketing

  • One valuable piece of advice for Realtors …

    Peter Toner
    2 Sep 2010 | 9:57 am
    This could be an interesting experiment .... if you went back in time and had the sheer luxury of being able to offer yourself just one valuable piece of advice based on what you know now -What would that advice be?Please add your comments on Facebook for maximum visability Facebook.com/WebRealEstateTools

  • 3 social media secrets for Realtors

    Peter Toner
    1 Sep 2010 | 3:25 pm
    the 3 big secrets of online success .... and they are probably not quite what you imagined either!Tell us about your unexpected opportunities!

  • Agent Reboot takeaways

    Peter Toner
    28 Aug 2010 | 11:49 am
    Our takeaway from this weeks Reboot conference ..… in San Diego and where better to do it than right on Sail Bay in beautiful San Diego! WOW!(Click for larger image) In the video Drew Burks talks about marketing lifestyles rather that just pushing the property.We also shot a short video demonstrating a slightly different way of marketing your listings that would work in most markets –we will post that video shortly.

  • Google Phone Call

    Drew Burks
    26 Aug 2010 | 3:19 pm
    Google now offers FREE Phone calls Now you can make free Google phone calls to anywhere in the US and Canada right from inside your Gmail.  It's hard to believe that cell phone companies are still getting away with the ridiculously expensive service plans and overage minute fees.  Until recently Skype was the only real internet phone service available if you wanted to escape the traditional phone company, but now Google has just entered the space.When I logged into my Gmail account today I noticed the new Google Phone Call service. If you click the "Learn More"…

  • Drew on stage at Agent Reboot

    Peter Toner
    26 Aug 2010 | 2:37 pm
    Our very own Drew Burks… on stage during yesterday's Agent Reboot conference. He was given the opportunity to wrap up that part of the conference giving some advice about how to make social media work in your real estate business. Were you there at Agent Reboot?What do you think?What was your best take away from the event?
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    DanoSongs.com Free Music Downloads

  • Inception Inspired Dark Dramatic Film/Video Soundtrack – Free Production Score Music

    dano@danosongs.com (Dan-O (DanoSongs.com))
    7 Sep 2010 | 12:34 pm
    I thought the movie Inception was memorizing and a major part of that effect was the intense, driving and dark instrumental score by Hans Zimmer. Being inspired by the film soundtrack I went searching for some electronic sounds to put my own spin on the soundtrack, while trying to keep the same dramatic and eerie cinematic atmosphere. This track “Chimera Derivation 3″ is done in a techno style called “dubstep” which includes a variety of haunting drum & bass and trip hop underground type beats and synthesizer. Chimera Derivation 3 – Free and royalty free…

  • Electric Blues Band Background Instrumental Free Royalty Free Music Bed

    dano@danosongs.com (Dan-O (DanoSongs.com))
    20 Aug 2010 | 5:52 am
    The first chord progression I learned on guitar was the 12 bar blues. I have probably spent a measurable percentage of my life  jamming out the blues live, at open mics and for fun with friends. I remember when I was a kid wishing I had some great background tracks to practice improving blues licks over instead of just a simple acoustic track I recorded myself. So I figured that allot of people might also like that! This new original blues/rock track is called “The Boom Born Blues”. It is an instrumental 12 bar blues in the key of A with a full band of electric guitar, bass and…

  • Epic Rock Instrumental: Stock Background Music Bed, Free Royalty Free MP3.

    dano@danosongs.com (Dan-O (DanoSongs.com))
    10 Aug 2010 | 1:08 pm
    Here is a new 6 minute epic style indie rock instrumental called “Black Box in the Ground” with electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums and some synthesizer. You can use it free and royalty free as a background track, music bed, or any other type of stock music you need for production. Here is the full track MP3 you can download: Black Box in the Ground.MP3 I tried to make this very structured so you can use it as an artist in a song on a CD. Its in the key of D minor, here is the form: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, verse, chorus, chorus, outro I had also…

  • 5 Copyright Free Music Licensing Public Domain Resource Lists

    dano@danosongs.com (Dan-O (DanoSongs.com))
    30 Jul 2010 | 3:19 pm
    In reality the only “copyright free” music is public domain, and there are not allot of completely legal free and clear recordings in the public domain. However, you can find them if you look: PDInfo.com – List of copyright free public domain music and songs with sheet music reprint files and legal information about copyright. Wikipedia.org/Sound/list – Mainly classical, hymns and choir music by Haydn, Mozart, Chopin, Bach and Beethoven. Some excellent recordings of the concertos, suites, and sonatas on piano, violin and clavier that could be used for scores.

  • Irish Celtic Traditional Folk Royalty Free Production Music

    dano@danosongs.com (Dan-O (DanoSongs.com))
    7 Jul 2010 | 9:45 am
    Hello, I had a request from a visitor to create some traditional Celtic Irish folk music and I thought that was a great idea (since I am Irish and all). This upbeat song includes a full band with lots of instruments including fiddle, flute, bagpipes, accordion and mandolin. It reminds of something Gaelic pirates would dance a jig to in Ireland. As usual this MP3 is a free royalty free online download you can use in podcasts and YouTube videos as per the creative commons license mentioned on the site. Beggers Isle.mp3 “Not in Utopia, – subterranean fields, – Or some secreted…
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    Panama City Florida Real Estate Blog

  • Panama City Real Estate | Common Misconceptions About Buying and Selling Real Estate

    Jennifer Mackay
    7 Sep 2010 | 5:55 am
    Recently, I’ve worked with several new clients who had various misconceptions regarding the buying and selling of real estate. In my continuing effort to educate the public on buying and selling real estate, I’ve written a new article: Common misconceptions about buying and selling real estate. Here is an excerpt from my newest real estate article: Foreclosures are the best deal Many who purchase real estate either for investment or as their primary home are under the impression that foreclosures are the best deals. While there are certainly some very good deals when purchasing…

  • Panama City Real Estate | More foreclosures than any time in history

    Jennifer Mackay
    27 Aug 2010 | 3:48 am
    My visitors know I try hard to spin as much positive as possible out of negativity. However, I am beside myself with anger at the state of the housing market and the people making decisions at the lending institutions. The Economic Recovery Act should be renamed to the Economic Disaster Act!!! It’s gotten’ insane. The lenders are foreclosing on more properties than any time in history and our government is helping them do so by empowering them with the so called economic bail out! I was under the impression the economic bailout of lending banks was supposed to help our economy and…

  • Panama City Real Estate | Jennifer Mackay and Bloomberg Businessweek

    Jennifer Mackay
    13 Aug 2010 | 4:58 am
    As my readers know, Ive conducted interviews with quite a few news agencies, print and internet reporters as well as financial advisers in regards to the state of the Panama City real estate market. Recently, I provided another interview for Bloomberg Businessweek: a very popular financial publication. I hadn’t known the article was published until a new client contacted me and told me about it! During the interview, I was very impressed not only of the knowledge and research they had done, but also their willingness to discuss the future prospects of the Panama City, Florida. If you…

  • Panama City Real Estate | Now search for water front or water view homes and condos!

    Jennifer Mackay
    5 Aug 2010 | 11:20 am
    Well, we’re at it again doing what we do best:  Setting the standard by offering the most complete Panama City Real Estate search ability available… For many years that the Panama City Real Estate website has been the preferred real estate website for Panama City and Panama City Beach, Florida and one request has stood out more than any other from my valued visitors and customers… “I’d like to search for water front homes/condos only”! I am extremely pleased to announce that thanks to my incredible webmaster, my Panama City home search page now features a…

  • Panama City Real Estate | Market update July 2010 | Ouch

    Jennifer Mackay
    4 Aug 2010 | 7:19 am
    As my readers have come to expect, I pull no punches and tell it like it is. It didn’t seem to matter that the Bay County area had little to no oil on the beach.  If anyone is in doubt as to whether the oil spill affected the Panama City real estate market, here is the proof… Here then is the Panama City real estate market summary for July 2010 (it’s not good): Panama City Beach condo sales decreased significantly while prices increased slightly a bit during July. Is it any wonder sales decreased?  We had an oil spill not far from us, and condo owners and real estate…
 
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    St. John's Real Estate Blog

  • House for sale in Windsor Heights Portugal Cove – 98 Bugden Drive

    Stephen Winters
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:41 am
    Superbly built 2 story home with both attached (20X24) and detached (24X32) garage located on a 0.85 acre lot. approx 3700 total sqft (2400 developed). Large open concept kitchen with travertine tile floors and eat-in dining room. Adjacent family room is perfect for entertaining. Separate formal living room.  Crow mouldings throughout most of  home.   9FT ceilings.  Lots of pot lights.  In-ceiling sound system.  Large walk-in pantry off the kitchen. Three bedroom home. Large master with ensuite and walk-in closet. The entire home is heated with a high efficiency electric hot water …

  • Cabin for Sale on Northern Rocky Pond – Southern Shore Newfoundland

    Stephen Winters
    25 Aug 2010 | 5:25 pm
    Located right on the pond a 2 bedroom cabin plus a new 2 storey 20×24 detached building framed out for 3 bedroom plus bath on 2nd floor. Already wired with electricity and lots of vinyl windows. Bottom floor presently used a storage garage but could also be converted to livable space. Cabin nicely decorated with pine on the interior and has new vinyl windows. Absolute beautiful view of pond from deck. Floating wharf and lots of pond frontage. New septic in last 5 years. 125 amp electrical service. Only 40 minutes from city.  Directions: Turn onto first entrance to Beachy Cove Road…

  • St. John’s Newfoundland Real Estate July MLS Stats

    Stephen Winters
    11 Aug 2010 | 5:23 am
    As expected the real estate market for St. John’s and surrounding areas noticed a little slow down in July.  Housing inventory appeared to be on the rise as well as the number of price reductions.  The number of listings are up 4% this year compared to the same time last year and the number of sales are down 10%.  Personally I think this is a little “blimp” in the market and should be no cause for concern.  Majority of the houses sold in and around St. John’s were in the $260,000 to $349,900 range.  There have been 6 houses that sold this year over the 1 million…

  • St. John’s Real Estate July Housing Starts

    Stephen Winters
    10 Aug 2010 | 5:34 am
    Just released from CMHC: Housing Now publications press release for housing starts in Newfoundland and Labrador. “Urban housing starts decreased during the month of July, according to  preliminary released today by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). July’s housing starts totaled 176 throughout the St. John’s area versus 216 starts in July of 2009. There were 19 additional starts recorded outside the St. John’s area, for a total of 195 provincial urban starts compared to 270 last July. Year to- date, starts remain positive, with 998 recorded in the St. John’s region…

  • New listings near downtown St. John’s 37 Golf Ave

    Stephen Winters
    30 Jul 2010 | 9:29 am
    Great Location near downtown St. John’s.  37 Golf Ave – $159,900 Spacious 5 bedroom home with two bathrooms located within walking distance to Mun and close to St. Clare’s Hospital. Large deep lot. Main floor laundry. Hot Water Radiation heat. Mostly new vinyl windows. 125 Amp Breaker Panel. Off street parking. Great Investment property.  MLS:157071 Call Fraser or Stephen Winters for more information.
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    Miami Beach Real Estate Blog ~ Giving You The Low Down On The High End of Sunny Isles, Bal Harbour & Miami Beach Real Estate

  • Luxury Condo Market Strengthens in Miami Dade County

    AshtonColeman
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:14 am
    Press Release CONTACT:  Ashton Coleman | Broker Associate Keller Williams Miami Beach | 1.888.38.Dream Luxury home sales outperform other price ranges this summer Luxury condo market strengthens in Miami Dade County Dallas, TX, August 30, 2010 — Gloomy news that July sales of existing homes dropped 25.5% year-over-year has overshadowed new statistics showing summer sales [...]

  • The Miami Beach Real Estate RE-Views for September 2010

    AshtonColeman
    2 Sep 2010 | 5:49 pm
    The summer time buyer mentality is that Miami Beach real estate sales slow and although a steady confidence builds, the month of August proved it to be so… Statistics for the month reflect 4,514 total condos for sale along the oceanfront communities of South Beach, Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, North Bay Village and Sunny Isles Beach [...]

  • Miami Beach Boasts an Amazing.. Parking Garage?!

    AshtonColeman
    31 Aug 2010 | 10:22 am
    Yes, it’s true with South Beach Lincoln Road showcasing a new parking garage “masterpiece” hailed as one of the best architectural designs of the year. This new garage is news worthy in the fact of its artistic curb appeal and excellent addition to the North West gateway to Lincoln Road’s pedestrian promenade across from the [...]

  • Miami Beaches Seville Hotel Gets a Rebirth

    AshtonColeman
    6 Aug 2010 | 4:25 pm
    The Historic Seville Hotel The Seville on Miami Beach was listed as one of the last remaining distressed properties back in September 2009. As of August 2010, Ian Shrager’s taking it over through a recent partnership with Marriott turning the now shuttered oceanfront hotel into a luxury boutique ‘Marriott Edition’ brand over these next 3 years.  The 278,000 [...]

  • Sunny Isles Beach Luxury Oceanfront Condo Market Index 3Q 2010

    AshtonColeman
    14 Jul 2010 | 3:38 pm
    Edition #6 of the 2010 Sunny Isles Condo Index I’ll be reviewing the latest  trends & comparing the luxury oceanfront market from the 3Q 2009 Sunny Isles Condo Index to today’s updated 3Q 2010 Sunny Isles Condo Index including premier oceanfront towers such as Turnberry Ocean Colony, Acqualina, JADE Ocean, JADE Beach, Trump Palace, Trump [...]
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    Real Estate Investing Blog

  • 5 Secrets of Successful Real Estate Investors

    Chris McLaughlin
    7 Sep 2010 | 7:13 pm
    Can anyone become a successful real estate investor? According to industry experts…the answer is a resounding “Yes”. Average Americans and heavy-hitting investors alike have historically embraced real estate as one of the most reliable methods available to generate real wealth. If anyone can succeed at real estate then it only stands to reason that there must be a series of steps or guidelines to be followed; a “formula” for success….and there is. Research indicates there are five essential elements involved in becoming a successful real estate investor;…

  • Real Estate Investing Tips

    Bryan Ellis
    19 Aug 2010 | 1:29 pm
    Real estate investing makes people think of money.  You will see a lot of good reasons for this.  Real estate is something that is only available in limited quantities.  After all, manufacturing more land is impossible.  As a result, real estate is nearly universally thought to be a sound investment. However, it must be acknowledged that conventional views on real estate are changing.  This certainly has something to do with the economy.  It is not uncommon to find people who are afraid of real estate investing.  They think there is no money there anymore.  They may also believe that…

  • 20 Million Underwater Mortgages by 2012?

    Marco Santarelli
    5 Aug 2010 | 2:00 pm
    More than 14 million borrowers were underwater as of Q1 2010, and with a further 10.8% decline in house prices expected relative to Q4 2009 levels, another 6 million borrowers are likely fall into negative equity by the end of 2011, according to commentary today by Deutsche Bank. The presence of negative equity goes hand-in-hand with an increased likelihood of strategic default, as borrowers may sometimes not be willing to pay the mortgage when the house has lost substantial amounts of value.  The firm noted that, even when strategic default makes economic sense, many borrowers resist on…

  • Cash Flow Will NOT Make You Rich

    Marco Santarelli
    3 Aug 2010 | 5:28 pm
    Don’t get me wrong. Cash flow is good (assuming it’s positive), but absolutely NO one has ever become rich from cash flow alone. Think about that for a minute. Let’s look at a quick example. Let’s say you have a $100,000 property that generates $200 per month in positive cash flow. That’s $200 per month after all your expenses and debt service. That would give you $2,400 per year or $12,000 over five years in cash flow. Assuming you follow our advice of maintaining a reserve account for each of your properties to cover future maintenance and repairs, you will have made…

  • Toxic Asset Fraud… Does it Upset You?

    lease2buy.com
    28 Jul 2010 | 9:55 pm
    The other day, I heard an insane story on NPR (Public Radio), about an investigation that was done by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, where they looked at 19 Million Real Estate Transactions in Florida and found that, “…more than 50,000 Florida properties flipped under suspicious circumstances from 2000 through 2008″, and they commented that, “Those flips artificially drove up housing prices and tax bills and contributed to the crush of foreclosures”. NPR took a closer look at this investigation and purchased a piece of the bonds that are backed by these…
 
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    Popular Charlotte Real Estate Blog | Charlotte MLS Search here!

  • Living Close When a Child’s Health is the Issue

    Wendy Wells
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:03 am
    Adults tend to expect that with age certain infirmities, diseases, and injuries are going to become more common and take longer to heal. When children get sick, it’s a whole different story. That’s why purchasing a home in Charlotte and living close to some of the best Children’s Hospitals in the nation can be such an important quest for some parents and guardians. Two of the children’s hospitals are located near Uptown, which can make living and working in Charlotte, NC much easier when your child’s health is the issue. The Levin Children’s Hospital is dedicated to…

  • Life in Union County

    Wendy Wells
    5 Sep 2010 | 6:31 am
    Living in Union County is sort of like living in a reduced tax price Charlotte. Back when Charlotte was about 12 years younger and before Ballantyne was born. What I mean is that buying property in Union County is a very sound investment; Union County is a really nice place to live and it’s growing. Click here to view the embedded video. Union County includes: Stallings, Indian Trail, Monroe, Marshville, Weddington, Waxhaw and several other communities. Owning over an acre of property in Union County, NC is easy to do since so much of the area is still undeveloped. In fact, Union County is…

  • Expensive Stuff

    Wendy Wells
    4 Sep 2010 | 6:43 am
    Many of the Charlotte homes for sale are new construction homes, even a lot of  the  foreclosures in Charlotte are new homes. There are many new neighborhoods that list the builder as the seller. Usually, you can count on everything being brand-spanking new in the kitchen and other systems throughout the home. We expect the HVAC system to run like a top in a brand new home and the water heater to give us enough hot water for showering, dishes, laundry, etc. When it comes to a new home and new appliances, we expect them to last for the average five years that someone owns their first home,…

  • That one thing you might be missing to set you above the rest

    Jana Robison
    4 Sep 2010 | 4:21 am
    With over 90% of home buyers searching online for a new home your home must make a great first impression. The first impression is a lasting impression! In a buyers market sellers compete with sellers.  If buyers are not impressed what they see online they will move on to the next listing. Staging Charlotte works with you and your Realtor to put your home on the “must see” list for today’s home buyers. We offer a marketing plan and photos to assist with the sale of your home. Staging Charlotte! will help you prepare your home’s sale and help you get the maximum…

  • Somewhere Over the Charlotte Rainbow…

    Wendy Wells
    2 Sep 2010 | 6:18 am
    Living in Charlotte, NC is an experience in flavor, color, diversity, and history. We truly have a rainbow of diversity in our population which has brought wondrous food and cultural flavors to the area. No one can deny that the historical aspects of areas such as: Plaza-Midwood, Dilworth, Uptown, Chantilly, Elizabeth, and Fourth Ward offer great opportunities to learn about the birth and survival of our nation. The Charlotte-Metro area has more to offer than just history; in fact, there is a great deal of “new” our area has to offer which also adds color and warmth to living here. Take…
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    Lake Ridge VA Real Estate News

  • Distress Sale- Stunning Home For Sale In Woodbridge Virginia With Theatre Room All For $419,950!

    Peggy James- "Your Neighborhood Realtor" Serving Lake Ridge VA and Woodbridge VA (Exit 1st Choice Realty)
    8 Sep 2010 | 2:32 pm
    Have you been looking for a Short Sale Opportunity? Are you flexible as far as a move date is concerned? Well then today may be your lucky day that is if you act quickly. Take a look at this beautiful home that Russ Dillard in our office has listed. Look at the photo show below. The home is located in the Ashland Subdivison just off Spriggs Rd in Woodbridge Virginia. This community is next to the high school, easy access to I-95 and there is a community pool.   Check out these photo's I took the other day:   For more information about this home check out FranklyMLS.com…

  • Crestridge Home "Just Reduced to $524,900" in Lake Ridge Virginia

    Peggy James- "Your Neighborhood Realtor" Serving Lake Ridge VA and Woodbridge VA (Exit 1st Choice Realty)
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:05 am
    Every once in awhile as a Buyers Agent I run across a home where you can tell there is a very motivated seller. Such is the case with 11732 Crest Maple Drive, Lake Ridge Virginia. I showed the home the other day, and it was lovely. Very well kept, immaculate inside, beautiful cul-de-sac lot, high ceiling, spacious center island kitchen, luxury master bath, full finished walkout basement. This one is a show stopper!     Today,I was giving feedback to the listing agent Linda Welch of Re/Max Allegiance. She said, Peggy we have dropped the price again, and the seller has now found…

  • Learn What You Need To Know Before Buying A New Home.

    Peggy James- "Your Neighborhood Realtor" Serving Lake Ridge VA and Woodbridge VA (Exit 1st Choice Realty)
    4 Sep 2010 | 5:45 am
    Has the "New Home Bug" bitten you yet? You'll know exactly when it has. You'll start dreaming about a new home just the same way you start dreaming about buying a new car. Let say, you have your sights on buying a new BMW, you want it bad. Before you know it you start seeing them everywhere in the exact color you want? Do you know why that happens? Well your reticular activator has just gone been turned on! Same thing happens when the "New Home Bug" bites! Caution is needed here.... Things you need  to know before signing that new home builders contract here in Virginia.

  • At What Interest Rate Did You Purchase Your First Home and Why?

    Peggy James- "Your Neighborhood Realtor" Serving Lake Ridge VA and Woodbridge VA (Exit 1st Choice Realty)
    3 Sep 2010 | 6:04 am
    I have questions for anyone who has ever purchased a home. When did you purchase your first home? Do you remember what the interest rate was at the time? What was your motivation to buy a home back then?    My twin sister Patty and I purchased our first home in our mid 20's. The newspaper clipping to the right, is the townhome we purchased in the early 80's as first time buyers when we relocated to Northern Virginia from Upstate New York.                            Below is a graph…

  • Peggy- "Where are all the homes under 10 years old in Lake Ridge, Virginia?"

    Peggy James- "Your Neighborhood Realtor" Serving Lake Ridge VA and Woodbridge VA (Exit 1st Choice Realty)
    3 Sep 2010 | 3:59 am
    Yesterday I was assisting a home buyer who has set their sites on Lake Ridge Virginia as the place they want to buy a home, raise their family and build their lives for the next ten years or so. They have been receiving automatic alerts for all the homes coming on the market in the Lake Ridge, Old Bridge Estates, Crestridge and Westridge homes. Out of pure frustration yesterday, on a conference call they both said...  "Gosh where are all the newer homes in Lake Ridge, Virginia?" We have our hearts set on a home with a big kitchen and sun-room across the rear of the home. We want it…
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    Taunya Fagan Bozeman Real Estate Blog: Bozeman Montana Real Estate Listings

  • Today's Bozeman MT Real Estate Listings - Southwest Montana Residential Property

    www.TaunyaFagan.com Bozeman Montana Real Estate: Homes - Land - Ranches (Prudential Montana Real Estate Bozeman)
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:21 am
    NEW DAILY Bozeman Montana Real Estate Listings, September 8, 2010 Southwest Montana real estate listings added each day for Bozeman, Belgrade, Big Sky, Livingston, Three Forks, and additional southwestern Montana cities. 2103 Star Ridge Road, Bozeman$799,000.00 MLS 172381     SF +1                            4 Bedrooms3 Bathrooms Near Bozeman, Hiking Trails, USFS Land, Hospital   Mls #     …

  • Stupendous Views From Above Bozeman Land For Sale Over 60 Acres

    www.TaunyaFagan.com Bozeman Montana Real Estate: Homes - Land - Ranches (Prudential Montana Real Estate Bozeman)
    6 Sep 2010 | 2:54 pm
    Beautiful, Private 61.5+/- Acres of Bozeman Montana Land For Sale Close to Downtown Bozeman but up in the beautiful Gallatin Mountains with stupendous views of Gallatin Valley's scenic landscape and multiple mountain ranges! Trees, hills, lush meadows, stream, and many suitable home building sites. Construct a custom Montana home in the meadow near the stream or build up on the mountain side to capture the stunning surrounding mountain and valley views. ~  No Covenants - No Home Owner's Association  ~ Horses welcome! A must see for those who love lots of wildlife, privacy,…

  • Today's Bozeman Montana Real Estate Listings - Southwest Montana Homes For Sale

    www.TaunyaFagan.com Bozeman Montana Real Estate: Homes - Land - Ranches (Prudential Montana Real Estate Bozeman)
    30 Aug 2010 | 11:55 am
    Bozeman Montana Real Estate Listings - Daily Updates for Bozeman, Belgrade, and all other southwest Montana cities as properties are listed from the regional Bozeman real estate MLS. August 29 - September 7, 2010. Mls #      Type         Address                                        …

  • Today's Bozeman Real Estate Listings Week 4 August 2010

    www.TaunyaFagan.com Bozeman Montana Real Estate: Homes - Land - Ranches (Prudential Montana Real Estate Bozeman)
    23 Aug 2010 | 8:52 am
    Bozeman Montana Real Estate Listings - Daily Updates for Bozeman, Belgrade, Big Sky, Livingston, Three Forks, and other southwest Montana cities as properties are listed from the regional Bozeman real estate MLS - Week 4, August 22 - 28, 2010 Mls #      Type         Address            Price        Beds     Baths  98 E Fieldview, BozemanMLS…

  • Montana Solar, Wind Powered Homes - Off The Grid Eco Artistry

    www.TaunyaFagan.com Bozeman Montana Real Estate: Homes - Land - Ranches (Prudential Montana Real Estate Bozeman)
    19 Aug 2010 | 3:16 pm
    Totally off the power grid, this Montana real estate offering has high-end solar equipment, wind turbine, and propane backup system! Very private and secluded, there aren't many solar-powered, wind-powered, southwest Montana homes like this one on a private setting in the Montana mountains, conveniently located near the amenities of a large town, Butte, MT. Gorgeous, fenced and gated forest setting on 30 acres in the mountains above Butte, Montana, this Montana home's setting offers Continental Divide mountain views. This, one of the unique, off-the-grid, solar and…
 
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    blog.kw.com

  • Does Your Social Media Mislead?

    Julie Lane, VP of Legal and Compliance
    2 Sep 2010 | 1:34 pm
    Are your social media marketing efforts infringing on a corporate trademark? If your marketing efforts are confusing customers—if they are misled to believe that you are affiliated with a known brand because of your URL, Twitter or Facebook name—then you could be liable. At the heart of the matter is an effort to fool customers. Start by looking at your URL. If you have chosen a URL for your Web site or your blog that is similar to a large corporation, you could be infringing on a trademark—and you could lose your domain name. Surprisingly, even some large corporations haven’t yet…

  • Facebook Places: Another Adventure in Privacy

    Amber Presley, PR and Social Media Manager
    26 Aug 2010 | 6:52 am
    Already a big fan of location-based applications like Foursquare and Gowalla, I was pretty excited to try out Facebook Places. In short, Facebook Places lets you and your friends check into a location. Once checked in, you can see who else out of your friends is at that location or one nearby. Cool right? But, as with any Facebook update, the addition of Places brings a whole new slew of privacy updates to your Profile that you must know about. So, here are a few things to make note of to ensure that you are comfortable with your settings and what you are sharing on Facebook. 1. Opt out of…

  • Why Some Houses Sit While Other Houses Sell

    Jay Papasan, VP of Publishing and Executive Editor
    24 Aug 2010 | 10:22 am
    Even in the hardest hit markets, there are still properties priced well enough and in good enough condition to interest buyers. Those houses attract offers and sell. Houses that aren’t priced and staged competitively sit. It’s not complicated. It’s really that simple. For your house to stand out from the crowd, you’ll have to listen to what buyers are telling you and make sure your house is priced well enough and in good enough condition to stand out from the competition. Here’s a quick video explaining how it works. Good luck!

  • Are You Holding Yourself Back?

    Alexis MacIntyre, Director of KWU
    18 Aug 2010 | 6:57 am
    Profit share offers unlimited income potential.  But it requires unlimited thinking.  When I first joined Keller Williams, I had one strong limiting belief around growing my profit share tree.  I was afraid to come off  like I was “selling” the company.  As I’ve grown within KW, I’ve internalized a deep appreciation for our family and I’ve recognized that growing my profit share tree has absolutely nothing to do with selling KW.  It’s about attracting talent. Yes, growth is important to Keller Williams.  We’re proud of this! If growing our company wasn’t important to…
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    MortgageOutreach.org

  • How will the FHA Streamline Program Help Me?

    Mats Kinnison
    13 Aug 2010 | 1:39 pm
    You may have heard about the FHA streamline program. With interest rates at all time lows, people are wondering if refinancing using this program makes sense. Let me share with you how the program works so that you can decide what is best for your family. First of all, in order to do a streamline refinance, you must have an existing FHA loan on your home. There are other types of refinancing programs out there, like the conventional Refi Plus, but the benefits are not the same. One of the biggest benefits of the streamline program is that an appraisal is not required on the property. With so…

  • 3 Benefits When Deciding to Refinance

    James Jackson
    16 Jun 2010 | 3:25 pm
    Refinancing a home offers homeowners many benefits and options that can make life much easier if the refinance is done under favorable conditions. While refinancing is not the right decision in all circumstances, the benefits should be considered even if the ultimate decision is to stick with the mortgage already in place. Most of the benefits listed should be determined with the current financial situation in mind and how these things might impact those finances. One of the most appealing benefits of refinancing is having a lower monthly mortgage payment. In the current economic climate most…

  • Tips to Refinance Your Interest Only Loans

    Deon Du Plessis
    21 May 2010 | 1:31 pm
    Refinancing your current interest only loan is a good way for some people to get out from under their debt and begin to decrease the amount paid out each month. When the current interest is lower than the amount that you currently pay on your loans, refinancing helps to get a handle on your bills and begin to reduce your overall debt. Money that is saved each month with refinancing can be used to pay off more bills or to invest in opportunities that will bring more money into your budget. Refinancing your loans also changes an adjustable mortgage into a fixed mortgage, which will keep you…

  • How To Avoid Mortgage Pitfalls

    Nick Messe
    3 May 2010 | 11:32 am
    There comes a time in just about everyone’s life when they will try to obtain a mortgage. Becoming a homeowner is part of the American dream, but sometimes the excitement gets in the way of paying attention and not really understanding the type of mortgage you are getting. This is basically why there is now a high foreclosure rate and the industry of mortgage loans has become one that is in a heap of trouble. Paying attention to the terms of the mortgage you are getting, whether it is a mortgage to buy a home or a mortgage refinance, is one way to avoid future problems. One of the major…

  • Obama’s Federal Government Loan Modification Program - How Do I Know If I Qualify?

    Katelyn Tuttle
    20 Apr 2010 | 3:46 pm
    Since Obama has taken office, the government has set aside millions of dollars to assist struggling homeowners and make it possible for them to stay in their homes rather than losing them to foreclosure during these tough and uncertain economic times. Obama’s federal government loan modification program - do you qualify? Here are the basic requirements: You must live in the house, and it must be your primary residence. You must have taken out your loan before 2009. You must be currently facing economic hardship or expect to face hardship in the near future. For example, have been…
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    The Real Deal New York - Latest News

  • Forest City turns second-quarter profit

    8 Sep 2010 | 4:27 pm
    Forest City Enterprises, the parent company of Forest City Ratner, swung to a profit in the fiscal second quarter as rental income rose and the company closed on the sale of the New Jersey Nets to a Russian billionaire. The Cleveland-based firm reported net income of $122.8 million, or 61 cents a share, in the quarter ended July 31, compared with a net loss of $1.8 million, or 1 cent, in the year-ago period. Charles Ratner, president and CEO at Forest City, said the increase was mainly due to strength in the company’s rental properties, particularly multifamily. [more]

  • Real estate exec lists condo for $26.3M

    8 Sep 2010 | 2:15 pm
    From left: Eric Hadar's Bristol Plaza condo at 200 East 65th Street, a 10-room duplex at 730 Park Avenue and John Barrett's 65 West 13th Street unit With Labor Day in the rear-view mirror, a bevy of new properties are hitting the market, providing plenty of fodder for our new weekly feature, The HotSheet. A 49th-floor condo at the Bristol Plaza at 200 East 65th Street just hit the market for $26.25 million. According to city documents, the apartment is owned by Eric Hadar, a real estate investor who recently completed a stint in rehab after an arrest on drug possession charges. We also…

  • BofA home loan manager to Metlife

    8 Sep 2010 | 2:00 pm
    Mark Wenitzky has moved to MetLife Home Loans where he is district sales leader overseeing mortgage loan officers for New York City. Wenitzky, 37, began in his new position yesterday. He was formerly at Bank of American Home Loans were he was the branch manager for Manhattan. Prior to that he worked for 11 years at JPMorgan Chase. TRD

  • Park51's imam speaks out on controversy ... and more

    8 Sep 2010 | 1:30 pm
    1. Cushman's Tara Stacom faces the challenge of filling One World Trade Center [NYO] 2. Park51 imam Feisal Abdul Rauf speaks out on controversy [NYT] 3. Tenants at foreclosed East Harlem apartment building say non-profit buyer Hope Community has a "history of neglect" [NYO] 4. Robert De Niro's former upstate property manager sues over alleged illegal firing [NYMag] 5. Shopping mall owner General Growth Properties scrambles to find new management team, with bankruptcy imminent [Bloomberg] 6. Florida businessman Paul Cejas picks up $5.6 million Carlyle pad [NYO] 7. Will the housing…

  • Tenant's non-payment of rent may have led to murder, police say

    8 Sep 2010 | 1:15 pm
    A landlord-tenant dispute may have been to blame for an East New York shooting murder, according to the local ABC News affiliate station. The homicide, which took place shortly after midnight today, may have been the result of the victim's non-payment of her rent, police say. The victim's landlord is being questioned by police. Although it's unclear how behind the victim, a tenant in a Linwood Street apartment building, was in her rent, early reports suggest that she had not paid for some time. [WABC]
 
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    The Belt Team's Real Estate Blog

  • Open House in Vienna, VA - Sept 5th

    thebeltteam
    3 Sep 2010 | 6:48 am
    It’s the weekend! And that means it’s time for our Theme Song of the Week. Today, we bring you Dire Straits. They sing “We’re going on a holiday . . . gonna be so neat . . . twisting by the pool“. And the house we are holding open this weekend has - - - yup, you got it - A POOL! No, no need to go away on holiday, you’ll have your own private oasis right here in Vienna! So - get inspired by Dire Straits and “Twisting by the Pool“  - and then scroll down, get directions to our open house and stop by to visit on Sunday - you just might find your…

  • Weekly Real Estate Update / HyperLocal: Vienna, VA & Oakton, VA

    thebeltteam
    1 Sep 2010 | 10:30 am
    Real estate is HYPER-LOCAL. What is happening in Vienna or Reston may be very different than what is happening in Arlington or Oakton. And what was happening last week may be very different than what is happening this week. So what are we seeing in the Vienna & Oakton markets this week? Inventory is slightly up in Oakton - while inventory in Vienna is at its lowest level since late March. Average days on market remains fairly stable. After three weeks in a row of 6 contracts per week in Oakton, we only saw 4 contracts ratified this past week. Vienna’s contract rate (13) was not…

  • “Zillow Zestimates” and Northern Virginia Real Estate

    thebeltteam
    30 Aug 2010 | 9:46 am
    Should I use an online estimator (like Zillow) to estimate the value of a home I am considering buying or selling? We are often asked by homeowners (and potential homeowners) about the information they find on Zillow.com. Zillow provides something they call a “Zestimate” for every property in their database - whether it’s for sale or not. They come up with these estimates of value by aggregating information from various public databases - tax records, value trends, etc and then they use a proprietary formula to make a calculation. Zillow is very popular with both Home…

  • Open Houses in Vienna,VA & Oakton, VA- August 29

    thebeltteam
    27 Aug 2010 | 8:26 am
    It’s the weekend! And that means it’s time for our Theme Song of the Week. Today, as we wind down the month of August, we bring you Carmen Rasmusen and “Nothin’ Like The Summer“. Listen and you’ll hear her sing “The world is full of music, dreams and lovers.” So if you’re dreaming of a new home - scroll down, get directions to our open houses this weekend, gather up your loved ones and stop by to see us. Imagine - you just might make that dream come true! (But first - here’s “Nothin’ Like The Summer“): Saturday,…

  • Just Listed - Macy Avenue in Vienna, VA!

    thebeltteam
    26 Aug 2010 | 6:30 am
    OPEN HOUSE - SUNDAY (Aug 29) 1-4PM This elegant brick front colonial is sited on a large cul-de-sac lot. You’ll especially enjoy the addition to the home that includes a delightful sunroom & 2nd casual eating area. There’s plenty of room for the family to gather, as well for for easy entertaining - with rec rooms on both the main and lower levels. The kitchen was updated in 2010 with granite countertops & stainless appliances. Plus there’s a spacious master suite with sitting room, 4 additional bedrooms. 3.5 baths, soaring ceilings, gleaming hardwoods & more.
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    Bank Foreclosures Sale Articles

  • Bill to Help Owners of Distressed Properties for Sale Rejected

    Simon Lindsay
    6 Sep 2010 | 8:06 am
    A legislative bill in California which would have helped address problems of foreclosures and distressed properties for sale has been rejected by the state Assembly. The bill, which was designed to provide foreclosure protection to homeowners while they are in the process of seeking mortgage modification, was defeated 36-30 at the Assembly. Senate Bill 1275 was supposed to contribute to efforts to lower the number of California foreclosed homes for sale and has been heavily campaigned for by consumer groups. However, the banking industry of the state opposed the proposed measure, particularly…

  • Project to Help Owners of Bank and BoA Home Foreclosures to Start Soon

    Simon Lindsay
    3 Sep 2010 | 5:36 am
    The Broad River area in Columbia, South Carolina will soon become the venue of a residential development project that was four years in the making. The project will build affordable housing in the community where government and bank foreclosures, including BoA home foreclosures, have taken their toll. Most neighborhoods in the city have been affected by the thousands of Columbia foreclosures for sale and local authorities are looking at the project, to be called Village at River's Edge, as a way to offer residents a chance to have their own homes at affordable rates. The development was…

  • AGO Launches Help Video for Owners of JP Morgan Chase Home Foreclosures

    Donald Hanz
    2 Sep 2010 | 6:14 am
    Homeowners facing the possibility of losing their properties to government or bank foreclosures, including JP Morgan Chase home foreclosures, might get some help from the educational video launched by the Arizona Attorney General's Office. Owners of Mesa foreclosed homes and other homeowners from different areas of the state facing distressed home-related problems can take advantage of the free information that the video provides. The film will be provided to nonprofit agencies that counsel homeowners having ownership troubles. Copies will also be distributed to faith-based associations,…

  • New Way to Battle Suntrust Home Foreclosures, Other Foreclosure Types

    Jason Westmann
    1 Sep 2010 | 6:55 am
    Homeowners in Florida facing government, bank and other types of foreclosures, such as Suntrust home foreclosures, have found a new technique to battle lenders filing foreclosure cases against them. Most lawyers representing these homeowners have found that questioning affidavit validity is one way of gaining ground against lender banks. With the number of Tampa foreclosed homes and distressed properties all around the state reaching record highs, homeowners and their attorneys have learned to explore various ways that would help borrowers retain their properties. In this latest defense…

  • Prices of Wachovia Home Foreclosures and Other Houses Continue to Drop

    Simon Lindsay
    31 Aug 2010 | 6:05 am
    Prices of residential properties in Santa Cruz County, California continue to decline. These include all types of residences, even Wachovia home foreclosures and other types of foreclosed dwellings. However, buyers are still reluctant to make any purchase, even with mortgage rates at record lows. According to most real estate market analysts, Stockton foreclosed homes and almost all types of Santa Cruz dwellings are not selling despite these perks, primarily because most buyers are scared of the current condition of the housing market. Others just do not have the means to offer a down payment…
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    Real Estate Investing Blog For Real Estate Investors

  • How to Be a Commercial Real Estate Investment Winner

    Darin Garman, CCIM
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:28 am
    “A dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.” – Vince Lombardi. One of the things that the top apartment and commercial real estate investors are in pursuit of is being a winner. In our world, an investment property winner. This means different things to different people, but to me, it’s getting the maximum return on my investment, and maximum return on my efforts. So, what is the simplest way to do this…to be a winner…

  • A Quick and Easy Way to Gather Property Information

    Jason Hanson
    7 Sep 2010 | 10:36 am
    I’m all about saving time. Over the years I’ve created dozens of templates for almost every type of real estate situation you could imagine. And of course, when that situation arises I simply go into my folder, find the corresponding document and just fill in the necessary info. Well… one of the most important things you will do as an investor is gathering property information, so you can evaluate the property to see if it’s a potential deal or not. A lot of folks have fill-in-the blank fields on their websites – which is a smart thing to do. But a lot of times someone might call…

  • Reaping Multiple Rewards

    Tom Donnell
    6 Sep 2010 | 10:39 am
    For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards. That’s one of life’s great arrangements. In fact, it’s an extension of the biblical law that says that if you sow well, you will reap well. Here’s a unique part of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Not only does it suggest that we’ll all reap what we’ve sown, it also suggests that we’ll reap much more. Life is full of laws that both govern and explain behaviors, but this may well be the major law we need to understand: For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards. What a concept! If…

  • Farmville? Cultivate Real Estate Profits

    Cherrathee Hager
    3 Sep 2010 | 10:21 am
    Interested in cultivating real estate profits? Then maybe you need to consider creating your own Farmville.  Not the Farmville you may see posting on your Facebook page but one that you create as a real estate investor.  Farming can actually put long and short term profits in your pocket. Here’s a few tips . Create your real estate farm.  Most books on investing will suggest that you establish a geographical area where you concentrate on investing.  They frequently refer to this as farming. These areas can range from a few square blocks to a specific community or neighborhood.  It can…

  • Apartment Investing – Is it the Numbers Or the Brick Exterior?

    Darin Garman, CCIM
    2 Sep 2010 | 11:48 am
    “A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” – Sir Francis Bacon Lets talk numbers. As we have talked about in previous articles it is all about the numbers. Whether it is an apartment or a commercial property the value is almost always derived from how much money it makes. Many owners of investment property love to tell you how much they paid for the property, what kind of nice amenities the property may have and how much those amenities cost. Like many of you, I own property as well and this is a VERY tempting thing to do. But guess what? The new owner of the…
 
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    Real Estate Investing Blog

  • New Interview with Patrick Dague about Private Lending

    Mike Lautensack
    19 Aug 2010 | 7:53 am
    I was recently interviewed by Patrick Dague of http://www.getinvestorsnow.com/ on the topic of getting and developing private lenders for your real estate investment business. Patrick is doing some great stuff and highly encourage you to go to his site and get his free report titled “SEVEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO GET INVESTORS FOR REAL ESTATE “. Listen by clicking below Please share with your friends... Related posts:Private Money Millions Series: How to Explode Your Private Money Lending Program with a Newsletter Posted by Patrick Riddle at…

  • Real Estate Wholesaling is About Volume and Networking

    Mike Lautensack
    9 Aug 2010 | 5:00 am
    Posted by Peter Vekselman When you buy from the wholesale market, you dont need to sell at retail to make a profit. You can sell to someone else that buys wholesale and still make a decent profit. The real estate wholesale market is not unlike any other wholesale market. In the supply chain from manufacturing to retail there are several wholesale transactions where each wholesaler makes a profit and leaves enough in the deal for the next person in the chain to profit. The manufacturer creates the product and sells it to a national distributor that transports it to major distribution points…

  • Housing market diagnosis: Bipolar

    Mike Lautensack
    31 May 2010 | 3:16 pm
    By Les Christie, CNNMOney staff writer NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Bipolar is what comes to mind when diagnosing the post – home buyer tax credit market. There are two separate forces pulling it in opposite directions, and experts aren’t yet sure which path the market will take. On one hand, sales and prices are rising, indicating recovery. On the other hand, so are interest rates and repossessions, which most certainly do not. And then there are the millions of foreclosures that need to be sold but haven’t yet been listed — so-called shadow inventory — that…

  • Real Estate Investing offers a GOOD Alternative to Today Volatile Stock Market!

    Mike Lautensack
    22 May 2010 | 10:31 am
    Today’s investment markets offer investors a wide variety of options. One of the most rewarding opportunities is real estate investing, which can produce a very good income stream. If you choose to become a real estate investor, you will enjoy several benefits not associated with other types of investment. First of all, investing in real estate has the enormous benefit of financial leverage. Even if you borrow the money for your real estate investing from a bank you can often get into a deal with a 10% to 20% down payment which means your returns are instantly magnified due to the fact…

  • Real Estate Investors – How to Find Lists For Mailing Postcards to Potential Sellers

    Mike Lautensack
    2 May 2010 | 12:31 pm
    Two Types of Lists Let’s talk about the list. The list is important. We’ve talked about two kinds of lists. One would be a group of houses in a particular area that you would designate. Two would be a demographic – what type of person – meaning people where the tax bill goes to a different address than the home address. Those are two types of lists that you can acquire. They’re certainly not the limit. There are dozens of other ways you can slice and dice this. You could get homes worth a million dollars or more. You could get homes worth $100,000 or less. You…
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    Corporate Real Estate LinkedIn Group

  • Vested Outsourcing

    CRE Editors
    31 Aug 2010 | 8:33 pm
    Vested Outsourcing From the publisher of this interesting new book on outsourcing: Change is the new status quo in today’s business world. New smart, lean and more efficient methods for increasing a company’s market share and top line have been created, and the adoption of their methods and practices will be the differentiator between growth or failure in this new business environment. In Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules That Will Transform Outsourcing, supply-chain innovator and lead researcher Kate Vitasek has created a new business model that will transform outsourcing procedures the way…

  • Calling CRE Writers

    CRE Editors
    30 Aug 2010 | 8:20 pm
    BlogThe CRE Blog is now seeking to expand the voices on the blog to include members IN GOOD STANDING of the CRE LinkedIn Group.  Contributors should be directly involved in the management of CRE assets.  We’re particularly interested in: Specialists in specific disciplinezs to post on trends, ideas, best practices Research departments to post white papers on topics related to commercial real estate trends, ideas, best practices from major real estate consulting firms, real estate departments, or real estate brokers We are NOT looking for: Marketers seeking to pitch resumes, social…

  • Office-Leasing Rebound Could Be Deceiving

    CRE Editors
    24 Aug 2010 | 4:48 am
    Wall Street Journal From the WSJ: Even as the office market enjoys a rebound of leasing activity, some businesses are giving landlords the shivers by figuring out how to use less space per employee. Companies that sat on the sidelines during the darkest days of the economic downturn are increasingly making leasing commitments. In the 12 months that ended June 30, office tenants signed 161.3 million square feet in leases nationwide, according to Studley, a commercial real-estate brokerage firm. That is a 5.7% increase over the 12-month period ended in March. But in many cases, tenants are…

  • LinkedIn Real Estate App for Brokers

    CRE Editors
    19 Aug 2010 | 7:04 pm
    Real Estate Pro LinkedIn App LinkedIn Real Estate App for brokers: Real Estate Pro is the easiest way to stay informed about your local real estate and office space marketplace. Use it to find office space listings for lease and property for sale. Follow and connect with active brokers and professionals, track new property listings and see the latest deals in your market. Real estate professionals: Use Real Estate Pro to feature property listings and promote client transactions on your Linkedin profile. Easily share your work and completed deals with your business connections, track your…

  • The Big Short

    CRE Editors
    16 Aug 2010 | 8:42 pm
    Bookmarks magazine takes a look at Michael Lewis’s account of the real estate market bubble, a volume entitled The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. Michael Lewis has written from the perspective of a financial insider for more than 20 years. His first book, Liar’s Poker, was a warts-and-all account of Wall Street culture in the 1980s, when Lewis worked at the investment bank Salomon Brothers. Everything Lewis has touched since has turned to gold, and The Big Short seems to be another of those books, combining an incendiary, timely topic with the author’s solid,…
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    Real Estate - ForeclosureDeals.com

  • Commercial Appraisal Service Not Exactly Needed in Lincoln County

    Commercial appraisal service is not particularly needed in Lincoln County, Nebraska as appraisers from the county's Assessor's Office are more than capable of conducting the re-evaluation of residential properties in the area for the 2011 appraisal period. Mary Ann Long, County Assessor for Lincoln, has reported that the appraisers from the county office are currently conducting re-evaluation at the north side of North Platte.Commercial Appraisal Service Not Exactly Needed in Lincoln County is a post from: Real Estate - ForeclosureDeals.com

  • Program Can Help Lower Electrical Home Appliances Bills

    Homeowners in District Heights, Maryland will be getting some help in terms of lowering their electrical home appliances and energy expenses with the launch of the District Heights Energy Efficiency Program. The initiative is being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and has already started on August 25.Program Can Help Lower Electrical Home Appliances Bills is a post from: Real Estate - ForeclosureDeals.com

  • One of the U.S. National Relocation Companies Made Magazine Ranking

    One of the national relocation companies in the U.S., Relocation.com, has made it to the top 5,000 list of the fastest growing private firms in the country as ranked by magazine, Inc. The online relocation and moving services company came in at 1,043 in the fourth annual ranking of the magazine. The list represents a comprehensive examination of independent businesses all around the U.S.One of the U.S. National Relocation Companies Made Magazine Ranking is a post from: Real Estate - ForeclosureDeals.com

  • Home Insurance Quote Rates Remain High Years After Katrina

    Several years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Louisiana, home insurance quote rates remain at high levels, leaving a big number of homeowners in the state unable to secure coverage for their properties. According to industry observers, the current prices of property insurance policies are very high compared with the pre-Katrina period.Home Insurance Quote Rates Remain High Years After Katrina is a post from: Real Estate - ForeclosureDeals.com

  • Greenhouse Gardening Relocation: From Copia to Napa

    Greenhouse gardening enthusiasts in Napa, California will be pleased to know that the greenhouse located in a property in Copia will soon be moving to the Connolly Ranch. The dismantled structure will be used as a classroom and greenhouse at the ranch, according to officials from Connolly.Greenhouse Gardening Relocation: From Copia to Napa is a post from: Real Estate - ForeclosureDeals.com
 
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    The Tenant Advisor

  • The Dynamic Duo

    CoyDavidson
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Broker and Lawyer Collaboration in Lease Negotiations Commercial lease agreements are complex legal documents and in spite of their complexity some tenants tend to think of a lease as a rather simple, “standard” document. Often a tenant will make either the mistake of either not hiring a broker to represent their interests or not consulting an attorney before signing a landlord’s lease form. Every Tenant in a lease transaction should have legal counsel involved in the negotiation of the actual lease document. The best real estate attorney’s prefer to work with a client…

  • Selecting and Designing the Ideal Office Space

    CoyDavidson
    6 Sep 2010 | 9:08 pm
    The Benefits of a Prototype Office Space Plan Typically, before the office tenant gets out into the marketplace to evaluate candidate buildings, they go through the exercise of space programming with their architect/space planner to determine the volume of space required to support the organizations operations. The space programming process in simple terms typically involves the space planner interviewing the tenant regarding the specifics of their space requirements in terms of the number and size of private offices, workstations and various support spaces. For lack of a better term it is a…

  • Top Posts from “The Tenant Advisor”

    CoyDavidson
    4 Sep 2010 | 10:34 pm
    “The Tenant Advisor” is One Year Old It’s been one year today, September 5, that I started this blog. A year ago, I didn’t know what to expect when I started “The Tenant Advisor”. I have been pleased with the response from my clients, colleagues and peers. Blogging is hard work, but I have found it to be very enjoyable and professionally rewarding. After one year and 204 posts, there have been 31,875 visits to my blog and 52,877 pages views. Here are the top ten posts based on total number of page views. Top 10 Posts from the Tenant Advisor Understanding the Common Area…

  • Houston Economic Update: September 2010

    CoyDavidson
    3 Sep 2010 | 6:27 pm
    Houston Continues Slow but Steady Job Growth The Greater Houston Partnership released its September 2010 Economic Report and once again the employment data reported is good news for Houston. The Texas Workforce Commission reports that the 12-month job loss in the Houston metro fell to 9,700 jobs, or 0.4 percent, from July ’09 to July ’10. That is a considerable improvement over the 80,800 job loss (3.1 percent), reported for the 12 months ending July ’09. During the recession, the worst period was for the 12 months ending November ’09, when the region shed 103,800 jobs. Over the past…

  • Greed in a Soft Office Market

    CoyDavidson
    1 Sep 2010 | 2:20 am
    “Greed is Good” As a 20 year veteran of the office leasing game I have lived through more than a couple market cycles. During my career I have spent time on both sides of the fence, representing both Tenants and Landlords. When I started my career in 1989, the Houston office market was still emerging from the Texas Energy, Banking and Real Estate bust of the mid-1980′s. Now that was a tenant’s market, net rents were a fraction of building operating expenses and any office tenant with a pulse could strike an attractive lease deal. The financially sound tenants could get…
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    Son Of A Broker

  • Bank Of Canada Rises Prime Rate -September 8th 2010

    chris
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:48 pm
    Today the Bank of Canada announced that it is raising the prime rate by one-quarter of a percent for the third time in a row. The bank has observed that economic recovery is continuing to move forward but is improving much more slowly than anticipated. Despite the lackluster economic data the bank still increased the prime rate, as was widely expected. Some observers are suggesting that this is the last hike for many sessions to come. You can read the full press release here. What does this mean to you? If you are in a variable rate mortgage your monthly mortgage payment will increase over…

  • Monday Mortgage Review for August 30th 2010

    chris
    30 Aug 2010 | 6:26 pm
    Click here to view the embedded video. 2.70% – 1 Year Fixed 2.90% – 3 Year Fixed 3.69% – 5 Year Fixed (quick close Sept 30th) 2.87% – Merix 50/50 Mortgage (Fixed/Variable hybrid) P-.70   3 Year Variable P-.65   5 Year Variable Prime Rate is currently 2.75%. Bank of Canada Qualifying rate has dropped to 5.39%. NOTE: Rates are subject to change without warning at the lender’s discretion. Related posts:Monday Interest Rate Review August 23rd 2010 Monday Interest Rate Review for August 16th 2010 Monday Mortgage Minute – Interest Rates July 5th 2010

  • Si Espresso Bar & An Offer I Could Refuse

    chris
    27 Aug 2010 | 9:59 am
    Last week I went to one of my favorite local coffee shops, Si Espresso Bar on Broadview at Danforth. My friend and owner Egidio (”Edge” for short) served me up one of his authentic Italian espresso shots to kick start my day as the warm morning sun shone through the large front windows and the sounds of the Danforth coming to life on a hot August morning drifted through the door. As I was chatting with Edge about futbol and the after math of the World Cup, two suits walked in from the local bank branch one of which was the mortgage/investment/insurance/retirement/analyst…

  • Monday Interest Rate Review August 23rd 2010

    chris
    23 Aug 2010 | 6:23 pm
    Click here to view the embedded video. Mortgage interest rates continue to stay low as weak numbers indicate that we are still far from full economic recovery. Rates are always changing and it’s hard for a borrower to explore and shop the entire market to ensure that they are getting the right product and best rate. Mortgage brokers are people who specialize in the mortgage market so you don’t have to. Give me a call to discuss best rates and negotiate with the bank on your behalf. My name is Christopher Molder . I am a Toronto mortgage broker dedicated to the financial…

  • What is a Conventional Mortgage?

    chris
    22 Aug 2010 | 5:44 pm
    As a Toronto mortgage broker it’s important for me to remember that there is mortgage jargon and terminology that my audience may not be familiar with. When I work with clients I try and make the experience as educational as possible and I always make an effort to step back and explain mortgage terms no matter how everyday and common they may seem. I was recently asked what a conventional mortgage is? A conventional mortgage is a mortgage where the loan amount doesn’t exceed 80% of the current market value of your home.  That means if you are purchasing, your downpayment is 20%…
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    Lifestyles Unlimited Real Estate Investing and Mentoring

  • Lifestyles Unlimited Radio – (2010 – 09/08)

    webmaster@luinc.com
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:34 pm
    Right Click to Download Subscribe to the comments for this post? Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post on Google Buzz Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon

  • Lifestyles Unlimited Radio – (2010 – 09/07)

    webmaster@luinc.com
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:46 am
    Right Click to Download Subscribe to the comments for this post? Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post on Google Buzz Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon

  • Friday: LU Inc. Dallas – (2010 – 09/03)

    webmaster@luinc.com
    3 Sep 2010 | 3:03 pm
    Right click to Download Subscribe to the comments for this post? Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post on Google Buzz Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon

  • Lifestyles Unlimited Radio – (2010 – 09/02)

    webmaster@luinc.com
    2 Sep 2010 | 2:13 pm
    Right Click to Download Subscribe to the comments for this post? Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post on Google Buzz Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon

  • Lifestyles Unlimited Radio – (2010 – 09/01)

    webmaster@luinc.com
    1 Sep 2010 | 3:20 pm
    Right Click to Download Subscribe to the comments for this post? Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post on Google Buzz Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon
 
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    Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate

  • My First 9,999 Tweets – Who I’ve met & What I’ve learnt on this crazy little thing called Twitter

    I joined Twitter January  22, 2008. I had heard about it from a few leading edge tech types – the next cool thing – and I figured I should get on and see what the fuss was about. Like many, I wasn’t quite sure – even after I signed up and took a look around. [...]My First 9,999 Tweets – Who I’ve met & What I’ve learnt on this crazy little thing called Twitter is a post from the Invest in Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate blog by Benjamin Bach. Related posts:3 Things You Should Look For Before Investing in a Condo in Kitchener Waterloo Gary Vaynerchuk talks…

  • Local News looks at Why REIN named Kitchener Waterloo #1 place to invest in Ontario

    Last night CTV ran a story on the recent Real Estate Investment Network report naming Kitchener Waterloo (or KW) the #1 investment destination for real estate investors in Ontario (see: Top 9 Reasons You Should Invest in Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate). I spoke with CTV at the Keller Williams office yesterday morning, and they also [...]Local News looks at Why REIN named Kitchener Waterloo #1 place to invest in Ontario is a post from the Invest in Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate blog by Benjamin Bach. Related posts:Top 9 Reasons You Should Invest in KW Real Estate Two Waterloo Region Apartment…

  • Top 9 Reasons You Should Invest in KW Real Estate

    KW Tops List Kitchener Waterloo is Ontario’s top Real Estate Investment Destination, again. Well, it’s that time of year again. Kitchener Waterloo is getting some more much deserved attention from Canadian Real Estate Investors all across the country. KW has been named the top real estate investment destination in Ontario by the Real Estate Investment [...]Top 9 Reasons You Should Invest in KW Real Estate is a post from the Invest in Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate blog by Benjamin Bach. Related posts:Local News looks at Why REIN named Kitchener Waterloo #1 place to invest in…

  • A Mortgage Broker’s thoughts on the Bank of Canada’s interest rate hike

    I was speaking with my friend Jeff Reitzel, who is also my mortgage broker and a real estate investor.  Jeff is one of the top mortgage brokers (with Mortgage Alliance Canada’s Mortgage Choice in Kitchener) in the country, and helps a lot of investors finance property. I asked Jeff what he thought of the Bank [...]A Mortgage Broker’s thoughts on the Bank of Canada’s interest rate hike is a post from the Invest in Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate blog by Benjamin Bach. Related posts:More analysis on the Bank of Canada interest rate hike Bank of Canada raises interest rate…

  • Large Redevelopment Coming to Breithaupt & King in Kitchener

    The Record has exciting news about a major commercial real estate project in Kitchener. Perimeter Development Corp. is redeveloping the old (some parts date to 1903) complex on the corner of Breithaupt and King, bringing cool space to the north end of downtown Kitchener. Developer turning old boot factory into trendy commercial space When its [...]Large Redevelopment Coming to Breithaupt & King in Kitchener is a post from the Invest in Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate blog by Benjamin Bach. Related posts:CBRE Looks at Canada’s Top Multi-Family Sales in 2009 Commercial Real Estate…
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    Real Estate Investment Secrets

  • Some Tips In Order To Choose And Buy A Proper House

    freetrafficsystem
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:08 pm
    Nowadays many people want to have their own place and their own house. However, this is a very important decision and it is necessary to consider every even smallest detail before buying some house. It is essential to know some basic units and rules of the real estate in order to make a proper decision. Moreover, it is always possible to hire a real estate agent and to use his help in order to find the most suitable and attractive variant. It is important to consider a certain list of the main requirements when you are choosing a house. You should consider such characteristics as utilities,…

  • What Is Important To Consider When You Are Going To Buy A House?

    freetrafficsystem
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:08 pm
    At a certain period of our life we all start to think of such things as having our own apartment or house. However, it is not so easy to make up a proper decision and moreover, there is a great list of features that should be considered when you are buying a house. In order not to miss any detail and to make a good choice it is recommended to use a help of the real estate agent or broker. Real estate is a special type of property that is legally defined. Moreover, real estate usually includes a certain subset of land that is also called real property. This term comprises residential housing…

  • Tips On How To Get Your House Offered Within The Sarasota Real Estate Market

    freetrafficsystem
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:23 am
    If you want to promote your home in Sarasota real estate rapidly and effectively, it is not time so that you can do it alone. You must ensure that your private home for sale acquire the maximum publicity wanted with a purpose to market your home. You could gain the advertising strategy that may aid you to sell your house quickly and dealing with an actual property agent is one of the best ways to do it. Whenever you work with an actual property agent, your own home for sale might be listed on a MLS database that different real property agents can access. Extra so, working with actual estate…

  • What A Nice Actual Estate Marketing Instrument Seems To Be Like!

    freetrafficsystem
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:23 am
    The latest headline in USA Right now read, “‘Flip This Home’ star accused of fraud and faking work on show. What an excellent unfavourable this could possibly be for the “real deal” investors. I will explain what I mean at the finish of this brief article… ATLANTA (AP) – On an episode of A&E’s widespread reality series Flip This House, Atlanta businessman Sam Leccima sits in entrance of a run-down home and calls buying and selling actual estate his passion. Now authorities and authorized filings declare that Leccima’s true ardour was a…

  • Commercial Real Estate – What’s The Optimum Acquisition Technique?

    freetrafficsystem
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:20 am
    In our line of work, doing consulting for various excessive web price actual property traders, we come throughout all types all forms of industrial actual property acquisition strategies. Some business real property investors need to invest in solely condo buildings. Some traders wouldn’t contact house constructing if their life depended upon it as a result of they suppose, as an entire, apartment buildings are overestimated at this level in time. Some industrial real estate investors want to put money into low-revenue housing. Others wouldn’t contact low income housing with a…
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    Calgary Real Estate Market

  • Open House Sunday - Come by and say hello

    Monika Furtado
    3 Sep 2010 | 2:29 pm
    If you have been watching the Tuscany market, checking Tuscany listings on my website and want to stop by on Sunday I'd be happy to introduce you to this great home, the community of Tuscany and answer any questions you may have.    On Sunday, Sept 5 from 1 to 4pm I will be at 43 Tuscany Glen Place NW.    This estate home is within catchment for St Basil's and of course Tuscany Elementary.  Over 2200 sq ft above grade plus a fully finished walkout basement provide ample room for a growing family.   See you on Sunday.

  • Real Estate Update - August 2010

    Monika Furtado
    2 Sep 2010 | 12:34 pm
    The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) yesterday released the statistics for residential real estate activity for August. The numbers indicate a continuation of the current trend which shows a correction to the market over the last 4 to 5 months.   “There has been much talk recently about the potential for a housing bubble in Canada--but the economic fundamentals at play make this scenario unlikely for Calgary. What we are seeing is an adjustment to higher levels of inventory and a shift to a buyer’s market.”   “A slower than anticipated pace of mortgage rate…

  • Reduce Your Heating Costs

    Monika Furtado
    30 Aug 2010 | 11:44 am
    It is August, but the winds and rain of yesterday reminded me to do some some annual maintenance that is sure to have an impact.   Every year it is a great idea to have a look at the weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows to make sure it is in good condition and doing its job. Poor weather stripping and deteriorating caulking can have a major effect on your heating/cooling costs. As heating accounts for an average of 60% of the energy used in your home in Calgary, I'd say any improvement is worth the effort. Sealing leaks also has the added benefit of reducing noise and…

  • Open House - Sunday Aug 22 - 6915 Edgemont Drive

    Monika Furtado
    20 Aug 2010 | 12:33 pm
    Come by on Sunday between 2-4pm to 6915 Edgemont Drive to view this amazing home.   Backing onto a greenspace & siding onto a sports park is this bright & welcoming two storey split in sought-after Phase 1 of Edgemont Estates.  With a total of 4 bedrooms, this fully finished home boasts an airy living room with floor-to-ceiling windows &  vaulted cedar ceilings, a separate dining room with mirrored feature wall & a sunny eat-in kitchen with a bay window.  The sunken family room has a wood-burning fireplace framed by built-in cabinets, with sliding…

  • Recent events - mortgage fraud and protecting yourself

    Monika Furtado
    18 Aug 2010 | 7:59 pm
    In recent days some disturbing events have occurred to clients of my brokerage and I am sure others in the city and I would like to pass on this info so that you all make efforts to protect your investments. Clients recently discovered that a criminal had forged their identify and drew out mortgages against their existing homes without their knowledge. In such cases the current home has either a small mortgage compared to the value of the home or no mortgage at all. In situations like this, people don't often know this has happened until they apply for new credit, try to sell their homes…
 
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    Property Management

  • Real Estate Veteran Re-Focuses Wolverton And Co

    Property Management Software
    8 Sep 2010 | 2:00 pm
    Narberth, PA (PRWEB) September 7, 2010-William W. Wolverton today announced that Wolverton & Co., once a custom home builder, will reemerge as a technology-driven real estate company in the Fall 2010, and will serve suburban Philadelphia with agents and offices across the Delaware Valley. Wolverton & Co. was originally established in 1923 by William M. [...] Related posts:Real Estate Agents Increase Business with Property Management Services ZipRealty Awards First New Jersey Rebate Following January’s Overturn of No-Rebate Law NorthMarq Capital Executive Receives Honor Chicago…

  • Xanadu Lender Group Retains Jones Lang LaSalle to Provide Asset Management Services

    Property Management Software
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:00 pm
    EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Sept 07, 2010– In an effort to accelerate completion of the Meadowlands Xanadu entertainment and retail complex, the consortium of lenders that recently acquired control of the asset (”The Lender Group”), announced today that Jones Lang LaSalle has been retained as the exclusive asset and property management firm for the complex. In this [...] Related posts:Jones Lang LaSalle Named Highest Ranked Real Estate Services Firm on IAOP 2010 Global Outsourcing 100 List Baxter Caplan Cohen and Latham Move to Jones Lang LaSalle to Lead New York Capital Markets…

  • Dave Poletti And Associates First Seattle Property Management Company to Be Awarded CRMC Designation by NARPM

    Property Management Software
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:00 am
    SEATTLE, WA, September 07, 2010 — Dave Poletti & Associates have proven that their claim of being the best Seattle property management company in Seattle is no idle claim. It has become the first Seattle based residential management company to be awarded Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) status by the National Association of Residential Property [...] Related posts:Riverstone Residential Group Assumes Management of Five High-Profile Multifamily Properties in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland Seattle Real Estate Firm Yates Wood and MacDonald Inc…

  • Grubb And Ellis Forms Strategic Alliance With Kettler to Offer Residential Property Management Services Nationwide

    Property Management Software
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:00 am
    SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept 07, 2010 — Grubb & Ellis Company, a leading real estate services and investment firm, today announced that it has established a strategic alliance with Kettler Inc., one of the Mid-Atlantic’s largest real estate and property management firms, to provide residential property management services nationwide. “We are excited to expand our best-in-class [...] Related posts:Grubb and Ellis Significantly Bolsters Capital Markets Capabilities With Addition of Jeff Majewski Industry veteran headed CBRE’s Debt & Equity practice Grubb and Ellis…

  • Real Estate Investment Securities Association, Named Media Partner at Knowledge Congress Distressed Asset and Real Estate Event

    Property Management
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:45 pm
    September 06, 2010: Real Estate Investment Securities Association (REISA) will be a media partner at KC’s live webcast on Understanding Distressed Asset and Real Estate: The New Paradigm. This 2-hour event is scheduled for October 13, 2010, Wednesday, at 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET. About The Real Estate Investment Securities Association (REISA) The Real Estate Investment [...] Related posts:Commercial Real Estate Next Potential Mortgage Crisis After Residential Real Estate 4 Tips for Real Estate Investors and Landlords to Pick up Distressed Properties Voit Real Estate Services Named Asset…
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    PALM SPRINGS CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE

  • Free Essential Real Estate Workshop Webinars!

    admin
    3 Sep 2010 | 10:55 am
    We are very pleased to be able to offer free real estate workshops  for both buyers and sellers. This series will be updated regularly, so definitely bookmark the page and visit often. This is literally a (free!) treasure trove of information and tips that you can’t afford to miss. It’s a companion piece to the regular stream of essential information that our blog subscribers enjoy (if you haven’t subscribed, please do so by clicking the RSS Feed Button, or through the Subscribe by Email Button on this Blog Home Page). Just click on the Screenshot below (or the Love…

  • Mortgage Fraud Scams: Law & Ethics: REALTOR Magazine

    admin
    4 Aug 2010 | 10:38 am
    5 Real Estate Scams You Need to Know About Don’t be duped by mortgage fraud. Here are a few common scams and the red flags you should look for in a transaction. By Melissa Dittmann Tracey | August 2010   Mortgage fraud is pervasive: An estimated $4 billion to $6 billion in annual losses result from mortgage fraud, according to FBI reports. “An entire community can be damaged by mortgage fraud,” says Rachel Dollar, a lawyer from Santa Rosa, Calif., and editor of the Mortgage Fraud Blog. Mortgage fraud can lead to a spike in foreclosures, home values plummeting, and lenders…

  • Why Now is the Perfect Time to Purchase Property in Palm Springs!

    admin
    20 Jul 2010 | 9:44 am
    Guest post by Kathleen Macky Palm Springs has always been like a sparkling jewel in the desert. With beautiful golf courses, luxurious resort hotels, highly-rated spas, restaurants, and shopping, and all the beauty of the incomparable landscape surrounding you, it has long been the diamond in the rough for Southern Californians (and visitors from all over the world) seeking a unique retreat. And if you’ve ever thought of buying property in this desert dreamland, or in equally appealing neighboring communities in the Coachella Valley (such as Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, La…

  • Palm Springs Area “Conventional” Sales Outpace Distress Sales!

    admin
    28 Jun 2010 | 12:44 pm
    The California Desert Association of Realtors has released some very interesting stats that support what we have been saying about the Palm Springs real estate market rebounding. It will particularly surprise many that conventional sales are outpacing distress sales (Short Sales and Foreclosures). This will go a long way in dispelling the false impressions that some people (and many in the media) seem to have.  Our correcting inaccurate information will obviously be important to those of you who do not want to miss the opportunity to own real estate at a discount.  Glad we can help! Here is…

  • Palm Springs Area Real Estate Is Hot Again!

    admin
    11 Jun 2010 | 1:18 pm
    Palm Springs area real estate is cooking. Don’t believe us? Have a look at the empirical evidence below. These are facts! With inventory at certain price points still relatively plentiful, interest rates still very low and loans being available (also ask us about Cal Metro Mortgage’s new Jumbo Loan programs), now is the time to invest in this market. You’ll want to contact us after you check this out: Palm Springs Area Real Estate Market Study (Through First Quarter 2010) View more presentations from Love of the Desert c/o Windermere Real Estate. Windermere Real Estate…
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    Mortgage Loan Place Blog

  • Homeowners Squeezed by Housing Costs, Report Says

    Francine Huff
    5 Sep 2010 | 3:21 pm
    The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University recently released its State of the National Housing 2010 report and found that 40.3 million households spend more than 30% of their incomes on housing in 2008, and 18.6 million spend more than half their incomes on housing.  The report also found that one in seven homeowners owed more on their mortgages than their homes were worth.  While the government has tried to stem the tide of foreclosures and assist some homeowners, many people who are underwater on mortgages loans have not been helped for a variety of reasons. According to…

  • 3 Things to Consider about Refinancing

    Francine Huff
    19 Aug 2010 | 11:56 am
    Low mortgage rates are enticing more homeowners to apply for a mortgage refinance. Mortgage loan application volume rose 13% for the week ended Aug. 13, 2010, compared with a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The MBA’s Refinance Index jumped 17% from the previous week. Many homeowners are jumping at the chance to refinance as the 3o-year fixed-rate mortgage has fallen to an average of 4.6% and 15-year home loans are at 3.99%. With rates so low, here are a few things to consider if you are trying to decide whether or not to refinance. How long will it…

  • Mortgage Industry Loses Jobs

    Francine Huff
    9 Aug 2010 | 10:05 am
    The mortgage industry shed 2,500 jobs in June, as home sales continued to slow. The mortgage banker/broker sector had 246,500 full-time positions in June, according to  the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even though mortgage rates are at record lows, many potential home buyers are waiting on the sidelines, either unwilling or unable to get mortgage loans, which decreases the need for workers in the mortgage industry. Much of the activity in the mortgage sector involves refinancing, as homeowners look to get out of high-interest or adjustable-rate mortgages. For some homeowners dropping their…

  • Manage Your Online Reputation

    MLP Blog
    29 Jul 2010 | 10:34 am
    When searching in Google for information on a company, many times, the Google Suggest feature will suggest relevant searches. for example, if you search for “Lending Tree”, it will suggest “Lending tree Reviews” and “Lending Tree Complaints”. It is wise to see what is showing up and at least respond to any complaints when possible. Otherwise, you get some negative reviews ranking well, such as Lending Tree’s situation. USAA also has some issues as seen by these USAA Reviews. Action items you can do to help: 1) Set up a Google Alert that will notify…

  • More Borrowers Leave Mortgage Loan Modification Program

    Francine Huff
    22 Jul 2010 | 3:08 pm
    Almost twice as many people dropped out of the government’s mortgage loan modification program in June as those who received permanent modifications, according to the Treasury Department. There were 91,000 dropouts  in June, which means that 530,000 homeowners have left the mortgage program without a permanent loan modification, reported Reuters. Only 49,000 borrowers received permanent mortgage modifications, for a total of 389,000. The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) has been criticized for not helping enough homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure. The Department of…
 
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    Robert S. "Bob" Lowery

  • CRExtract: 9.8.2010

    rslowery
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:16 pm
    Beige Bk Txt: Philly – Mixed Conditions Since Last Rprt -  Nonresidential real estate firms indicated that there has been little change in commercial and industrial markets since the last Beige Book. Contacts reported that purchases of incomeproducing properties by investors have picked up somewhat, but they said that commercial construction activity remains very slow, and there are few, if any, indications that new projects will be started in the near future. Commercial real estate contacts expect market conditions to show little change for at least the rest of the year. They believe…

  • Houston Business Headlines – Money Morning

    rslowery
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:45 pm
    Feds: Houston light rail expansion violates rules ‎Officials say Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority violated federal laws when it created its new light-rail lines. The Federal Transit Administration … Wal-Mart to hire 450 for North Houston store‎ While Wal-Mart Stores Inc. works with the City of Houston on a new Walmart Supercenter in The Heights, the retail chain wants to hire 450 associates to work …

  • Blog Indeed: Houston Job Postings Spike in August

    rslowery
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:35 pm
    Per Indeed: In our August Industry Employment Trends, all 12 of the major industries we track had more job postings than any other month this year.  Year-over-year job posting growth also occurred in all 12 industries. Manufacturing showed continued signs of improvement, with a 67% increase in job postings year-over-year, and 20% more job postings than in July.  As measured by job seeker clicks, the industry’s top keyword searches included welder, maintenance, and manufacturing. Retail showed a 55% increase in year-over-year job postings.  Also, the number of retail jobs posted was 21%…

  • CRExtract: 9.7.2010

    rslowery
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:17 pm
    Green Building: A Real Estate Revolution? – While much of the U.S. real estate market has been floundering, one area has not seen a dip. Green building now accounts for nearly one-third of new construction in the U.S. That’s up from 2 percent in 2005, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, which tracks the industry. The numbers suggest a revolution is taking place within an industry that is historically slow to change. There are many factors — and many players — in this move toward green building. NPR Mariner Takes Stake in $760M FDIC Portfolio -  Mariner took a 40% stake…

  • Houston Business Headlines – Money Morning

    rslowery
    7 Sep 2010 | 10:13 am
    Continental recalling furloughed pilots ‎HOUSTON — Continental Airlines Inc. is recalling 132 pilots who were furloughed … The move could help Houston-based Continental build labor support as it … Houston companies hedge on hiring‎ Houston employers will remain cautious when considering new hires through the end of the year, according to a survey released Tuesday. … Enterprise Products to Buy Pipeline Partnership for More Than $8 …‎ Owners of Enterprise GP will receive 1.5 Enterprise Products units for each of their units, the Houston-based partnerships said…
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    Luxury Vacation Rental Marketing

  • Online Presentations Made Easy with SlideShare

    Mike
    8 Sep 2010 | 10:49 am
    How many property managers and agents have a difficult time creating and distributing marketing materials?  The task can feel overwhelming; however, with internet tools like SlideShare, anyone can share presentations online.  Check out a recent presentation/publication from Ron Dayan’s Piccadilly Designs. Not only did Ron upload this to slideshare but then he shared it across Linkedin.  If you have marketing materials then get them online.  Share them and get the word out.

  • Download Marketing Guides from Vertical Response

    Mike
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:55 am
    Vertical Response, a self service direct marketing company, publishes several guides that can be very helpful (especially to small businesses). Downloadable Guides Email Authentication Grow Your Business With Affiliate Marketing 10 Email Creation Tips Savvy Subject Line Writing for Success Email Marketing: 8 Big Reasons Why Your Small Business Will Look Like a GIANT The Hotter Than Ever Guide to Sizzling Summer Marketing Event Marketing for Your Business 5 Simple Ways to “Go Green” with Your Marketing 5 Truths of Email Marketing 5 Step Marketing Plan 5 Steps to a Successful…

  • Targeting Your Direct Fly Markets

    Mike
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:48 am
    When was the last time you looked up all the direct flights to your area?  Airlines are adding new flights quite frequently.  Frontier announced a new flight from Denver to Costa Rica. Frontier Airlines will add a second Costa Rica destination on Feb. 13 with seasonal weekly nonstop service offered from Denver International Airport to Liberia. Frontier already flies from Denver to San Jose, Costa Rica, launching that service in November 2007. The flight will leave Denver at 8:25 a.m. on Sundays, and will return the same day at 3:25 p.m. With the addition of the Liberia flight, Frontier will…

  • Ultra-Luxury Car Market Revving Up

    Mike
    7 Sep 2010 | 11:26 am
    According to a recent article in the Denver Post, ultra-luxury car sales are on the rebound.  Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends at TrueCar.com was the expert quoted in the article. With the economy improving — albeit slowly — the well-heeled are splurging again. Nationwide, combined new- car sales for the top six exotic luxury brands have grown 16 percent in the first seven months of 2010, compared with the same period last year, Toprak said. That’s 3,065 exotic autos sold by Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Maybach and Rolls-Royce through July versus 2,650 in…

  • LuxuryRealEstate.com Announces 1st Annual Vacation Rental Conference

    Mike
    20 Aug 2010 | 8:11 am
    In a recent email to owners and managers of luxury vacation rentals, LuxuryRealEstate.com announced a conference for their members: We are excited to announce the first annual Luxury Real Estate Vacation Rental Conference. This conference is unlike other industry conferences and summits. Our goal is to bring like-minded leaders in the luxury vacation rental industry together in one location. We will share business practices, ideas, and efforts. We want to facilitate a time where you can learn from each other so you can thrive in your respective regions. This conference is going to be…
 
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    The Silva Group - Helping You Move Forward

  • Refer a Friend. Sponsor a Child.

    Kenny Silva
    31 Aug 2010 | 1:37 pm
    If you know me, then you know that The Silva Group exists to serve people. Not only do we want to be a blessing to the Nashville community, but we want to have a global impact. With that said, I am very proud to announce our newest program. Starting immediately, if you refer a friend with real estate needs to The Silva Group, we’ll sponsor a child through World Vision in your name. It works like this: 1. You refer your friend who has a real estate need. 2. They agree to be represented by The Silva Group. 3. They purchase or sell a home; transaction closes. 4. We sponsor a child, for one…

  • Buying a Short Sale Property – Day 6

    Kenny Silva
    2 Aug 2010 | 4:00 pm
    The last few days were largely uneventful. The seller was unavailable and so was her agent, so we sat in limbo for the weekend. We finally received another counter offer this afternoon. Although we couldn’t get everything my client wanted, we did get the important stuff. That said, we reached a binding agreement. With a mutually agreed-upon contract, the listing agent now has everything she needs to submit a short sale package to the bank (or, in this case, banks.) This is where things get dicey. Once the package enters into mortgage lender limbo, it’s the listing agent’s…

  • Buying a Short Sale Property – Day 3

    Kenny Silva
    30 Jul 2010 | 9:37 am
    We finally got a counter-offer back from the seller. Hooray! She came back with a few different terms, but no extravagant changes. I want to protect my client’s confidentiality, so you’ll have to forgive the lack of details. Anyway, we should be able to work something out that will make everybody happy. I’ll let you know how we respond. After we work that all out, we ship a short sale package to the lender and wait patiently for their ever-elusive short sale approval.

  • Buying a Short Sale Property – Day 2

    Kenny Silva
    29 Jul 2010 | 7:06 am
    Nothing to really report today. The seller of the property my client is going after has been in and out of the doctor’s office all day long and was unable to meet with her agent and look at our offer. Time is of the essence, but life certainly can get in the way sometimes. Looking forward to getting the contract negotiated and accepted today. Then comes the fun part of assembling short sale packages to be sent to both of this property’s lien holders. Two lenders = two times the fun. See you tomorrow!

  • Buying a Short Sale Property – Day 1

    Kenny Silva
    28 Jul 2010 | 6:49 am
    If you were, at one time, a regular reader of this blog, you know that we’ve taken a bit of a hiatus over the past few months. Well, time to dust off the ol’ writing gloves and get back to work. I figured, what better way to return to blogging than to write a daily chronicle of one of the more elusive processes in real estate: the short sale? In this series, we’ll follow the process from offer to close and see what really happens along the way. And away we go…. Day 1 – July 27, 2010: After much searching, we’ve found the perfect house. Just my buyer’s…
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    AppraisalNEWSCAST.com

  • Nationwide Appraiser Survey Refutes Claims that Appraisal Management Companies Are Using Inexperienced Appraisers

    bcoester
    7 Sep 2010 | 2:49 pm
    A recently conducted survey of over 5,000 licensed appraisers across the country contradicts lenders’ and independent appraisers’ claims that appraisal management companies (AMCs) are employing inexperienced appraisers and are significantly under-paying appraisers. The survey, which was conducted by Maryland-based appraisal management company Coester Appraisal Group, revealed that only 3% of appraiser respondents have less than 5 years of experience, and more than half have been in the business for 15 years or more. Additionally, almost two thirds of appraisers earn $250 to $350 per…

  • Fannie Mae New Appraisal Requirements

    bcoester
    6 Sep 2010 | 1:03 pm
    TO:                    All Appraisers On June 30, 2010, Fannie Mae (FNMA) issued Announcement SEL-2010-09 Selling Guide Updates and Additional Guidance on Appraisal-Related Policies. USA Appraisals.biz Effective September 1, 2010, all conventional appraisals must include the following requirements: Inclusion of Interior Photographs in the Appraisal Report When completing an appraisal requiring an interior inspection, interior photographs of specific rooms and areas must be included in the report.

  • More Banks in Trouble, But Profits Are Rising

    bcoester
    1 Sep 2010 | 9:24 am
    By KEVIN G. HALL McClatchy Newspapers WASHINGTON — The number of banks on a government "problem list" rose to 829 in the second quarter of this year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Tuesday, a sign that bank failures may surpass last year’s 140 closures. At the same time, however, banks overall reported strong income during the quarter, providing some grounds for optimism. There have already been 118 bank closures this year through last Friday. The big number of problem banks – rising from 775 in the first quarter – suggests that more than 22…

  • US Home Values Rise in Second Quarter

    bcoester
    1 Sep 2010 | 9:20 am
    McLean, VA – Freddie Mac (OTC:FMCC) – (LoanSafe.org) – announced today the results of its second quarter Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index (CMHPI). *The Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index (CMHPI) Purchase-Only Series for the United States registered a 3.1 percent (13.2 percent annualized) increase in the second quarter relative to the first quarter on a not-seasonally-adjusted basis. U.S. home values fell 0.2 percent relative to the second quarter a year ago. *Home values rose in all nine Census Divisions. This is the first time since the second quarter of 2009 that all Census…

  • Bernanke Expected to Sketch New Fed Action on Economy

    bcoester
    1 Sep 2010 | 9:16 am
    By SEWELL CHAN WASHINGTON — With fresh signs that the housing market is weakening, the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, on Friday will offer his outlook on the economy, explain the Fed’s recent modest move to halt the slide and possibly outline other actions. Mr. Bernanke’s speech, at an annual Fed symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyo., will be his first public comments since the Fed announced it would invest proceeds from its holdings of mortgage bonds to buy more long-term Treasury securities to prop up the recovery. It is not known what Mr. Bernanke will say, but some insight may…
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    Distressed Properties Sale Articles

  • Florida’s Housing Problem Goes Beyond Bank and FHMLC Foreclosures

    Cassiano Travareli
    31 Aug 2010 | 7:31 am
    High numbers of government and bank foreclosures, including FHMLC foreclosures, have been a common concern in Florida. However, the housing market problem facing the state is not exclusive to such types of foreclosures. In some areas, homeowners association (HOA)-related issues are also common. Majority of areas in the state are experiencing record levels of foreclosures, with Dade distressed properties for sale and foreclosed homes in various areas all contributing to the statewide problem. In Charlotte County, another type of housing market problem is being faced by a retirement community.

  • Warren Distressed Properties for Sale Affect Consumer Confidence

    Cassiano Travareli
    24 Aug 2010 | 8:27 am
    A Homeowner Confidence Survey conducted by Zillow for the second quarter of 2010 saw homeowners' confidence in their local residential property markets declining when compared with the past few quarters. Locally, most analysts are not surprised by the result of Zillow's survey, with the number of Warren distressed properties for sale always expected to affect consumer confidence in the area. According to the survey, most homeowners do not see the future of their local markets in a positive light. In total, 33% of respondents have expressed doubts that the value of properties in their…

  • REO Homes and Modesto Distressed Properties for Sale Rose in Q2

    Cassiano Travareli
    17 Aug 2010 | 8:50 am
    The second quarter of 2010 saw nationwide bank owned dwellings and REO homes increasing in number. In California, Modesto distressed properties for sale, as well as bank owned houses in other metro areas of the state, rose during the quarter. Local figures were reportedly competing with national statistics in terms of bank owned property totals. Majority of California distressed houses fell under the category of bank owned or REO for the 2010 second quarter. The state actually led the whole U.S. in terms of REO filings for the quarter in focus. Total REO inventory was pegged at around 45,700…

  • Program Aims to Lower Number of Flint Distressed Properties for Sale

    Cassiano Travareli
    10 Aug 2010 | 8:21 am
    The Helping Hardest-Hit Homeowners is a federal government initiative aimed at lowering the number of Flint distressed properties for sale by providing assistance to local homeowners who are having difficulties paying their mortgages. Recently, Dort Federal Credit Union got the initiative rolling by being the first credit union in Michigan to assist a borrower through the program. Owners of distressed homes in Michigan have welcomed the latest effort from the federal and state governments and have also taken in the positive impact of local credit unions' participation. Dort FCU has…

  • Buffalo Distressed Properties for Sale Numbers Continue to Rise

    Cassiano Travareli
    3 Aug 2010 | 9:29 am
    The second half of 2010 is expected to herald further increases in the number of Buffalo distressed properties for sale and foreclosed properties in various areas of New York if the first half performance of the state's housing market is to be used as basis. According to latest housing industry statistics, the number of distressed homes in New York and foreclosure filings in almost all metro areas of the state rose by an average of 28% during the January-June 2010 period. The increase is based on a comparison with the same period of 2009. In the whole United States, filings for…
 
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    Destin Real Estate Talk

  • Destin Florida – I’m Lucky to Live Here

    Debbie James
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:34 am
    Labor Day weekend is behind us…wow hard to believe it’s September. Time is flying! While many were at the beach, at a bar-be-que, shopping or just plain having fun, I was showing property. I’m not looking for the “let me play my small violin”, lol, because I’m so happy to do so! Several reasons… I [...]

  • Destin Home for Sale – Reduced Again!

    Debbie James
    22 Aug 2010 | 10:57 am
    Remember the Destiny East home which I posted on 5/13/2010, which was drastically reduced $200,000? We have reduced it an additional $15,000 to $985,000!!! WOW!!! NOT A SHORT SALE – NO WAITING TO CLOSE!! Exquisite custom home located in the much sought after gated community of Destiny East. 4 bedrooms & 4.5 baths, boasts 3741 [...]

  • Short Sale vs. Foreclosure

    Debbie James
    23 Jul 2010 | 9:09 am
    The difference between a short sale and a foreclosure is that with a short sale the seller still has control of the property, whereas a foreclosure is bank owned, (and also called a REO, real estate owned). Here are the definitions: A short sale is a sale which the sale proceeds fall short of the [...]

  • America’s Best Little Beach Towns

    Debbie James
    22 Jul 2010 | 4:50 pm
    Santa Rosa Beach made Travel+Leisure’s Best Little Beach Towns!!!! Santa Rosa Beach, FL This northwestern Florida beach town was once a turpentine mecca, back when you needed the distilled sap to build ships. Today, it prides itself on its hiking and biking trails, as well as its Caribbean-style artists’ colony. Stay: Architect David Rockwell designed [...]

  • Oil Spill Updates – New Blog Finally Up

    Debbie James
    15 Jul 2010 | 3:46 pm
    I finally got the new blog up and don’t ya know, the oil has stopped leaking, This is TRUE!! Check out this video I just posted to my new blog: Oil Spill Updates in Destin. For updates you can subscribe either via RSS feeder or email. I’m certainly going to continue to monitor the situation. [...]
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    Unconditional

  • NZ Property Report – August 2010

    Alistair Helm
    31 Aug 2010 | 1:03 pm
    The August 2010 NZ Property Report published by Realestate.co.nz provides an insight into the state of the New Zealand property market as measured by the supply side of the property market over the month of August. The key measures of the market analysed in the report are the number of new listings, the asking price expectation for those new listings and the level of inventory of unsold houses on the market at this time. The report is compiled from data captured by the website and represents close to 95% of all property movements in the NZ market as managed by licensed real estate agents. The…

  • The smartest agents recognise the power of technology – how we are helping

    Alistair Helm
    30 Aug 2010 | 4:30 am
    Later this week Realestate.co.nz will host its first ever conference focused on the role that technology in all its forms is having on the real estate industry. Titled the “Future of Real Estate” the conference to be held on Friday 3rd September at Waipuna conference centre in Auckland and will feature both domestic and international speakers as well as workshop sessions focused to the key business tools of the web – Facebook, blogs and Twitter. The conference is very much influenced by the experiences I have encountered in attending the Inman Connect conferences in the…

  • Where to advertise your property? – be aware of the small print!

    Alistair Helm
    29 Aug 2010 | 3:23 pm
    Just last week Nielsen Research Company released its annual study on the real estate market borne of an online intercept survey. It detailed very clearly the trend of the polarisation of media preference amongst property buyers and sellers. The ascendancy of the web versus the demise of printed publications – specifically specialist real estate magazines and metropolitan newspapers. How strange then to be the recipient of this tweet from Matthew Harman: Latest issue of Property Press says there’s 56% ‘future intention’ to advertise in this mag. Ahead of online. Course…

  • NZ Property Market Pulse – August 2010

    Alistair Helm
    25 Aug 2010 | 12:38 pm
    The Property Market Pulse report provides a set of factsheets for each of the 19 regions of the country consolidating the latest data from key sources in the real restate market. From the Real Estate Institute (REINZ) comes the latest sales numbers for June as well as the median sales price for key regions and the stratified sales price for key centers. From the Realestate.co.nz comprehensive database of listings comes the key measure of inventory of unsold properties on the market. Property Sales The number of property sales is a key measure of buyer activity. The Real Estate Institute…

  • Southland – Monthly Property Market Pulse factsheet – August 2010

    Alistair Helm
    25 Aug 2010 | 12:13 pm
    The Southland  district region Property Market factsheet for August 2010 can be downloaded by clicking this icon. The median property price in Southland rose sharply in July, from the June figure of $172,000, it rose to $210,000. As compared to a year ago prices in the region are in the month are up 10.5%. Property sales in the region rose slightly in July on a seasonally adjusted basis with to 109 properties. On a moving annual basis property sales are down 3.8% with 1,632 properties sold in the past 12 months compared to 1,696 in the prior 12 month period. Inventory of houses on the market…
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    Nicki and Karen | California real estate

  • Hidden Valley, California

    Karen Crystal
    20 Aug 2010 | 3:35 pm
    Hidden Valley allure Hidden Valley, California is a luxury real estate aficionado’s dream come true. The savvy real estate investor or the Nouveau riche likely already (likely) know about Hidden Valley, but for the most part, it’s a valley that still remains hidden. Hidden Valley Real Estate Hidden Valley is located in Ventura County, California. It is home to the world’s most prestigious and beautiful luxury homes and ranches ever built. The region is bordered by Lake Sherwood to the east, Newbury Park to the west and north, and at the northwest slope of the Santa Monica…

  • Top 5 Reasons to live in Thousand Oaks, California

    Karen Crystal
    17 Jul 2010 | 5:44 pm
    Thousand Oaks, California has been (and still is) one of the continental United States most beautiful cities and regions. Reasons abound. 1The air. The altitude is above sea level. In fact, it is mountainous. The terrain makes you feel like you are in the Rockies or the Smokie mountains… but that brings us to 2 The beaches. Just 25 minutes through the famed Santa Monica mountains—famous because just about every single movie in the early days of Motion pictures used them as a backdrop. The beaches are eponymous. People say Malibu and it’s not as if you have to explain it’s…

  • Southern California Luxury real estate today

    Karen Crystal
    14 Jun 2010 | 11:19 am
    Southern California Luxury real estate market – the good, the bad and the ugly. The good: Lending is alive and well for Southern California real estate. Banks have money to lend and are anxious to approve well-qualified buyers purchasing homes priced at fair market value. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are still the primary investors for loan amounts up to $729,750 in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, according to Brownie Stanisch of Fieldstone Financial. Southern California Real Estate Luxury Market Specifically. Still, many banks are financing loan amounts well above that limit and are…

  • Can Seller’s Bankruptcy Affect Short Sale Offer?

    Karen Crystal
    11 Jun 2010 | 10:22 am
    Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and real estate Q After much searching I found my dream condo, so I made an offer on this short sale and the seller accepted. I opened escrow with $1,000, but then found out that the seller filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. My REALTOR® advised that this property cannot be sold until the bankruptcy case is settled, and gave me an Addendum to Purchase Agreement to sign which will cancel the agreement and allow me to get back my escrow money. But I don’t want to cancel the agreement. I want to enforce it!  What are my options? ~ Duane A: First, while you may want this…

  • Staging Luxury Property | The Emotional Quotient

    Karen Crystal
    7 Jun 2010 | 10:45 pm
    A look through the eyes of the luxury buyer reveals an emotional core. By: Karen Crystal Whether it’s a polite conversation, or a heated discussion, luxury real estate brokers are committed to the value of staging, and sometimes our view of this important marketing strategy may clash with that of our client. The $ million question: is staging worth the investment? By staging your home, you are visually inviting buyers to become emotionally attached, thereby enabling them to imagine the lifestyle they’ll soon be enjoying. Visually inviting If a picture is worth a thousand words,…
 
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    BuzzBuzzHome's Blog!

  • Buzz Talk with Jack Winberg

    BuzzBuzzHome
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:02 pm
    BuzzBuzzHome Corp.September 9, 2010Today on Buzz Talk we bring you our interview with Jack Winberg (right), CEO of The Rockport Group (note: the hatted-guy on the left is BuzzBuzzHome's Matthew Slutsky)If you're unfamiliar with Rockport, they've built successful projects all over Southern Ontario, from Aurora to Ajax and Scarborough to Pickering. You'll also see that they are a true jack-of-all-trades when it comes to land development. Condos, industrial buildings, shopping centres, Rockport has done it all. Unsurprisingly, it seems Mr. Winberg is a jack-of-all-trades himself...How long has…

  • Why we STILL do not think there is a housing bubble...another report released.

    Kiyoko Fujimura
    8 Sep 2010 | 1:13 pm
    Kiyoko FujimuraBuzzbuzzhome Corp.September 9, 2010If you follow Buzzbuzzhome's Blog! then you probably know that we've been posting about the potential housing bubble. And as much as we're sick of talking about it, there's been yet ANOTHER study released by yet ANOTHER think tank. We're growing a bit tired of it, but it's what people are talking about. So here goes yet ANOTHER post.Okay, here we go. The study was released by the Conference Board and concluded that (drum roll please) we are NOT in a housing bubble. I repeat, we are NOT in a housing bubble.So how did they come to this…

  • Bank of Canada raises interest rates, leaves room for pause.

    Kiyoko Fujimura
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:50 am
    Kiyoko FujimuraBuzzbuzzhome Corp.September 8, 2010I wouldn't want to be Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, right now. The Canadian economy is incredibly uncertain right now. First, the US economy is struggling to pick up steam and facing a double-dip recession which would severely impact Canada's economy as well. Second, Canada's GDP growth rate did not meet expectations in the third quarter. Thirdly, the potential housing bubble rampant in the media is still whispering in Carney's ear "I'm looooooooooming".But, despite the economic indication that the future could be bleak,…

  • Top 10 Insider Tips when purchasing a new condo...

    BuzzBuzzHome
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:20 am
    Matthew SlutskyBuzzBuzzHome Corp.September 8, 2010The summer of 2010 is unofficially over, which means that condo-mania is in session for most of North America. Land developers are launching massive multi-million dollar campaigns, trying to woo you into purchasing at their projects.Below are my Top 10 tips and hints for purchasing your new condo; little things to look out for when shopping...1. Check ceiling heights of the model-suite Ceiling heights in most condos are 8-feet, 8'6", 9-feet or 10-feet, but their model suites have 12-foot ceilings to make the suite feel more airy. Often the…

  • minto775: Sounds like another satisfied buyer

    BuzzBuzzHome
    7 Sep 2010 | 9:06 pm
    BuzzBuzzHome Corp.September 8, 2010The only thing I like more than blogging about condos is reading comments from satisfied condo buyers, especially those who have just bought their first!When we posted our August edition of the Top Ten Residential Developments in Toronto, we received this comment:I have just purchased my first condo ever, with Minto 775. My decision was based upon researching and comparing 20 different sites in the GTA, of which Minto had the best customer service and most knowledgeable staff from all the sites I compared! Im really impressed with their quality and will take…
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    BornLiving

  • Rustic three bedrooom el Born apartment with internet

    editor
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:39 am
    Located close to Via Laietana and to the Picasso Museum this is a fully furnished three bedroom apartment within easy reach of the Jaume I metro station. There is a large living and dining area, three bedrooms (one double, one single and one twin), and a fully equipped kitchen. Ideal for students or friends looking for a furnished apartment with three bedrooms.Copyright © 2007Dieser Feed ist nur für den persönlichen, nicht gewerblichen Gebrauch bestimmt.Eine Verwendung dieses Feeds auf anderen Webseiten verstößt gegen das Urheberrecht. Wenn Sie diesen Inhalt nicht in…

  • Stylish one bedroom fully furnished pad close to La Rambla

    editor
    8 Sep 2010 | 5:37 am
    Located just at Plaza Real and a minute from Las Ramblas this is a beautifully furnished one bedroom duplex apartment that is ready to move in. There is a very comfortable living and dining area, a fully equipped modern kitchen, a great bathroom, lots of light and a mezannine double bedroom. Available from September until April 2011.Copyright © 2007Dieser Feed ist nur für den persönlichen, nicht gewerblichen Gebrauch bestimmt.Eine Verwendung dieses Feeds auf anderen Webseiten verstößt gegen das Urheberrecht. Wenn Sie diesen Inhalt nicht in Ihrem News-Reader lesen, so…

  • Beautiful one bedroom furnished pad close to Plaza Real and Ramblas

    editor
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:52 am
    Located just a short walk from Ramblas at Plaza Real, this is a wonderful fully furnished and spacious one bedroom apartment with lots of light and good quality furnishings. The apartment has lots of character with original parquet floors and plastered ceilings. There is a large and comfortable living and dining space, a spacious fully equipped seperate kitchen with small balcony and a wonderful bedroom. Drop us a line if you would like to make a viewing appointment.Copyright © 2007Dieser Feed ist nur für den persönlichen, nicht gewerblichen Gebrauch bestimmt.Eine Verwendung…

  • Spacious five bedroom fully furnished apartment near Glories

    editor
    8 Sep 2010 | 4:09 am
    Located in the old Eixample “right” area close to Glories and within a short walk of local metro stations of Glories and Encants, this apartment has five bedrooms (three doubles and two singles), a very large open living and dining space which has a staircase leading up to the bedrooms upstairs. There is central heating, an independent kitchen with gas stove and small dining area, air conditioning and two full bathrooms.Copyright © 2007Dieser Feed ist nur für den persönlichen, nicht gewerblichen Gebrauch bestimmt.Eine Verwendung dieses Feeds auf anderen Webseiten…

  • Cute one bedroom apartment furnished to high standard in el Born

    editor
    8 Sep 2010 | 3:54 am
    Located just a short walk away from the Picasso Museum in the Born area, this is a very cute and fully furnished one bedroom apartment available from September until March next year. It has a spacious and very comfortable living room with a great sofa, an independent modern kitchen, neat bathroom with power shower and a very comfortable and well furnished master bedroom.Copyright © 2007Dieser Feed ist nur für den persönlichen, nicht gewerblichen Gebrauch bestimmt.Eine Verwendung dieses Feeds auf anderen Webseiten verstößt gegen das Urheberrecht. Wenn Sie diesen…
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    Get Real Estate Blog: Salem Oregon Home Trends and Relocation Information

  • Leave no stone unturned

    Melina Tomson
    6 Sep 2010 | 4:35 pm
    About a gazillion years ago a general was being defeated in battle and so like all good generals he buried his treasure in his tent.  Now, apparently this was the Biltmore Estate of tents because his treasure could not be found.  Personally, I think they must have been man-looking in the tent, but I digress from the legend.  So totally stymied by his incredibly clever hiding place, the seekers of the treasure consult the Oracle at Delphi who advises them to turn over every stone.  Seriously, is that the best advice the Oracle has?  Quit man-looking and do real looking?  Sometime later…

  • Happy Anniversary to me…

    Melina Tomson
    5 Sep 2010 | 7:00 am
    No, not that kind… It isn’t my wedding anniversary. It seems like ages ago that I launched my own real estate brokerage here in Salem Oregon.  When I got my real estate license, it was always the plan for me to have my own brokerage because I want to do things my way.  Hey, even my twitter page says I’m opinionated!  Part of my business plan was to start a blog.  One of those things I’d read about somewhere and thought, “Sure…why not.  How hard can it be?” Little did I know what was in store for me:  cluelessness, blogger’s block,…

  • Like a bad party hangover…

    Melina Tomson
    17 Aug 2010 | 1:31 pm
    Really, this isn’t unexpected, is it? The real estate hangover You go to a party, drink way too much, and end up regretting it the next day.  Many college students go through this unfortunate experience and it is how we learn our limits and how to make better choices for our bodies.  The tax credit intervention was kind of the same way…we knew the hangover would come to the real estate market.  So what does a real estate hangover look like in Salem Oregon? The blue outline is what home sales have looked like so far this year. The red is the year 2003.  I just wanted you to see…

  • It’s a GIFT!

    Carmen Babb
    13 Aug 2010 | 6:00 pm
    One of the most common frustrations I hear from Salem Oregon home buyers is that they are using GIFT funds for their down payment and they don’t understand why we have to pick apart the documentation…or even document it at all. This seems like a great place to shed some light on the whole gift issue, so here goes: When Mom, Dad, Uncle Jim, or Aunt Sue agree to give you $5000 to buy a new home, it seems like they should be able to give you the money and everyone’s happy. Unfortunately, lending guidelines require a little more than that. The issue is that they *could* be…

  • Some agents need to be hit over the head with the bar…

    Melina Tomson
    12 Aug 2010 | 10:26 am
    Paul Slaybaugh, who is a really good Scottsdale Arizona real estate agent by the way, wrote an interesting blog post about buyer agent bonuses.  He syndicated it to the real estate network ActiveRain and a brouhaha ensued.    I think as a consumer you should take the time to read some of the comments and what some real estate agents across the country think about you knowing what they get paid. Here’s the truth…well according to me anyway… Home buyer bonus paid to Salem Oregon real estate agents? If a real estate agent has agreed to act as a buyer agent for a client,…
 
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    The Sophisticated Investor

  • Podcast #1 – Rob Oryl – Commercial Real Estate Appraiser

    Khary Reynolds
    1 Sep 2010 | 3:00 am
    This is our first podcast for our on-going interview series. We hope to be able to offer this podcast series on a weekly basis. So now, The Sophisticated Investor presents…”The Sophisticated Investor Show”. Check out our first show with Rob Oryl from Valuation Nation and let me know your thoughts. Comments are always welcomed and encouraged! Let me know your thoughts below in the comment section and feel free to retweet this post on Twitter or share on Facebook. Get FREE Access Now! Learn How You Can Profit Through Real Estate Partnerships, PLUS... You’ll also get…

  • 3 Reasons Why Real Estate is Superior to Stocks (Real Estate vs. Stocks)

    Khary Reynolds
    10 Aug 2010 | 11:00 pm
    Real estate and stocks are two popular investment vehicles. It is always important to have a balanced portfolio, therefore it is worthwhile to invest in both. However, if you are trying to decide between the two, you might find that real estate provides the better returns more consistently. I believe that real estate serves as a better investment than the stock market for a number of reasons. Most importantly, real estate generally is not as volatile as the stock market. Stocks can plummet for any reason at any time, leaving investors at the mercy of things beyond their control. Global…

  • The 3 Mistakes New Apartment Investors Make

    Khary Reynolds
    10 Aug 2010 | 12:00 am
    Just a quick video discussing the common mistakes new apartment investors make. Get FREE Access Now! Learn How You Can Profit Through Real Estate Partnerships, PLUS... You’ll also get valuable real estate investing tips on a regular basis, all at no charge and all designed to make you a Sophisticated Investor. Let’s get started! First Name: Email:   We Never Share your Information with third partiesPowered by Optin Form Adder Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this…

  • Overview of Real Estate Syndication

    Khary Reynolds
    8 Aug 2010 | 11:00 pm
    When you invest with a private real estate syndication, you are pooling your capital with that of other qualified investors for the purpose of investing in larger and more lucrative real estate projects. This affords the lone investor an opportunity to participate with an organized group of like-minded investors in the ownership of a piece of income producing property that is too much to handle individually from a financial or risk aversion stand point. Real estate syndicates own income-generating residential or commercial real estate and are secured by these tangible and quantifiable assets…

  • Get Your Mind Right – A Solution For The Accumulation Mindset

    Khary Reynolds
    29 Jul 2010 | 10:05 am
    You have to check out the awesome post by Bryan Hancock on his Bigger Pockets blog about the Solution For The Destructive Accumulation Mindset. It is a series of post, and Part 2 gives a very detailed look into how to analyze your returns in commercial real estate. Check it out. Get FREE Access Now! Learn How You Can Profit Through Real Estate Partnerships, PLUS... You’ll also get valuable real estate investing tips on a regular basis, all at no charge and all designed to make you a Sophisticated Investor. Let’s get started! First Name: Email:   We Never Share your…
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    Lansner on Real Estate

  • Really? Tax credits cost US $22 billion

    Jeff Collins
    8 Sep 2010 | 6:00 pm
    Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” THE CHECK, PLEASE: The total estimated cost of the home buyer tax credits since April 2008 is about $22 billion, according to a federal report. Some critics maintain that much of that is going to people who would have bought a home anyway. (WSJ) MORE HERE! GOV’MINT TO THE RESCUE: The Federal Housing Administration will allow lenders to provide underwater borrowers with refinanced loans if the lender agrees to forgive at least 10% of the original mortgage amount.. (AP) MORE HERE! DISTRESS IN BIG D:…

  • Fed sees ‘weakened’ Western housing

    Jon Lansner
    8 Sep 2010 | 2:21 pm
    Fed’s San Francisco unit says Western housing “weakened somewhat” this summer in the 6th version of the “Beige Book” report for 2010. This is a Federal Reserve Board summary on regional economic conditions that’s done eight times a year. This summer admission of regional housing malaise is a stark contrast from relatively upbeat asessmenst we saw in the spring. We note that the Fed researchers found enough housing angst in the western U.S. 12th District for their July report to say demand for housing “appeared to deteriorate somewhat” vs. “largely…

  • Hear why O.C. home prices will creep up

    Jon Lansner
    8 Sep 2010 | 9:56 am
    Recently, we told you about a home price forecast from property evaluator Veros from Santa Ana that sees Orange County home prices rising 1.8% in the year ending June 2011. We figured we’d hear what was behind this outlook, so we got Veros’ Eric Fox to explain the logic within the forecast. Fox told ocregister.com in a podcast interview that projected gains — and losses — will be modest here and across the nation. Plus, he thinks the recent drop in home sales and prices in recent weeks following the end of the federal tax credit for buyers will be a short-lived drag.

  • Housing’s cure? Higher mortgage rates!

    Jon Lansner
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:34 am
    Why aren’t rock-bottom mortgage rates helping the local housing market more than one would think? Because history suggests that cheaper home loans offer little more than a coin-toss chance of being associated with rising housing values. That’s why the cheapest home loans in generation can’t get the local real estate market — nor the national one — back in high gear. I dusted off my trusty spreadsheet to ponder the relationships between financing costs (measured for this exercise by a Federal Reserve monthly index of 30-year mortgage rates) and home values in Los…

  • Really? $150 million ‘Manor’ hits market

    Jeff Collins
    7 Sep 2010 | 6:00 pm
    Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” NOW LISTED: It’s long been reported that TV producer Aaron Spelling’s widow, Candy, had her mansion up for sale for $150 million. That home is now listed on the open market, it’s original asking price still intact. (Real Estalker) MORE HERE! SPELLING STALKER: Candy Spelling wants protection from a “mentally ill stalker” who allegedly believes he lives at Spelling’s Holmby Hills mega-mansion. (TMZ) MORE HERE! HOME IS A CASTLE: A billboard trumpeting, “King Wanted,”…
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    REJournals.com

  • Benson-Orth completes interior build-out for hockey store in Minnesota

    Staff Writer
    8 Sep 2010 | 8:04 pm
    Plymouth, Minn.-based Benson-Orth Construction recently completed a6,600-square-foot interior build-out for the retail store Total Hockey, which opened Aug. 5 in the Maplewood Town Center in Maplewood, Minn. Total Hockey is a privately held hockey equipment retailer. Based in St. Louis, Total Hockey has nine retail locations in the greater St. Louis, Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul areas. It also boasts a growing online business. Benson-Orth Construction has also started interior demolition and build-out of a second Total Hockey store in Minnetonka, Minn. That store is scheduled for a late…

  • Minneapolis company offers commercial building owners chance to save on energy costs

    Staff Writer
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:57 pm
    Minneapolis-based EnergyPrint, a provider of energy benchmarking services, recently launched a new interactive budgeting tool to help property owners manage future energy costs. Energy cost is one of the largest and fastest-growing controllable operating expenses for commercial properties. Unfortunately, even with its relative significance, the energy cost line-item on a budget is one that is least understood. EnergyPrint’s budgeting tool allows chief financial officers, property owners and managers to model changes in energy rates, consumption or even total budget amount. By applying these…

  • Being a landlord isn’t much fun these days

    Dan Rafter
    8 Sep 2010 | 7:52 pm
    If you’re the landlord of a commercial office building these days, the odds are you’re tired. That’s because possible tenants seem to be spending every second of every day trying to squeeze more out of you: more rental drops, more concessions, more incentives. Chris Rohrer understands. He’s the executive vice president of the Minneapolis office of Jones Lang LaSalle. He sees just how much pressure the landlords in his market area are under. “In downtown Minneapolis right now there is a lot of pressure still for landlords,” he said. “Tenants are aware…

  • Three west suburban towns begin joint project on Roosevelt Road

    Staff Writer
    8 Sep 2010 | 1:28 pm
    The Roosevelt Road Streetscape Improvement project broke ground on Friday, September 3, 2010. The event commenced at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Lombard Avenue where the City of Berwyn, Town of Cicero and Village of Oak Park meet. In addition to local leadership, the event was attended by state and federal officials that helped bring the project to fruition, including Governor Patrick Pictured (left to right): Village President David Pope, Oak Park; Representative Elizabeth Hernandez (District 24); Paul Zimmermann, BDC President; Senator Kimberly Lightford (District 4); Congressman…

  • Women in Real Estate award winners announced

    Mark Thomton
    8 Sep 2010 | 12:54 pm
    L-R: Lynn Reich, Meredith O'Connor, Alex Cole, Stacey Kruger Birndorf, Kelly Martincin, Deanna Arce The Third Annual Women in Real Estate Awards luncheon was held today at the University Club in Chicago. Some of the industry’s top women were recognized in five categories as leaders and stand-out performers in their field. The event was hosted by the Illinois Real Estate Journal and the Chicago Chapter of CREW. More than 200 attended the event, which included a keynote address from Lynn Reich of Colliers International and president of SIOR International. The 2010 winners are: Meredith…
 
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