Real Estate

  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    WSJ.com: Commercial Real Estate

  • U.K.'s Liberty Forges On

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pm
    Liberty International has made strides over the past year shoring up its balance sheet, managing occupancy and maintaining cash flow. But the U.K.'s largest retail landlord's problems are far from over.

  • U.K.'s Liberty Forges On

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pm
    Liberty International has made strides over the past year shoring up its balance sheet, managing occupancy and maintaining cash flow. But the U.K.'s largest retail landlord's problems are far from over.

  • Fears of New Bubble as Cash Pours In

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:41 pm
    The World Bank and IMF are raising concerns that efforts by governments and central banks to stoke a recovery will create asset bubbles in real estate, stock and currency markets.

  • Wells Bets on Recovery to Fix Mortgages

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    Wells Fargo & Co.'s strategy for modifying troubled Pick-A-Pay mortgages looks like a game of kick-the-can-down-the-road.

  • Wells Bets on Recovery to Fix Mortgages

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    Wells Fargo & Co.'s strategy for modifying troubled Pick-A-Pay mortgages looks like a game of kick-the-can-down-the-road.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    WSJ.com: Real Estate

  • U.K.'s Liberty Forges On

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:42 pm
    Liberty International has made strides over the past year shoring up its balance sheet, managing occupancy and maintaining cash flow. But the U.K.'s largest retail landlord's problems are far from over.

  • Fears of New Bubble as Cash Pours In

    4 Nov 2009 | 2:41 pm
    The World Bank and IMF are raising concerns that efforts by governments and central banks to stoke a recovery will create asset bubbles in real estate, stock and currency markets.

  • Wells Bets on Recovery to Fix Mortgages

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm
    Wells Fargo & Co.'s strategy for modifying troubled Pick-A-Pay mortgages looks like a game of kick-the-can-down-the-road.

  • Developers Diversified Deal Is Nearer

    4 Nov 2009 | 11:27 am
    A closely watched deal that may help uncork the commercial-property debt market is picking up steam after being threatened by the Fed.

  • Hotel Venture Runs Into Ugly Reality

    4 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am
    A foray into hotels by Sam Nazarian, who operates some of L.A.'s hottest nightspots, has turned into a costly slog amid the worst hotel market in decades.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Wash Post Real Estate

  • Ask the Builder: Research soapstone counters before buying

    Tim Carter
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    DEAR TIM: A kitchen designer recommended soapstone countertops for my new kitchen. Do you have any experience with soapstone counters or even a soapstone sink? I've never heard of this material and wonder about it. Would you use it in your home? If not, why not? -- Tara M., Montrose, Calif.

  • 30-year rates fall back below 5 percent

    Post
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Mortgage rates for 30-year, fixed-rate home loans fell for the first time in a month this week as the Federal Reserve pledged to keep its benchmark rate near zero.

  • Housewatch: Architect Berkus's own house is small, full of poetry and surprise

    Post
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    When architect Barry Berkus designed a pied-à-terre for himself in Santa Barbara, Calif., three years ago, he brought an unusual depth to the project.

  • Basement condo? Busy road? It's a tough sell.

    Dan Rafter
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Gus Drakakis's single-family brick colonial didn't seem like it would be an easy sell. Yes, it was in good condition. And yes, it was remodeled.

  • Charles County's Clarks Run a place to put down roots

    Jim Brocker
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Mike Hanks grew up in Clarks Run, and he loved his childhood days playing sports with his friends around the La Plata neighborhood. Years later, when Hanks was looking for a safe place to raise a family, Clarks Run was an easy choice. In fact, he bought his old house from his parents.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Commercial Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

  • Contractor chosen for Banks portion

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm
    An Alabama contractor has been hired to build the private portion of the Banks riverfront development project. Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is expected to start building a 300-unit apartment building and 80,000 square feet of retail space in December. The Birmingham contractor was selected after a competitive process, according to a press release from Carter and the Dawson Co., the master development team for the Banks.

  • United Security Bank of Sparta fails

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pm
    Regulators seized tiny United Security Bank of Sparta, Ga., Friday, making it the state's 21st failure of the year, as Georgia’s banking crisis shows no sign of abating.

  • Fidelity posts loss for fiscal 2009

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pm
    Fidelity Bancorp Inc., Pittsburgh, Friday reported a net loss of $1.99 million, or 66 cents per diluted share, for its fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

  • Real deals: Warehouse sells for $5M

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm
    Fisher Scientific Co. LLC has purchased the warehouse it already occupies in the Montbello industrial park for $5.05 million. (TMO)

  • National Retail reports 23% drop in 3Q

    6 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    National Retail Properties Inc. reported a 23 percent decline in net income for the third quarter of 2009. (NNN)
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    msnbc.com: Real estate

  • Homebuilders hunting for land again

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm
    The housing bust left homebuilders with plenty of red ink on their books. But now they are on the hunt again, vying for choice parcels where prices are cheap.

  • Fannie Mae getting into home rental business

    5 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pm
    Thousands of borrowers on the verge of foreclosure will soon have the option of renting their homes from Fannie Mae, under a policy announced Thursday.

  • Rates on 30-year loans fall below 5 percent

    5 Nov 2009 | 11:37 am
    Rates for 30-year home loans dipped below 5 percent this week after rising for three straight weeks.

  • Newsweek: Baby boomers reignite housing market

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:33 pm
    Before the crash, older home-buyers were already big players in the real-estate market, and now their influence is growing. According to the National Association of Realtors, people over 55 bought 21 percent of the homes that were sold in 2008, up from 13 percent in 2001.

  • Pulte Homes posts third-quarter loss

    4 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am
    Pulte Homes Inc. lost $361.4 million in the third quarter, but with the acquisition of Centex Corp., the homebuilder increased sales by more than a third.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    BloodhoundRealty.com

  • What matters most in rental home investing in the Phoenix area? Everything!

    Greg Swann
    14 Oct 2009 | 8:44 am
    I represented tenants for my first two years as a real estate licensee. I walked into — and walked right out of — hundreds of homes that were amazingly inappropriate candidates for tenancy. Horrible locations, with no access to jobs, schools, shopping, entertainment, transportation. Still worse, horrible homes, dingy, run-down testaments to the perils of deferred maintenance. And still worse, many of these homes would be filthy — stained carpets, smudged walls, debris everywhere. In many cases, the carpets had not even been vacuumed, and often the back yards were…

  • The news media may insist that the real estate market has turned the corner, but my attitude toward work is simple: “Just say yes!”

    Greg Swann
    10 Oct 2009 | 8:53 am
    This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): We represented the buyers for a million-dollar house, our first, that closed this week. A week from now, we will be listing a million-dollar home, also a first for us. We are carrying two listings at $450,000 right now, with another to come, and we will be listing another home at $800,000 shortly. But also this week, I sold a property for $65,000. Just a few weeks ago, one of my listings sold for $27,000. Am I schizophrenic? I hope not. But I am scared to death to say no to anyone right now. Salespeople like to say yes.

  • Despite the hype, the long-term trend of home prices in Phoenix is still steadily downward

    Greg Swann
    3 Oct 2009 | 8:46 am
    This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): With all this activity in the Phoenix real estate market, prices must be going up, right? Wrong. Sales prices for bread-and-butter single-family homes in Metropolitan Phoenix were down in June, July and August. They were up in May, and it looks like we’ll finish higher in September. But the net effect is to put average home prices right back where they were in March of 2009. That’s right. We just worked our way through six very busy months, with the $8,000 first-time home-buyers tax-credit as a huge incentive to…

  • Looking for a reason to buy real estate? How about free ice cream?

    Greg Swann
    26 Sep 2009 | 6:51 am
    This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): When I was a kid, my Uncle Jack, my mother’s oldest brother, told me a story I’ve never forgotten. He was at a little county fair way out in corn country. Nothing special, just beauty contests for hogs, cheesy little rides and sticky, sugared confections. Late in the day, the ice cream vendor decided to pack it in, announcing that he was giving away what was left of his inventory. People elbowed their way to the front of the crowd, so eager were they to get something for nothing. They walked away with the ice cream…

  • When the weather finally breaks in Phoenix — it breaks for ten solid months of pure paradise…

    Greg Swann
    19 Sep 2009 | 5:11 pm
    This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): If you live in New York or Boston or Chicago, there will come a day in the Spring when the cold will seem to be in full retreat. The sun will be shining. The icicles on the trees will be melting, and the tickle of the cold drops of water on your hair and neck will make you want to throw your arms out wide and rejoice in your release from the awful prison of Winter. That happens in Phoenix, too, but it happens six months earlier, on September 15th. Mid-March has its own charms, when the citrus trees open their blossoms and the…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Bubble Meter

  • October 2009 job numbers

    James
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    The unemployment rate has reached the highest level since the early 1980s, rising to 10.2% in October 2009. The last time the U3 (official) unemployment rate was this high was April, 1983. (As a kid back then, it really didn't seem that bad—although I'm doing well now, too.)Initial weekly unemployment insurance claims continue to improve—or more precisely, they are getting worse at a slower rate. This graph shows year-over-year numbers. Ideally, we'd like the YoY numbers to be below zero for an extended period of time.The government's job loss numbers show a continuing, but slowing,…

  • Home buyer tax credit = more global warming

    James
    5 Nov 2009 | 6:48 am
    According to Harvard economist Edward Glaeser, Congress and the White House are intent on harming the planet:ENVIRONMENTALISTS who are worried about global warming should pay attention to the congressional debate about extending the home buyers tax credit. Federal tax policies toward housing have long encouraged Americans to emit more carbon. President Obama could do the country, and the planet, a service by either refusing to sign the extension of the $8,000 credit or by insisting that it be accompanied by offsetting reductions in the home mortgage interest deduction.According to the…

  • Homebuyer tax credit nearing renewal

    James
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:37 am
    Stupid stuff like this is why, after a decade of voting straight Democratic in state and federal elections, I decided to stay home yesterday and let the winds of change blow. I'm disgusted with both political parties.

  • How the crisis could change economic theory

    James
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:26 am
    Here's an interesting look at how our little housing bubble may change macroeconomic theory.The crisis exposed the inadequacy of economists' traditional tool kit, forcing them to revisit questions many had long thought answered, such as how to tame disruptive boom-and-bust cycles. ..."We could be looking at a paradigm shift," says Frederic Mishkin, a former Federal Reserve governor now at Columbia University.That shift could change the way central bankers do their job, possibly leading them to wade more deeply into markets. They could, for example, place greater emphasis on the amount of…

  • D.C. area foreclosures double year-over-year

    James
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:10 am
    From last Wednesday's Washington Post:The number of Washington area homeowners in foreclosure has more that doubled in the past year, according to a report to be released Wednesday that shows the problem remains most acute in a few counties and could get worse as more borrowers fall behind on their payments.About 2.7 percent of local borrowers are in the foreclosure process, meaning that the bank has started the legal process to take back the property, according to the report by the Urban Institute, a nonprofit policy research group based in Washington. That was slightly below the national…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Paper Economy - A US Real Estate Bubble Blog

  • Full Time Workers Fully Under Pressure

    SoldAtTheTop
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am
    Today’s employment situation report showed that things have taken a turn for the worse for full-time workers with the full-time unemployment level jumping to 13,901,000 workers or 11.1% of the civilian workforce, very near the highest rate seen in 41 years.The Bureau of Labor Statistics considers full time workers to be those “who have expressed a desire to work full time (35 hours or more per week) or are on layoff from full-time jobs”.Full time jobless workers currently account for 88.5% of all unemployed workers.

  • On The Margin: Total Unemployment October 2009

    SoldAtTheTop
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am
    Today’s Employment Situation report showed that in September “total unemployment” jumped to 17.5% of the civilian population or 41.4 million people.The traditional unemployment rate is calculated from the monthly household survey results using a fairly explicit qualification of “unemployed” (essentially unemployed and currently looking for full time employment) leaving many workers to be considered effectively “on the margin” either employed in part time work when full time is preferred or simply unemployed and no longer looking for work.The Bureau of Labor Statistics considers…

  • Envisioning Employment: Employment Situation October 2009

    SoldAtTheTop
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am
    Today’s Employment Situation Report continued to reflect weakness in the job market with the unemployment rate jumping to 10.2% while the Establishment survey showed a decline of 190,000 non-farm jobs since August.It’s important to note that today’s report brings the total private job losses to 7.382 million jobs or a 6.38% decline since the contraction began in December 2007.The following chart combines both the “residential building” and “residential specialty trade contractors” into one payroll series and then plotting the data since 2002.Notice that, in aggregate, these…

  • Two Great Bounces!

    SoldAtTheTop
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    The following charts provide a simple comparison between the big stock bounce that occurred in the wake of the DOW crash of 1929 and the bounce we are seeing today in the S&P 500 index.The method of alignment was simple… take the first definitive up trading day off the bottom of the preceding bear market low and set that as the start of the series… then simply re-base both series to a value of 100 so that they can be compared side-by-side.The lower bar chart plots the cumulative percentage change since the start of each bounce.The S&P 500 is up over 47% in a little over 160…

  • Outstanding Contraction!: Commercial Paper Outstanding November 5 2009

    SoldAtTheTop
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:53 am
    The Commercial Paper (CP) market is essentially a private debt market used by corporations as a cheaper means of funding typical recurring operations than drawing on a line of bank credit.Commercial paper, as financial instrument, is by no means a recent innovation and, in fact, you can read about how the CP market was affected by the many historic financial shocks experienced by the U.S. (read Panic on Wall Street: A History of America’s Financial Disasters)Although the Federal Reserve was able to artificially bring CP rates down significantly since the shocking 615 basis point spread…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    RecentHeadlnesRSS

  • Manhattan Retail Hit Hard in '09, But Turnaround on Tap

    28 Oct 2009 | 6:04 am
    It's been a rough year for retail, even in tony Manhattan. The crumbling of Wall Street in the fourth-quarter of 2008 spurred the downward spiral of the market and the recession just added salt to the wound, according to a third quarter report by Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services.

  • Germany's Promising Discount Retail Market Lures Behringer Harvard

    28 Oct 2009 | 6:04 am
    With the recession having taken a chunk out of consumers' pocketbooks around the world, the retail real estate market has been struggling for quite some time, and the situation is no different in Germany. However, the discount retail sub-sector is thriving in the country, and Dallas-based commercial real estate firm Behringer Harvard has positioned itself to capitalize on related development opportunities with the recent formation of Behringer Harvard German Retail, a joint venture with Hanover, Germany-based real estate investment and management company Rahlfs Immobilien GmbH.

  • Organization Launches $4B Green Initiative for Affordable Housing

    28 Oct 2009 | 6:04 am
    The green movement in commercial real estate has caught on like wildfire and even with the recession having left most clutching their pocketbooks, it continues to spread. Now Columbia, Md.-based Enterprise Community Investment Inc. plans to take the trend to new heights with the kicking off its $4 billion Green Communities initiative, which is designed to propel the greening of affordable housing development across the country.

  • As San Antonio Office Market Rebounds, Transwestern Takes Over at 2MSF Mixed-Use

    28 Oct 2009 | 6:04 am
    With San Antonio's office market rebounding in the third quarter, Transwestern’s local office hopes to take advantage of that good karma with the contract to handle the real estate services assignment for the Brooks City-Base development there.

  • Economy Watch: Capmark Files for Bankruptcy

    28 Oct 2009 | 6:04 am
    Major commercial real estate lender Capmark Financial Group Inc. and various subsidiaries have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which last month the company had warned was coming. The move will allow the Capmark to reorganize and, very likely, delay selling off some of its $20 billion-plus in assets at less-than-desirable prices.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Go Beyond MLS

  • New and Sexy LeapFish: But Framesets Can Present Issues.

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:37 pm
    A mention by US Today, stream of hundreds of Tweets , mentioned by hundreds of blogs, a “cutting edge” video on youtube- LeapFish.com relaunch can certainly be seen as enormous success, except… The leading technology blogs continue to give LeapFish.com nothing short of a “cold shoulder”. All the buzz surrounding the relaunch is focused on how sexy and nice looking the new website is, no one seems to be trying to “flip beyond the cover page”. I would like to write about LeapFish’s implementation of framesets on their pages that may actually spook…

  • Tips On Keeping Your WordPress Less Vulnerable To Hackers

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    1 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pm
    WordPress, being one of the most popular publishing platforms and content management system also is the most frequent target for spammers. Google reacts quickly to identify the hacked sites – as a result your traffic and sales can drastically drop. The good news is that Google will try to make reasonable attempts to notify webmasters about potential problems via Google Webmasters Tools. However if you do not act quickly, it can be truly a devastating blow to your online presence. So how do you prepare yourself for the event such as your blog being hacked by injecting code into your…

  • Trolls Are Not Allowed!

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    31 Oct 2009 | 4:16 pm
    Within minutes of publishing last post I had a visitor- a very pissed off visitor. Who managed to spew his venom on Bill Hartzer’s blog as well (Bill my apologies for the “nofollow” attribute, I do trust your website- I hate to give LeapFish any juice): While I can speculate who this “Anonymous” may have been- the only certain fact I know is that he came to read the post via Twitter after an entry was posted in my account that announcing that I have written the post. There is no point to communicate with anonymous trolls like that. Most of the time they have no…

  • LeapFish 2.0 Claims To Solve The Real Time Search. But Will They Survive Beyond 2009?

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    29 Oct 2009 | 12:31 pm
    After rather a painful year LeapFish.com- a meta search aggregator site just like Dogpile.com or Mamma.com, is ready to launch what they call it “LeapFish 2.0″- claiming that it will solve the real-time search. Believe it or not I, of all people, was on of the “few privileged” to view their “test” products. However I could not keep quiet about my discovery: And of course LeapFish killed that subdomain few minutes after my “Twitter broadcast”. Did they find my viewing of their new product not welcomed? Or is it also possible I “tuned…

  • Telling Google How Often To Crawl Your Site- Not A Good Idea After All.

    Vlad Zablotskyy
    23 Sep 2009 | 8:58 am
    A while back I wrote an article pointing out one of the features available to webmasters at Google Webmaster Central – ability to set a custom crawl rate. At the time I thought it was an outstanding idea. It is still is a good solution should googlebot visit your site too often causing issues with bandwidth (even though I have never heard of such scenario). Webmasters however should exercise caution when increasing the crawl rate via Google Webmaster Central. A few weeks ago I was involved in an upgrade of a website with 2000+ pages. One of the side effects of the upgrade was that we…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Housing Doom

  • AEI Subprime VI: Q&A

    John M.
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    Well I think at some point we’re going to have a government in power that’s going to make a choice between the American people and our creditors, who are predominantly foreign. And I think that choice will involve letting the dollar depreciate. I don’t think we’ll ever actually repudiate our debts, as long as we can print more dollars. But I think that’s the fundamental political issue that faces our entire society … - Chris Whalen Doom Transcripts: Index & Guide Housing Doom is pleased to present a eighth and final selection from our…

  • Vampire Squid? Heck No. Think $2.6 Billion Medicinal Leech!

    John M.
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:02 pm
    To that end, FHFA has informed Fannie Mae that a possible transfer of a portion of its LIHTC investments to unrelated third-party investors is consistent with FHFA’s ongoing efforts to conserve Enterprise assets and with the Enterprise’s multifamily housing mission. … FHFA Acting Director Edward J. DeMarco, November 5, 20091 Many thanks to twist for data-mining that gem from the dark recesses of the DC bureaucracy. So in all the turbulence going around, the most urgent crisis facing America is … Swine Flu? not even in the top 10 Recession? OVER! OVER! OVER! CMBS…

  • Fannie Mae- “Give us the deed, we’ll give you a lease”

    twist
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:33 am
    I’m not sure what to make of Fannie’s new "Deed for Lease" program: [Thanks Coffee!] WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) is implementing the Deed for Lease(TM)Program under which qualifying homeowners facing foreclosure will be able to remain in their homes by signing a lease in connection with the voluntary transfer of the property deed back to the lender.   "The Deed for Lease Program provides an additional option for qualifying homeowners who are facing foreclosure and are not eligible for modifications," said Jay…

  • The Cost Of Not Walking Away From An Underwater Mortgage

    twist
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
      In the ongoing debate about whether one should walk away from an underwater mortgage or not, one University of Arizona professor speaks out strongly in favor of taking a hike. According to Brent T. White, an associate professor of law at the University of Arizona: A failure to grasp the true economics of the situation is holding back many Americans whose home values have dropped far below the amount they owe and who would be better off renting, Mr. White says. Fear, shame and guilt also are preventing rational decisions, he believes. And, he says, those “emotional…

  • post-Capitalism’s Self-Righteous Oligarchs

    John M.
    4 Nov 2009 | 10:42 am
    “The injunction of Jesus to love others as ourselves is an endorsement of self-interest,” Goldman’s Griffiths said Oct. 20, his voice echoing around the gold-mosaic walls of St. Paul’s Cathedral, whose 365-feet-high dome towers over the City, London’s financial district. “We have to tolerate the inequality as a way to achieving greater prosperity and opportunity for all.”  Bloomberg1 Thank goodness for Tatjana’s 17th Century English Lit course.  The last few months would have made no sense at all if I hadn’t decided to make a…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    TRANSPARENT REAL ESTATE

  • Swanepoel Social Media Report 2010

    Pat Kitano
    22 Oct 2009 | 8:26 pm
    I just received Stefan Swanepoel's Social Media Report 2010 in the mail (tx S.); it's a definitive guide to learning about the social media landscape and how to participate in it. I recommend it, particularly for beginners; you can order the publication at www.swanepoel.com/publications/social-media-report.aspWith the ubiquity of the Internet on mobile devices, I notice I read the Report as a publication more like a magazine than a reference resource. When I need to figure out something about social media quickly, the Internet serves up the answer efficiently. A publication can be used as a…

  • The Twitter List for Real Estate

    Pat Kitano
    15 Oct 2009 | 10:06 pm
    Twitter Lists are live now. Apparently only a certain percentage of Twitterers can see and build lists.I just put together a general list of real estate twitterers at twitter.com/pkitano/realestate. The page won't appear if you can't see the lists yet.And you can follow any list: The list is certainly not complete so please @pkitano me or follow me to get included if I missed you.#followfriday will never be the same. I predict an explosion of lists that will simultaneously 1) filter the Twitter feeds so one can see Twitterers categorized and 2) add more noise in the form of lists into the…

  • Real time web = no setting appointments next month

    Pat Kitano
    8 Oct 2009 | 4:17 pm
    In real estate, everybody knows how important it is to be the first to pick up the phone. That good impression of the quick callback is simply an indication of service. So you wouldn't try to schedule a return phone call in one month, right?People still schedule calls and meetings in half hour time slots a month in advance. In pre-Twitter days, perhaps scheduling a month in advance may have attached some kind of importance to the meeting, and implied that there was achievement on getting onto an A-lister's busy schedule.Now, it's almost a sign of disrespect. As in "I can tweet with you, but…

  • How to create a blog without "writing" one

    Pat Kitano
    25 Sep 2009 | 3:29 pm
    How to create a blog without "writing" oneView more presentations from Pat Kitano. ...

  • Where's the second crash?

    Pat Kitano
    16 Sep 2009 | 9:21 am
    The Bears who throughout the stock market rally starting in March continually cautioned on the "double dip" are now saying they were really bulls all along.We all understand that the economic future looks shaky... unemployment will remain high, commercial and residential foreclosures will continue, and the high deficits and weak dollar will put on ceiling on the recovery. Yet, September's stock market keeps rising to the incredulity of the Bears.The tide of rising asset prices lift all boats (assets, that is). Despite the warnings that housing prices can continue to crash up to 25% lower (per…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    This Month in Real Estate History

  • "There is something vitally stimulating about a convention"

    2 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pm
    NOVEMBER 2009 -- "There is something stimulating about a convention," the National Real Estate Journal reported in November, 1939. "It is enjoyable, for one thing, to greet old friends, to make new ones, to swap stories and experiences in the general companionship of a Realtors' convention." That year 1600 REALTORS® and guests gathered at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. They came from 37 different states and the Territory of Hawaii to discuss issues vital to real estate. Accourding to the Journal, those included "the reclamation of blighted areas of our cities; brokerage problems involved…

  • The REALTORS® Land Institute -- 65 years old (and then some)

    15 Oct 2009 | 1:49 pm
    OCTOBER 2009 -- In October 1944, George Domm, a Michigan farm broker, became the first president of the REALTORS® Land Institute. Originally known as the Agricultural Institute, the new group was an affiliate of the National Association, created to represent the interests of real estate professionals specializing in farmland and rural properties. Over the next three years, Domm organized the Institute’s Board of Directors, created chapters in sixteen states, and nearly tripled the Institute’s original membership of 178. But RLI's story begins much earlier than 1944. By 1920 farm brokers…

  • Staging Advice from Emily Post

    9 Sep 2009 | 11:58 am
    SEPTEMBER 2009 -- “The requirement of a house of charm is that it shall be completely satisfying to live in.” So wrote American etiquette expert Emily Post in September, 1943, for the National Real Estate Journal. “Comfort …means perfect adjustment to whatever it may please you to have or to do…it means the adaptability of the surroundings that are yours, to your family and to you.” “Beautiful objects contribute to a beautiful house,” Post wrote, “and yet, cost as a standard of beauty could not be a less accurate test. Many simple little houses that have scarcely an object…

  • "The backbone of a real estate board"

    17 Aug 2009 | 2:02 pm
    AUGUST 2009 -- Today they are called Association Executives, but in 1914 they were called Secretaries. Then as now they were the backbones of their local REALTOR® associations. The National Association of REALTORS® was only six years old when Milwaukee REALTOR® R. Bruce Douglas gave a speech that was hailed as a classic, “The Backbone of a Real Estate Board.” It was published in the National Real Estate Journal in August 1914. “A board composed of men of character, standing before a public which has been compelled to acknowledge their superior qualities is in position to demand…

  • Interstate highways beckoned REALTORS®

    1 Jul 2009 | 2:24 pm
    JULY 2009 -- In July of 1956 REALTORS® across America saw opportunities in a project that would change the country. The Interstate Highway System had been approved by Congress and would be signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The new program designated 40,000 miles of highway as part of a "Federal Superhighway System." The program's price was set at $33 billion.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Death and Taxes Blog

  • State Death Taxes

    5 Nov 2009 | 8:17 am
    Ordinarily I hate using the phrase "death taxes," but I'll make an exception here because: 1. "State estate taxes" is a horrible phrase to utter; and 2. "State estate taxes" really isn't accurate, since some states have an inheritance tax (in place of or in addition to an estate tax). Anywho, over the weekend the Wall Street Journal had a nice article by Laura Sanders entitled "State Death Taxes Are the Latest Worry." Here is the link. (By the way, unless you want to be depressed about the future of civilization, don't read the comments.) The issue relates a bit to what I discussed in my last…

  • Unpaid Child Support in Probate

    3 Nov 2009 | 8:38 am
    Over the past 10 or 20 years, Illinois has worked to make it easier for ex-spouses to collect unpaid child support. Two ways in which this is done: 1. Section 12-108 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, which eliminates the statute of limitations for child support. ("Child support judgments... may be enforced at any time."); and 2. Sections 2-1303 and 12-109 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, which indicate that interest judgments SHALL accrue at 9% per year. You should view probate as another (and your last) bite at the apple if you have a claim against someone. So, a woman might…

  • The QTIP, Part 2

    26 Oct 2009 | 9:41 pm
    Let me add a little bit of a wrinkle to the discussion in my last post, by introducing the concept of the state estate tax. This is extremely relevant to the new Illinois QTIP statute. Yes, most states (including Illinois) have an estate tax. But, in the past, this tax was hard to spot. Why? Because, on the federal estate tax return, you would get something called a "state death tax credit" (essentially, a credit for state estate taxes paid). And most states (again, including Illinois) had what was known as a "pick-up tax" or "sponge tax," meaning that their estate tax was equal to the state…

  • The QTIP, Part 1

    26 Oct 2009 | 4:05 pm
    I'd like to spend a few posts talking about QTIPs. No, I'm not talking about the cotton swabs you aren't supposed to stick in your ear but do. Nor am I talking about the rapper from A Tribe Called Quest who is best known for his guest spot on Deee-Lite's single "Groove Is In The Heart." Rather, I'm talking about Qualified Terminable Interest Property. To talk about QTIPs in this last sense, we need to talk about how the estate tax works. I'll try to be brief, and simplify (maybe over-simplify). The idea of the estate tax is, roughly, as follows: 1. There's no estate tax on property left to a…

  • Inheritance Laws and the EU

    21 Oct 2009 | 9:23 am
    The Economist's Charlemagne blog has a really interesting article this week about the European Commission's guidelines for inheritance involving assets in more than one EU country. The link is here. As the article indicates, this is really a dispute between Britain (England and Wales) and the other 26 EU countries. Most EU countries have some form of forced heirship -- that is, the decedent's children must inherit a portion of the estate (in equal shares), and -- with some rare exceptions -- cannot be disinherited. Such a concept of "forced heirship" is totally alien to people in Britain and…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog

  • 1 + 1 + 1 = 4: The Power of Integrated Marketing, Part I

    Molly Castelazo
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:21 pm
    Despite what you learned in kindergarten, 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 doesn’t always equal 4.  If you leverage the power of integrated marketing, it can equal 7 – or more.  It’s not funny math, I promise; it’s reflective of the greater power your marketing efforts will have as an integrated group rather than on their own. If you buy in to the concept, even to humor me for a few minutes, read on to learn about the essential pieces of a basic* online marketing campaign and how to integrate those pieces: Step 1: Develop your website Ten years ago, having a website made you really stand out…

  • Use XFruits to Create Your Personal MLS for FSBOs

    Justin McClelland
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:02 am
    As a Real Estate investor, you will need to look to various nooks to find hidden gem properties throughout your career.  Of course properties can be found on the MLS, but that rules out the FSBO (For Sale By Owner) seller.  As the internet progresses and evolves, FSBO sellers are seizing the broad audience that the internet yields by posting their properties to various websites. Just a few of these websites are: Craigslist.com Backpage.com FSBO.com ForSalebyOwner.com Trulia.com And there are many more.  You can spend hours and hours of your time scouring these sites…

  • The Health Care Bill and Real Estate Investors / Professionals

    Tom Koziol
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:30 am
    At first blush, these two seem like polar opposites. After all, what does the proposed health care bill being ballyhooed have to do with real estate investing? I will readily admit I haven’t read the 1900 plus page bill but I have a friend who did. I won’t tell you about the number and size of emails he has sent me but suffice it to say, he has read it. For starters, the IRS is the agency that will enforce its mandates. Real estate investors are forced to deal with this behemoth on at least an annual basis. Sometimes it is even fun, right? NOT! If that is the case, imagine having…

  • IRS Eases Restrictions on Commercial Loan Modifications

    Ted Karsch
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm
    The IRS has issued a new rule IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-45 IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-45 that eases the restrictions on modifications of commercial mortgages that have been packaged into commercial mortgage backed securities. This action allows borrowers to open discussions with the loan servicer prior to any default in an attempt to work out the loan. Prior to this new rule only a very small number or loans in a servicing pool could be modified and they must already have been in arrears. What is the Commercial Loan Modification Process? Do you or someone you know own an apartment building…

  • Wholesaling and Repair Estimates – You Don’t Need to be an Expert!

    Stephani Davis
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am
    When I was just getting started as a wholesaler, one of my greatest fears was that I was not going to be able to estimate repair costs accurately for my end buyers. I had no prior rehab experience, and the thought of learning the costs involved in rehabbing an entire house was extremely intimidating to me. What I soon found out was that rehab estimates can vary greatly from investor to investor, depending on what their exit strategy is. For example…some buyers prefer to rehab properties from top to bottom and sell to retail buyers, while others will only do the minimal amount of repairs…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    GeekEstate Blog

  • Walk Score Releases Public Transit Data

    Drew Meyers
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pm
    For those who were using Walk Score’s real estate tile, you now have public transit data on your website (for the 40 cities covered) as a result of the addition of transit data to Walk Score. You can learn more over on the Walk Score Blog.

  • Twitter DM Phishing Program Going Around

    Drew Meyers
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:48 am
    If you get a DM that says “hey, FIND Out your IQ! here [link]” or “hi, look at this quiz [link]” — DON’T click the link. If you’ve experienced this but already clicked the link (doh!), change your password immediately. Additionally, tell the person that the DM came from so they are aware that their Twitter account has been compromised and to change their password. Scammers/Spammers suck.

  • Ian Watt’s Talk at Coach Tom Ferry’s Event in San Diego

    Stephen Jagger
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am
    Vancouver Realtor Ian Watt was invited to speak in San Diego yesterday at Coach Tom Ferry’s real estate agent event. He spoke right after Tom Ferry and before Gary Vee – not a bad lineup to be included in. For those that missed it, here is Ian’s talk:

  • How To: Eliminate the Guesswork from Site Design

    Matthew Swanson
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:04 am
    Over the past few months, there have been several excellent summaries on website design on Geek Estate. Drew’s post talked about the 9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design and Jeff put together a great article about website design and usability and how it can make a huge difference. When discussing design changes, it can be a very grey area. Everyone has an opinion: the CEO, the developers, the marketing team, your mom (ok, so maybe not your mom). But you get the idea. Today, I want to introduce to you a tool that will allow you to eliminate the guesswork from site design. Yup,…

  • Web 3.0 – A Post Intended to “Define” & “Design”

    TheRECoach
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:47 am
    Good Morning Everyone, I am posting this on Geek Estate because I am sure that the comments and discussions that are derived from it, will be from some of the finest, and most daring thinkers in Real Estate. Afterall, this is where anyone, who is someone, comes for the latest in Real Estate Technology…isn’t it? My topic is Web 3.0, what will it look like? How can we help shape it? and most importantly, How can we use it to improve our “Internet Persona”? Be first to market, so to speak. It was just 3 short years ago that I, and many others in the REBlog space, began…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Construction Industry News - Construction Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

  • Contractor chosen for Banks portion

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm
    An Alabama contractor has been hired to build the private portion of the Banks riverfront development project. Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is expected to start building a 300-unit apartment building and 80,000 square feet of retail space in December. The Birmingham contractor was selected after a competitive process, according to a press release from Carter and the Dawson Co., the master development team for the Banks.

  • United Security Bank of Sparta fails

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pm
    Regulators seized tiny United Security Bank of Sparta, Ga., Friday, making it the state's 21st failure of the year, as Georgia’s banking crisis shows no sign of abating.

  • Fidelity posts loss for fiscal 2009

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pm
    Fidelity Bancorp Inc., Pittsburgh, Friday reported a net loss of $1.99 million, or 66 cents per diluted share, for its fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

  • Real deals: Warehouse sells for $5M

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm
    Fisher Scientific Co. LLC has purchased the warehouse it already occupies in the Montbello industrial park for $5.05 million. (TMO)

  • National Retail reports 23% drop in 3Q

    6 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    National Retail Properties Inc. reported a 23 percent decline in net income for the third quarter of 2009. (NNN)
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Mortgage News Daily

  • MBS CLOSE: Tumultuous Week Sees MBS Gain, Tsy's Lose

    Matthew Graham
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm
    Posted To: MBS CommentaryIn a week that promised to be eventful, MBS played the volatility role with the rest of the market, but left it's benchmark's in the dust when all was said and done. The measure of the secondary MBS market that takes into consideration the prepayment speed weighted yields as well as the production mix of MBS volume and expresses that notional yield at parity fell to 4.258 (that's secondary market current coupon, btw...). With the 10yr yield ringing the 3.5 bell right on the nose, that brought spreads between MBS and Tsy's to an eye-wateringly tight…

  • MBS AFTERNOON: Like It Never Happened...

    Matthew Graham
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    Posted To: MBS CommentaryIn breaking news, it has been determined that today's NFP report was all an elaborate hoax that was never intended to have any effect on the markets beyond today. Or at least that's how the headline could read at the top of the list of "things that would not surprise us." What do I mean? Nothing more than this: After all the sturm and drang of AM volatility, the market continues in the exact same direction suggested by it's previous trends, which would have been for a reversal at 3.56 (yesterday) and a continuation of the rally into today…

  • Obama Signs Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension. Will It Be Effective?

    Jann Swanson
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:43 am
    Posted To: MND NewsWireIt is finally official. The homebuyers' tax credit has been extended to April 30, 2010. President Barack Obama approved the extension as part of a $24 billion economic stimulus bill signed Friday. The bill also includes an extension of unemployment benefits to the longtime jobless and tax credits for some businesses. The housing tax credit portion of the bill extends the $8,000 tax credit for home buyers who are purchasing their first home from the current November 30 deadline and expands the program to offer a credit of $6,500 to other homeowners who have lived in…

  • Fannie Mae Posts 3Q Loss; Asks Treasury for More Money

    Jann Swanson
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:31 am
    Posted To: MND NewsWireCiting 22.0 billion of credit-related expenses, Fannie Mae Thursday night announced it lost a net $18.9 billion in the third quarter of 2009. Losses in the second quarter totaled $14.8 billion and $30 billion in the third quarter of 2009. The third quarter loss resulted in a net deficit of $15 billion as of September 30 and prompted the Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to request an additional infusion of that amount from the Department of the Treasury. FHFA has asked that the $15 million be made available by December 31. The loss on a per…

  • MBS MORNING: MBS Settling Into The Green Groove

    Matthew Graham
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:29 am
    Posted To: MBS CommentaryWe'd expect the wake of a much-anticipated NFP print to be volatile... That assumption isn't really a big leap of faith for most market watchers, and indeed that's what we're seeing. But as the volatility decreases, we're seeing suggestions of both stability and correction. Traders are preparing to cash in... So should you... Let's discuss the chart for a moment... Generally, today is a green one for MBS. I wouldn't even pay much mind to the outlying levels following NFP as those are merely the more violent death throws of the volatility…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Homes101 Real Estate News

  • Sellers' Quick Lawn Fix

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    It's one of the most unsightly and often hard to fix trouble spots for homeowners -- a lawn that has gone to the dogs!

  • Developing Your Referral Strategy

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    To develop referrals, start with a referral mindset.

  • 30-Year Fixed Rate Falls Below 5 Percent

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    McLean, VA -- Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.98 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending November 5, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.03 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.20 percent.

  • Investor Report: Have We Finally Hit Bottom?

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    It's a question that's relevant to investors in just about any once-hot market that's gone from boom to bust: Have prices finally bottomed out? Or could they be poised for still further declines?

  • Is Your Agent Experienced in Distressed Properties?

    4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    If you are buying a short sale, foreclosed home or other distressed property, you ought to have someone experienced in distressed properties working for you.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Talk to CJ

  • Does it come with the house? How to decide.

    CJ Brasiel
    3 Nov 2009 | 7:27 am
    As buyers walk through a home it is not uncommon that they fall in love with a certain room or aspect of the home.  Maybe it is the dining room and the beautiful chandelier.  Maybe it is the basketball hoop in driveway.  Maybe it is the six-burner professional grade gas stove in the kitchen.  Whatever [...]

  • Shadow Inventory – Myth Busted by Foreclosure Radar.com

    CJ Brasiel
    18 Oct 2009 | 5:06 pm
    The number of "notices of defaults" (NODs) are climbing and climbing. But the reality is the current home buyer is not the one being able to take advantage of these returned homes.

  • How’s the Housing Market in Willow Glen – San Jose?

    CJ Brasiel
    8 Oct 2009 | 7:44 pm
    The market barometer that indicates whether or not the Willow Glen area is in a buyer's market or seller's market. Currently, there is only about four months of inventory on hand which would lean toward a seller's market.

  • Inventory Declines, While Pending Sales Continue to Rise. Where are the REOs?

    CJ Brasiel
    10 Sep 2009 | 9:21 pm
    Inventory of single-family, re-sale homes continued falling in August, and it is now down 59.3% year-over-year.  Pending sales, meanwhile, climbed 52.2% from July, and were up 90.7% compared to August 2008.  After rising four months in a row, the median price for homes took a breather last month and was down 6.4% from July, a [...]

  • Is the Real Estate Market in San Jose still a Buyer’s Market? Bottomless Answer.

    CJ Brasiel
    4 Sep 2009 | 1:55 pm
    I have been thinking about this topic for the last two months.  Trying to figure out how to get it encapsulated into the shortest blog post as I am constantly being told blog posts should not be too long.  It seems impossible to crunch this topic into a quick read, but I am going to [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    National Commercial Real Estate News From CoStar Group

  • $175M Fetches Kimco Full Ownership in 21 Shopping Centers

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:03 am
    Shopping center REIT, Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE:KIM), has acquired an 85% interest in the 21 retail properties held under PL Retail Portfolio, its joint venture fund with DRA Advisors. The$175 million acquisition brings Kimco's ownership in the...

  • Borders Closing 200 Waldenbooks Stores in January

    6 Nov 2009 | 12:16 am
    The country's second-largest brick and mortar book retailer, Borders Group, is closing 200 of its mall-based Waldenbooks stores in January. As a result, approximately 1,500 positions--the majority of which are part-time jobs--will be eliminated. Borders...

  • Equity One Acquires Westbury Plaza for $103.7M from Kimco/DRA

    5 Nov 2009 | 8:13 pm
    On Oct. 29, Equity One acquired Westbury Plaza for $103.7 million from joint owners, Kimco Realty Corporation and DRA Advisors. Westbury Plaza is a 400,000-square-foot shopping center situated at 1220-1250 Old Country Road in the center of Nassau...

  • Coventry Files $500M Lawsuit Against Developers Diversified

    5 Nov 2009 | 1:23 am
    Late on Nov. 4, New York-based Coventry Real Estate Advisors announced that it filed a $500 million lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court against shopping center REIT Developers Diversified Realty (NYSE: DDR). According to Coventry, the lawsuit...

  • Blackstone and Glimcher Launch $320M Joint Venture

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:26 am
    The Blackstone Group and mall REIT, Glimcher Realty Trust, entered into a joint venture agreement that would be seeded by two of Glimcher's best malls -- Lloyd Center in Portland and WestShore Plaza in Tampa. Under terms of the joint venture, Blackstone...
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    1000Watt Consulting

  • RPR Madness! NAR unleashes national property database with Cyberhomes

    Brian Boero
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:49 pm
    [What follows is my somewhat stream of consciousness take on today's events. This post is a beast. Interested in your thoughts. And please point out where you think I've missed the mark. More will follow.] The NAR has taken over certain technology assets of Cyberhomes from LPS (formerly known as FNRES) in order to bring its RPR (Realtors Property Resource) project, as well as its consumer-facing play, HouseLogic, to market. To do this, they have created Realtors Property Resource, LLC – a wholly owned subsidiary of the NAR. Certain LPS executives, including Cyberhomes GM Marty Frame,…

  • Better Homes and Gardens takes real estate iPhone Apps beyond listings

    Brian Boero
    5 Nov 2009 | 6:08 am
    Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate [Disclosure: They are a 1000watt Consulting client] released an iPhone app yesterday. The brand, which is just over a year old, has a strong lifestyle vibe. From their perspective, real estate is more about living a life in a great place than simply buying or selling a house. This app reflects that distinction. First of all, this is a real estate application with no listings. It is not a home search app. Rather, it aims to help the user – presumably, here, a buyer – organize and simplify their home search. Users can take photos from the app while…

  • Something big coming in online real estate?

    Brian Boero
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:20 am
    I am hearing weird noises in the online real estate atmosphere. They are on a frequency few can register, and still fewer will acknowledge. A big deal is coming. The outlines must remain blurry at this point. But here are a few things to ponder: The NAR EXPO is a week away. The RPR (formerly and variously referred to as the  ”Gateway,” “The Real Estate Channel,” and the “Library/Archive”) has been a long time coming. The NAR seems to be scheduling tons of meetings next week for briefings. It has been a year since the NAR inked a deal with Move to build…

  • Turn off the Real Estate Muzak and demand perfection

    Marc Davison
    3 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pm
    After two years of writing, I finally realize what’s missing from the ideal real estate brokerage I have been trying to document. It was revealed to me Sunday night while in the theatre watching the Michael Jackson documentary This is it. Throughout, what came across the screen was a man on an endless pursuit of perfection. What separated Michael Jackson from other gifted artists was his inability to compromise. Ever. On anything. He chose the best dancers. Musicians. Set designers. Sound, lighting and special affects people. Directors. Producers. Choreographers. Singing coaches. He sought…

  • Further to my post about real estate needing to take its time with mobile …

    Brian Boero
    1 Nov 2009 | 8:42 pm
    Stumbled across this in the App Store this afternoon. Only thing missing is the dog!
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Zillow Blog - Real Estate Market Stats, Celebrity Real Estate, and Zillow News

  • Zillow COO Spencer Rascoff Talks How Jobs Affect Housing on Forbes.com

    Zillow Team
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pm
    It’s jobs and wages, not growth in the GDP that will really spur the housing recovery, Zillow’s Spencer Rascoff told Forbes. Spencer regularly participates in panel discussions on Forbes.com. Other participants include Donald Trump, Jr., Michael Feder of Radar Logic and Pat Lashinsky of ZipRealty. This time, the discussion centered around whether a weak housing market could tank the economy. Spencer responded by saying, “I tend not to focus on economic growth rates when thinking about the housing market, because economic growth typically includes government spending, and…

  • $8000 Tax Credit Extended Through April 30, 2010

    Diane Tuman
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:26 am
    In what has been urged as a must-have by real estate professionals and builders, the $8000 tax credit for first-time home buyers (previously due to expire Nov. 30), has been extended through April 30, 2010, according to the Associated Press. Not only has it been extended, but it has also been expanded to include more buyers. Details on Tax Credit Extension: $8000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers extended for buyers who sign a contract by April 30, 2010 (and who close by the end of June). $6500 tax credit offered to homebuyers who have lived in their current residence at least five years…

  • New Homebuyer Tax Credit Proposal: Impact on the Housing Market

    Stan Humphries
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:27 pm
    On a 403-12 vote today, the House of Representatives approved a measure to extend the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, along with a $6,500 tax credit for repeat homebuyers who have lived in their current homes for at least five years. The Senate has already approved the bill, and the President is expected to sign it tomorrow. To qualify for the credits, applicants must sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010 and have annual incomes below $125,000 (for individuals) and $250,000 (for joint filers). Income limits were previously $75,000 for individuals and…

  • Local Market Explorer v2 Now Available

    Drew Meyers
    5 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm
    The Local Market Explorer WP Plugin that we released in August just got an upgrade! Though the BETA version 2 has been available for a few weeks, it’s now officially available for download in the Wordpress Plugin directory. Here’s what’s new with version 2: Support for neighborhoods and ZIPs rather than just cities Additional flexibility to re-order the various modules on the page More market statistics are now included in the market statistics module Support for video embeds (Scripps Ranch example on Geek Estate with Kris Berg’s video embedded) in the about module A…

  • Buy vs. Rent Question by First-time Buyer

    Diane Tuman
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am
    Zillow user Muddslide says in Zillow Advice: I’m a first time home buyer and have saved 200,000. I’m looking for a great deal, but am really gun shy. It’s nice to hear there really are people who have been careful and not been sucked into the subprime seducements of the past few years. What would you do?
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Trulia Blog - Real Estate Blog

  • Senate and House Approve Tax Credit Extension

    Heather, vp of marketing
    5 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pm
    Here are the details of the tax credit extension/expansion that the House and Senate have passed (HR 3548) First-timers: Extend the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. Previously was set to expire after Nov. 30.First-time homebuyer is defined as someone who has not owned a residence within the past three years. Existing owners:$6,500 credit for those who buy a home after living in their current house at least five of the last eight years. Extension:Contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. Home requirement: principal residences priced…

  • Reggie Bush and DJ AM Party Pads For Sale

    Sharon, Marketing Coordinator
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:55 am
    The homes of Reggie Bush & DJ AM are on the market Reggie Bush, running back for the New Orleans Saints AND currently ON again with Kim Kardashian, lists his 4 bedroom, 5.5 bath urban oasis located at 1501 Viewsite Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90069 with explosive 360 degree jet liner views spanning the city and beyond. Set along the sunset strip, the pad includes a personal elevator, outdoor plasma tv’s (if watching indoors isn’t good enough), glass pocket doors (so you can have a view at all times) and a master suite on its own floor (for maximum privacy). Reggie, are you moving…

  • Not all listings are created equal (or, how to game Trulia search results)

    Sami, coo & co-founder
    29 Oct 2009 | 1:37 pm
    Earlier this week, a real estate broker asked me, ”Can you game the Trulia search results ranking?” The answer is simple: Yes - the more interesting you make your listings to consumers, the more exposure and home buyer inquiries your listings will get. Everyone has heard about the Google Page Rank and algorithms that Google uses to rank their search results. Individuals and businesses spend a considerable amount of effort to understand what it takes to climb up the rankings. Therefore, it didn’t come as a surprise to me that we’ve started to receive an increasing number…

  • Tax Credit Update — is expanding it a good thing?

    Heather, vp of marketing
    29 Oct 2009 | 10:30 am
    Looks like we have a NEW plan to consider on the extension of the home buyers’ tax credit.   (We talked about the old one yesterday).  Seems Baucus/Reid/Dodd/Isakson team has come to an agreement to merge their proposals into one.  Media outlets are all reporting different income limits, but this is what the Congressional Quarterly reported as of late last night: $8K tax credit — amount remains the same for first time home buyers Extension — will be for sales contracts entered into by April 30, 2010, and escrow closed in 60 days Homeowners included — $6.5K tax…

  • Extend the home buyer tax credit

    Heather, vp of marketing
    28 Oct 2009 | 12:29 pm
    There are a number of strong opinions on the extension of the $8K first time home buyer tax credit. Ultimately, the debate is about whether or not it is creating long term value for the economy, versus a short term artificial prop up for home prices.  In my view, and the view of many on Trulia Voices, it’s a logical step in bringing long term stability into the market. Given the fluid nature of Congress, who knows what the final proposal that hits the Senate–>House–>Obama’s desk will look like.  But today’s Reid/Baucus plan which includes an extension of…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog

  • 1 + 1 + 1 = 4: The Power of Integrated Marketing, Part I

    Molly Castelazo
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:21 pm
    Despite what you learned in kindergarten, 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 doesn’t always equal 4.  If you leverage the power of integrated marketing, it can equal 7 – or more.  It’s not funny math, I promise; it’s reflective of the greater power your marketing efforts will have as an integrated group rather than on their own. If you buy in to the concept, even to humor me for a few minutes, read on to learn about the essential pieces of a basic* online marketing campaign and how to integrate those pieces: Step 1: Develop your website Ten years ago, having a website made you really stand out…

  • Use XFruits to Create Your Personal MLS for FSBOs

    Justin McClelland
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:02 am
    As a Real Estate investor, you will need to look to various nooks to find hidden gem properties throughout your career.  Of course properties can be found on the MLS, but that rules out the FSBO (For Sale By Owner) seller.  As the internet progresses and evolves, FSBO sellers are seizing the broad audience that the internet yields by posting their properties to various websites. Just a few of these websites are: Craigslist.com Backpage.com FSBO.com ForSalebyOwner.com Trulia.com And there are many more.  You can spend hours and hours of your time scouring these sites…

  • The Health Care Bill and Real Estate Investors / Professionals

    Tom Koziol
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:30 am
    At first blush, these two seem like polar opposites. After all, what does the proposed health care bill being ballyhooed have to do with real estate investing? I will readily admit I haven’t read the 1900 plus page bill but I have a friend who did. I won’t tell you about the number and size of emails he has sent me but suffice it to say, he has read it. For starters, the IRS is the agency that will enforce its mandates. Real estate investors are forced to deal with this behemoth on at least an annual basis. Sometimes it is even fun, right? NOT! If that is the case, imagine having…

  • IRS Eases Restrictions on Commercial Loan Modifications

    Ted Karsch
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm
    The IRS has issued a new rule IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-45 IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-45 that eases the restrictions on modifications of commercial mortgages that have been packaged into commercial mortgage backed securities. This action allows borrowers to open discussions with the loan servicer prior to any default in an attempt to work out the loan. Prior to this new rule only a very small number or loans in a servicing pool could be modified and they must already have been in arrears. What is the Commercial Loan Modification Process? Do you or someone you know own an apartment building…

  • Wholesaling and Repair Estimates – You Don’t Need to be an Expert!

    Stephani Davis
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am
    When I was just getting started as a wholesaler, one of my greatest fears was that I was not going to be able to estimate repair costs accurately for my end buyers. I had no prior rehab experience, and the thought of learning the costs involved in rehabbing an entire house was extremely intimidating to me. What I soon found out was that rehab estimates can vary greatly from investor to investor, depending on what their exit strategy is. For example…some buyers prefer to rehab properties from top to bottom and sell to retail buyers, while others will only do the minimal amount of repairs…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    RealSeekr.com Blog

  • Whopping 55% increased in homes sold for Farmington homes (posted by ogden homes)

    6 Nov 2009 | 5:15 am
    According to the graphicrepresentation of Farmington Utah Homesfor Sale, the number of homes sold was greater than last year's sales by a whopping55%. The median sales price the sellers were asking for was $244,762.5 butthese homes were actually sold for the median price of $231,660 therefore thepercent difference between the original price and the sold price was 95%. ;  ;Lastyear's median sold price was $295,000 whereas the median sold price this yearwas $231,660 so year over year home price were down by 21.47%.  ; There are 122 homes that arecurrently for sale in Farmington…

  • Dwindling of sales in West Bountiful Utah houses (posted by ogden homes)

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:40 am
      At present, there are 24active properties that are currently for sale in West bountiful Utah homes.Only 1 property listed to be under contract and four sold properties listed forWest Bountiful homes for sale. Last October of 2008 there were 8 homes sold inWest Bountiful homes, this year it ped down to only 1 number of homes sold.This basically explains that there is an annual decrease in the sales of WestBountiful real estate by 87.50%. Last year's homes sale was recorded to be thebest sales for West Bountiful homes since 2006. ;Home sold has an originalprice of $219,600 and was…

  • Centerville Real Estate getting better in the past 3 months (posted by ogden homes)

    5 Nov 2009 | 5:06 am
    Here now is the monthly updatefor Centerville Utah Real Estate to keep you up to date of the up-to-the-minutereal estate development in Centerville Utah. As of October 2009, there were 99active properties listed in CentervilleUtah Homes for Sale which stayed on the market for 75 median days. This wasthe longest median days it stayed on the market in the past 3 months.  ;Centerville Utah Houses had a median listprice of $229,000 and the median sold price was only $214,000. The number of homes listed in real estate Centerville Utah as of themoment that still under contract was 18 and the…

  • Current market conditions for Clinton Utah houses (posted by ogden homes)

    5 Nov 2009 | 12:27 am
    Presently, there were 152 homesthat were for sale in Clinton, Utah.  Thenumber of properties listed to be under contract was 22 having a median dollarper square foot value of $84.86. The median sold price as of October 2009 for Clinton Homes was $165,000 this was outof the original list price of $173,900. As compared to last year's data thereis neither increase nor decrease in Clinton homes that were for sale. For thepast 3 years, the price of Clinton Homesfor Sale enormously go down therefore makes Clinton Utah Real Estate abuyer's market.  ;

  • Prices shrinking in Clearfield Utah Real Estate (posted by ogden homes)

    4 Nov 2009 | 6:42 am
    Presently, there were about 63 number of homes sold inClearfield Utah. These homes were sold for the median price of $146,950 making ClearfieldUtah houses low-cost to those who want to buy homes in Clearfield. There werecurrently 143 active properties that are for sale where 35 of these are undercontract properties. The homes that went under contract stayed only 45 mediandays on the market. Either way, it seems great deals on the side of buyers thistime. This is just an indication that realestate in Clearfield Utah market is steady, and that it's always a goodchoice to buy homes in…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    GeekEstate Blog

  • Walk Score Releases Public Transit Data

    Drew Meyers
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pm
    For those who were using Walk Score’s real estate tile, you now have public transit data on your website (for the 40 cities covered) as a result of the addition of transit data to Walk Score. You can learn more over on the Walk Score Blog.

  • Twitter DM Phishing Program Going Around

    Drew Meyers
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:48 am
    If you get a DM that says “hey, FIND Out your IQ! here [link]” or “hi, look at this quiz [link]” — DON’T click the link. If you’ve experienced this but already clicked the link (doh!), change your password immediately. Additionally, tell the person that the DM came from so they are aware that their Twitter account has been compromised and to change their password. Scammers/Spammers suck.

  • Ian Watt’s Talk at Coach Tom Ferry’s Event in San Diego

    Stephen Jagger
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am
    Vancouver Realtor Ian Watt was invited to speak in San Diego yesterday at Coach Tom Ferry’s real estate agent event. He spoke right after Tom Ferry and before Gary Vee – not a bad lineup to be included in. For those that missed it, here is Ian’s talk:

  • How To: Eliminate the Guesswork from Site Design

    Matthew Swanson
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:04 am
    Over the past few months, there have been several excellent summaries on website design on Geek Estate. Drew’s post talked about the 9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design and Jeff put together a great article about website design and usability and how it can make a huge difference. When discussing design changes, it can be a very grey area. Everyone has an opinion: the CEO, the developers, the marketing team, your mom (ok, so maybe not your mom). But you get the idea. Today, I want to introduce to you a tool that will allow you to eliminate the guesswork from site design. Yup,…

  • Web 3.0 – A Post Intended to “Define” & “Design”

    TheRECoach
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:47 am
    Good Morning Everyone, I am posting this on Geek Estate because I am sure that the comments and discussions that are derived from it, will be from some of the finest, and most daring thinkers in Real Estate. Afterall, this is where anyone, who is someone, comes for the latest in Real Estate Technology…isn’t it? My topic is Web 3.0, what will it look like? How can we help shape it? and most importantly, How can we use it to improve our “Internet Persona”? Be first to market, so to speak. It was just 3 short years ago that I, and many others in the REBlog space, began…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Real Estate Bloggers

  • An Open Letter to Move Inc on How To Be Profitable

    Tom Royce
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:25 am
    Dear Move Inc Braintrust, Okay, you get a great deal on one of the premier properties on the web. The real estate portal Realtor.com is yours to monetize. Yet you do such a poor job with it that the people whose name you have on it actively dislike you. Competitors are able to offer a free alternative that gets more press and accolades then you receive. And it is costing you $758,000 in the third quarter. You would think that any company with half a brain would start MOVE–ing in a new direction to maximize the asset, not further junk it up. Listen carefully MOVE INC, and…

  • $8,000 New Home Buyer Tax Credit, $6,500 Old Home Buyer Tax Credit

    Tom Royce
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:42 am
    The Senate last night passed an extension of the $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit for new home buyers and added on a $6,500 bonus for those who are buying a new home and have lived in their old home for 5 of the 8 previous years. The House of Representatives is expected to pass the bill and the White House has said they will sign it. So what does it mean? I think most of those that wanted to buy and were conscious of the benefits of this government handout have already taken advantage of it. So to not have a complete flop, the government added the $6,500 kicker for those who have already…

  • Nicolas Cage Selling Real Estate Empire

    Tom Royce
    4 Nov 2009 | 6:36 am
    Reports are that bad business decisions, he is suing his business manager for 20 million dollars, is forcing the actor to liquidate his housing holding around the world. The IRS has a 6.3 million dollar lien on a couple of his houses and the actor has an auction scheduled for November 12th in New Orleans to sell 2 of his properties including the Haunted LaLaurie Mansion that he bought in 2007. His holdings have included a pair of apartments on a swanky stretch of New York’s Fifth Avenue, a Bavarian castle in Germany, Dean Martin’s former home in Beverly Hills, Calif., and a…

  • In Canada, MLS Under Extreme Pressure

    Tom Royce
    4 Nov 2009 | 6:26 am
    The multiple listing services around the United States may be wise to watch what is happening up in Canada. Real estate leaders in Canada have been brought before the competition committee to see how the use of the MLS up there increases the cost of housing. The Competition Bureau of Canada is playing its cards close to its vest, but it confirms it is leaning on the real estate industry nationwide to “voluntarily” ease rules that impose high costs on sellers who use the ubiquitous Multiple Listing Service. And the bureau has some big sticks to wield if it doesn’t get its…

  • Federal Judge To Mortgage Companies: Show Paperwork or There is No Mortgage

    Tom Royce
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:44 am
    A case in White Plains, New York is sure to put the fear of God into mortgage companies looking to foreclose upon homeowners. The need to show the actual paperwork that constituted the mortgage. The failure to do so compelled a Federal Judge to wipe out a $461,263 mortgage because there was no proof that it existed. With all the securitizations  of mortgages and the selling of them at such a high velocity, original paperwork can be hard to track down. If the mortgage servicers have to find all the original paperwork to foreclose upon a residence they may end up being in big trouble. And…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Sellsius real estate marketing blog

  • The Value of Having Good Home Insurance

    Guest Post
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:17 pm
    Guest post author: Shayna A. Home insurance has become a necessity as burglaries are on the rise and the possibility of natural disasters has increased in the last few years. These occurrences and other tragedies are not unlikely, and without insurance you may not be able to pay for damages. Damages can lower the cost of your property. Furthermore, all home insurance policies are not created equal. Trying to save a few dollars may cause you more headache and future expenses. Choosing a good home insurance policy requires as much time and thought as buying a home. You may not see the value…

  • Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate App for Buyers

    jfsellsius
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:56 pm
    Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has just released an easy to use iPhone app for home buyers called Home Selection Assistant. FREE. It’s designed to let you take and organize photos of homes you see, as well as immediately access helpful information on the neighborhood, local schools, and more while you’re in the house– no need to wait to you get home to surf the net. A nice time saver. Features include: • GPS enabled–pinpoints the photo’s location and displays comparative home values, local school district information, population demographics, and nearby…

  • iPhone App Aggregator Apptism Finds the Perfect iPhone App for You

    Joseph Ferrara
    4 Nov 2009 | 8:08 pm
    Looking for a Real Estate app, or other cool app, for your iPhone? Visit Apptism, the only iPhone app aggregator I know of.  Search and get the 411 on 100,441 iPhone apps. 50 to 100 apps are added or updated daily.  Gadzooks. Apptism gives the app description, price, reviews, news, top apps (free and paid), screenshots, videos. Filter apps by Category, Activity Type, Free/Paid, Price, Rating. Save your apps or set up a wish list. I found the global !Emergency! app  in Apptism– it will figure which country you are and locate the 911. Technorati Tags: apptism, iphone, apps, cool tools

  • Writers Wanted By Examiner.com

    Joseph Ferrara
    3 Nov 2009 | 8:05 pm
    Examiner.com is looking for writers to become Examiners for US or Canadian cities. Examiners are local insiders with specialized expertise about a particular subject who want to share it with their neighbors. If you are accepted into their network, you will: publish to a network with 17 million readers earn pay for views, visitors & ad clicks* add gig to your resume or professional portfolio choose what you cover within your topic (Categories include Neighborhoods, Home & Living, Social Media, and Business & Financing) be able to network with 20,000 Examiners *According to the…

  • Towns for Sale

    Joseph Ferrara
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:22 am
    It’s Election Day. Town mayors and city council officials are hoping for the votes to win the election, so they can run the town. Why buy votes when you can buy the town?  You’ll win every election.  You can be Mayor, Chief of Police, Postmaster, and operate the General Store These towns are (or were) listed for sale: Wide Awake, CO.  A ghost town. It includes 46 acres of private property and 175 acres of deeded Federal land.  The asking price is $250,000.  Beat writer Jack Kerouac once came to visit. (ghost towns are a bargain– Palisade, NV, sold for $125,000; Rocky…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Rain City Guide

  • Friday’s Rates following the Jobs Report

    Rhonda Porter
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:25 am
    This is the first Friday of the month and if you’ve been reading my rate post for a while, you know this means that The Jobs Report was released this morning.   The data from the Jobs Report revealed worse than expected data with unemployment at 10.2%  and 190,000 non-farm payroll jobs lost in October.   We now have the highest unemployment since 1983.   Those employed also face cutbacks–the average workweek for October was reported at a record low 33 hours.    Bad news for the economy tends to translate to improved mortgage rates as investors seek the safety of bonds,…

  • Two Homebuyer Credits in One Bill

    ARDELL
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:42 pm
    Well it’s all approved and just needs the President’s Signature, so I think we can pretty much call this Homebuyer Credit Bill a done deal. I am not going to call it an extension of the $8,000 credit, for fear that too many will miss the added $6,500 credit for *move up buyers. Two credits in one bill. We won’t have the IRS links until after the Bill is passed, of course, but I updated my post of last week to reflect all of the things I expect this bill to have. Very little change from what was expected. On the $6,500 credit start date, so far my info suggests contract date…

  • Fannie Mae Announces Deed for Lease Program

    Rhonda Porter
    5 Nov 2009 | 9:18 am
    In a press release this morning, Fannie Mae announced a new program for homeowners who are facing foreclosure and who do not qualify for a loan modification:  Deed for Lease.  Distressed homeowners would complete a deed in lieu of foreclosure back to the lender anad then rent their home from the lender at market rate.   Leases may be up to 12 months followed with a month to month option.   Jay Ryan, Vice President of Fannie Mae says: “This new program helps eliminate some of the uncertainty of foreclosure, keeps families and tenants in their homes during a transitional period,…

  • Investors, Tax Credit & 90 Day Seasoning.

    ARDELL
    5 Nov 2009 | 9:16 am
    I rarely write on investor topics, because most of my topics come from recent issues discussed with one or more of my clients. But this week I was speaking with one of the few investor clients I choose to work with, though I use the term “work with” loosely, as most of the time I tell him “no, I don’t think that’s going to work out well for you.” The client is looking at relatively lower priced homes. Without getting into too much detail due to confidentiality reasons, suffice it to say that the property purchased would end up back on market in a short…

  • Escrow Trenches: nutty funding conditions

    Tim
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:49 am
    Recall those episodes where Jerry Seinfeld grits his teeth and in one exasperated and frustrated breadth says, “Neeeewman!” Similarly, so do title and escrow staff in dealing with lender funding conditions and other challenges that seemingly are for no other purpose but to drive us to the closet for our straight-jackets. Unfortunately, some conditions cannot be easily met at the moment the request comes over the fax or e-mail.   Some require work that delays closings.  Or, in extreme cases a condition can completely shut down all other transactions you are working on for a…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Square Feet

  • United Commercial Bank Goes Down

    squarefeet
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pm
    United Commercial Bank of San Francisco has bitten the dust. The FDIC took over UCB on Friday. United Commercial Bank got into a lot of trouble with its commercial real estate loan portfolio recently, taking hits on loans made on assets such as Vietnam Town, and Cupertino Square/Vallco Mall. It has significant assets however, including [...]

  • 4280 Hacienda in Pleasanton In Default

    squarefeet
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pm
    A notice of default was filed on the 141,000 SF Britannia II building in Pleasanton. The building is 141,000 SF, and has a $41M first deed of trust on it with Bank of America. The property sits on about 8.3 acres. The notice of default was filed on October 27, 2009. Asking rate is $1.75 [...]

  • Commercial Real Estate Bust Makes BusinessWeek Cover

    squarefeet
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:04 am
    The main stream media is really starting to pickup the commercial real estate fallout. This in our opinion is a good thing seeing how they are usually late to the party. We’ve been talking about the trouble for a few years now, but we’ve seen increasing amounts of segments on CRE, mostly on Bloomberg and CNBC. [...]

  • US Unemployment Breaches 10%

    squarefeet
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:46 am
    Unemployment rate numbers were released, and we’re officially in double-digit territory nationwide, 10.2% to be exact. The last time we were over 10% was in 1983.

  • Who Are The Largest Firms Investing Internationally For US Clients? Here’s The Top 10

    squarefeet
    6 Nov 2009 | 7:30 am
    We previously posted a top ten list of the largest firms who handle investments in US real estate for foreigner. Somebody emailed us wanting to know who the top 10 money management firms were who invested internationally on behalf of US investors. Here they are below, ranked by tax-exempt status as of about mid-2009. The [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Real Estate Market Conditions

  • ZipRealty Price Reductions By Metro, October 2009

    ziprealty
    5 Nov 2009 | 2:13 pm
    Download Price Reductions for October 2009. Click image below for a larger view.

  • ZipRealty Home Inventory by Metro, October 2009

    ziprealty
    4 Nov 2009 | 3:31 pm
    Download Inventory Data for October 2009. Click on the image below for a larger view: View a chart of the ten markets that experienced the biggest month over month inventory declines. View a chart of the ten markets that experienced the biggest year-over-year inventory declines. View a chart of the ten markets with the biggest month-over-month drop in median list price.

  • Chicago, IL – Will County Housing Update for September 2009

    ziprealty
    15 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am
    County: WillYear to Year Comparison MonthSep-2008Sep-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price96%95%-1%Sold Homes5806146%Listing Price Per Home $ 244,576 $ 225,155 -8%Sold Price Per Home $ 233,614 $ 213,857 -8%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 122 $ 107 -13%MLS Days On Market Per Home177165-7%Homes on Market7,1595,105-29% Month to Month Comparison MonthAug-2009Sep-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price95%95%0%Sold Homes5836145%Listing Price Per Home $ 222,440 $ 225,155 1%Sold Price Per Home $ 211,199 $ 213,857 1%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 110 $ 107 -3%MLS Days On Market Per…

  • Chicago, IL – McHenry County Housing Update for September 2009

    ziprealty
    15 Oct 2009 | 7:00 am
    Year to Year Comparison MonthSep-2008Sep-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price95%95%0%Sold Homes2582798%Listing Price Per Home $ 242,568 $ 209,321 -14%Sold Price Per Home $ 230,118 $ 198,050 -14%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 120 $ 99 -18%MLS Days On Market Per Home18720711%Homes on Market4,0883,061-25% Month to Month Comparison MonthAug-2009Sep-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price94%95%0%Sold Homes24127916%Listing Price Per Home $ 233,000 $ 209,321 -10%Sold Price Per Home $ 219,457 $ 198,050 -10%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 110 $ 99 -10%MLS Days On Market Per Home2032072%Homes on…

  • Chicago, IL – Lake County Housing Update for September 2009

    ziprealty
    14 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm
    County: LakeYear to Year Comparison MonthSep-2008Sep-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price94%92%-2%Sold Homes5545530%Listing Price Per Home $ 318,137 $ 306,567 -4%Sold Price Per Home $ 298,667 $ 281,698 -6%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 143 $ 132 -8%MLS Days On Market Per Home196163-17%Homes on Market8,7206,535-25% Month to Month Comparison MonthAug-2009Sep-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price93%92%-1%Sold Homes629553-12%Listing Price Per Home $ 312,945 $ 306,567 -2%Sold Price Per Home $ 290,899 $ 281,698 -3%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 134 $ 132 -2%MLS Days On Market Per…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Real Estate Tomato

  • It’s Official! We're Holding A Virtual Real Estate BarCamp On November 17th, 2009.

    Jim Cronin
    18 Oct 2009 | 10:05 am
    Some said we were crazy, but no one said it was a bad idea. On November 17th from 9AM until 4PM PST we will be holding the first of its kind, Virtual Real Estate BarCamp. What is it? VirtualREBarCamp is a One Day, All-Day, Online Real Estate BarCamp. The REBarCamp phenomenon has exploded over the last year with dozens of in-real-life gatherings where the real estate community comes together to discuss and demystify the current trends in technology and marketing. The goal of VirtualREBarCamp is to bring this experience to you as opposed to having to bring yourself to it. – In place of a…

  • Tom Ferry of YourCoach.com Talks With The Real Estate Tomato, LIVE Oct 7th at 3pm PST.

    Jim Cronin
    6 Oct 2009 | 5:32 pm
    Over more than a decade, Tom Ferry has earned a peerless reputation across North America as a top trainer, motivator and personal coach for professionals in the real estate and financial services industries. Tom has conducted trainings for more than 130,000 sales people nationwide.  As founder of TomFerry-yourcoach in 2003, Tom has rapidly built a new powerhouse in the coaching industry. His charisma, discipline and flexibility, along with his ability to train coaches to teach powerful activity-based marketing techniques, has made him a sell-out draw at conferences and seminars across…

  • How To Choose A Domain Name For Your Real Estate Blogsite

    Jim Cronin
    11 Sep 2009 | 7:45 pm
    Without doubt, the most common question that I get from brand new blogging clients is, "Can you help me choose a domain name?" The days of agents using their own name as their website identity are gone, and this has them left with the task of developing a new, powerful brand. After answering this question and setting up several hundred domains over the last few years the formula has become clear. That said, you could probably break everyone one of these 'rules' and still end up with an incredibly successful blog. But before we get the guidelines, you need to get into a Domain Buying State of…

  • A Message About The Power Of Content, Any Content, For Your Real Estate Blog.

    Jim Cronin
    2 Sep 2009 | 11:35 am
    Regular contributor, Teresa Boardman delivers a no-nonsense post on the (seemingly random) Power of (seemingly random) Content.  Enjoy! Speaking of Tomatoes… By Teresa Boardman I get a little introspective this time of year and usually send Jim some kind of a post about things that I have learned. I have been writing my real estate blog for four years now and have over 1800 posts, not to mention a couple more blogs. The biggest lesson for me this year has been that no matter how strategic my blogs are there is a random element that usually works in my favor, but not…

  • Mike Simonsen of AltosReaserch Featured On Tomato Radio - Aug 21st, 3pm PST

    Jim Cronin
    20 Aug 2009 | 10:51 am
    (We know we missed our last 2 episode dates 1st and 15th of Aug - Our successful trip to Inman SF made it impossible to produce the show - But we're happy to be back!) Altos Research is the leader in providing consumer friendly market statistics for your website or blog. We are fortunate to get Mike’s perspective on how to use this data to attract, engage and convert visitors to your site. Together, we will be discussing Mike Simonsen's 3 Question Philiosphy The consumer shows up on your site and they only have 3 questions: What's for sale? How much is the house worth? How's the market?
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    HomeGain Blog

  • HomeGain Survey: Home Staging Top Priority for Sellers

    Jessica Gopalakrishnan
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pm
    HomeGain.com recently conducted its third nationwide home improvement and home staging Home Sale Maximizer™ survey (previously conducted in 2003 and 2007) to reveal the top 12 low cost*, do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvements for people getting their home ready to sell.  Nearly 1,000 REALTORS® responded to the survey. (See complete survey results) Home Staging is reported to [...]

  • HomeGain 2009 Top 12 Home Improvements Survey Results

    Jessica Gopalakrishnan
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    Due to popular demand from the real estate community, HomeGain.com regularly conducts its nationwide home improvement and home staging Home Sale Maximizer™ survey. Past findings from the survey have been a guide for thousands of home sellers in preparing their home for sale. HomeGain recently conducted a new survey of top 12 low cost*, do-it-yourself (DIY) [...]

  • HomeGain Moves Its Headquarters

    Jessica Gopalakrishnan
    3 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    We’ve moved! HomeGain has officially moved its headquarters to a new office in Emeryville.  After 10 years in the same office building, HomeGain decided it needed a change of scenery. Located at 6001 Shellmound Street, on the 5th floor, HomeGain has a beautiful 360 degree view of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, San Francisco and [...]

  • How To Maximize Your Lead To Sales Conversion Rate

    Mitch Ribak
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:59 am
    If you don’t follow up on your leads, don’t complain you are not converting leads. Those who know me know that my only goal in life these days (ok, I have some non work related) is to have the highest conversion rate amongst Real Estate brokerages in the country.   The better we become with our lead [...]

  • One D.C. Condo, Two Appraisals & a $200,000 Difference?

    Kevin Koitz
    30 Oct 2009 | 10:04 am
    All of us are fully aware of the recent changes in the appraisal industry.  Another victim of yesterday’s market, there is now a “hands off” message that lenders take very seriously. What I have observed is that the bigger the lender, the more distance that exists between loan officers and appraisers. For instance, it’s my understanding that [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    REITS & Finance Industry News - REITS & Finance Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

  • Contractor chosen for Banks portion

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm
    An Alabama contractor has been hired to build the private portion of the Banks riverfront development project. Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is expected to start building a 300-unit apartment building and 80,000 square feet of retail space in December. The Birmingham contractor was selected after a competitive process, according to a press release from Carter and the Dawson Co., the master development team for the Banks.

  • United Security Bank of Sparta fails

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pm
    Regulators seized tiny United Security Bank of Sparta, Ga., Friday, making it the state's 21st failure of the year, as Georgia’s banking crisis shows no sign of abating.

  • Fidelity posts loss for fiscal 2009

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:15 pm
    Fidelity Bancorp Inc., Pittsburgh, Friday reported a net loss of $1.99 million, or 66 cents per diluted share, for its fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

  • Real deals: Warehouse sells for $5M

    6 Nov 2009 | 1:49 pm
    Fisher Scientific Co. LLC has purchased the warehouse it already occupies in the Montbello industrial park for $5.05 million. (TMO)

  • National Retail reports 23% drop in 3Q

    6 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    National Retail Properties Inc. reported a 23 percent decline in net income for the third quarter of 2009. (NNN)
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    MyTechOpinion.com

  • How to Make Use of Twitter Lists

    MyTechOpinion
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pm
    Twitter has been rolling out their new Lists feature to tweeps over the last few weeks. If you’re still waiting, be patient (or whine about it in the public stream like I did). The feature was made available to me last week and unfortunately I was so busy I had to wait until the weekend to play with it. But now that I have, I’m excited to share my experience and suggestions with you. What are Twitter Lists? Twitter Lists are nothing more than groupings of your tweeps based on categories you choose. For example: I have 3 lists thus far, (1) RE Rockstars, (2) Tech Influencers, and (3)…

  • Goodbye Vista!

    MyTechOpinion
    30 Oct 2009 | 9:55 am
    It is complete. I am now 100% Vista-free. Let me tell you, it feels good. Windows 7 seems lighter, faster and cleaner. It has breathed new life into my aging computers. First Impressions Microsoft has done a good job of simply refining Vista. At first, I was disappointed that Windows 7 is so much like Vista. After upgrading 2 computers and working with the operating system, I am glad Microsoft didn’t start from scratch. Compatibility As an early adopter of Vista, I dealt with software and hardware compatibility issues. This was frustrating and costly as many programs and peripherals had to…

  • AgentPress: The Ideal Theme for Real Estate Bloggers

    MyTechOpinion
    26 Oct 2009 | 7:10 am
    If you’ve been reading MTO for awhile you know we’re huge advocates of WordPress as a platform to power your real estate blog.  And we’re not the only ones who think WordPress rocks! Matt Cutts, the head of the Web Spam team at Google, recently declared WordPress as the best blogging platform in terms of search engine optimization. He went on to say that WordPress automatically solves 80-90% of the mechanics behind SEO, making your site easily crawlable by search engines. Now when it comes to selecting a WordPress theme that delivers a clean design, variety of options, highly optimized…

  • Lucky Number 7

    MyTechOpinion
    20 Oct 2009 | 9:17 am
    Two and a half years has gone by very quickly. It seems like just yesterday that I was booting up my Windows Vista computer for the first time with excitement and anticipation. For me, it was like watching that summer blockbuster you’ve eagerly awaited in hopes of it exceeding your expectations. But, like most summer blockbusters, Windows Vista didn’t live up to expectations. It was a bloated and flawed operating system in many ways. Vista does have quite a few redeeming qualities. It was an improvement over Windows XP to the point that I never considered reformatting and going back the…

  • 20 Affordable Online Marketing Tips for Your Real Estate Business

    MyTechOpinion
    9 Oct 2009 | 7:21 am
    This week I attended C.A.R. EXPO’s  Tech Tuesday. I had a great time moderating a panel on blogging for real estate, but I was also asked to present “20 Affordable Online Marketing Tips for Your Real Estate Business”. I found it really hard not to dance, but I did manage to rap a little Beasties Boys! I’m accustomed to presenting in a why-to, how-to style, but it was still fun to hit the audience fast and furiously with 20 takeaways for their real estate business. You may not like all of the following tips, but I wouldn’t expect you to. This list represents a wide scope of online…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Matrix

  • [Three Cents Worth #130] Inventory’s Dead Cat Bounce

    Jonathan Miller
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pm
    It’s time to share my Three Cents Worth on Curbed, at the intersection of neighborhood and real estate. The surge of sales over the summer had the effect of working off a bunch of excess inventory, but it still remains about 20% above historical norms. [Click to expand and read full post on Curbed] Check out previous Three Cents Worth posts.

  • [The Housing Helix Podcast] Michael McPartland, Managing Director, Citi Private Bank, Global Wealth Management

    Jonathan Miller
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am
    I speak with my friend and colleague Michael McPartland of the Citi Private Bank. He’s the managing director of residential real estate at their Citi Global Wealth Management group. The discussion focuses on “lending” versus “originating.” Check out the podcast The Housing Helix Podcast Interview List You can subscribe on iTunes or simply listen to the podcast on my other blog The Housing Helix.

  • [Matrix Hack] Medicinal Proof Housing Market Is Up

    Jonathan Miller
    4 Nov 2009 | 7:56 am
    My blog was just hacked in a pretty clever way. Search “matrix miller” and click on the top link for Viagra – it takes you back to my blog. Per my developer. I went through the template line by line and I think I found a place where someone inserted some code. It points to code on a remote server that’s not up right now, I don’t know what that could would do when loaded. I suspect that they changed the content of the template at night, when we wouldn’t notice. If you look at that text-only version of the cached Google page, none of your content is on it. As…

  • [The Housing Helix Podcast] John Heithaus, Senior Vice President, SentriLock

    Jonathan Miller
    3 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pm
    I get to catch up with a long time colleague and real estate veteran John Heithaus, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and REALTOR® Alliances at SentriLock. He has twenty-nine years of experience in corporate relocation management and residential real estate. His career includes executive positions with Merrill Lynch Realty, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and Relocation, Monster.com and Prudential Real Estate & Relocation. John’s entrepreneurial ventures include co-founding very successful startups and emerging businesses: Virtual Relocation.com (acquired by Monster.com);…

  • [Bobbleheads] Known For Their Ubiquitous Media Verbosity

    Jonathan J. Miller
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:23 am
    In the current issue of The Real Deal magazine, the article Real estate’s most verbose talking heads: A look at the busy schedules of NYC’s go-to market pundits… …goes haywire with Adobe Illustrator and selects four go to media resources: Barbara Corcoran, the founder of the Corcoran Group and now a regular on the “Today Show”; Jonathan Miller, the ubiquitous president of appraisal firm Miller Samuel; Dan Fasulo, managing director at Real Capital Analytics; and Bob Knakal, chairman of Massey Knakal Realty are just a few among a growing bunch of go-to…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Real Estate Bloggers

  • An Open Letter to Move Inc on How To Be Profitable

    Tom Royce
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:25 am
    Dear Move Inc Braintrust, Okay, you get a great deal on one of the premier properties on the web. The real estate portal Realtor.com is yours to monetize. Yet you do such a poor job with it that the people whose name you have on it actively dislike you. Competitors are able to offer a free alternative that gets more press and accolades then you receive. And it is costing you $758,000 in the third quarter. You would think that any company with half a brain would start MOVE–ing in a new direction to maximize the asset, not further junk it up. Listen carefully MOVE INC, and…

  • $8,000 New Home Buyer Tax Credit, $6,500 Old Home Buyer Tax Credit

    Tom Royce
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:42 am
    The Senate last night passed an extension of the $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit for new home buyers and added on a $6,500 bonus for those who are buying a new home and have lived in their old home for 5 of the 8 previous years. The House of Representatives is expected to pass the bill and the White House has said they will sign it. So what does it mean? I think most of those that wanted to buy and were conscious of the benefits of this government handout have already taken advantage of it. So to not have a complete flop, the government added the $6,500 kicker for those who have already…

  • Nicolas Cage Selling Real Estate Empire

    Tom Royce
    4 Nov 2009 | 6:36 am
    Reports are that bad business decisions, he is suing his business manager for 20 million dollars, is forcing the actor to liquidate his housing holding around the world. The IRS has a 6.3 million dollar lien on a couple of his houses and the actor has an auction scheduled for November 12th in New Orleans to sell 2 of his properties including the Haunted LaLaurie Mansion that he bought in 2007. His holdings have included a pair of apartments on a swanky stretch of New York’s Fifth Avenue, a Bavarian castle in Germany, Dean Martin’s former home in Beverly Hills, Calif., and a…

  • In Canada, MLS Under Extreme Pressure

    Tom Royce
    4 Nov 2009 | 6:26 am
    The multiple listing services around the United States may be wise to watch what is happening up in Canada. Real estate leaders in Canada have been brought before the competition committee to see how the use of the MLS up there increases the cost of housing. The Competition Bureau of Canada is playing its cards close to its vest, but it confirms it is leaning on the real estate industry nationwide to “voluntarily” ease rules that impose high costs on sellers who use the ubiquitous Multiple Listing Service. And the bureau has some big sticks to wield if it doesn’t get its…

  • Federal Judge To Mortgage Companies: Show Paperwork or There is No Mortgage

    Tom Royce
    2 Nov 2009 | 5:44 am
    A case in White Plains, New York is sure to put the fear of God into mortgage companies looking to foreclose upon homeowners. The need to show the actual paperwork that constituted the mortgage. The failure to do so compelled a Federal Judge to wipe out a $461,263 mortgage because there was no proof that it existed. With all the securitizations  of mortgages and the selling of them at such a high velocity, original paperwork can be hard to track down. If the mortgage servicers have to find all the original paperwork to foreclose upon a residence they may end up being in big trouble. And…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    360Digest

  • Super-Freaky: Intellectual dishonesty or disingenuous immorality?

    Marlow Harris
    2 Nov 2009 | 1:05 am
    The new Levitt and Dubner Freakonomics book has come out (called, of course, Super Freakonomics) and the buzz has already started. The two authors are making the talk show circuits and they have a scheduled appearance tonight at Town Hall in Seattle. With the first book, they pissed us off with the “How are real estate agents like the Ku Klux Klan”. But now it gets better with “Why pimps have a greater financial impact than real estate agents”. “Just as you can sell your body with or without the aid of a pimp, you can sell your house with or without a Realtor,”…

  • Kendra Todd in the house

    Marlow Harris
    29 Oct 2009 | 3:26 pm
    A couple weeks ago on one of my afternoon walks I happened upon this For Sale sign: Oh! And then I remembered this: Kendra Todd has left Florida and was moving to Seattle and joining Keller Williams. Then yesterday I received this notice of a REO/Shortsale Panel talk featuring, who else but Kendra Todd: I don’t know Kendra, but she sounds like a busy gal. Her website for Keller Williams, the Kendra Todd Group, is under construction, but her other personal websites are up and appear up to date. She doesn’t seem to have any active listings right now, but perhaps she’s just…

  • Social Media rated by income

    Marlow Harris
    15 Oct 2009 | 11:43 pm
    Is there an online class divide? The research, and our own use, suggests that there is. In “Does your social class determine your online social network?”, author Breeanna Hare found that people in more affluent demographics are 25 percent more likely to be found friending on Facebook, while the less affluent are 37 percent more likely to connect on MySpace. Even more affluent are users of Twitter and LinkedIn, as almost 38 percent of LinkedIn users earn more than $100,000 a year. They also found a strong overlap between those who use Facebook and those who use LinkedIn. But we…

  • Century 21, Coldwell Banker and…. Playboy?

    Marlow Harris
    11 Oct 2009 | 6:28 pm
    Rumor has it that Playboy was quietly being shopped around for $300 million and Apollo Capital Partners who owns Realogy, Century 21, Coldwell Banker and Better Homes & Gardens, has been approached to purchase the floundering dirty magazine business. Former CEO Christie Hefner would have received $1.7 million, on top of her $2-million severance payment, if the adult entertainment company had been acquired by another company before March 31, according to a company filing last week. The battered company’s market capitalization is now around $100 million and nobody has been willing to…

  • Bloggers must disclose payments for reviews

    Marlow Harris
    5 Oct 2009 | 8:29 pm
    It’s always been a good idea and the right thing to do, but now the Federal Trade Commission will require bloggers to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products. It is the first time since 1980 that the commission has revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, and the first time the rules have covered bloggers, but the commission stopped short of specifying how bloggers must disclose any conflicts of interest. The FTC said its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final guidelines, which had been expected. Penalties…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    A Bird's Eye View

  • And the winner of the Kodak Zi8 Digital Video Camera is…

    roostblog
    3 Nov 2009 | 1:17 pm
    Ryan Kuder! His winning entry hit my email box literally seconds after I posted the last clue on Twitter. Ryan is the CMO for Koombea, co-creator of Hi I’m and founder of Neighborsville. Ryan also has an awesome personal blog about his Adventures in Marketing and Social Media. You should check it out. Congratulations Ryan and we hope you share with us what you are going to do with [...]

  • The Agent Relationship

    Kim Tracy Prince
    3 Nov 2009 | 6:10 am
    Joe Celentano, a dear old friend of mine, became a real estate agent in Connecticut many years ago after a long career in the restaurant industry.  He’d had enough of that – the hassle, the expense, the 24/7 worry.  Real estate is not without worry, of course, but the reward he feels when he helps a family find a home they love is worth it for him. If I hadn’t stumbled into a relationship with an agent here in Los [...]

  • Bethesda Woman Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Mortgage Fraud Scheme

    roostblog
    2 Nov 2009 | 12:58 pm
    Crime might pay for a while, but sooner or later, you’re gonna have to pay the piper. That’s what Sabrina Weinberg and others found out after being arrested, indicted and later sentenced for mail and mortgage fraud. She will serve two years in the pokey and three years under supervised release. According to court documents, Osman Al-Bari, Jamilah Al-Bari, Timothy Reed, Terrence White, Kara McIntosh and others in the mortgage industry paid straw buyers, including Weinberg, $10,000 for each property they [...]

  • Video Tutorial on Using Roost.com

    Derek Overbey
    31 Oct 2009 | 1:23 pm
    If you have been following us since last Tuesday, you are probably familiar with our “Where’s Waldo” contest. In this contest we are providing clues on a daily basis to help you find a home that we picked to win a Kodak Zi8 Digital Video Camera. Well we promised to do a blog post to provide you with some insight on how to use Roost.com, more specifically the filters so you could narrow your home search for the contest. Well [...]

  • “I Love My Dogs But…”

    Heather DeDona
    31 Oct 2009 | 6:51 am
    This is the first post from a member of the Roost Local Agent Blogging Team, Heather DeDona. Heather is a wonderful agent from the state of North Carolina who serves the “Triad.” You can find more information by visiting her website. Please join me in congratulating Heather on her first post. What’s not to love about our pets? They are loyal, cute, fun, non-judgmental, some of them shed, wait that isn’t a good thing. What do your pet(s) have [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    AgentGenius - Real Estate Magazine

  • Why the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit is a Slap In the Face

    Danilo Bogdanovic
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:37 pm
    Sure, you’ve all heard by now…the first-time home buyer federal tax credit has been extended through March 30, 2010 and has also been expanded to include many existing home owners. Many are shouting, “WOO HOO!”. But I’m not. No, really..we’re serious! SIKE! For some time now, NAR and the government have been screaming and yelling, “You’d better hurry up and buy a house before the tax credit expires Nov 30!” Yet, before the deadline even hit, the tax credit was extended and expanded. You know what this says to all the folks who jumped…

  • Breaking News: NAR/RPR + Cyberhomes =

    Jim Duncan
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm
    So much more … First impression: The National Association of Realtors have done something really, really good, pertinent and valuable for its members. Done well and right, the RPR (Realtor Property Resource) could be a tremendous value-add to Realtors, and could put a damper on ancillary real estate service companies – mapping, real estate data, IDX perhaps … There have been some grumblings and speculations making their way through the real estate space, starting with Brian Boero’s post yesterday in which he cryptically posed: I am hearing weird noises in the online…

  • Technology Tip: Google Apps Combine Your Business Tools

    Ben Goheen
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:28 am
    Nerd alert This post contains technical information on how to setup Google Apps for your domain. The process isn’t extremely complicated – fairly similar to setting up a website. Another Google product? Not exactly. Google Apps combines several business related tools that you may already use (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs & Google Sites) for use on your website. If you own http://www.coolest-real-estate-agent-ever.net (because of course .com was already taken) it puts the power of these Google services behind it. For the rest of this post I’ll concentrate on Gmail…

  • Hollywood Real Estate Props and Flops- The Sequel

    Gwen Banta
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am
    Keep Your Day Job There is no end to bad taste. Last week after recounting some of the wacky decorating schemes I have witnessed during my time warp in Los Angeles, I received many comments from others who have witnessed “decorating” madness and mayhem in their towns as well. Here are a few more to ponder: The mask like the one in The Texas Chain Saw Murders hanging over a producer’s toilet. (Obviously intended to scare the crap outta you.) The mock clapboard on the wall of a West Hollywood home on which the owner had written in chalk: “Take One,…

  • Writer Debut: Commercial Real Estate Madmen

    Duke Long
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:43 am
    Today, we are kicking off our move into the commercial real estate vertical with Duke Long, an extremely knowledgeable Commercial Real Estate Broker and owner of Realty Executives Lafayette in Lafayette, IN. Duke has a unique background in real estate and has even served in the United States Air Force. We look forward to his compelling writing as he kicks off our move into our commercial real estate vertical. Please welcome Duke in the comments. And now, Duke Long: Yea hey hi hello everyone.  I’m a Commercial Real Estate Broker.  Many many thanks to the Agent Genius people for the…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    About.com Real Estate Business

  • Tax Credit Close to Extension

    5 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am
    Realtor.org's article released today, says the home buyer tax credit is close to final approval and signing. The Senate has passed the new version, and the House and President are expected to approve it as well. Here are the high points: Extended to May 1, 2010 $8000 for first time buyers $6500 to repeat buyers with limitations on time of residence Home price capped at $800,000 Income limits now $125k individuals and $225k joint filers Reduced credits for $145k individuals and $245k income joint filers Contracts in place by April 30 will get 60 days to close May the next flurry of activity…

  • WordPress and Real Estate Done Right - NOT

    4 Nov 2009 | 12:51 am
    One of my daily Twitter searches is on the keywords "wordpress" and "real estate." Most of the tweets are of little interest, but there's a gem every now and then. One caught my eye this morning with the message in the tweet: "WordPress and Real Estate Done Right." If you've read some of my many articles on using WordPress as your real estate website, you know that I think it's the very best way to go. So, this tweet got a click to the site. When I arrived, almost my entire 21 inch screen was filled with one image of a house and a picture of a real estate professional holding a Sold sign. It…

  • Vigilante Justice in Mortgage Mod Business

    3 Nov 2009 | 1:41 am
    Hat tip to Cyberhomes Blog for pointing me to a Reuter's article about five people arrested in California for torturing two men in the loan modification business. The men were lured to an office, tied up and beaten. One escaped, and authorities were alerted, arresting those allegedly involved. It seems that those doing the torturing believed they were swindled in a loan modification scheme. People in trouble with their mortgage are in a vulnerable position, and there are plenty of schemes out there to get their money. Though they could go to prison for life, maybe their actions will bring…

  • Zoho Projects for Real Estate Transaction Management

    30 Oct 2009 | 12:29 am
    I'm doing a short series on using some of the free and low cost online apps at Zoho.com. I am currently doing transaction tasks management with Zoho Projects, and like it. With milestones, dependent tasks, and project templates, Zoho Projects might be the right online solution for managing your transaction tasks, as well as other projects. Here's my article with more about Zoho Projects for real estate transaction tasks management. Zoho Projects for Real Estate Transaction Management originally appeared on About.com Real Estate Business on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 07:29:23.Permalink |…

  • I Love Twitter - Except for the NitTwits

    29 Oct 2009 | 1:18 am
    First, this isn't about the Twitter account "NitTwits."  It was too good to pass that account name up, so good for you.  I'm talking about nitwits who have seized on Twitter as a free and easy way to overpopulate the Internet with repetitive ads with nothing to offer except their billboard presentation.  I put them into the same category with those who buy the "more than one million realtors" email lists and send garbage to me every day. Every morning, my first stop for news and stuff to write about is my HootSuite Dashboard.  I monitor multiple Twitter searches there, and get a lot of…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Phoenix Real Estate Guy

  • Home Buyer Tax Credit Passes Both House and Senate (Update: Has been Signed by President)

    Jay Thompson
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:01 am
    UPDATE Nov 6: According to UPI, President Obama has signed this legislation. NOW it’s official. The extension of the existing $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers is now all but a done deal. Moments ago, the House of Representatives passed HR 3548 – The Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 with a vote of 403 -12. “Whoa, hold on there Jay. You said the tax credit extension was passed. What’s up with linking to some unemployment legislation?” That would be because the Senate attached an amendment (SA 2712, Section11) to HR 3548 that extends (and expands) the home…

  • How Long Will It Take To Close My Loan?

    Justin McHood
    2 Nov 2009 | 10:06 pm
    One of the facts of the mortgage business today is that it can sometimes be a hurry-up-and-wait game. When it comes to buying a house, I have seen it more than once lately where the seller’s lender who has to approve the purchase contract (because it is a short sale or a bank owned property) takes months to approve the sale and then request/demand that the deal must close in 21 days or less. It can sometimes be a game of wait, wait, wait… hurry. Wait, Wait, Wait... Hurry! I don’t really spend too much time wondering why this is, I just make the observation that sometimes it…

  • Growing a Moustache to Fight Men’s Cancer!

    Jay Thompson
    1 Nov 2009 | 10:43 am
    Hey! I’m growing a moustache to help raise awareness and funds for men’s cancer. “Uh, dude you’ve already got a moustache,” you may be thinking. Not any more! For only the second time in… 25 something years, the ‘stache is gone. Why in the world would I do this, and why now? Because it’s Movember – a worldwide movement to raise awareness and much needed research funds for men’s cancer. Prostate cancer will strike 1 in 6 men in their lifetime, and testicular cancer is the most common cancer afflicting men aged 18 – 35 (but us older guys are not immune). Perhaps it’s…

  • Gilbert New Homes Real Estate Market: Beginning to Recover?

    Jay Thompson
    31 Oct 2009 | 1:47 pm
    One does not have to drive far in Gilbert (or anywhere in the Phoenix metro area) to see this:   This would be an abandoned subdivision. The streets and sidewalks are in, utilities are run to individual lots, there may even be some common area landscaping done. But there aren’t any homes. The builder’s bailed at some point for a variety of reasons – low/no sales, financial difficulties (including bankruptcy), you name it. Sometimes you’ll even find them with half-built homes – full of tumbleweeds. It’s a sign of the cratered new home construction market. However… there are…

  • THE TAX CREDIT HAS NOT BEEN EXTENDED. Yet. So PLEASE stop saying it has been!

    Jay Thompson
    29 Oct 2009 | 10:29 am
    Good grief. I’m seeing all sorts of communication coming across Twitter, blogs, Facebook et al such as this: Home Buyer Credit is Extended! Yeah! The tax credit as been extended and includes repeat buyers. I have confirmed the $8k tax credit with CPA as well as mortgage regional manager Homebuyer tax credit deadline extended…a $6500 credit given to those primary home purchasers. Extended!! First-time home buyer tax credit and NEW current homeowner tax credit!!! And this goes on and on and on. Here’s the deal folks, and pardon my shouting, BUT THE TAX CREDIT HAS NOT BEEN EXTENDED!
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    BloodhoundBlog

  • The Deeds for Lease Program Coming Soon to a Slum Near You (Also Coming Soon: the Slum)

    Sean Purcell
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:03 pm
    Fannie Mae announced today it’s implementation of the Deeds for Lease Program (which name, interestingly, they have trademarked). I cannot begin to count the problems with this latest attempt by the government to sober up an alcoholic nation by supplying enough booze to drown a water hippo. You can read the press release and imagine the nightmare yourself so I’m not going to recount it here, but I will point out one of the less reported aspects of this program that has the potential to cause a whole lot of those pesky unintended consequences our political leaders are so loathe to…

  • Homebound hounds: You’re going to have break those chains on your own this year in San Diego

    Greg Swann
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm
    I think it should be obvious by our lack of self-promotion, but we ended up not putting anything together for BloodhoundBlog Unchained in San Diego. I can’t speak for Brian, but I’ve been wall-to-wall with work for months, and I haven’t had time for anything else. I’ll go through the PayPal records tonight to make sure everyone’s money is refunded. Meanwhile: If you see any NAR grand poobahs, be sure to kick ‘em in the shins for shifting all your November move-ups into December. Christmas may be good, Thanksgiving not so much…

  • A strategy for the Republican party that can actually win elections

    Greg Swann
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    The national Republican party is riven by an insuperable internal contradiction. Out of one side of their mouths, Republicans wish to portray themselves as tax cutters, red-tape slashers, champions of liberty fearlessly hacking away at the slimy tentacles of the leviathan state. Ignore for the moment that they’re spineless jellyfish when it comes time to cut, slash or hack; this is how they wish to present themselves. Out of the other side of their mouths, Republicans offer American voters an alternate set of slimy tentacles for the same old leviathan. The state they promise to shrink…

  • Congress extends and expands the home-buyer’s tax credit

    Greg Swann
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:16 pm
    The Washington Post: Under the housing program, people seeking to own a home for the first time in three years would receive an $8,000 tax credit if they sign a contract by April 30 and close on it by June 30. Current homeowners who are buying a new primary residence would be eligible for a $6,500 tax credit starting Dec. 1 if they owned their home for five consecutive years in the previous eight. The timing is more lenient for military families who have been deployed overseas for 90 days or more in 2008 or 2009. They would have until April 30, 2011 to sign a contract. But the measure limits…

  • FannieRents: “Taxpayers are now going to own all these houses Fannie Mae should have unloaded. It’s going to cost a fortune.”

    Greg Swann
    5 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pm
    Yahoo News: Can’t pay the mortgage? You still might be able to stay in your home. Government-controlled mortgage company Fannie Mae is going to give borrowers on the verge of foreclosure the option of renting their homes for a year. The change announced Thursday could give a temporary break to thousands of homeowners, but critics question whether it will only add to the mushrooming losses at the company, which has received billions in taxpayer money. The new “Deed for Lease” program will allow homeowners to transfer title to Fannie Mae and sign a one-year lease, with…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Blown Mortgage

  • Loan Modifications Scrutinized, 1340 Loan Modifications Investigated in California

    Andrew
    5 Nov 2009 | 2:41 pm
    The numbers of loan modifications, foreclosures and bankruptcies we are dealing with in this credit crisis are so large they are too often hard to understand and digest. A good solution is often to downsize and see if more sense can be put into smaller models. A good model for the United States is California, the fourth economy in the world and one of the hardest hit states in the United States credit crisis. House prices have free fallen but mortgages remain the same. This has eaten up most of people’s equity leaving  homeowners owing more on their homes than they are worth. Not exactly…

  • Loan Modifications, 5 Things the Government Is Not Doing But Should

    Andrew
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am
    Mortgage foreclosures are increasing steadily as home values plummet and layoffs are becoming ever more common while homeowners crumble under the weight of mortgages they can no longer afford. The administration is working hard to increase the number of loan modifications to help out struggling homeowners. However higher unemployment rates are making it hard for homeowners to afford even good prime mortgages loan modifications struggle to improve. Also, foreclosures often prove to be a cheaper alternative for mortgage providers when the real cost of loan modifications is calculated. So what…

  • Loan Modifications, Servicers and Who Is Profiting From the Credit Crisis

    Andrew
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:25 am
    The news is full of loan modification horror stories describing how homeowners have struggled for months with lost documents, changing standards, unreasonable loan modification agents and the slow tides of bureaucracy. Bad news does always seem to travel faster and further so you don’t hear half as much about the hundreds of thousands of loans that have been successfully modified. However the question still remains why loan modifications are moving so slowly if the government is willing to pay the bill for the expenses mortgage servicers and investors have to incur when modifying a loan.

  • Disappointed Homeowners Torture Loan Modification Agents

    Andrew
    31 Oct 2009 | 8:29 am
    Loan Modifications have become loaded words politically and economically and as things get worse they get much more personal. Nationwide efforts have been made to educate homeowners in their search for the right loan modification for their home before they fall into foreclosure. Unfortunately only a small percentage 16% to around 25% of eligible homeowners (depending who you talk to) get a loan modification trial and even that represents a small percentage of the number of those that actually wanted or needed a loan modification but weren’t eligible. The fear and anger of losing their home…

  • Loan Modification Fantasy League, How Bad Did Your Bank Do

    Andrew
    29 Oct 2009 | 2:51 pm
    As part of the Obama’s administration Making Home Affordable Program (HAMP) name and shame (or praise) initiative, every month a list of banks and mortgage providers is issued. The good banks are praised the bad ones are marked. The idea is to provide an extra incentive for providers to speed up their loan modification procedures. September’s Loan Modification league showed the winners and losers of the HAMP loan modification league. The league shows the order of the “best” and “worst” banks based on the percentage of loan modifications they carried out, or more accurately, they…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Rofo Blog

  • After Your Office Space: Marketing in a Tough Economy

    jmiller
    21 Oct 2009 | 12:21 pm
    Here at Rofo we help businesses succeed by helping them find the ideal commercial space. However, there are many other things a small business has to worry about after they find their space. Small business marketing is always a challenge and tough to quantify, especially during an economic downturn, like the one we are currently experiencing. So today we have a post from guest blogger Trynka Shineman, chief marketing officer of VistaPrint North America.  For more information on VistaPrint go to www.vistaprint.com. Your small business is operating in a time where things are uncertain. …

  • Does Commercial Real Estate Need a Bigger Lifeboat?

    jmiller
    16 Oct 2009 | 12:51 pm
    Marketplace.org takes an insightful look at the current conditions in the commercial real estate sector. Although the Term Asset-Backed Loan Facility (TALF) and the Public Private Investment Program (P-PIP) are quietly keeping commercial real estate on life support, there are now signs that more assistance may be needed. If the unemployment rate exceeds 10% as expected, the elevated office space vacancy rates in commercial real estate will also increase. The jobs issue is becoming more pertinent as the consequences of extended high unemployment begin to reverberate through the economy. In…

  • Working Independently, Together = Coworking

    jmiller
    25 Sep 2009 | 3:44 pm
    Do you work independently or freelance, but occasionally reminisce about the cubicle neighbors you left behind, even though they sometimes annoyed the hell out of you? Does freelancing get a little lonely, or do you wish you had someone to bounce ideas off of and collaborate with? Then Coworking might be for you. Brad Neuberg, a computer programmer in San Francisco, started the Coworking movement in 2005 as a middle of the road solution between working for a soul crushing corporation and working independently. Instead of clicking away at the keyboard on the couch in your undies, Coworking…

  • New York Office Space, Incubating the Future

    jmiller
    15 Sep 2009 | 12:31 pm
    New York isn’t exactly known as a hot bed of start-up company activity, but as the economic down turn drags on the city is trying to change that by helping out their small business and start-up community by funding affordable incubator office space. With a plethora of office space available and some businesses in need of a helping hand (i.e. one business using 175 sf for 6 people), it seems like the perfect time to offer a city funded startup incubator. New York plans to launch similar incubator spaces in all four boroughs. As entrepreneurship becomes a function of necessity rather than…

  • 8 Ways to Extract Cash from your Office Lease

    Alan Bernier
    14 Sep 2009 | 5:07 pm
    I’ve read a lot about how to navigate the confusing terms and conditions in the legal contracts startup founders must sign. But what about rent? It’s probably one of your biggest operating costs, and in the current spirit of cost-cutting, there are several ways to squeeze cash out of your commercial real estate agreement, too. I started Rofo to help entrepreneurs do this, but I’ve shared my top “lease agreement hacks” here. They will save you plenty of headaches and money — and possibly even help you generate new revenue streams for your startup. 1. Don’t pay for space you…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Mortgage Reports

  • Summarizing The (New) First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Program

    Dan Green
    5 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm
    Congress voted to extend and expand the $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit today. The bill is expected to be signed into law Friday.The "First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit" isn't just for first-time home buyers anymore. Under the new rules, homeowners with at least 5 years in their current residence qualify for the tax credit, too. However, instead of the full $8,000 bonus afforded to first-timers, "move-up" buyers get capped at $6,500.

  • A Mortgage Rate Prediction For The Next 30 Days (November 5, 2009)

    Dan Green
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:39 am
    Need a mortgage rate prediction? I am a regular participant in the Bankrate.com Mortgage Rate Trend survey and this week's survey may point you in the right direction.

  • How Today’s FOMC Statement Affects Mortgage Rates And Homeowners (November 4, 2009)

    Dan Green
    4 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pm
    A brief recap of the Federal Open Market Committee's November 4, 2009 statement and what it means for mortgage rates, homeowners, and the economy.

  • Heads-Up Email Subscribers : I’m Moving To MailChimp

    Dan Green
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    Just a quick heads-up to my blog-via-email subscribers. Effective Wednesday, I am switching email services from FeedBurner's free service to MailChimp. It's a new look for the same great mortgage blog content. I use MailChimp to send email newsletters to my mortgage clients and find the company's RSS-to-email product interesting. Y'all are the guinea pigs here. I think it'll work out fine for everyone.

  • The Housing Market Bottomed 9 Months Ago, Based On The Data

    Dan Green
    2 Nov 2009 | 9:31 pm
    The last two years have been rough on housing in a chain reaction-kind of way. First, mortgage guidelines tightened, preventing some homeowners from ditching onerous ARM products. That sparked a foreclosure boom that led to large losses on Wall Street. In turn, it sank the U.S. economy. Today, as compared to 3 years ago, foreclosures are way up, home values are way down, and mortgage rates are as low as they've ever been. It's wonderful news for home buyers -- there's a plentiful supply of homes and financing is cheap. Home affordability is near all-time highs. But the market is changing.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Future of Real Estate Marketing

  • Terabitz Launches New Web Platform for Brokers

    Joel Burslem
    3 Nov 2009 | 7:12 am
    Terabitz has been very quiet lately. A refresher for those of you might not have heard of the company – they launched in 2007 to much fanfare (see Terabitz Gives You Loads of Data) — as a sort of “Netvibes for real estate” — but the company made hard tack to starboard in the years since and have reinvented themselves as a platform for real estate brokerages. It’s a crowded marketplace in that space, but certainly one that is always ripe for innovation. This week they’ve pulled the up the curtain on what they’ve been up too, with a new release of…

  • Online real estate reality check

    Tim Fagan
    29 Oct 2009 | 3:10 pm
    A guest post from Tim Fagan, CEO of HomeFinder.com A while back I was in the audience at an industry conference when a woman on stage asked this question: “At the end of the day, do any of these online real estate companies really help anyone buy or sell a home?” My initial reaction – as someone running one of “these” companies – was to dismiss the question as gratuitous, and dead wrong. She’s just trying to provoke the audience. We provide all kinds of information on our site – of course we’re helping. And that’s what a REALTOR is there for anyway. So what’s the…

  • Crush It the Vook Now Available

    Joel Burslem
    27 Oct 2009 | 6:00 am
    Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) really needs no introduction. Web 2.0 guru, brilliant marketer and unabashed self-promoting social media superstar, he is on a mission to help you take advantage of the all the latest web technology to further your goals and monetize your passions. I first met Gary at his keynote at Real Estate Connect in New York where I had the opportunity to corner him for an video interview (see Leverage the power of social media). Gary’s book Crush It has been tearing up the best-seller lists and I’m stoked to announce that as of today, Crush it is available as a…

  • Agentpress Launches Wordpress Themes for Real Estate

    Joel Burslem
    26 Oct 2009 | 5:38 pm
    AgentPress is a brand new Wordpress theme released today, designed specifically for use by the real estate industry. The theme is a collaboration between Wordpress designers StudioPress and the real estate blog MyTechOpinion.com. You can see a live demo here. It’s a sharp looking design that really pushes Wordpress beyond its blogging basics. For just shy of a hundred bones (a pretty small investment really) you get a great looking web site with a lot of baked in functionality. But more than just a good looking site — with a choice of four color schemes — you get the benefit…

  • Best. Real Estate. Ad. Ever

    Joel Burslem
    23 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    It’s pretty epic. Seriously. I love the honesty. The attitude. And the tongue in cheek humor puts it over the top. Click here to view the embedded video. Besides, any guy who can take a crescent wrench to the face 5 times will win my business ever time. Looking for a mobile home? Check out Cullman Liquidation. Ad: Win more business! Showcase your company with a custom video ad from Turnhere. Save 50% off your first video!.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Tracy's LA Real Estate

  • Neighborhood Green Fair, Pasadena

    Tracy
    30 Oct 2009 | 9:45 pm
    It’s Halloween! Check out all the details for a completely different Halloween experience at http://greenfair.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/neighbohood-green-fair-flier-october-2009.pdf

  • What the Heck Happened to the Market?

    Tracy
    29 Oct 2009 | 10:23 pm
    This is really incredible—there are 13 single-family homes currently on the market in the MLS in the Eagle Rock 90041 community right now, October 30, 2009. Of them, 4 are short sales, 1 is an unfinished project that has been on the market for 621 days (!), and another is new construction that has been on the market 372 days (another !)  I have been selling homes in Eagle Rock for 20 years, and I have never seen the inventory so low! Last week, 2 homes came on the market and sold in multiple offers for considerably over asking. One property listed for $460,000 had 20 offers, 1 listed for…

  • New Listing, What a Deal!

    Tracy
    29 Oct 2009 | 6:30 am
    Just listed this week: 329 Vista Place, Highland Park, 90042, $399,000. Here is a hidden gem in the hills of the Garvanza neighborhood of Highland Park. For more information about this historic neighborhood, check out the Neighborhood Project from LAist at http://laist.com/2007/08/06/the_neighborhoo_2.php. From the wide front porch to the patio in the back, enjoy the outdoor spaces perfect for dining al fresco with views of your own private gardens. Built in 1903, this 2 bedroom, 1 bath Craftsman cottage has wood floors, central air and heat, updated electrical and plumbing, and a finished…

  • Should I Stucco My Wood Frame House? NO! And More on Preservation

    Tracy
    28 Oct 2009 | 4:40 pm
    The City of Los Angeles has long had a reputation for unbridled development and a disregard for the treasures of the past, but you would never know that if you first looked at the City’s own preservation website, www.Preservation.LaCity.org.  Here’s a great link from that website to a brochure on Caring for Your Historic Home: http://preservation.lacity.org/files/HPOZ%20Rehabilitation%20Guide_0.pdf.  Perhaps one reason the Office of Historic Resources, a part of the Department of City Planning, appears to have its act together is because the former head of the Los Angeles…

  • What’s the Story with That Mansion in Eagle Rock?

    Tracy
    21 Oct 2009 | 3:14 pm
    In my 20 years as a Realtor, I’ve heard that question more than any other when the conversation turns to properties in Eagle Rock. The Mansion, often referred to as the Bekins Estate, is located at 1554 Hill Drive, between Dahlia and Loleta. Well folks, a large number of members and guests of the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society found out what’s been going on straight from the source last night at the Society’s public meeting at the Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock. Mr. Robert Kvassay gave a slide show update on the property that has been in his family since 1965. In the last 2 or…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Real Central VA

  • Budgeting on Assumptions – Good enough for Government

    Jim Duncan
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:39 am
    From yesterday’s Daily Progress regarding the worsening Albemarle County budget (bolding mine): The proposed 77.2-cent tax rate would mean the average homeowner would pay the same real-estate taxes as this year for the next two years, officials say. Assuming real-estate values begin to pick up, there would be a slight increase in tax bills in the third and fourth years, maxing out at a 3 percent increase in real-estate taxes five years from now, officials project. Which officials are hopefully assuming that real estate values will pick up? And when? Naturally, Charlottesville Tomorrow…

  • Forest Hills Park Significantly Increased

    Jim Duncan
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:11 am
    And this is a good thing, I think. Courtesy of Charlottesville Tomorrow: Southern Development is donating an acre and a half of land to increase the size of Forest Hills Park in Charlottesville. The land, which is appraised at $90,000, is located between Forest Ridge Road and Antoinette Avenue. The donation, if approved at tonight’s City Council meeting, will increase the park’s size by 20%. The 1.5 acres is adjacent to a new condominium complex currently under construction off of Rock Creek Road. The land is not visible from Forest Ridge Road, but it is adjacent to a trail which connects…

  • Blue Mountain’s Brewery’s “LIghts Out”

    Jim Duncan
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am
    From friends at Blue Mountain Brewery: Today is the release of our tasty Lights Out Holiday Ale. Available on draft & in six-packs here at the brewery. Today is also the first Thursday of the month which means it is Steal the Glass day, all day long. Buy a beer for $5 and you keep the logo glass it comes in, no limit on glass purchases. Sweet. I’m not a fan of the crass, blatant, wasteful and repulsive commercialism that comes with the holiday season. I do love my family and spending time with them and friends. Blue Mountain Brewery’s Lights Out is becoming my favorite way of…

  • The Homebuyer Tax Credit Gets Closer to Extension – 4 November 2009

    Jim Duncan
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:27 pm
    Update 6 November 2009: Charlottesville’s Representative Tom Perriello voted for the bill, which passed 403-12 with 18 abstensions. Update 5 November 2009: That was fast. The Senate, then the House, and now apparently Obama will sign the bill to extend unemployment benefits and the homebuyer tax credit Friday. As in, tomorrow. More at CNBC. Track the Bill at GovTrack. The bill may now proceed to a conference committee of senators and representatives to work out differences in the versions of the bill each chamber approved. The bill then goes to the President before becoming law. So, the…

  • Yesterday’s Charlottesville and Albemarle Elections

    Jim Duncan
    4 Nov 2009 | 11:22 am
    Three things: 1 – David Slutzky losing is huge. 2 – If you think your vote doesn’t count, think again. 3 – Local elections matter. Lots of discussion in the Charlottesville news: - Daily Progress - cvillenews - The HooK - C-ville - VPAP (via Twitter: Search the Charlottesville MLS Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you are not reading this at RealCentralVA.com the site you see is likely stealing content. Yesterday’s Charlottesville and Albemarle Elections
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Wealth Building Guy

  • Finding Money for your First Real Estate Investment

    Benjamin Bach
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:22 am
    I made this video after speaking to a number of people who wanted to become real estate investors, but were unsure of where they’d get the initial capital for their first investment property.  Here I discuss where some of our clients got money from when they were buying their first properties in the Kitchener Waterloo area.  Some of our clients access ‘dead money’ – the nonperforming equity that’s sitting in most people’s homes; some of our clients use cash from savings; and other clients are (more and more these days) taking money out of the volatile stock market in…

  • Understanding Investment (and Commercial) Real Estate Terms

    Benjamin Bach
    4 Nov 2009 | 12:18 pm
    Ever heard real estate investors talking about NOI, the gross, Cash on Cash return or comparing caps, and not known what they were talking about? In this video, I explain some of the terms investors use when looking at investment opportunities.  Even if you’re shopping outside of Kitchener Waterloo, understanding these terms will help you be a more educated investor.   Click the video above to learn about Net Operating Income, Gross Rental Income, Operating Expenses, Cap (short for Capitalization) Rates and more What terms would you like explained? Let me know in the comments, by…

  • Investing in New Construction Real Estate in Waterloo Region

    Benjamin Bach
    20 Oct 2009 | 7:10 am
    Over at our real estate investment site, we’ve posted a video q & a about investing in new construction condominiums and condo townhouses.  The questions I’ve been asked by Investors about these are pretty similar in most cases, so I thought I’d let you in on the chat.  Click play: What questions do you have about new construction, or about investing in real estate in general?  Leave them in the comments, let me know on twitter @benjaminbach, add me on facebook and send me a msg, or email me at Benjamin@BenjaminBach.com (you can also call me directly at 519 772 4376).

  • Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Market Update – October 2009

    Benjamin Bach
    20 Oct 2009 | 6:51 am
    September 2009 was a very busy month for real estate in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, with an increase in both the number of sales and the dollar value of those sales.  Real Estate Investors and first time homebuyers are taking advantage of historically low mortgage interest rates. Click play to watch this month’s instalment of the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate market update For information on what’s happening across the broader Canadian Market, we turn to the Keller Williams Real Estate Market Update for Canada: For more info on how you can profit from what’s going on in today’s…

  • New View of Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate

    Benjamin Bach
    8 Oct 2009 | 5:55 am
    Want to walk around the neighbourhood without leaving your home ?  Well, thanks to the genius minds at Google, we can now do that for almost the entire city of Kitchener Waterloo (so far I’ve found at least 1 street that’s not indexed).  Google Maps introduces Street View for Kitchener Waterloo.  More at The Record: Thousands of residents in Kitchener and Waterloo likely shared his wonder at the otherwise mundane as word of the new service spread Wednesday. Nine other cities across Canada also came on board, allowing users to navigate their way through 360-degree views…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    L.A. Land

  • Hot Property: Former 49er Joe Montana lists 500-acre wine country spread for $49 million

    Lauren Beale
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:02 pm
    Football great Joe Montana and his wife Jennifer have listed their 500-acre estate in Sonoma County’s wine country for $49 million. The Calistoga property includes a 9,700-square-foot Tuscan-inspired main house, an equestrian center, two year-round creeks, a pond, a regulation-sized basketball court, a skeet shooting range, a caretaker’s residence, a guesthouse, a swimming pool with a spa, a gym, a bocce court and a producing olive farm. The main house has a loggia open to the outdoors, a sitting room in an upstairs tower and a climate-controlled wine cellar and tasting room. There…

  • Malibu picks sewers over smell

    Lauren Beale
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am
      The Malibu septic-tank-versus-sewers issue has finally been settled after years of debate, according to "Septic tanks on their way out in Malibu" at latimes.com. The timeline: New septic systems will not be permitted in Malibu, and owners of existing systems will have to halt wastewater discharges within a decade. What it'll cost homeowners: Residents in affected areas would be required to pay about $500 a month to cover the cost of hooking into a central sewage system, according to the city's projections. And businesses would face payments of up to $20,000 a…

  • Prefab housing goes green in Newport Beach

    Nancy Rivera
    5 Nov 2009 | 6:13 pm
    Here's something a little different on the home-building front: We took photos of a prefab home being put together this morning in Newport Beach. We're not talking double-wide prefab, but rather a sustainably designed modular home by LivingHomes, a developer based in Santa Monica. The house is "poised to become Orange County's first LEED Platinum Certified Home, the nationally accepted third-party benchmark for the highest-performing green buildings," LivingHomes said in its news release.The two-story residence came in four preconstructed modules, which were…

  • Open mansions: A sign of the times?

    Lauren Beale
    5 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    Public open houses being held at Westside properties priced as high as $21.9 million is the subject of my story today at latimes.com. Most of us can never afford a house costing more than a fraction of that price. If you are a diehard lookie-loo, at least now you can step inside one. The real estate agents I talked to were split on whether this is a good idea or a bad one, but it's something to think about when you have family in town over the holidays and are looking for that only-in-L.A. experience. --Lauren Beale Thoughts? Comments?Photo: Agent Florence Mattar has been holding public…

  • Redfin announces sale prices in real time, uh, maybe

    Alex Lazo
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am
    The online brokerage Redfin announced a cool new tool for those interested in SoCal real estate prices. The Seattle-based online brokerage is now posting closed-sale prices and photographs for houses in a variety of big real estate markets as soon as the listing broker marks the property as sold. The new version of the company’s website integrates data from the local databases that brokers use to take properties on and off the market, according to a release by the company this morning. The upgrade added 9.6 million photos for 1.4 million recent property sales with an average of more than…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Property Qwest Blog

  • Pending Home Sales Index - September 2009

    PropertyQwest.com
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    As reported by CNNMoney.com - "Home sales contracts rise for 8th straight month":The number of signed sales contracts to buy homes rose in September for the eighth straight month, according to a real estate industry report released Monday.The September Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) spiked 6.1% to 110.1, consolidating a 6.4% gain in August. It was the index's highest level since December 2006, when it stood at 112.8.The leap was far better than expected. A panel of analysts surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a 1.2% rise.No doubt the first-time…

  • Sales of Existing U.S. Homes Rise

    PropertyQwest.com
    21 Aug 2009 | 6:58 am
    As reported by Bloomberg.com - "Sales of Existing U.S. Homes Probably Climbed as Prices Fell":Sales of existing U.S. homes probably climbed in July to the highest level in 10 months, signaling the housing crisis that crippled the world's largest economy is easing, economists said before a report today.Purchases rose 2.1 percent to a 5 million annual rate, according to the median forecast of 64 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. It would be the fourth consecutive gain, capping the longest stretch of increases since 2004.As noted in our previous post, "Housing Affordability", many factors…

  • Housing Affordability

    PropertyQwest.com
    21 Aug 2009 | 6:31 am
    As reported by CNNMoney.com - "Homes still affordable - really affordable":Homes continue to be more affordable than they have been in nearly two decades.The typical American family, making the nation's median income of $64,000 a year, could afford to buy 72.3% of all homes sold in the United States during the second quarter, according a quarterly report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500).That's off just a tad from the record 72.5% reached during the first three months of 2009, but up substantially from the second quarter of 2008 when only…

  • Housing Recovery?

    PropertyQwest.com
    17 Aug 2009 | 7:44 am
    Interesting points regarding the U.S. housing market, the recovery, and housing regions where real estate should fare well.

  • Foreclosures Continue to Thrive as Moratoriums are Phased Out

    PropertyQwest.com
    13 Aug 2009 | 6:15 am
    As reported my CNNMoney.com - "Foreclosure plague: No cure yet":Despite some positive signs starting to surface in select housing markets, foreclosures are still on the rise:There were more than 360,000 properties with foreclosure filings -- including default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions -- an increase of 7% from June and 32% from July 2008, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed homes. In fact, one in every 355 U.S. homes had at least one filing during July.Nevada, California, Arizona, and Florida continue to lead the nation in foreclosures as some…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Lanser on Real Estate

  • Really? Foreclosure flood hits Northwest

    Jon Lansner
    6 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pm
    Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” DREARY: Foreclosure rate in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area up 37% from year ago. (Seattle PI) MORE HERE! MESSY: Seattle neighbors left with dirty work from foreclosed homes (King5.com) MORE HERE! BUSTED: Foreclosure bus maps Seattle real estate bust (Seattle Times) MORE HERE! GLOOMY: Foreclosure rate for Portland climbed 78% from a year ago. (Portland Biz Journal) MORE HERE! PEAKED: Foreclosure Hot Spots Spread to Idaho and Utah (UPI.com) MORE HERE! Check HERE for our coverage of real estate troubles of…

  • Obama signs homebuyer tax credit extension

    Jeff Collins
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:05 pm
    President Barack Obama signed the homebuyer tax credit into law today, extending the popular $8,000 credit for first-time homebuyers. The credit, which was to expire at the end of this month, will be available through next June as long as the buyer signs a binding contract by the end of April. The program is expanded to include a $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who buy a new place after living in their current residence for at least five years. Read more about the measure: HERE! For a technical explanation of the bill, CLICK HERE! Reactions: Dick Gaylord, RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists…

  • O.C. home pricing near longest rise in 4 years

    Jon Lansner
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am
    For the 22 business days ending Oct. 16 Slice Price Yr. ago Sales Yr. ago Houses $495,000 +4.2% 2,018 +5.7% Condos $308,500 +4.6% 917 +8.8% New $500,000 +3.1% 168 -19.6% All O.C. $435,000 +3.6% 3,103 +4.8% For the 22 business days ending Oct. 16 – DataQuick’s latest homebuying report — Orange County saw … $435,000 median selling price that is $6,000 above September (+1.4%) and would mark the 6th consecutive month of price gains — longest winning streak since 7 up months ended Aug. 2005. Price is +3.6% vs. a year ago and -33% below June 2007’s peak of $645,000.

  • Home sales rise in 45 O.C. ZIPs

    Jon Lansner
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:40 am
    For the 22 business days ending Oct. 16 – DataQuick’s freshest stats — Orange County homebuying patterns showed: 32 of O.C.’s 83 ZIP codes had gains in their respective median selling price. Overall, prices were +3.6% vs. a year ago. 6 of 83 O.C. ZIPs had median sales prices above $1 million in the period vs. 11 million-dollar ZIPs when the county median price peaked in June 2007. Since that pricing pinnacle, there’s been a -33% drop in the countywide median price! 45 of 83 O.C. ZIPs had year-over-year sales gains in the period. Overall, countywide sales were…

  • Pac 10 has priciest college-town housing

    Jon Lansner
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am
    Coldwell Banker Real Estate every fall has a little fun with the real estate data, digging into the numbers to create its “College Home Price Comparison Index” to track comparative house-buying costs in various college towns in big-time football leagues. Benchmark residence for the study is a single-family, 2,200 square-foot house with four bedrooms, two and one-half baths. The Pac 10 conference — home to USC and UCLA football — had the priciest housing. Here’s the rankings, sliced by the major conferences, based on the average selling price this year … Mid…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Rainmaker Properties

  • Twitter Updates of the Week for 2009-11-01

    Alex H. Wang
    1 Nov 2009 | 1:27 am
    Job outlook appears to be looking better, are we really out of the woods? http://bit.ly/XqEjh # U.S. home prices begin to rise in the month of August. http://bit.ly/TM6Ro # Financial mistakes that could HAUNT you for a lifetime. Beware of these traps! http://bit.ly/2NNlH3 # Breaking News! Avoid the Bay Bridge, falling debris; closed indefinitely! http://bit.ly/2PPUrB http://bit.ly/iuIXg # Avoid Bay Bridge; falling debris closes bridge indefinitely! http://bit.ly/2PPUrB http://bit.ly/q89R6 # SFGate: Bay Bridge could take days to re-open. http://bit.ly/1FORVC http://bit.ly/c7SLV # 3.5% Economic…

  • Twitter Updates of the Week for 2009-10-25

    Alex H. Wang
    25 Oct 2009 | 3:27 am
    RealEstateRain.com: Twitter Updates of the Week for 2009-10-18: New 2009 chart: a global view of the housing bubbleh… http://bit.ly/4h9QYa # Ben Bernake: We’ve got to address the Federal Deficit; $1.42 Trillion and counting…http://bit.ly/4oeAj # Ben Bernanke: We’ve got to address the Federal deficit; $1.42 Trillion and counting…http://bit.ly/4oeAj # 1SiliconValley.com: Tips for using Zillow to calculate your home’s value! So how much is it? http://bit.ly/3kfO5r # Hidden Factors in Calculating Your Home’s Value http://bit.ly/3kfO5r # Using Zillow to…

  • Twitter Updates of the Week for 2009-10-18

    Alex H. Wang
    18 Oct 2009 | 3:27 am
    New 2009 chart: a global view of the housing bubble http://bit.ly/3Xi8nd # Today on SFGate: Rent tips: how to negotiate/renegotiate, your lease http://bit.ly/Obdwn # Iphone Users: Free Adobe Photoshop App unleashes awesome mobile pic editing! http://bit.ly/3O1nPg # Next year’s prediction: Bargain homes driving force for Silicon Valley Real Estate http://bit.ly/CnEbh # Washington mulling over first time homebuyer’s credit extension http://bit.ly/sDtTW # Santa Clara county home sales up, but market’s still unsettled http://bit.ly/3aWcDA # RealEstateRain.com: Twitter Updates of…

  • Twitter Updates of the Week for 2009-10-11

    Alex H. Wang
    11 Oct 2009 | 3:27 am
    The Top 10 most expensive Home markets released: 3 are from the Bay Area…. Can you guess which ones? bit.ly/PbO6O # The Top 10 most expensive Home markets released: Three are from the Bay Area…. Can you guess which ones? http://bit.ly/PbO6O # San Jose suspends affordable new housing? http://bit.ly/KXaXw # Fresh from Consumer Reports: Cleaning tips for the Fall! http://bit.ly/3kuGJ3 # Come to “Sunnyvale Firefighter Pancake Breakfast” Saturday, October 10 from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. Attention pancake… http://bit.ly/qvPz6 # Come to “Paper Shredding Event”…

  • 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. “With all the radio ads for low interest mortgage rates…How  does one discern which are legit and which ones are borderline   fraudulent? “ -Tim Well Tim…. I am always concerned about ads that just feature a rate   because there is so much room for bait and switch. Since most   people today are interested in a 30 year fixed rate mortgage, the   questions I would always ask are: -Is this a 30…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Real Estate in Las Vegas

  • Las Vegas Foreclosure Condos for Sale

    REMAX LAS VEGAS - Bob Ratliff
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:43 pm
    Las Vegas foreclosure condos for sale near Las Vegas Strip and Airport. Las Vegas foreclosure Condos for Sale in close proximity to all major Vegas attractions. Instant equity plus cash flow... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Las Vegas Gated Community Bank Owned Home

    REMAX LAS VEGAS - Bob Ratliff
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:38 pm
    Las Vegas Painted Desert pool home located in gated golf course community. Five bedrooms with three baths and 2700 sq. ft. with three car garage. Solar heated pool with fireplace in master bedroom.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Las Vegas Bank Owned Strip Condos

    REMAX LAS VEGAS - Bob Ratliff
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:32 pm
    Las Vegas Bank Owned Strip Condos beautiful with a great Las Vegas location. Only a few years old 1,2,3 bedrooms priced from $138K and above. Las Vegas Bank Owned Strip Condos. These Las Vegas condos... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Las Vegas High Rise Foreclosures

    REMAX LAS VEGAS - Bob Ratliff
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:15 pm
    Is the Las Vegas High Rise and luxury condo market going to become another victim of the Las Vegas foreclosure fallout. Vegas realtors Bob Ratliff with The Ratliff Group discuss the possible upcoming... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

  • Summerlin Foreclosures

    REMAX LAS VEGAS - Bob Ratliff
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:30 pm
    Summerlin Foreclosures is truly a unique community with homes that showcase the finest living in the Las Vegas Valley. The Summerlin Foreclosure location is second to none, as the west side of Las... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Ubertor Real Estate Blog

  • Learn to Maximize Your Ubertor Website: Live Ubertor Tour, Tuesday, November 10, 2009

    Uber Bryan
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:07 pm
    Get expert advice from an Ubertor specialist on how to use the basics of the system. This is a great start for all new Ubertor users eager to learn how to begin maximizing their website for the most return. This is a live guided tour of Ubertor’s control panel – so if you’re on the fences about Ubertor’s software, click in and join the tour. See how easy it is to get a website up and running. Upcoming Live Tour Dates are labeled below. Join in 2 easy steps (Live Tour is FREE): 1. Register for the Live Tour November 10, 2009 @ 10:00 AM PST using the widget below, OR simply click on…

  • Ian Watt Rocking it at Coach Tom Ferry’s Event in San Diego

    Stephen Jagger
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:36 am
    Vancouver Realtor Ian Watt was invited to speak in San Diego yesterday at Coach Tom Ferry’s Realtor event. He spoke right after Tom Ferry and before Gary Vaynerchuk – not a bad lineup to be included in. For those that missed it, here is Ian’s talk: Are you interested in giving an Ubertor website a try? Want to try our video syndication tool and post videos all over the web like Ian Watt does? Give it a shot, go to www.ubertor.com and signup now. No setup fee, no contract and your first 30 days free.

  • Another Custom Realtor Website

    Stephen Jagger
    4 Nov 2009 | 7:23 pm
    This time it is David Snider, a White Rock Realtor who has hired an Ubertor Approved Vendor to create a beautiful custom look and feel for his Ubertor website.

  • Homes for the Holidays (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Nanaimo)

    Stephen Jagger
    3 Nov 2009 | 10:49 am
    Kids Help Phone’s Homes for the Holidays is back this year in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Nanaimo brought to you by RE/MAX. Inspire yourself for the holidays by touring elegantly decorated homes. Prominent interior designers have partnered with local home décor retailers to create distinctly themed holiday showcases. Experience the ambiance of the season with this self-guided pageant of homes! – from Homes for the Holidays

  • Video Syndication on Ubertor

    Stephen Jagger
    1 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm
    Are you creating video? Are you uploading them to YouTube? Take a moment to check out the Ubertor Video Syndication tool. It allows you to upload your video to Ubertor, as well as syndicate them to YouTube.com, Viddler.com and Ubertor’s own Combustion Video. If you are an Ubertor client you can see the video syndication tool within the “video” tab in your control panel. If you are NOT an Ubertor client but want to check it out, feel free to go to www.Ubertor.com and sign up. There is no setup fee, no contract and your first 30 days are free. You will be able to play with the…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Appraisal Scoop

  • What Should the Good Appraiser Do When the FBI or Any Law Enforcement Officer Calls?

    Brian Davis
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm
    The FBI is on the Phone for You By Peter Christensen The FBI released a report earlier this year entitled 2008 Mortgage Fraud Report "Year in Review". It indicated the obvious: that reports of mortgage fraud and investigations of it by the FBI increased significantly in 2008. The FBI further indicated: "With the anticipated continued upsurge in mortgage fraud cases, the FBI has created the National Mortgage Fraud Team (NMFT); fostered new and existing liaison partnerships within the mortgage industry and law enforcement; and developed new and innovative methods to detect and combat mortgage…

  • Appraisal Practices Board (APB) to Commence Work in July 2010 - New Independent Board

    Brian Davis
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm
    Washington, DC, November 5, 2009 — The Appraisal Foundation, a Congressionally authorized non-profit organization dedicated to promoting professionalism in appraising through the establishment of appraisal standards and appraiser qualifications, announced today the establishment of a third independent board, the Appraisal Practices Board (APB). Earlier this year, the Foundation Board of Trustees established a Task Force to study the issue of how to best address a void in the marketplace related to guidance on appraisal methods and techniques that would be available to all appraisers…

  • FHA Adopts Some HVCC Guidelines - Mortgagee Letter 09-28: Appraiser Independence

    Brian Davis
    19 Sep 2009 | 4:37 am
    The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced several significant policy changes that are intended to improve their exposure to risk.  The changes, effective January 1, include: Modification of Procedures for Streamline Refinance Transactions Adoption of Home Valuation Code of Conduct Guidelines (some not all) Updated Appraisal Validity Period New Appraisal Portability Regs New Requirement of Lenders to Submit of Audited Financial Statements for Review Adjustments to the Approval Process for Participation in FHA Loan Origination Increased Net-Worth Requirements for Lenders…

  • Analyze The Market! Qualitative vs. Quantitative

    Brian Davis
    14 Sep 2009 | 3:25 am
    Appraisers have had blinders on for way too long. It is time to open our eyes wide, keep an open mind and to truly think outside the “check” box. Most of us learned this crazy business by filling out a form.For me, it was actually preparing forms on the good old typewriter, and since clients didn’t accept White-out, if you made one mistake, you retyped the whole thing …. in my case, normally after almost completing the entire report. My education truly began when I started actually thinking, securing meaningful education and not merely form-filling thanks somewhat to George K. Cox,…

  • N.Y. Times on Ordering Appraisals - " . . Lenders Now Control the Entire Process"

    Brian Davis
    20 Aug 2009 | 4:01 am
    The New York Times story "In Appraisal Shift, Lenders Gain Powers and Critics", by David Streitfeld, the author does an excellent job of taking its readers through the HVCC time-line and illuminating the current issues with appraisal ordering and pressure. Below are a few quotes from the Times story: “We’ve been begging for years for enforcement of existing state and federal laws regulating appraising,” said Mr. Kennedy, a leader in the appraisal community. “We thought we were finally going to get that. But the code is doing nothing except putting ethical appraisers out of…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Main Line PA Today

  • Home Buyer Tax Credit Done When Obama Signs

    Judy Peterson
    5 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm
    Expanded Home Buyers Tax Credit Voted Up By Senate and House Today Just today the United States House of Representatives voted 403-12 to extend and expand the Home Buyers Tax Credit. The National Association of Realtors has provided this helpful document summarizing the details of the new Home Buyers Tax Credit. Following the 48-0 vote by the United States Senate yesterday, and remembering our civics lessons, the Home Buyer Tax Credit will become law effective on the date that President Obama signs the bill. Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension – Highlights of Changes: *First Time Buyer Tax…

  • First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Cliff Hanger

    Judy Peterson
    30 Oct 2009 | 3:51 am
    First Time Home Buyer Credit Cliff Hanger .  .  .  To Be Continued! The Senate is working on approving  The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension. Part of the proposal is to Expand The Home Buyers Credit for existing home sellers/home buyers but so far there is no Senate Vote. Possibly next week there may be a vote ready to go to the House and from there who knows? From Soap Operas like Days of Our Lives  (”tune in tomorrow for the next exciting episode”), to Dallas, we’re drawn to cliff hangers. Who didn’t tune in  to find out, Who Shot JR? Remembering Saturday…

  • Lower Merion,Radnor,Willistown-Two Mops For MSI

    Judy Peterson
    28 Oct 2009 | 10:31 am
    Months Supply of Inventory/Absorption Rate: *Lower Merion Township, Radnor Township and Willistown Township  have earned two Mops for their Months Supply of Inventory and Days on Market for September 2009 as compared to September 2007. Of course the market will look a lot healthier when the volume of Sold and Under Contract transactions begins to move in a more positive direction. Township DOM MSI #Sold Lower Merion 102 (+38%) 10.9 (+8%) -14% Radnor 97 (+90%) 8.9 (-25%) Level Easttown 71 (+107) 8.9 (-3%) -56% Willistown 57 (+51%) 7.8 (-36%) -21% West Goshen 58 (-10%) 5.7 (-11%) -33% East…

  • Tredyffrin Third Quarter Real Estate Absorption

    Judy Peterson
    20 Oct 2009 | 5:23 am
    Mops, Sponges and The Months Supply of Inventory The Third Quarter Tredyffrin Real Estate Absorption Rate is looking more like a normal real estate market instead of one drowning in inventory. Some months I have felt like I needed a huge mop to soak up the excess inventory. And in some markets that’s still the image that resonates. But here in Tredyffrin Township for the Third Quarter Real Estate Market, we’re showing signs of recovery. The months supply of inventory is down to 5.6 months.  Keep in mind that the MSI and the Absorption Rate is based on the assumption that no new…

  • Tredyffrin Real Estate September 09 Market Report

    Judy Peterson
    16 Oct 2009 | 6:10 am
    Good New For The Tredyffrin Real Estate Market? Should I take my Listing off the market for the holidays? As the Market Dynamics for Tredyffrin Township show, all of the Median Price indicators are down for September 2009 as compared to September 2008 and September 2007. While it’s painful to write that all of the Median Price indicators are down, we could view these statistics as a positive indicator. Not to get in front of the market, but the fact that the number of sold transactions are actually up by 3% and the number of under contract transactions as of the end of September are also up…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Condo Blog

  • An amazing reality check. Maybe now you understand what we are doing

    Anthony Longo
    5 Nov 2009 | 6:21 pm

  • Canada Real Estate: Breaking down anti-competitive practices

    Anthony Longo
    2 Nov 2009 | 6:25 pm
    What a day … between the WSJ article today on the RealComp MLS “loss” to the FTC we have even more hot news off the press regarding similar issues going on in Canada.  I guess this will fast-track our Toronto condo based operation…Canada here we come! The article…. Canadians in the housing market will pay less in [...]

  • Another win in the battle for a new real estate economy!

    Anthony Longo
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:26 pm
    Today’s post by Bob Hagery of the Wall Street Journal proved to be another huge blow to the NAR and local trade associations fighting to keep MLS data corralled to select groups (or better said any full-fee real estate brokerages). view the entire article here. “The Federal Trade Commission ordered an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors [...]

  • Awsome Real Estate Ad

    Anthony Longo
    26 Oct 2009 | 8:51 am
    by way of Inman News, got to love.  Wouldn’t real estate be so much easier if all advertisement was like this?  Check out our friends @ Cullman Liquidation

  • Twitter CEO Looking To Sell His San Francisco Condo

    Anthony Longo
    2 Oct 2009 | 9:39 am
    Late Thursday afternoon Twitter CEO Evan Williams tweeted “Buy my loft…It’s a steal!” And with that, the listing went viral. Though Williams and his wife, Sara Morishige, had listed their penthouse for sale on Sept. 25, it wasn’t until the tweet that the digital masses noticed. Which begs the question: If you don’t tweet something, did [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Reverse Mortgage Daily

  • Top Reverse Mortgage Lenders Through October 2009

    admin
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:06 am
    Overall reverse mortgage industry volume fell 7.4% in October 2009, coming in at 8,772 units, bringing YTD volume to 95,902 according to data from Reverse Market Insight.  Below is a list of the top HECM lenders through October 2009 and be sure to take a look at the commentary and link below which goes into more detail. The Top 10 lenders accounted for 3,845 endorsements in the month, or just under 44% of the volume. The number of active lenders in the industry has grown 8.7% vs 2008 levels.  We have three HUD regions where the endorsement growth actually outpaced the change in…

  • Fannie Mae Reverse Mortgage Portfolio Grows, Market Share Shrinks

    admin
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:25 am
    The reverse mortgage portfolio of  Fannie Mae grew from $41.6 billion as of December 31, 2008 to $49.8 billion as of September 30, 2009 according to its 3Q SEC filing. The GSE estimates its market share of the total market of reverse mortgage loans outstanding was approximately 90% as of December 31, 2008.  According to the filing, changes in pricing strategy and market conditions have lead its market share of HECM acquisitions to fall to 20% during the 3Q and to 10% in September 2009.  Ginnie Mae has picked up the slack for FNMA, issuing $5.1 billion of HMBS in FY 2009. FNMA…

  • Over Half of Households Risk Being Able to Maintain Standard of Living in Retirement

    admin
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:21 am
    The National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI) showed that 51% of households are at risk of not being able to maintain their standard of living in retirement.  According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College report, the NRRI jumped from 7% from last year due to: the bursting of the housing bubble; the stock market crash; and the ongoing rise in Social Security’s Full Retirement Age The Index results from comparing households’ projected replacement rates – retirement income as a percent of pre-retirement income – with target rates that would allow them to maintain…

  • HUD Reaches Tentative Settlement with Reverse Mortgage Lender Over Violations

    admin
    5 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm
    The US Department of Housing and Urban Development announced its Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) is imposing civil money penalties against two FHA approved lenders in  Wisconsin and Connecticut for a variety of violations of FHA lending and marketing standards. In addition, the MRB reached tentative settlements with four other lenders and issued two Letters of Reprimand to lenders that HUD alleged violated FHA requirements. One of the lenders it reached a tentative settlement with is Cerritos, California based Sun West Mortgage Company.  HUD alleges that the reverse mortgage lender…

  • Fannie Mae and FHA Boost Net Worth Requirement for Reverse Mortgage Lenders

    admin
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Independent reverse mortgage bankers are facing increased net worth requirements which could change the way they currently operate. Fannie Mae announced earlier this week that it was increasing the minimum required net worth required for approved sellers to $2.5 million, plus 0.25% of the outstanding principal balance of its total portfolio of mortgage loans serviced for the GSE. Over the last 12 months, Fannie Mae has increased approved sellers net worth requirements from $1.65 million by June 30, 2009 to $2.5 million by the end of the year.  That’s no small jump for mortgage bankers.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Wallingford Wired

  • Surprise! $8000 Homebuyer Tax Credit is Officially Extended and Expanded

    The Harriman Team
    6 Nov 2009 | 5:19 pm
    I know, for the past 48 hours or so you’ve been seeing blogs all across the Interwebs shouting from the rooftops that the $8000 Homebuyer Tax Credit has been extended, expanded, retooled, rebuilt and pretty much made into the Six Million Dollar Man (actually, it’s closer to 10.8 Billion Dollars, man). But, as well-meaning as those eager beavers were…it just wasn’t so. Yes, the Senate slammed it through in a 98-0 vote on Wednesday, but that didn’t make it a LAW; yes, the House breezed through a 403-12 vote to pass the bill yesterday, but that STILL didn’t…

  • Just Listed: 3 Burke Heights Dr., Wallingford CT

    The Harriman Team
    5 Nov 2009 | 4:52 pm
    Affordable ranch with open floor plan and windows galore. Parquet floors, updated bath, furnace, gutters, hot water heater, electrical and roof all done within last 5-10 years. Large deck and nice corner lot on Wallingford’s East side. Home needs some TLC and is sold as-is. Call Pat at 203-672-4499 for more info or to schedule an appointment. Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne HarrimanJust Listed: 3 Burke Heights Dr., Wallingford CT

  • Mortgage Rate Update 10/30/09

    The Harriman Team
    31 Oct 2009 | 5:20 pm
    While daily volatility was high this week, mortgage rates ended just slightly lower than last week. The primary factors influencing mortgage rates were offsetting. The economic growth data released this week was stronger than expected, but inflation remained low. While the first two Treasury auctions produced impressive results, the final one was relatively weak. Demand was extremely strong for this week’s 2-yr and 5-yr Treasury auctions, but it slacked off considerably for the 7-yr securities. When demand is low, higher yields are required to attract investors. In addition, the…

  • Wallingford Market Update September 2009

    The Harriman Team
    31 Oct 2009 | 5:15 pm
    The Wallingford housing market again reflected the same activity as the Meriden market for September. Both single family home and condo sales were down for the second straight month, and it’s likely that the uncertainty of the tax credit had a lot to do with this. There are still many buyers sitting on the fence, and the recent news of a possible extension of the tax credit to move-up buyers has just added more people to the list. The time to qualify for the existing $8000 tax credit has surely passed, as it expires at the end of November and the chances of getting a closing done in 30…

  • Meriden Market Update September 2009

    The Harriman Team
    31 Oct 2009 | 4:00 pm
    The Meriden housing market continued on a slight downward trend for September. New listings, pending sales and sold homes were again down slightly, but average days on market managed a significant drop. The condo market also saw some lower stats for the month but, just as in the single family market, average days on market was down considerably. Some of the slowdown in the market was probably due to the approaching expiration for qualifying for the $8000 tax credit. There has been increasing talk recently about the possibility of the tax credit being extended and expanded to include move-up…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Blogging In The Rain

  • I Am Going to PubCon and Want to Bring Your SEO Questions with Me and Get Answers for You

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    6 Nov 2009 | 8:27 am
    I Am Going to PubCon and Want to Bring Your SEO Questions with Me and Get Answers for You Today it the last day I will be working from my home office for a week.   On Monday I depart on a jet plane to Las Vegas where I will be attending PubCon, a conference whose focus is educating participants on Social Media, Affiliate Programs, Search, and SEO/SEM. Along my journey I will be meeting up with the lovely ladies of Classified Flyer Ads, Misty Lackie and Candice Hidalgo. Classified Flyer Ads is a company I have worked with in the past and a company that I would personally recommend to any…

  • How to Cut Your Real Estate Blogging Time In Half and Re-purpose Your Content Three Ways with the Time Saved

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:27 am
    How To Cut Your Real Estate Blogging Time in Half and Re-purpose Your Content Three Ways with the Time Saved One of the burdens challenges of being a content creator is providing consistently focused content that will be of interest to your readers.  If you are blogging 3-5 times per week or more content creation can become difficult for many real estate bloggers.  Now if you add in the creation of email marketing campaigns, strategic micro-blogging on Twitter or Posterous, newsletters, and generating additional content for your business peers this challenge can be dizzying. This is…

  • Week of 11/03/09- Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pm
    Week of 11/03/09- Real Skillz Freebie Picks- Free Online Reads and Real Estate Marketing Resources for Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies The Case of Modesty, In An Age of Arrogance-TIME Arrogance is easy to find, but doesn't modesty provide a more valuable commodity?  This article does reference technology and it made me think about the case for modesty in social networking and blogging.  Modesty in Social Networking and blogging means to inform rather than induce fear and bully, empower rather than make others feel incompetent or a posture of superiority. Great take away…

  • 5 Tips on Choosing The Right Days to Market Your Real Estate Services Online

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:46 pm
    How to Choose the Right Days to Market your Real Estate Services Online Effective real estate marketing online has a lot to do with timing.  There has been a lot of research conducted, mainly for industries outside of real estate (i.e.retail, hospitality, automotive) on the best days and times to market services and products online.  Implementing the right timing to deploy marketing campaigns into your online marketing strategy is an effective way to ramp up your results. Here are 5 tips on choosing the right days to market your real estate services online 1.  Tweet Midweek-  You can…

  • Building A Real Estate Community Means Growing Your Internet Presence

    Rebecca Levinson, Real Estate Marketing Consultant (Real Skillz-Clear Marketing for Your Real Estate Vision)
    31 Oct 2009 | 10:41 pm
    Building A Real Estate Community Means Growing Your Internet Presence Real Estate professionals are savvy to the fact that the majority of their consumers are online shopping for homes.  Now with the expansive presence that real estate professionals can have online through various forms of social media marketing and content strategies like blogging they can take a proactive role in engaging with consumers online. Some real estate professionals question the viability and productivity of time spent prospecting, selling, and marketing online.  What they do not see is that at its core…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Anne Marie Malfi - Virtually Assisting You

  • You’re doing it wrong if you’re using the “Baby come back” method of marketing to your past clients…here’s a better way

    Anne Marie Malfi, Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA (Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals)
    5 Nov 2009 | 10:26 am
    I think by now we've all seen this commercial: The Swiffer commercial has a "regular" mop asking, ok, begging and trying to "woo" the customer to come back to them with flowers and song dedications on the radio, now that they've switched over to using the new and improved Swiffer mop. The woman's reaction - "too little, too late Mr. Mop."  It doesn't matter what you did before, and what you'll do now to try to get me back - I'm convinced I no longer need you. I think the commercial is brilliant for the message Swiffer is trying to communicate to it's consumers - sometimes…

  • A nice addition to your website to encourage visits and revisits from prospects, past clients and search engines

    Anne Marie Malfi, Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA (Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals)
    4 Nov 2009 | 10:55 am
    Often times websites are created and change very little or only certain pages change.  There are many reasons for this: We build it and forgot about it We are driving visitors/traffic to our other sites (blogs and social media sites - important, yes, but if you have a website you want to make sure it's receiving traffic and directing traffic bank and forth to all your sites) We simply don't have the time to update our sites So here's your opportunity to regularly change the content on your website to encourage visitors (prospects and past clients) to visit again and again and again - you…

  • Using Your Blog to Enhance Relationships ~ How I do it...What I get from it...More importantly ~ What you can get from it...

    Anne Marie Malfi, Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA (Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals)
    29 Oct 2009 | 1:00 pm
      This post was inspired by Bob Stewarts Blog Challenge when he asked the question "How do you use your  blog to enhance your existing relationships with clients and prospects?"  I have four examples that I want to share that I hope will encourage others to be an active member of this community.  I have used my blog posts (and what I consider to be another version of my websites) to generate interest in my marketing and virtual assistant services as well as provide ideas on how my prospects, readers  and clients can extend their reach and provide great…

  • Making a Difference - Extending your Help to Someone with a Simple Gesture

    Anne Marie Malfi, Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA (Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals)
    29 Oct 2009 | 5:07 am
    This community is full of people who are always looking to make a difference to the people who hire us to provide real estate services, in our communities or to those special people in our lives. This idea was shared with my  11 year old daughter (Sarah) from a teacher in her school.  My daughter has been actively looking for ways to get involved with more community service and this is one way she felt she could make a difference in someone's life. If you're looking for another way to extend your help, especially this winter ~  another way you can make a difference to someone in your…

  • My Advice to Consumers Reading ActiveRain Blogs – The Real Estate Industry has Lots of Positives

    Anne Marie Malfi, Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA (Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals)
    26 Oct 2009 | 5:35 am
    My Advice to Consumers Reading ActiveRain Blogs - The Real Estate Industry has Lots of Positives   I think it's safe to say we've all been hurt before - whether in a relationship, business, and just from experiences we've had.  The memories that can come back to us when we relive those experiences can be quite painful and often leave us feeling cautious about trusting anyone.  I know on many of my blog posts people have shared some of the negative feelings that they have experienced and are aware of when it comes to the real estate industry and how agents and real estate…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Buy Owner Blog

  • Thanksgiving Decorating Tips

    Alicia
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and though we’ve previously discussed how home sellers should keep holiday decorations to a minimum, there is nothing wrong with adding fall flare to your home or with adding warmth and coziness to your layout. Wow your dinner guests with homemade or purchased decorations that not only show off the vibrant colors of fall, but that also celebrate the coming together of friends and the beginning of our founded nation. In the hype of winter holidays to come, Thanksgiving décor is sometimes forgotten, but it just as lovely and important as any other…

  • Going Green Might Help Sell Your Home

    Alicia
    5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    Not only does living green provide a healthier lifestyle and lower electricity and utility bills, but according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), 90 percent of home buyers have said that energy efficiency is a significant factor that they are looking for in a new home! Now that you know it could improve the interest of your potential buyers, here are green improvements to consider: • Add insulation where it’s needed. Outside, walk around the exterior of your home and look for cracks in the construction. On a windy, cold day, head to the attic and/or basement to listen…

  • Best Investment Right Now

    Alicia
    3 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    The housing crisis is finally showing slow signs of improvement. Commercial and retail properties have suffered in all areas of the country, but according to an article from Realty Times, apartment rentals have remained the strongest sector. Of all building rentals, multi-family apartment units have held up the best. Buildings have stayed full, and rent has remained stable or even increased. Particular cities with the lowest vacancy rates, around 5 percent, include Pittsburgh, San Diego, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., San Jose and Albuquerque. Areas where vacancy rates are higher, reaching up…

  • Holding an Estate Sale

    Carrie
    2 Nov 2009 | 2:14 am
    Estate sales are commonly run by professionals on behalf of a deceased property owner. However, you may hold your own estate sale for many reasons: if you are downsizing if you are moving to a facility where you are unable to keep your belongings (assisted living, retirement home, etc) if you want to get rid of unnecessary items to avoid foreclosure Why hold your own estate sale? The bottom line is that running your own estate sale saves you money. Not only must you pay a professional for his/her services, but you’ll also have to fork over a pretty penny for advertising, research, security,…

  • Natural Pest Control

    Alicia
    30 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    A decrease in temperatures could mean an increase of unwanted pests joining your household. This year, instead of purchasing another pesticide, try these natural pest control tips. According to a report by Environment Health Perspectives, 83 percent of American households contain up to four different pesticide products, even though these products often cause health risks, such as allergies, an immunity system breakdown or even brain effects. In 1993, 140,000 poison cases were reported to poison control centers. Pesticides have up to 300 active ingredients and up to 1,700 inert ingredients!
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Tina Fountain

  • Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended and Expanded

    6 Nov 2009 | 11:16 am
    We've had several phone calls this morning regarding the newly expanded Home Buyer Tax Credit. Of course, buyers who have pending contracts are asking if they will now qualify for an additional tax benefit. Keep in mind that while both the House and...

  • 256 Hanson Way Marietta, Georgia 30064

    26 Oct 2009 | 2:28 pm
    Just Listed - The Park at Anderson Farm 256 Hanson Way Marietta, Georgia 30064 FMLS # 3974713 Located near the historic Marietta Square, 256 Hanson Way is a stunning three story estate with views of Kennesaw Mountain. Homes for sale in The Park...

  • 2322 Tayside Crossing Kennesaw, Georgia 30152

    26 Oct 2009 | 2:04 pm
    Just Listed - Overlook at Marietta Country Club 2322 Tayside Crossing Kennesaw, Georgia 30152 FMLS # 3977413 Located in The Overlook at Marietta Country Club, 2322 Tayside Crossing is a brick traditional home with 5 bedrooms and 5 baths. Homes f...

  • Lake Lanier Has Reached Full Pool

    14 Oct 2009 | 1:58 pm
    The U.S. Geological Survey website is reporting that Lake Lanier reached full pool this morning and is currently at 1,071.01 feet above sea level. Located just north of Atlanta, the Lake Lanier reservoir is the water source for most of the metro Atla...

  • 1020 Quaker Ridge Way Duluth, Georgia 30097

    5 Oct 2009 | 10:44 am
    Just Listed - St. Ives Country Club 1020 Quaker Ridge Way Duluth, Georgia 30097 FMLS # 3967390 Beautiful setting on a golf course homesite in the exclusive St. Ives Country Club Subdivision. This stunning 5 bedroom, 3 full baths and 1 half b...
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Office Search Toronto

  • A Rare Building Boom Up North

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:21 am
    By ALBERT WARSON Published: October 13, 2009 TORONTO — The financial district of this city, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in North America, with a population of 5.4 million, is the scene of an exceptional flurry of development, especially in light of the recession. Three green towers with a combined 3.1 million square feet of office space are opening before the end of the year in the downtown financial district. In addition, within a 20-minute walk, three high-rise condominium-hotel towers costing about 1.23 billion Canadian dollars (about $1.19 billion) will open next year. This…

  • Bloor / St Clair / Eglinton Toronto Office Space

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    6 Nov 2009 | 4:14 am
    Click to enlarge the price list 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!. Contact Us Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my RSS feed OfficeSearchToronto.com on Facebook Join me on LinkedIn Shared Offices

  • Toronto Commercial Real Estate News – 2/2 October 2009

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    5 Nov 2009 | 9:09 am
    Commercial Real Estate Toronto October 2009 Redbourne Realty signs Thales to new 190,000 sq ft lease in Toronto Redbourne Realty – Thales Rail Signalling Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of Thales Group worldwide, has signed a multi-million dollar, long-term lease with Redbourne Realty Advisors Fund for 190,000 square feet at 105 Moatfield Dr. in Toronto. After a year-long search, it was determined that TRSS’s needs could best be met by relocating within Toronto at 105 Moatfield Drive, an office tower situated in a park-like setting overlooking the Don Valley. Canada News Wire Wed Oct…

  • Commercial Real Estate – Downtown East Toronto

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    5 Nov 2009 | 5:04 am
    For a survey of available commercial real estate anywhere in Toronto Contact Us. We will collect floor plans, organize the tour and help you secure your new office space with our fees paid by your new Landlord! Contact Us Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my RSS feed OfficeSearchToronto.com on Facebook Join me on LinkedIn Shared Offices

  • Some Commercial Real Estate Deals Around Toronto

    Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869
    4 Nov 2009 | 6:24 am
    If you would like floor plans or to arrange a tour for any of these office space please E-mail Me or call 416-992-9869. Remember, our services are free to you, the Tenant, until we find the right office space and then our fees are paid by your new landlord! Contact Us Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my RSS feed OfficeSearchToronto.com on Facebook Join me on LinkedIn Shared Offices
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    OfficeFinder Blog

  • Protecting your office from the H1N1 and Flu Viruses

    6 Nov 2009 | 8:18 am
    One of the big concerns of this flu season is keeping you office employee from spreading the flu, whether the regular seasonal flu or the H1N1 virus. One of the obvious keys to doing so is to know the symptoms and making sure your employees know the symptoms so that they will not come to work if they are experiencing them. If they don't stay home you will know when to send them home. Symptoms of H1N1 and Flu...and How They Are Different from the Co Symptom Cold H1N1 Flu Fever Fever is rare with a cold. Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of…

  • Regus is celebrating their 20th birthday

    4 Nov 2009 | 3:04 pm
    Regus is celebrating 20 years of business in the serviced office / executive suite business.  According to Wikipedia: In 1989 while on a business trip to Brussels, an English entrepreneur, Mark Dixon, noted the lack of office space available to travelling business people; they were often forced to work from hotels. He identified a need for office space that was maintained, staffed, and available for companies to use on a flexible basis and went on to found his first business center in Brussels in Belgium.Today Regus rents office space with services in over 1,000 centers in 450 cities and 75…

  • Loopnet Q4 Poll Results: When will the Market Recover?

    29 Oct 2009 | 12:36 pm
    Loopnet's recent poll mirrors what most of the commercial real estate pundits are saying that we won't see much improvement in the commercial real estate market until 2011. Commercial real estate almost always lags behind employment numbers. "More than 1,000 LoopNet members completed our poll on the Q4 commercial real estate market. Sentiment has turned more pessimistic since the Q3 survey, with 46% of respondents expecting a rebound in transactions to wait until 2011 or beyond, compared to 1/3 in our last survey. Still, the glass half full view notes that over half are still expecting a 2010…

  • USA Office vacancy rate is up, but how much?

    23 Oct 2009 | 8:29 am
    A couple of different reports have come out this month related to the 3rd Quarter office vacancy rate nationwide. They do not match.  The vacancy rate according to these reports is between 13% and 16.5%. Quite a big difference.  Neither noted whether sublease space was considered or what class of space was included. Bottom line is that you can't always take these number at face value. From the Money Times, "According to real estate research firm Reis Inc, the U.S. office vacancy rate touched a five-year high in the third quarter. The national vacancy rate stood at 16.5 percent, 0.6…

  • Federal Reserve:Commercial Real Estate Remains Weak

    22 Oct 2009 | 11:29 am
    Federal Reserve Beige Book Summary"Reports on commercial real estate markets indicated that demand for space remained weak and that construction continued to decline in all Districts. Atlanta, Philadelphia, Richmond, and San Francisco reported that vacancy rates increased, while rates held steady in the Boston and Kansas City Districts and were mixed in New York. Boston, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Richmond commented that the demand for space remained weak. Commercial rents declined according to Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Richmond. Rent concessions were reported…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Loan Classroom

  • Conforming Jumbo Mortgages Extended

    Matt Isleib
    2 Nov 2009 | 12:27 pm
    The U.S. House and Senate have passed the extension of the conforming jumbo mortgage through all of 2010. The mortgages which are securitized through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac as well as FHA have helped a non-existent jumbo mortgage market. The mortgages are not available in all real estate markets. They are for select “high cost” counties ... Read More

  • Homebuyer Tax Credit Update

    Matt Isleib
    29 Oct 2009 | 6:52 am
    The deadline to take advantage of the first time home buyer tax credit is approaching quickly. In my previous post  I mentioned that the NAR (National Association of Realtors) was lobbying Congress to extend the program. As it stands any purchase transaction must close by the 30th of November to take advantage of the tax ... Read More

  • How the Mortgage Process works now

    Matt Isleib
    27 Oct 2009 | 11:33 am
    Contrary to what you may have been accustomed to before and what you knew was the process before is no longer the case today. If you have not applied for a mortgage in the past 3-6 months things have changed. How things work now are more of a staggered process. Take for example a refinance. After ... Read More

  • Time to think Home Winterization

    Matt Isleib
    26 Oct 2009 | 10:52 am
    It is that time of the year in Connecticut and New England, the time of the year where the first couple of cold snaps should have you thinking about winterizing your home. I can assure you that tackling this job now while there are still 50-60 degree days is better than it being in the ... Read More

  • Do you have Chinese Dry Wall

    Matt Isleib
    23 Oct 2009 | 1:25 pm
    As if the homeowners in the lovely state of Florida did not have enough to be worried about with the housing and mortgage markets they can add whether or not their home was built using Chinese dry wall to the list of problems. The dry wall in question was imported during a four year span from ... Read More
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Vero Beach Real Estate

  • Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended/Expanded

    starfish
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:56 pm
    With the nation’s unemployment rate busting through the 10% mark in October, President Obama on Friday signed legislation extending the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit and giving additional tax breaks to certain homeowners trading up. Passed overwhelmingly by Congress, the bill would provide a $6,500 tax credit to homeowners who are buying a new primary residence beginning Dec. 1. The language mandates that to get the credit the homeowner must have owned their home for five consecutive years of the previous eight. But there are caps on the tax credits. They only apply to…

  • Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (October 27 – November 2, 2009)

    starfish
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:32 pm
    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 VERO BEACH, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian River County town. Paul Kitchen Broker-Owner Starfish Real Estate 40 Royal Palm Pointe Vero Beach, FL 32960 (772) 539-8420 (772) 539-8360 fax (800) 793-7304 toll free Vero Beach Real Estate Vero Beach Real Estate Blog

  • SILVER SHORES Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate

    starfish
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:28 pm
    Find SILVER SHORES Homes For Sale and SILVER SHORES 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 SILVER SHORES, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian River County…

  • Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (October 20 – October 26, 2009)

    starfish
    26 Oct 2009 | 12:31 pm
    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 VERO BEACH, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian River County town. Paul Kitchen Broker-Owner Starfish Real Estate 40 Royal Palm Pointe Vero Beach, FL 32960 (772) 539-8420 (772) 539-8360 fax (800) 793-7304 toll free Vero Beach Real Estate Vero Beach Real Estate Blog

  • GABLES OF VERO BEACH Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate

    starfish
    26 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pm
    Find GABLES OF VERO BEACH Homes For Sale and GABLES OF VERO BEACH 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 GABLES OF VERO BEACH, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Oh My Apartment

  • How to Train Your Dog in Your Apartment

    Staff Writer
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:54 pm
    You may be wondering how to train your dog in an apartment. It may not always be easy, but if your start out right with your training, you will have a pet that is easy to be around and enjoyable for many years to come.  Dog-Proofing your Apartment The single most important thing in training a dog in an apartment is not to get lax and let the dog loose. Freedom is a reward for well-trained dogs, not a reward for dogs who beg loudly enough or guilt trip you with soft brown eyes. Some people swear by crate-training, and some confine the dogs to a room, like the kitchen or the bathroom. The…

  • DIY Planters for Your Balcony Garden

    Staff Writer
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:48 pm
    If you’re going to plant your own balcony garden, why not make do-it-yourself DIY planters? You’ll cut down your costs and get the personal satisfaction of using your own creativity. If you’re not sure what to use, here are some ideas to try: Metal Don’t throw away old metal pots and bread pans, or other metal containers. Use them in your balcony garden as containers for your plants and flowers. You’ll need to drill holes in them, but they’ll make excellent DIY planters. Get creative and make one theme entirely out of your old metal wares around your…

  • Recommended Renters Insurance Features for Austin Renters

    Staff Writer
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm
    The city of Austin, Texas is known for its culture, its live music and other great attractions, but when moving to this vibrant central Texan city, there are other things Austin renters should know about what it means to live in the Austin metropolitan area. Renters insurance is a type of insurance policy that protects household possessions of those who are renting a home or apartment. This kind of tenant insurance coverage is optional, unlike homeowners insurance, but it is recommended for safeguarding all of the things that a tenant keeps in his or her home. Renters insurance is…

  • What Comes in a Furnished Apartment?

    Lisa Bernstein
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    A furnished apartment contains the things you will need to live comfortably during your stay. Depending on the landlord’s target market, your apartment may come with more than basic furnishings. What’s included is usually determined by your needs and the rental fee. Below is a list of some of the more common things you will find in a furnished apartment. Furnishings Every furnished apartment comes with furniture. The type and amount of furniture you can expect to find varies depending on who the landlord is catering to. Executive rentals generally provide more upscale furniture,…

  • Six Tips for Negotiating a Better Lease Agreement

    Staff Writer
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:25 pm
    Going over a lease agreement is a critical part of entering into a business relationship between a landlord and tenant. When it’s time to open the books to look at the lease agreement, there is a lot that a tenant can do to negotiate a better deal. Here are some of the ways to use lease term dialogue to improve a lease agreement before signing. 1. Provide Proof of Assets, Income and other Assurance Above all, the landlord simply wants to know that you can make the agreed rent. Any proof of your financial responsibility will generally help you in negotiating a lease agreement. 2. Show…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Missouri Living at it's BEST

  • Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended! Signed Into Law November 6, 2009

    Steve Mattison (Souvenir Realty, Inc. )
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:53 pm
    Well, here is all the info we have from the latest news releases and a link to the NAR chart is: Click Here Via Prospect Mortgage:President Obama has signed legislation to extend the Homebuyer Tax Credit. Passage of the bill was widely anticipated to further spur economic recovery in the housing sector, as more buyers are now eligible for tax breaks under the new law. The $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit was originally set to expire on November 30. In addition to offering the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit, the new law also allows a $6,500 credit for repeat or move-up homebuyers…

  • Branson, Missouri Real Estate Market Report for October 2009

    Steve Mattison (Souvenir Realty, Inc. )
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:29 pm
    According to our local MLS' latest information, Branson single family homes sales last month were down 6 to only 16 total built on site homes sold.  The highest priced one sold for $314,000 and the lowest priced one sold for $90,000. The median price for these homes was approximately $160,000 again, a good sign because the medium price is unchanged. Condo sales were down only 1 with 11 units sold last month. The highest one sold for approx. $225,000 and the lowest sold for $35,000. That shows a stable median sales price in that local market…

  • Stone County Missouri Real Estate Market Report for October 2009

    Steve Mattison (Souvenir Realty, Inc. )
    5 Nov 2009 | 8:17 pm
    According to the local MLS statistics, single family homes sales in Stone, County last month total was 38 single family homes. The highest priced one sold for $560,000 and the lowest priced one sold for $35,000. That was only four less than the previous month's sales of non-manufactured built on the site, detached homes.  The median price of homes sold was approximately $165,000 which is a little higher than last month which is a good sign as well.      Condos were almost unchanged with one more selling in the past month than the month…

  • 611 S. Maple St., Galena, MO 65656 for sale.

    Steve Mattison (Souvenir Realty, Inc. )
    3 Nov 2009 | 12:05 pm
    Walk to your favorite fishing spot from your riverfront property along the beautiful James River  above Table Rock Lake. Almost a quarter-mile long bluff provides several great locations for river-view home-sites with private access.  Live in the recently remodeled home while building your dream-home overlooking the river below.  This is a 3 bedroom/2 bath home on 56 acres for only $295,000.  15 city lots are also included in this 6 parcel estate being sold which can provide for future income possibilities. Quiet home along the James River at the end of Maple street…

  • Homes for sale from Branson area of Table Rock Lake to Wheatland by Pomme De Terre Lake

    Steve Mattison (Souvenir Realty, Inc. )
    3 Nov 2009 | 11:55 am
    Stephen Mattison, ABR e-Pro Souvenir Realty, Inc. Office: (417)357-8326 Cell: (417) 350-9743 E-mail Me! Website for Listings & more! My Blog Twitter Facebook for Branson Facebook for Me
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Nelson NZ Real Estate

  • Nelson Online Webcam links - UPDATED

    David Leggott
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:13 am
    6th November 2009 Thanks to the guys at Takebreak you can now check out 4 different webcams around the Nelson area, directly from the links in the left column at the top of this page. The four are located at; 1] Waterfront cafe - here - hi-res imagery available. 2] Princes Drive - here. 3] Bishopdale - here. 4] Kaiteriteri Beach [...]

  • Google Dashboard - your peak into your past

    David Leggott
    5 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    6th November 2009 When I say peak into the past, I do mean specifically your past. Google has announced today Google Dashboard and, well …….. I’ll let them explain; Today, we are excited to announce the launch of Google Dashboard. Have you ever wondered what data is stored with your Google Account? The Google Dashboard offers a simple [...]

  • Boomers - Top 5 Value Add on’s for your New Home

    David Leggott
    4 Nov 2009 | 1:42 am
    Boomers thinking of building that last dream home before you consider options that may include not being able to be as mobile as before…..yes….I know I know of course it’s not going to happen soon…….but just humour me here will you. After finding out, to my surprise that Rymans local Ernest Rutherford Retirement village is down [...]

  • Stoke’s Nayland College wins National Enterprise Award

    David Leggott
    3 Nov 2009 | 10:38 pm
    4th November 2009 What has Stoke Nelson’s Nayland College** got that other NZ Colleges haven’t? Well for the second year running, really special students it would seem. Last November the Nelson Mail reported that Nayland College’s Marissa Renwick, 18 picked up a NZD$12,000 study grant for achieving New Zealands highest mark in the Young Enterprise Exam. She was [...]

  • Real Estate Agent helper No.7 - Earth URL

    David Leggott
    3 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pm
    Like to give a link to a potential property buyer to offer them a visual overview of that listing, especially to someone not located in the town. Then you need to check out Earth URL. This simple URL here….. http://earthurl.org/#0v8q8H26ghhBAgsFAqVB …..will take you right to an overhead Google Earth aerial view of the location and its surrounding streets, [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Andy Tolbert

  • Lessons I’ve Learned…

    Andy Tolbert
    5 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am
    You might have read the poem by Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten… You know, share everything, play fair, clean up your own mess, etc. Well lately I’ve been pondering where I learned some of my childhood lessons that have made me the person that I am today and I want to share some with you (who knows…maybe you’ll get some ideas!) This may come as a surprise, but I actually am a country farm girl. No, really. My family had farmland and cattle. My first job was selling watermelons out of the back of the truck at an intersection. My…

  • PROOF of Bank of America’s new Streamlined Short Sale Process!

    Andy Tolbert
    27 Oct 2009 | 12:19 pm
    A few weeks ago I wrote about the NEW streamlined process on short sales at Bank of America (If you missed it, CLICK HERE) I also got lots of comments from people that just don’t believe it! Well, today it was confirmed. We had a buyer fall out on one of my approved shorts and when I contacted BofA for resubmission they sent me a note that said we had to follow the new procedure and they sent me a “brochure” as they called it. Here’s the link to see the new Bank of America Short Sale Brochure… it’s so new that this appears to be a proof that the mitigator…

  • Instructors, Please Control Your Class!

    Andy Tolbert
    21 Oct 2009 | 10:58 am
    Please Control Your Class! I’ve been leading trainings for almost 10 years now, and the longer I do, the more “Bad Andy” rears her head (in case you didn’t know, Bad Andy is my Mii Avatar when I play Wii) When I first started training, I hoped that everyone liked me, I hoped everyone learned something, and I hoped that everyone would give me a good review. After the class I always went straight to the reviews and read every single one, and 99% of them could be rave reviews, but if even 1 said anything negative at all, it would send me into a funk that would sometimes…

  • HOLY COW! Can It Be True? Bank of America Really has Streamlined Shortsales? Finally?

    Andy Tolbert
    8 Oct 2009 | 1:44 pm
    I just got off the phone doing my “status calls” on my short sales… and there might be hope! First of all, “Michael” looked up my first loan number (the one we’ve been working on since December) and he said “can you hold on for a minute?” then about 10 minutes later he came back and said “I had to double check because the notes didn’t make sense… you’ve skipped phase 2 and we have investor (FannieMae) approval while you were still technically in phase 1! I’ve never seen that before!” Now, I already knew we had…

  • It’s the 4th quarter and you’re down by 14… what do you do?

    Andy Tolbert
    1 Oct 2009 | 9:52 am
    Have you ever watched a football game and one team is losing for the entire game and then in the 4th quarter they come back and win? Isn’t it exciting to watch? Well guess what… it’s OUR 4th quarter. The 4th quarter of 2009! If you’ve been struggling this year, here’s your chance to come from behind and WIN! And if you’ve already been winning this year, here’s your chance to run up the score and win BIG! What are YOU going to do in the 4th quarter of the real estate game? I’d love to hear your plans! Here are some ideas that I thought of:…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    BostonKayakGuy...John Prescott's The MetWest Scene

  • Wellesley Foodies Welcome Singh’s Cafe

    bostonkayakguy
    3 Nov 2009 | 8:33 pm
    Wellesley's newest eatery, Singh's Cafe, is a delectable morsel of fine Indian cuisine, right in Wellesley Hills!

  • Take a Peek – Twitter Style!

    bostonkayakguy
    3 Nov 2009 | 9:37 am
    Better be quick! This Peek at the latest in Twitter gadgets is either the next sensation - or a flashtweet in a pan!

  • As the World Turns – Innovation and Trends Shape Future

    bostonkayakguy
    3 Nov 2009 | 4:22 am
    Ever wonder what the world might look like, if you got inside the heads of some of today's greatest influencers?

  • NATICK, Walnut Hill beauty!

    bostonkayakguy
    24 Oct 2009 | 6:19 pm
    19th Century style, charm, and details blended with today’s lifestyle!  Updated granite kitchen, 2.5 modern baths, master with walk-in closet and en suite bath with twin pedestal sinks, jacuzzi tub and shower stall. Expansive level backyard great for recreation and privacy. Central Air! 2 Yuba Place, Natick, MA John Prescott, Vice President Century 21 Commonwealth 508-523-9252 Tagged: boston [...]

  • Shh.. Coming soon, Walnut Hill Victorian!

    bostonkayakguy
    19 Oct 2009 | 1:20 pm
    Coming soon!  Boo_tiful 1852 Victorian in Natick’s coveted WALNUT HILL. The charm & details of the 19th Century combined with modern amenities. Updated granite kitchen & 2.5 baths, Master with en-suite bath, Central Air, and walk to the train! Nearly floor to ceiling oversize windows grace the living room and elegant dining room. Large 17,000+ sq. ft. level [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Realty Times

  • 30-Year Fixed Rate Falls Below 5 Percent

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.98 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending November 5, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.03 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.20 percent.

  • Market Conditions

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    The National Association of Home Builders is reporting that the sale of newly built, single-family homes fell 3.6 percent in September

  • Investor Report: Have We Finally Hit Bottom?

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    It's a question that's relevant to investors in just about any once-hot market that's gone from boom to bust: Have prices finally bottomed out? Or could they be poised for still further declines?

  • Sellers' Quick Lawn Fix

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    It's one of the most unsightly and often hard to fix trouble spots for homeowners -- a lawn that has gone to the dogs!

  • Developing Your Referral Strategy

    5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm
    To develop referrals, start with a referral mindset. A referral mindset exists when every prospecting, marketing, and customer service action is accompanied by the realization that the contact could lead not only to new business, but also to positive word-of-mouth and the recommendation of your service to others.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    craigmische.com : lakefront real estate in Alexandria, MN

  • Senate and House Approve Tax Credit Extension

    Craig Mische
    5 Nov 2009 | 7:19 pm
    Senate and House Approve Tax Credit Extension

  • Alexandria Area Lakefront Real Estate Update : 10/27-11/3

    Craig Mische
    4 Nov 2009 | 7:22 am
    $213,000 - 13160 Maple Island Drive SE. This property has .3 acres with 100 feet of frontage on Maple Lake. The home has around 2,200 finished square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a 2 car attached garage. It was listed in December of 2008 at $324,900. At the time the Purchase Agreement was accepted the list price was $247,900. Douglas County's Estimated Market Value (EMV) is $302,900 as of today. $65,000 - 5181 Fish Hook Drive SW. This is a 1 bedroom/1 bath mobile home in Eden Acres on Lake Mary (800 feet of common lakeshore). The property was first listed in October of 2007 at $119,000.

  • Giving Away a Couple of Lake Lots

    Craig Mische
    28 Oct 2009 | 5:42 am
    An owner of some lake lots on Lake Irene and Lake Reno really wants to sell. You don't have to speak with the owner to know this as, for example, the list price on the Reno lot has been reduced four times in October, once in September, three times in August and twice in July.Historically, bare land, especially bare land that is waterfront, has outperformed other real estate. There has been a slight pickup in lake lots sales this fall and there are still plenty of opportunities. The best opportunities right now are on Reno, Irene, Miltona and Maple.

  • Lakefront Sale Update : October 16th - 26th in the Alexandria Area

    Craig Mische
    26 Oct 2009 | 1:00 pm
    3691 Lake Andrew Road SW (pictured). This home sits on 150 feet of Lake Andrew and was listed for sale at $579,900 on July 29th, 2008. At the time of the accepted Purchase Agreement (PA) the list price was $474,900 and that was also the sale price. 2430 Little Norway SW. Located on Lake Burgen (150 feet of lakeshore), this home was listed at the end of March in 2008 at $396,500. The list price was $354,900 when a PA was agreed upon and the sale price was $325,000. 13836 Quiet Cove. The sale price of this Lake Villard home was $177,000 with a list price of $189,000 at the time the PA was…

  • 3.21 Acres and Lake Minnewaska

    Craig Mische
    25 Oct 2009 | 1:35 pm
    Learn more about this 3.21 acre lot with shared ownership of a lot with frontage on Lake Minnewaska.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    WSJ.com Video - Real Estate

  • News Hub: Fannie to Rent to Owners in Foreclosure

    5 Nov 2009 | 5:31 pm
    Fannie Mae plans to allow homeowners facing foreclosure to stay in their homes and rent them. WSJ's Constance Mitchell-Ford breaks down whether this will really help troubled borrowers, in the News Hub.

  • PM Report: What's Driving This Rally?

    5 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm
    The Dow returns to 10000 and 14 more people are arrested as part of an insider-trading case. The News Hub discusses what's driving the rally as well as the federal crackdown. Plus, Fannie Mae plans to allow homeowners facing foreclosure to stay in their homes and rent them.

  • More Relief for Unemployed, Home Buyers

    4 Nov 2009 | 5:32 pm
    The Senate has passed a bill extending unemployment benefits and the popular tax credit for homebuyers. It also includes proposed tax increases to offset the costs that may be hard for some businesses to swallow. WSJ's John McKinnon explains.

  • Ghost Stories From a Haunted House

    30 Oct 2009 | 1:56 pm
    A 19th-century home sells for $360,000 in Seymour, Conn. But along with the classic features of a Queen Anne-style house, the seller says it also comes with resident ghosts.

  • Ron Baron: 'Stocks Are Cheap'

    29 Oct 2009 | 1:58 pm
    Ron Baron, chairman and CEO of Baron Capital Group, says at Barron's Art of Successful Investing Conference that "stocks are cheap" and that retail investor sentiment is very negative. He argues that because "inflation will be an issue, stocks will be able to keep you whole."
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    WSJ.com: Developments

  • Q&A: How To Rent Your Home From Fannie Mae

    6 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am
    Fannie Mae announced Thursday that it will let troubled homeowners rent their homes instead of losing them through foreclosure and eviction. The new program is aimed at providing greater home security to distressed borrowers who can’t afford their mortgage payments and can’t get a loan modification, but would be able to afford the rent. The program is structured so that borrowers transfer their property deed to Fannie, a process known as a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. A deed-in-lieu will ding a borrower’s credit score, but it isn’t as damaging as a straight-up…

  • Starwood Commands Top Price for Luxury Shops at St. Regis

    6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am
    Starwood One of the busiest corners in the world for luxury retail has commanded a price that fits that title. Hotel operator Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. this week sold the 24,700 square feet of shops in its 229-room St. Regis hotel in Midtown Manhattan to a group of three buyers for a whopping $117 million in cash. That’s $4,736 per square foot, more than three times the next priciest deal in Manhattan in recent years, according to Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman, a New York-based brokerage. The shops in that expensive space at Fifth Avenue and…

  • Real Estate News: Fannie As Landlord, Tax Credit Extended

    6 Nov 2009 | 6:31 am
    Real Estate News compiles a daily wrap-up from each morning’s Wall Street Journal and other news sources. Fannie Will Rent Distressed Homes to Owners (WSJ): Fannie Mae will allow homeowners facing foreclosure to stay in their homes and rent them for up to one year in a new program to help troubled borrowers. Congress Extends Home-Buyer Tax Credit (WSJ): Congress voted to extend the tax credit for first-time buyers and to expand it to current homeowners. President Obama is expected to sign the bill Friday. States Shun Ratings for Home Debt (WSJ): Regulators approved an insurance-industry…

  • Sunstone Takes Strategic Default to New Level

    5 Nov 2009 | 2:21 pm
    Everett Collection Few investors play chicken like Sunstone. Many hotel owners are defaulting on their mortgages these days in a bid to compel their lenders to rework the loans’ terms. But few are playing chicken on the level of Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. Sunstone disclosed in its third-quarter earnings report Wednesday that it skipped its Nov. 1 payment on a $246 million mortgage on 11 hotels. It did so in a bid to persuade lender Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. to either reduce the loan’s principal balance or extend its due date. Sunstone, based in San Clemente, Calif., owns…

  • It’s (Almost) Official: Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended, Expanded

    5 Nov 2009 | 1:32 pm
    Congress voted on Thursday to extend the tax credit and President Obama plans on signing it into law Friday morning. The $8,000 credit will apply to all contracts, for homes up to $800,000, entered into before April 30, 2010, and closed by June 30. It creates a new $6,500 credit for property owners who have lived in their home for at least five consecutive years. Income limits for eligible home buyers are expanded to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples, from $75,000 and $150,000, respectively. To help guard against fraud, buyers are required to attach documentation of purchase…
 
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Real Estate Q&A

  • Turning Up the Heat for Winter

    By Jay Romano
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:24 pm
    Last winter, one owner refused to winterize, saying that it would compromise the aesthetics of her unit. Can the co-op force her to winterize this year?

  • The Proper Way to Sell Co-op Shares

    By Jay Romano
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pm
    My sister and I own a co-op together in Queens. I no longer want to own the shares of this co-op. Can I sell my shares, leaving her as the sole owner, without her consent?

  • An Assessment of Assessments

    By Jay Romano
    6 Nov 2009 | 3:20 pm
    The co-op that I live in is planning an electrical upgrade. The cost of the upgrade is to be assessed on a per-share basis. Some people are asking why it is not on a per-unit basis. What is the law for assessments of this kind?

  • When a Super Is a Requirement

    By Jay Romano
    30 Oct 2009 | 8:38 am
    Is there a New York City law that a co-op building must have a specific number of units to necessitate a live-in superintendent?

  • Legal Responsibility for Worker's Damages

    By Jay Romano
    30 Oct 2009 | 8:36 am
    If a co-op's contractor damages an apartment while conducting work for the co-op, who is responsible for paying for the damages, and what action can a shareholder take?
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    NYT > Foreclosures

  • A Bad Way to Spend Money

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Extending the home buyer’s tax credit is wasteful; instead, Congress should help people avoid foreclosure.

  • Fannie Mae to Allow Borrowers to Lease Homes

    5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Thousands of borrowers on the verge of foreclosure will soon have the option of renting their homes from Fannie Mae, under a policy announced Thursday.

  • States Are Pondering Fraud Suits Against Banks

    2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Unable to do much about runaway foreclosures, the states’ top lawyers are thinking of suing banks for fraudulently marketing mortgages.

  • Homeowners Walking Away

    24 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Many homeowners question whether they should abandon a home that’s “underwater” even if they can still afford the payments.

  • If Lenders Say ‘The Dog Ate Your Mortgage’

    24 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Judges are scrutinizing the methods lenders have used in foreclosures. One ruling eliminated a mortgage debt because the lender didn’t prove it held the note.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    NYT > Housing

  • A Makeover Plan, Up Close

    7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Progress is being made in converting Newark’s empty lots and abandoned buildings into new housing, despite a crushing recession.

  • Selling Pieces of Manhattan Long Distance

    7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    To spur international investors, some real estate companies have started marketing a service that brokers have long provided informally.

  • Almost Family

    7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Joseph A. Olshefski, who spent much of his adult life at 313 East 58th, is now acting as the broker for the owner, who is selling it.

  • Howard L. Michaels

    7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    Mr. Michaels is the chairman and chief executive of the Carlton Group, a real estate investment bank that specializes in equity and debt placement.

  • Changes of Heart

    7 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm
    One Madison Park, the soaring 600-foot glass condominium that towers over East 23rd Street, opened to its first residents in August, but since then only five buyers have closed, according to city records.
 
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Foreclosure News

  • Sussex County to Co-host Foreclosure Prevention Seminar

    6 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm
    GEORGETOWN , Del.- The Sussex County Department of Community Development & Housing, in partnership with the Delaware Attorney General's Office and the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, will host another free foreclosure prevention seminar for those trying to avoid the loss of their homes.

  • Freddie Mac posts $5 billion loss

    6 Nov 2009 | 6:40 pm
    Freddie Mac , the second largest provider of U.S. residential mortgage funding, on Friday posted a loss of $5 billion in the third quarter and predicted it would need more government support amid a "prolonged deterioration" in housing.

  • Looking for land in all the right places

    6 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pm
    But now homebuilders are on the hunt again, vying for choice parcels even in foreclosure-riddled markets like Las Vegas , Southern California and Orlando, Fla., where prices are cheap and there are early signs of a recovery.

  • Builders Applaud Congress on Extending Home Buyer Tax Credit

    6 Nov 2009 | 10:33 am
    Nov. 6, 2009 Builders Applaud Congress on Extending Home Buyer Tax Credit By David M. Kinchen Huntingtonnews.net Real Estate Writer To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the National Association of Home Builders on Thursday, Nov.

  • Subprime lending drops in Colorado

    6 Nov 2009 | 6:25 am
    Subprime lending marked a sharp drop last year in Colorado, representing the stateA's declining economy and slowing extension of credit, according to a report released yesterday by the Attorney GeneralA's office.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    HUD Press Releases

  • Long term Disaster Recovery working group holds inaugural stakeholder forum in New Orleans

    4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am
    NEW ORLEANS-The Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Group held the first of five planned stakeholder forums today in New Orleans. The Working Group, co-chaired by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and comprised of the Secretaries and Administrators of approximately 20 departments and agencies, will provide President Obama with recommendations on how to improve long-term disaster recovery with a particular focus on catastrophic disasters.

  • HUD takes action against reverse mortgage lender in Hawaii

    30 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that its Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) is proposing to permanently withdraw the HUD/FHA approval of Financial Mortgage USA, Inc., a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM or reverse mortgage) lender based in Honolulu, Hawaii. HUD's MRB alleges the Company failed to implement an FHA-required quality control plan; separate its lending operations from those of its affiliated insurance company; conform to prudent lending practices; and properly provide borrowers with housing counseling services.

  • Administration calls on Congress to approve key housing measures

    29 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    WASHINGTON, DC - Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan called on Congress to approve three important measures to improve housing and the housing market for Americans: extension of the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit for a limited period, extension of higher loan limits for home mortgages, and secure funding for the Housing Trust Fund.

  • HUD and DHS launch DisasterRecoveryWorkingGroup.gov to solicit public comments

    28 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the launch of DisasterRecoveryWorkingGroup.gov-a new interagency website that will allow federal disaster recovery officials to solicit public comments from state, local and tribal partners and the public.

  • Secretary Donovan Visits Upstate New York

    23 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am
    Joined by Senator Charles Schumer, Secretary Shaun Donovan completed a two-city tour through Upstate New York today.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    What's New on HUDclips

  • Federal Registers

    6 Nov 2009 | 8:28 am
    FR-5281-N-85 Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Emergency Comment Request Public Housing Capital Fund Recovery Act Reporting FR-5285-N-35 Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; FHACooperative Share Loan Insurance FR-5285-N-34 Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; Utility Allowance Adjustments FR-5285-N-33 Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; FHAInsured Section 232 Mortgage Loan Origination and Underwriting

  • PIH Notice 2009-45

    6 Nov 2009 | 8:19 am
    Submission of Calendar Year 2009 Notices of Intent and Fungibility Plans by PHAs in Hurricane Katrina and Rita Disaster Areas Authorized to Combine Section 8(o) and 9(d)(e) Funding Under Section 901 of 2006 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations, as Extended by 2008 Emergency and Supplemental Appropriations

  • HUD Forms

    5 Nov 2009 | 8:33 am
    92900-H4H FHA HOPE for Homeowners Attachment to FHA Loan Underwriting and Transmittal Summary 92915-H4H HOPE for Homeowners Consumer Disclosure and Certification 92917-H4H HOPE for Homeowners Appreciation Worksheet (.pdf) (.doc) HUD-92700 203(k) Maximum Mortgage Worksheet (.pdf) (.xls)

  • Federal Register - FR-5341-C-02

    4 Nov 2009 | 9:04 am
    HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 NOFA for the Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program; Technical Correction

  • HUD Forms

    3 Nov 2009 | 8:53 am
    HUD-646 Reconcilement of Insurance Charges for the Title l - (Updated Expiration Date) HUD-2880 Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report - (Updated Expiration Date) HUD-27029 Title I Refinancing Report - (Updated Expiration Date) HUD-27030 Title I Transfer of Note Report - (Updated Expiration Date) HUD-55013 Dealer/Contractor Application Title I Property Improvement and Manufactured Home Loans - (Updated Expiration Date) HUD-55014 Warranty for New Manufactured Home - (Updated Expiration Date) HUD-56001 Credit Application for Property Improvement Loan - (Updated Expiration Date)…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Housing Wire

  • RMBS Ratings Proposal Will Determine Insurers’ Capital Requirements

    DIANA GOLOBAY
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pm
    The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) on Thursday approved a proposal to establish a new model for determining ratings of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). The new model will establish ratings designations for approximately 18,000 RMBS owned by US insurers by the end of 2009. It will by extension help to determine the risk-based capital requirements [...]

  • Ginnie’s Single-Family Delinquency Rate Drops to 3.48%

    JON PRIOR
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pm
    The Government National Mortgage Association, Ginnie Mae, guaranteed more than $38.6bn in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in October. In September, Ginnie reported that 3.48% of the single-family loans in its guaranteed securities were 90-plus days delinquent, down from 3.7% in August and 3.59% in December 2008. For 2009, Ginnie has provided nearly $376bn of liquidity to the secondary [...]

  • Obama Signs First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension

    JON PRIOR
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:44 pm
    President Barack Obama signed the “Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009” into law on Friday, extending the first-time homebuyer tax credit as well as certain jobless benefits at a time when the US unemployment rate has officially reached 10.2%. With the first-time homebuyer tax credit originally scheduled to expire on Dec. 1, 2009, HR [...]

  • BarCap Sees ‘Limited Use’ of Fannie’s Deed-for-Lease Program

    DIANA GOLOBAY
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:10 am
    Although a new foreclosure alternative program announced Thursday by Fannie Mae (FNM: 1.04 -7.14%) presents a new step in mitigating foreclosure risk among distressed borrowers, it looks to have only a “marginal” effect on prepayments within Fannie residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), according to market commentary by Barclays Capital (BarCap). The Deed-for-Lease (D4L) program allows qualified borrowers [...]

  • Higher Unemployment Means Many More Distressed Properties to Come

    JACOB GAFFNEY
    6 Nov 2009 | 9:54 am
    A panel meeting today at the Safeguard Properties National Property Preservation Conference in Washington DC shifted gears to address the “unexpected” jump in unemployment rates. Unemployment in the United States now stands at 10.2%, somewhat beyond the forecast of economists. The US Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization that represents cities with populations greater than 30,000, is [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Housing Market

  • Are Home Sales Headed for a Late Fall Slide?

    A gauge of home-purchasing activity came in stronger than expected in September as buyers moved to take advantage of falling home prices, attractive mortgage rates, and a tax perk from Uncle Sam. The National Association of Realtors said Monday that its pending home sales index for September increased 6 percent from August and was more than 21 percent higher than in September of 2008—the largest year-over-year jump on record. (Pending home sales are measured by contract signings, as opposed to closings.) The index has now posted eight monthly increases in a row, representing the longest…

  • Seven Tips to Sell a Home in a Tough Economy

    The Boomerater™ Report, our weekly collaboration with online baby boomer resource Boomerater, this week offers tips to help sell a house in a down economy. “I’m looking for clever ways to help sell my home is this tough market,” a Boomerater member asks. “My mother has moved into assisted living and I need to sell her home.” Other Boomerater members weighed in with their suggestions: [See Make a Housing Plan for Your Later Years.]

  • Weak Home Sales Suggest a Slog of a Recovery

    Even before housing market bulls had finished celebrating their strong September existing-home sales report and the encouraging drop in the rate of price declines, a fresh set of figures on the residential real estate market has—once again—hosed down the outlook for a quick recovery. The Commerce Department today reported that new-home sales fell 4 percent from August and 8 percent from a year earlier. The decline puzzled housing market experts, who had projected sales to increase by nearly 3 percent, and suggests that the recovery will be a lengthy, fitful slog. "Even in the…

  • What a Median-Priced Home Looks Like in 10 Different Cities

    In the more than three years since the housing bubble popped, American real estate prices have declined at a historic clip. The national median price of an existing home dropped to $177,700 in August. That's 21 percent below the level in August 2006, when the median home price was $225,000. But just as the housing crash has hit various parts of the country with unequal force, $177,700 will buy you a much different house in one real estate market than it will in the next. To get a sense of how far your real estate dollar will stretch in different parts of the country today, here is a look at…

  • Home Price Declines Becoming Less Jarring

    While still falling at a double-digit clip, annual home price declines have eased off the breakneck pace we endured several months back. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for 20 major U.S. cities fell 11.3 percent in August from a year earlier. That's a significant improvement from the January reading, which showed a 19 percent year-over-year drop in property values. "We have seen a very nice deceleration in the pace of [home price] declines," says Zach Pandl, an economist at Nomura Global Economics. "It really does look like price trends in the housing market have…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Planetizen - Urban Planning, Design and Development Network

  • The Solution for Homelessness? Homes.

    Tim Halbur
    6 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Neal Peirce says that there is finally light at the end of the tunnel in the debate over homelessness, and a consensus that stopgaps don't work. The real answer is to, duh, give them homes. read more

  • The History of the Parking Lot

    Tim Halbur
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm
    An exhibit currently at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. explains how the architecture and design of parking lots evolved, and why. Meanwhile, the Parking Show of Shows conference takes place nearby with a different take. read more

  • The Most Polluted Metro Areas in America

    Nate Berg
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm
    Atlanta tops a list of the most polluted cities in the country, according to an analysis of EPA data by Forbes. read more

  • 'No Credits, Just Prerequisites'

    Nate Berg
    6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    The Living Building Challenge is a new environmental rating system that focuses on required environmental design elements, diverging dramatically from the credit-based approach of the built environment's dominant rating system, LEED. read more

  • Center for Developmentally Disabled Doesn't Fit Zoning - Any Zoning

    Tim Halbur
    6 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    The Winterville, GA Planning Commission rejected the idea of creating a special "assisted residential district" for a center for developmentally disabled people, saying that the proposal was too vague. read more
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    Housing Predictor

  • Out of the Economic Mess

    1 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pm
    The key question financial experts in New York are asking is, "Can we ever get out of this mess?"

  • Investors to the Rescue

    27 Oct 2009 | 11:52 am
    A small Ohio company is coming to the rescue of homeowners at risk of foreclosure, matching private investors to buy homes.