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WSJ.com: Commercial Real Estate
Room to Let: Finance Firms Need Tenants

1 Jul 2009 | 8:10 am

After loading up on lavish office space near the top of the market, some firms are trying to sublease what they don't need for as much as 30% less than their rental rate.
Flipping Sides

1 Jul 2009 | 7:16 am

The number of former mortgage lenders and brokers finding ways to make a living from the foreclosure crisis continues to mount.
Flipping Sides

1 Jul 2009 | 7:16 am

The number of former mortgage lenders and brokers finding ways to make a living from the foreclosure crisis continues to mount.
Bumpy Recovery in the U.K.

1 Jul 2009 | 7:03 am

Industry experts say the United Kingdom's commercial-property market is starting to recover, but property companies are facing declining rents.
Bumpy Recovery in the U.K.

1 Jul 2009 | 7:03 am

Industry experts say the United Kingdom's commercial-property market is starting to recover, but property companies are facing declining rents.

WSJ.com: Real Estate
Room to Let: Finance Firms Need Tenants

1 Jul 2009 | 8:10 am

After loading up on lavish office space near the top of the market, some firms are trying to sublease what they don't need for as much as 30% less than their rental rate.
Flipping Sides

1 Jul 2009 | 7:16 am

The number of former mortgage lenders and brokers finding ways to make a living from the foreclosure crisis continues to mount.
Bumpy Recovery in the U.K.

1 Jul 2009 | 7:03 am

Industry experts say the United Kingdom's commercial-property market is starting to recover, but property companies are facing declining rents.
REITs Book a Blockbuster Quarter

1 Jul 2009 | 5:28 am

Real-estate-investment trusts staged the best performance in their history during the second quarter on growing perceptions that most REITs are out of immediate danger.
Dubai Developer Talks Signal Mergers

26 Jun 2009 | 9:07 pm

Emaar, the Middle East's largest developer, is in talks to merge with three state-controlled property firms because of a sharp downturn in the emirate's property market.

Wash Post Real Estate
An Eclectic Wonderland Makes a Resurgence

Barbara Ruben

26 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

As a child, Kylie Hoben would go past what looked like a fairyland gone to seed. Whimsical buildings, including a Japanese pagoda and Dutch windmill, surrounded a meandering stucco structure dating to the 1880s.
Create Your Own Before-and-After

Ylan Q. Mui

26 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Do-it-yourself products have emerged as the one positive trend in the otherwise moribund home-improvement business. Stores are reporting an increase in paint and flooring sales.
My Friend, My Tenant, Our Lease

Lisa Bonos

26 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

When Paul Yun moved out of a room he had been renting in Ellicott City and into a three-bedroom house he bought in Elkridge, he left with more than boxes and furniture. He brought his two roommates along as well.
New-Home Sales Set Record Low Last Year

Renae Merle

29 Jan 2009 | 9:00 pm

New-home sales plummeted last year as builders struggled to unload a glut of houses, and the sales rate hit a record low, according to government data released yesterday.
Property Owners' Predicament

Dana Hedgpeth and Dan Keating

28 Jan 2009 | 9:00 pm

A third of the loans used to finance Washington area commercial buildings and then sold to Wall Street are coming due in the next five years, leaving investors scrambling to find new funding.

NYT > Real Estate
Habitats: The Traveling Circus Stops Here

By CONSTANCE ROSENBLUM

2 Jul 2009 | 3:26 pm

Two clowns who perform in some of the most troubled places on earth practice in a walk-up near 128th Street.
Away: A Jazz Voice Finds a Mellower Range

By LISA A. PHILLIPS

2 Jul 2009 | 2:38 pm

When it’s time for the jazz singer Sheila Jordan to work on arrangements, she heads to Middleburgh, N.Y.
Streetscapes | 440 East 56th Street: For a Lullaby, the Bip-Bop-Bip of Tennis Balls

By CHRISTOPHER GRAY

2 Jul 2009 | 2:37 pm

The apartment building at 440 East 56th Street is an exemplar of how modernism and humanism can coexist.
High & Low | Coeur D’alene, Idaho: Outdoors for All Seasons

By BETHANY LYTTLE

2 Jul 2009 | 12:18 pm

Residents of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a city of about 42,000 surrounded by lakes and protected forest, like to compare it to living in Lake Tahoe without the high prices.
Property Values: What You Get for ... $400,000

By MIKE POWELL

1 Jul 2009 | 10:10 pm

A bungalow in Spokane, Wash., a four-bedroom Georgian in Lexington, Ky., and a house in a St. Louis suburb.

Commercial Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com
Washington's City Bank slapped with regulatory order

2 Jul 2009 | 5:26 pm

Lynnwood-based City Bank on Thursday became the latest Washington financial institution operating under stricter regulatory enforcement.
Oakland settles with Chase over foreclosure evictions

2 Jul 2009 | 3:56 pm

The City of Oakland said Thursday that it reached a settlement with J.P. Morgan Chase over foreclosure evictions that violated city law. (JPM)
Millennium State Bank of Texas fails

2 Jul 2009 | 3:21 pm

The Texas Department of Banking on Thursday closed Dallas-based Millennium State Bank of Texas, the first bank failure in Texas this year and the first in the Dallas area in more than a decade.
Studley’s Brennan joins Jones Lang LaSalle

2 Jul 2009 | 2:55 pm

Studley Executive Vice President Kevin Brennan is leaving to join the tenant brokerage team at Jones Lang LaSalle.
TWC expands funds for apprenticeship program

2 Jul 2009 | 2:47 pm

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has upped funding for its Apprenticeship Training Program by $1 million, bringing the total amount invested in the program to $2.6 million.

SIBDU BLOG
The State of Commercial Real E’state

Bob Woods

2 Jul 2009 | 12:37 pm

Here’s a thought-provoking video to leave you with for our holiday weekend. Rudin Management President William Rudin on the future of the commercial real-estate market. Via CNBC: Discuss in the Comments section below. We’re closed Friday and Monday, so have a great 4th of July. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fblog.sibdu.com%2F%3Fp%3D538'; addthis_title = 'The+State+of+Commercial+Real+E%26%238217%3Bstate'; [...]
Sibdu News (Audio) - Week of 06/29, pt. 2

Bob Woods

2 Jul 2009 | 7:16 am

The bottom is in sight for commercial real estate, at least in the U-K … it looks like REITs have seen the bottom of their market as well … and it’s all “green” for Symantec in Oregon. Those stories and more .. in the latest edition of the Sibdu News podcast. Click the triangle below [...]
Realcomm - The Final Word

Bob Woods

1 Jul 2009 | 7:33 am

Realcomm 2009: Chicago is now in the history books. As I said in last week’s Sibdu News podcast, the crowds were definitely smaller than they were when I last attended (two years ago in Boston), but the people who were there seemed very focused on the business of using technology in real estate. That’s good, considering [...]
Cost Segregation - Hear All About It

Bob Woods

30 Jun 2009 | 12:21 pm

Our friend and partner Kimberly Manning at Emerging Resource Group just told me of a Internet-based radio show she’s going to be on tomorrow. The topic is on how to stop overpaying on property investment taxes, and cost segregation services. Cost segregation refers to the process of determining property costs and components to calculate depreciation values [...]
Sibdu News (Audio) - Week of 06/29, pt. 1

Bob Woods

30 Jun 2009 | 7:26 am

Property investments in Manhattan sink to a new low … the Great White Way gains a shade of “green” … and a major office property overseas enters the “sold” column. Details on those stories and more, in this edition of the Sibdu News audio podcast. Click the triangle below to play the newscast. You can also [...]

Smartbrief: International Council of Shopping Centers
House passes bill that includes green-building legislation

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

The House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which includes components aimed at promoting green build -More-
ICSC reports increased retail sales

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Retail sales were up 1.6% in June, the highest increase since January, the International Council of Shopping Centers found. -More-
Coles shedding smaller stores

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Coles in Australia is selling 45 of its smaller stores and eight Liquorland stores to FoodWorks for $28.2 million. -More-
Delaware's Christiana Mall forges ahead with redevelopment

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Redevelopment plans are moving forward for Christiana Mall in Delaware. -More-
Crabtree & Evelyn files for bankruptcy

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

Crabtree & Evelyn has filed for Chapter 11. The company had been hurt by changes in strategy, a court filing said. -More-

Residential Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com
June Oahu home prices down 9%, sales up

2 Jul 2009 | 1:08 pm

Single-family home prices on Oahu fell 9 percent last month compared to last year, while condominium prices dropped 5 percent.
Urban housing firms grab $150M in grants

2 Jul 2009 | 12:59 pm

Bay Area developers have raked in more than $150 million in state grant money to jump start housing projects, a list of big winners that included the John Stewart Co., the Emerald Fund, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp., and a development group that includes former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana.
Region will receive $6.4M in low-income housing tax credits

2 Jul 2009 | 12:49 pm

The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal said more than $6.4 million in federal low income housing tax credits and subsidies will be used to construct and rehabilitate 381 units of affordable housing in counties throughout the Capital Region. The funding is part of $48 million in awards that will create more than 2,100 affordable housing units and 2,000 new construction jobs statewide. Approximately 350 jobs are expected to be created in the Capital Region.
Peco headquarters’ new LED message display is ready for its premiere

2 Jul 2009 | 12:41 pm

Peco Energy Co. will officially unveil the new light-emitting diode message display atop its Center City Philadelphia headquarters Saturday. (EXC)
Huttig names CFO

2 Jul 2009 | 11:53 am

Huttig Building Products Inc. has named Philip Keipp vice president and chief financial officer. (HBP)

msnbc.com: Real estate
Foreclosure help available to more homeowners

1 Jul 2009 | 10:45 am

The Obama administration is expanding a program to stave off foreclosure for borrowers who owe more than their homes are worth.
Pending home sales climb in May

1 Jul 2009 | 8:33 am

Pending home sales rose in May for the fourth straight month, fresh evidence that the housing sector may be recovering, a private group says.
Mortgage applications decline

1 Jul 2009 | 8:23 am

U.S. mortgage applications plunged to a seven-month low last week as demand for home refinancing loans tumbled 30 percent, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.
Home prices fall, but trend is easing

30 Jun 2009 | 11:50 am

There is a clear trend home prices declines are moderating — another sign the beleaguered housing market is stabilizing, according to data released Tuesday.
Mortgage rates tick up, remain above lows

25 Jun 2009 | 11:20 am

Rates for 30-year home loans edged up this week, remaining above record lows reached over the spring.

New Real Estate Listings | For Sale by Owner Center.com
Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 New Real Estate Listing - 3 Bed 1 Bath Home For Sale By Owner - $189700

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

FSBO listed on 07/02/2009 - America the Beautiful !!!
Ocean Park, WA 98640 New Real Estate Listing - 3 Bed 1.75 Bath Home For Sale By Owner - $270000

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

FSBO listed on 07/02/2009 - Updated in 1996 to Modern features. Beautiful Pacific Ocean View from Main Floor or Loft areas. Don't let the One Car Garage fool you; it has LOTS of Storage plus an above ATTIC area with even more storage. Great Rental Property; Renters in House Now!!!
Cumming, GA 30041 New Real Estate Listing - 5 Bed 3.5 Bath Home For Sale By Owner - $375000

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

FSBO listed on 07/02/2009 - Great house in very desirable neighborhood
Portsmouth, NH 03801 New Real Estate Listing - 4 Bed 2 Bath Home For Sale By Owner - $299900

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

FSBO listed on 07/02/2009 - Rare 4 bedroom/2 baths in Portsmouth, NH. 2 Stories (2 bedrooms up/2 down). Two separate living areas (living room & family room). Large yard. Family neighborhood within walking distance to large park with softball field, basketball court and jungle gym equipment. Close to hospital, Trade Port, I 95 and Route 33. New sod installed in entire yard (front and back) June 2009.
Rockvale, TN 37153 New Real Estate Listing - 3 Bed 3 Bath Home For Sale By Owner - $185000

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

FSBO listed on 07/02/2009 - Cape Cod with over 2300 sq ft, new 35 year roof, over .5 acre lot

Commercial Investment Real Estate Magazine (CIRE)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Market

James R. Kirkpatrick, CCIM

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm

Financing deals today requires an honest assessment of all factors.
Industrial Market Insights

Alec J. Pacella, CCIM

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm
Tomorrow?

Anthony M. Graziano, CRE, FRICS, MAI

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm

The end of the commercial real estate slump is more than a day away.
Market Trends

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm
In the Zone

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm

The Argus Zone transaction management platform facilitates the deal-making process.

BloodhoundRealty.com
Cashing in on your $8,000 first-time home-buyer tax credit may take some effort in the current Phoenix real estate market

Greg Swann

22 Jun 2009 | 8:38 am

This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): The mini-boom we’ve been seeing in the Phoenix real estate market over the last few months may be abating slightly, but, for now at least, snagging a cheap house can take some effort. Bargain-priced lender-owned homes are generating multiple offers and are selling, ultimately, at above-list prices. Many lenders are handling their short sales as silent auctions, with every offer being forwarded to the bank for evaluation. Buyers are pitted against each other with multiple-counter-offers. Many of the buyers of lower-priced…
Getting a $15,000 tax credit when you purchase your next home could be as easy as stealing candy from a baby…

Greg Swann

13 Jun 2009 | 11:44 am

This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): So we started with a $7,500 tax deduction for first-time home-buyers. But that didn’t juice the real estate market enough, so we bumped the number up to $8,000 and made it a full-blown tax credit. If you owe $8,000 in taxes next April, your slate is wiped clean. But even that didn’t juice the the real estate market enough, so this week Republicans — the alleged party of fiscal responsibility — proposed bumping the tax credit up to $15,000 and making it available to everyone — including…
Do you want to save money in the Phoenix real estate market? Stop shopping for bargains and start shopping for value instead.

Greg Swann

6 Jun 2009 | 11:41 am

This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): Are you looking for a bargain in the Phoenix real estate market? Everybody wants to save a buck, but here’s a different way of looking at things: Instead of shopping for a bargain, shop for value. What’s the difference? A bargain comes about when you get a great price by buying something nobody else wants. Like this: A grocer puts out a pyramid of apples, selling them at fifty cents each. About half sell at that price, and the grocer marks the others down to twenty-five cents. All but the last six sell, and the…
How Phoenix real estate investors can make their rental homes more appealing to tenants

Greg Swann

30 May 2009 | 1:48 pm

This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): I work a lot with investors, and I’ve written in the past about the factors I think are important when buying a rental home in the Phoenix real estate market. I want for the homes I choose to be in built-out neighborhoods in built-out communities with ready access to schools, churches, entertainment, shopping and transportation. More than anything else, I want for there to be plenty of good-paying jobs nearby. But even taking account of all that, tenants seem to be getting thin on the ground. Is there a shortage of…
Foreclosures are bringing unscrupulous practices back to the Phoenix real estate market

Greg Swann

23 May 2009 | 1:46 pm

This from my Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): There was a time, just a few years ago, when the residential real estate industry in Phoenix worked like a well-oiled machine. We were all using the same court-tested paperwork — all the same way and all according to the same standards of care. Realtors knew what to expect of each other, and our arbitration systems made sure we could trust each other. No more. We’re back to the days of wild west real estate, where every critical detail is negotiated verbally and where every promise is as sound as a three dollar…

Bubble Meter
A Blast from the Past (2005)

David

2 Jul 2009 | 11:56 am

Cheesy Ad from Mortgage Company. [October 2005]Powerpoint Slide from the California Assocation of Realtors [Fall 2005]
Sheila Bair tried to sell her home

James

1 Jul 2009 | 4:17 am

From The Wall Street Journal:Sheila Bair, the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., takes her 14-room home in Amherst, Mass., off the market after cutting its sale price by $100,000. She had originally listed it for $795,000 in April. Ms. Bair and her husband, Scott P. Cooper, bought the 1860s house in 2002 for $355,000. The home has five bedrooms, new roofing and a counter-current basement pool.Since both Sheila Bair and Tim Geithner have recently tried and failed to sell their homes at unreasonably high prices, do they have a conflict of interest regarding the housing bust and…
Americans unenthusiastic about financial benefits of homeownership

James

1 Jul 2009 | 3:51 am

This news is actually about a week old, but I've been slow:The long-held belief (some call it a myth) that homeownership is a sure-fire ticket to building wealth and equity might be changing, according to a recent survey from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.Nearly half of those surveyed no longer think owning a home is a realistic tool to build wealth.Consider it a by-product of the housing crisis, as millions of Americans face plunging home values leaving many stuck with a house worth less than the mortgage. ...“It appears that whether a person was directly affected or not,…
S&P/Case-Shiller: DC home prices up in April

James

30 Jun 2009 | 6:30 am

Bad news: According to S&P/Case-Shiller, month-over-month Washington, DC metro area seasonally-adjusted home prices rose 0.08% in April. Non-seasonally-adjusted home prices rose 0.8%.For the Composite-20 average, seasonally-adjusted home prices fell 0.09%. Prices continued to fall in the four heavily-battered states of California, Florida, Nevada, and Arizona.Inflation from March to April was 0.24%.If Florida prices keep falling while DC prices start rising, I think I'm going to have to live where summer lasts all year long.
Leading Economic Index graph

James

30 Jun 2009 | 3:24 am

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index attempts to forecast upcoming changes in the economy. Notice the slight uptick over the past two months.Economist and blogger Rebecca Wilder notes more signs of recovery here and here.

Paper Economy - A US Real Estate Bubble Blog
Mid-Cycle Meltdown!: Jobless Claims July 02 2009

SoldAtTheTop

2 Jul 2009 | 5:45 pm

Today, the Department of Labor released their latest read of Joblessness showing seasonally adjusted “initial” unemployment claims declined 16,000 to 614,000 from last week’s upwardly revised 630,000 claims while “continued” claims decreased 53,000 resulting in an “insured” unemployment rate of 5.0%.It’s important to note that the two most significant periods for job cuts on a non-seasonally adjusted basis is January 15 and July 15 so as July and clearer visibility on H2 quickly approaches it will be interesting to see how initial jobless claims fares.Also, the continuing…
On The Margin: Total Unemployment June 2009

SoldAtTheTop

2 Jul 2009 | 9:49 am

Today’s Employment Situation report showed that in June “total unemployment” continued its ascent and now stands at 16.5% of the civilian population or 38.88 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…
Envisioning Employment: Employment Situation June 2009

SoldAtTheTop

2 Jul 2009 | 9:26 am

Today’s Employment Situation Report continued to reflect a severely contracting recessionary economy with the unemployment rate increasing to 9.5% while the Establishment survey showed another notable decline of 467,000 non-farm jobs over the same period.As I had noted in a prior post, we are quickly approaching the second seasonal unemployment spike for the year (mid-January and mid-July are the typical unemployment spikes) that, in all likeliness, will bring a notable degree of re-acceleration to unemployment.With the latest news just littered with poor earnings reports and announcements…
Ticking Prime Bomb!: Fannie Mae Monthly Summary May 2009

SoldAtTheTop

1 Jul 2009 | 1:22 pm

Decades from now the summer of 2008 will likely be remembered to mark the turning point where legislative blundering took an otherwise serious financial crisis and molested it into an epic financial collapse.By fully assuming the liabilities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two colossal and corrupt (and conduit of corruptness funneling junk Countrywide Financial loans onto the implied balance sheet of the federal government) government sponsored enterprises, the federal government, led by Treasury Secretary Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, has thrust taxpayers into an…
Pending Home Sales: May 2009

SoldAtTheTop

1 Jul 2009 | 12:48 pm

Today, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Pending Home Sales Report for May showing a 6.7% year-over-year increase in pending home sales nationally but a surprisingly weak 0.7% year-over-year decline in pending sales seen in the heavily foreclosure laden markets of the west region.Meanwhile, the NARs chief economist Lawrence Yun continues to setup the context by which the NAR (or specifically RPAC, their political action committee…) lobbies congress more lenient (and likely fraudulent) rules governing the home appraisal process.“Rises in contract activity show…

Home mortgage rates and real estate news - CNNMoney.com
Manhattan home prices plunge

1 Jul 2009 | 9:09 pm

The housing bust has finally clobbered super-pricey Manhattan home prices.
Beazer settles $50M mortgage fraud case

1 Jul 2009 | 1:56 pm

Read full story for latest details.
Housing rebound continues, barely

1 Jul 2009 | 7:50 am

Home sales continued their modest upward swing in May, according to a closely watched industry report that rose for the fourth straight month for the first time in nearly 5 years.
Mortgage applications at 7-month low

1 Jul 2009 | 4:36 am

Read full story for latest details.
Home prices drop, but at a slower rate

30 Jun 2009 | 7:25 am

Home prices continued to tumble in April, falling 18.1% from a year earlier -- but the change from March narrowed sharply, indicating that housing markets may be starting to turn.

Yahoo! News: Business - Real Estate
Fannie, Freddie ease terms for mortgage refinance (Reuters)

1 Jul 2009 | 2:57 pm

Reuters - The Obama administration on Wednesday expanded its foreclosure prevention efforts to help a greater number of underwater homeowners refinance their mortgages.
Dollar slips vs euro, pound on mixed economic data (AP)

1 Jul 2009 | 1:21 pm

AP - The dollar was lower against most major currencies Wednesday on mixed economic reports that showed more stable manufacturing activity and a rise in pending home sales.
Home Sales Perk Up, but Expensive Houses Languish (Time.com)

1 Jul 2009 | 11:10 am

Time.com - Home sales are improving lately, but it's the small starter homes that sell, while big expensive houses go unloved
Gov't foreclosure help will reach more homeowners (AP)

1 Jul 2009 | 10:22 am

AP - The Obama administration is expanding a program to stave off foreclosure for borrowers who owe more than their homes are worth.
Freddie Mac gets another $6.1B from gov't (AP)

1 Jul 2009 | 8:32 am

AP - Battered mortgage giant Freddie Mac received $6.1 billion in new funds from the Treasury Department to help offset its mounting liabilities, according to a regulatory filing submitted Wednesday.

RecentHeadlnesRSS
With Fannie, Freddie Still Active, DC-Area Portfolio Fetches $79M in Financing

2 Jul 2009 | 5:49 pm

Throughout the credit crisis and their own internal financial trials,government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have continued to steadily dole out loans in the multi-family market, and The Cafritz Cos. is among the latest firms to take advantage of the entities' willingness to lend. Cafritz has just secured $79.2million in permanent financing for a five-property portfolio in Metropolitan Washington, D.C., relying on Fannie Mae's multi-family lending programthrough M&T Realty Capital Corp.
CBRE Nabs 335,400SF Minneapolis Distrib Center

2 Jul 2009 | 5:49 pm

CB Richard Ellis Realty Trust has purchased a Class A industrialwarehouse facility that is fully leased to Walgreens in the Northwestsubmarket of Minneapolis.
Perez Asked to Join Dolphins Management Team

2 Jul 2009 | 5:49 pm

New Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, chairman & CEO of The Related Cos., has asked Related Group chairman Jorge Perez to become vice chairman of the team, according to the Miami Herald.
Condon to Head Grubb & Ellis Seattle Office

2 Jul 2009 | 5:49 pm

Real estate services firm Grubb & Ellis Co. has appointed BillCondon managing director of its Seattle office.
Green Building Legislation Could See Amendments Before Reaching Senate

2 Jul 2009 | 5:49 pm

Green building efforts continue to gain momentum with the House passage of energy and climate legislation that provides incentives while accelerating the benefits of sustainability and environmental performance. But the bill isn't ready for the Senate yet.

Go Beyond MLS
Google Local Business Center Now Offers Reports and Statistics

Vlad Zablotskyy

23 Jun 2009 | 10:18 am

I have always been a huge fan of Google Local Business Center- a free way to drive foot traffic to your business. When you list your business with Google Local Business Center, you business is likely to show up alongside a Google map for certain search terms. Let say you need to find a dentist in Jackson, NJ- all the listings along the map are result of dentist offices taking advantage of Google Local Business center. I have written in the past how a friend of mind noticed increase of visitors to her shop after we listed her business in Google Local Business Center. I also wanted to see more…
What’s Up With Feedburner Subscription Numbers?

Vlad Zablotskyy

19 Jun 2009 | 9:59 am

If, over the period of last few days, you noticed a sudden increase in the number of subscribers to your blog reported by Feedburner, there is a simple explanation – now Feedburner includes the number of subscribers to your Friendfeed: For many bloggers, especially the ones that are active on FriendFeed, this can translate into a significant increase of readership. For many blogs out there, the number of subscribers is an important factor in determining the price for advertising and the value of the blog. Needless to say the Feedburners decision to include FriendFeed subscribers may…
Get Go Beyond MLS on Kindle – For $0.99 Per Month

Vlad Zablotskyy

22 May 2009 | 12:22 pm

As of today you can subscribe to Go Beyond MLS using Amazon’s Kindle, or try it out for 14 days – the free trial. If you would like to know how to publish your blog to Kindle as well, visit Kindle Blog Publishing for details. It takes about 10 minutes to set set your blog and once approved, Kindle users can subscribe to your blog using their device. Now, am I going to get any subscribers? Very unlikely, but of course I would be grateful to anyone who would consider subscribing to my blog that way. I know however many outstanding real estate blogs that probably can end up with…
Trace Richardson: Victory Comes In Small Steps

Vlad Zablotskyy

19 May 2009 | 10:03 am

If you followed my blog lately you know that a friend of mine, Trace Richardson is faced with anonymous coward who posted false and defamatory information about Trace’s company LeadPress on Ripoffreport.com. I would like to thank every one who linked to my articles from two weeks ago, linked to Trace’s websites and online profiles, stumbled, mixed, propelled, tweeted, retweeted and otherwise tried to promote posts about Trace’s predicament. Thanks to you you we are beginning to see some results – http://tracerichardson.com/ now ranks number one on Google for…
Crossroads Realty- Website Review

Vlad Zablotskyy

18 May 2009 | 10:22 am

It has been long time since I have reviewed a real estate website. When I was contacted by Crossroads Realty to review their website, I knew that I have an opportunity to offer some spotlight to another New Jersey business. But I also hope that suggestions I am about to offer will be welcomed and used to improve their website and their Internet marketing efforts. Website’s usability – user’s prospective… When you visit Crossroads Realty’s website, it is hard to be confused as to where you are. You know immediately that you are on website of a real estate firm. It…

Housing Doom
Maybe They Just Aren’t Interested

twist

30 Jun 2009 | 12:01 am

Politicians have been promising to save the housing market and reduce foreclosures. A number of programs have been launched to great fanfare, but none have been a rousing success. Is it possible that there are still folks out there who live under a rock and haven’t heard about these programs? The Obama administration thinks so: [Thanks M.R.!] MIAMI – The Obama Administration today kicks off a nationwide campaign to promote the Making Home Affordable Program, a plan to stabilize our housing market and help millions of Americans reduce their monthly mortgage…
Crack of Doom: Twist Is On Vacation

twist

29 Jun 2009 | 7:05 pm

It’s Monday, and I’m on vacation- sort of. I’m in New York helping some family move, and the new place is without internet until Friday. If there’s anything that we should know, drop us a line or feel free to post a comment here. This is an open thread. In the meantime, I’ve got to figure out where I left the packing tape- I’ve got a bunch of boxes to pack!
What’s the real crisis here?

twist

28 Jun 2009 | 7:22 am

Here’s a story from Maricopa, AZ. Maricopa is on the far fringes of the Phoenix metro area, and hard hit by the housing bust. One thing that struck me about this story was one of the comments made afterwards. This story is being told thousands of times across the nation- only the name and place changes: A total of 325 homes in Maricopa were foreclosed during the first quarter of 2009. In 2008, there were 1,055. There are five foreclosed properties alone in Christopher Fortin’s cul-de-sac on Windsor Drive. And Fortin’s home may be next. In August, the house…
Marcy’s Default Line: Plastic cn b Drastic Regret!

John M.

27 Jun 2009 | 12:01 am

Igor regrets to inform Doomers that the Versus Gang is Back The above homepage link will provide better quality than the following embed for many viewers.
Attention Barney Frank- Supporting Loose Lending Is Supporting Predatory Lending

twist

26 Jun 2009 | 7:21 am

Predatory lending, in my mind, is when a lender encourages a buyer to purchase a loan that they know puts a buyer at risk for default, in order to enrich either the seller or the lender. Representatives Barney Frank and Anthony Weiner would undoubtedly deny the charge, but they are promoting predatory lending in their support of relaxing borrowing standards for condominium developments: (Reuters) - Two U.S. Democratic lawmakers want Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to relax recently tightened standards for mortgages on new condominiums, saying they could threaten the viability of some…

TRANSPARENT REAL ESTATE
How a Real Estate Brokerage can connect with their community through Breaking News

Pat Kitano

29 Jun 2009 | 12:16 pm

We're developing a new broadcast product for real estate brokerages based on our Breaking News concept that will position them as the hub of their communities / city. The prototype is at Breaking SF Housing News.com. How it works: Cities are subdivided into neighborhoods or suburbs. Agents within a brokerage learn to use Twitter to broadcast updated housing information in their focus neighborhoods. The brokerage's agents' Twitter feeds are automatically loaded into the neighborhoods and added to the "Realtor Directory". Other local merchants can participate by neighborhood; for example,…
Marketing is Content - a Case Study at NCI

Pat Kitano

23 Jun 2009 | 12:18 am

Dan McCarthy at Viral Housing Fix examines how online marketing has evolved into a content strategy. Simply put, social media has changed the definition of what the mass media used to control - content. Now that content has become an aggregation of voices, it is everywhere and uncontrollable. Marketing strategy that used to be focused on controlling the brand image is now focused on "herding" the voices.Dan's thesis on how to develop a social media marketing strategy is revealing... traditionally, the costs associated with brand management - marketing collateral and their production are high,…
Join us at Inman Connect 2009 in San Francisco

Pat Kitano

16 Jun 2009 | 12:56 pm

The Breaking News Network has secured a discounted group registration rate for Real Estate Connect San Francisco 2009! Deadline to register at this discounted price is June 19, 2009. See full conference program here » Save $490 when you register through this page* Use the code "BreakingNews” when you register to receive discounted price plus Inman premium members receive an additional $100 off the rates below. After June 19th Discounted Price Savings Register for Full Conference » (Conference + 1 Workshop) $939 $449 52% Register for Conference Only » $859 $399 54%…
Making Training Programs more Efficient

Pat Kitano

13 Jun 2009 | 12:33 am

We have always believed online training and webinars are the most efficient way educate companies and organizations online and social media marketing. It's natural to demonstrate online marketing concepts on a webinar.After experiences with massive education of companies and organizations, we now understand that live webinars are best used to deliver "breaking news" concepts and ideas. We noticed our "basic training" courses- step by step tasks like how to use Twitter or Facebook - were more likely being viewed by participants on replay, not live. And this is natural; rote training is most…
6 things I do to limit my time on Twitter to 20 minutes daily

Pat Kitano

8 Jun 2009 | 11:21 pm

Despite following 17,000+ Twitterers, I have systemized my time on Twitter to make it an efficient networking tool. (Disclaimer: I do spend much more than 20 minutes on Twitter during the days I use Twitter for our #domus webinar workshops). Broadcast great content and links - Whenever you see a great article or tweet, share the link to that article in a tweet. 8 articles retweeted per day = 5 minutes Ignore your general timeline of tweets - Use Seesmic or PeopleBrowsr to separate the people you want to follow. There's only ~100 on my watch list. Of course, don't totally ignore the timeline,…

Today's Real Estate News
Bond market to Obama: Wake up

Lou_Barnes

2 Jul 2009 | 12:39 pm

Commentary: Government borrowing a threat to long-term ratesread more
How do you spell 'recovery'?

Teresa Boardman

2 Jul 2009 | 12:14 pm

Realtor Notebookread more
Zillow crunches new refi limits

Inman_News

2 Jul 2009 | 11:22 am

6.6% of loans too deep underwater for Home Affordable refisread more
Title premiums down 25% in Q1

Inman_News

2 Jul 2009 | 10:41 am

Decline less severe than last yearread more
Mortgage rates retreat from highs

Inman_News

2 Jul 2009 | 10:08 am

Rates down quarter percent from '09 peakread more

This Month in Real Estate History
1912 REALTORS® remembered the Maine

10 Jun 2009 | 2:13 pm

JUNE 2009 -- At its 1912 annual convention in Louisville, Kentucky, the National Association of Real Estate Exchanges received a new wooden gavel and a piece of American history. REALTORS® met in the city's Armory on June 19 and were called to order by President Samuel S. Thorpe of Minneapolis. After an invocation and welcoming speeches, President Thorpe paused the proceedings "for a few minutes while we have this photograph taken."
Radio legends joined NAR in promoting home ownership

6 May 2009 | 2:59 pm

MAY 2009 -- “Hello, Jot ‘Em Down Store, this is Lum and Abner.” From 1931 to 1954 one of the most popular radio programs in the country featured two storekeepers in the small town of Pine Ridge, Arkansas. The pair kept Americans laughing despite hard times that included the Great Depression and Second World War. On May 24, 1939, in cooperation with the National Association of Real Estate Boards, they devoted part of their show to "what things make for safety when a family goes into home ownership today and some of the things the family should look for when it is choosing a homesite or a…
Milwaukee REALTORS® showed their pride at 1917 Home and Real Estate Show

6 Apr 2009 | 12:50 pm

APRIL 2009 -- In April of 1917 thousands flocked to Milwaukee Auditorium for the Home and Real Estate Show. "The show was the first of its kind ever attempted in the Northwest," the National Real Estate Journal reported. This exposition of home planning, building and outfitting...will be difficult to improve upon."
NAR Returns to Colorado Springs

11 Mar 2009 | 7:49 am

MARCH 2009 -- NAR's 2009 Association Executives Institute meets March 20-24 in Colorado Springs -- the first time the National Association has held a major meeting in that city in nearly seven decades. In January 1940 a blizzard hit the Colorado Springs area, keeping some REALTORS® away from NAREB's South Central Regional Conference. Attendance was still good with 361 paid registrations. Traveling by train the St. Louis delegation numbered the largest at 57, including four spouses.
REALTORS® honored George Washington

3 Feb 2009 | 6:53 am

February 2009 - In February of 1932 the National Real Estate Journal remarked on the bicentennial of George Washington's birth. "Because in a sense he was our first Great Realtor," the Journal wrote, "present day real estate men will take special interest in the bicentennial celebration." When he became owner of Mount Vernon at age 21 the estate comprised 2,700 acres. At the time of his death Washington's holdings exceeded 63,000 acres in seven states.

Bankrate.com: Today's new stories
Money camp gives kids itch to get rich

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Humor columnist Jay MacDonald finds a camp offering an itch more lasting than a case of poison ivy.
N.Y. Auto Show: 10 new cars ready to go

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

This year's New York auto show was long on cars ready to go on sale and short on concept cars.
5 scams spread like a virus in recession

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Thieves operate even in a downturn; here are a few tips to avoid fraud when you need money the most.
Use mortgage broker for land refinance

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

A mortgage broker can be a big help on a land refinance that includes a so-called "story loan."

Bankrate.com: Fed Outlook Blog - Rss Headlines
What can the Fed do about mortgage rates?

23 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Will the Fed continue to target long-term interest rates at this week's upcoming meeting?
Fed statement a bit rosier

28 Apr 2009 | 10:00 pm

The Fed noted that while the economy continues to contract, the pace "appears to be somewhat slower."
Reader responses

27 Apr 2009 | 10:00 pm

It's time to empty the mailbox and post some reader comments.

Bankrate.com: Mortgage Matters Blog Headlines
Rates dip; should you lock?

25 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

The advice is to lock your mortgage rate on the dips, and yesterday, we had a dip.
Rates up a bit; more HVCC explanation

24 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Just because mortgage brokers don't like it, doesn't mean the HVCC is a good thing.
Rates could be volatile today

23 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

The Fed meets today, and rates could be volatile after it's scheduled announcement at 2pm.
HVCC drives industry crazy

22 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Why a legal settlement disturbs mortgage brokers, appraisers, Realtors, buyers and sellers.
Refi for more than 105%?

18 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

The regulator who oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is considering allowing refinances for "significantly" more than 105 percent of the home's value under the Making Home Affordable plan.

Death and Taxes Blog
The $8,000 Income Tax Credit for First-Time Home Buyers: Primary Sources

1 Jul 2009 | 10:49 pm

Hey, I like the internet as much as anyone (really!). But one problem I have is that there are very few places to turn in order to really understand an issue. A lot of the problem is reliance upon secondary sources. So, when my client asks, "can I take advantage of this new $8,000 credit for first-time homebuyers," I run across 100,000 websites providing a vague summary of the law. But I have actual, specific questions -- where is the ACTUAL law? So, let me offer some links to primary sources on this issue: 1. The credit is found in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the…
Michael Jackson's Will -- the PDF

1 Jul 2009 | 12:53 pm

It's here. Analysis to come.
Michael Jackson's Estate, Part 2: Wanna Be Starting Something?

30 Jun 2009 | 7:24 pm

This blog may morph (just like the "Black or White" video!) into the Michael Jackson's Estate Blog in the coming months (or years). The latest: there appears to be a 2002 Will, according to this WSJ article. Usually a Will starts out by stating that the person signing it hereby revokes all prior Wills, so the last valid Will is the one that is used in probate. If people are unhappy with the 2002 Will, then they'll seek to have it found invalid (or try to locate a more recent one). The executor situation in the 2002 Will: This will names as executors lawyer John Branca and a veteran music…
Thomas Jefferson: Rogue Executor?

29 Jun 2009 | 10:37 am

I'm currently reading James W. Loewen's Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong. It's a follow-up to Mr. Loewen's book Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. I recommend both books. One section touches on Thomas Jefferson and his quotes featured on the Jefferson Memorial. (Mr. Loewen finds these quotes misleading.) As background, Mr. Loewen states the following: Thaddeus Kosciusko, the Polish hero of the Revolutionary War, made Jefferson the executor of his American estate. His will directed Jefferson to sell about $17,000 in government…
Contingent Fees in the Probate/Estate Context

28 Jun 2009 | 10:10 am

The Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog has this post about a case involving contingent fee arrangement in an estate. 40% of $100 million. Wow. The court couldn't decide, without additional facts, whether the 40% fee was unconscionable? Gosh -- I don't know how many additional facts you'd need. The "typical" contingent fee amount is either 30% or 33%, and that's for contested matters. I've got two problems with contingent fees in probate: 1. The value of the estate rarely bears ANY relationship to the amount of time required. Or, to the extent there is a relationship, it's an inverse one. I've…

Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog
Banks Want Free Field That Could Lead To Another Real Estate Bubble-Burst Cycle

Charles Feldman

2 Jul 2009 | 6:23 am

Image by wallyg via Flickr Think the big banks would be at least a little grateful to American taxpayers for bailing them out with their money? Yeah, right! A published report the other day says these “too big to fail” institutions are doing everything in their taxpayer fueled power to head off a proposal by President Obama for a consumer protection agency. The proposed agency would, among other things, regulate home loans. Did I say “regulate?” Now, there’s a word banks don’t like very much. But regulation was exactly what was needed–stricter…
Is Multifamily Immune from Commercial Real Estate Decline?

Ted Karsch

1 Jul 2009 | 11:01 am

While the turmoil in the residential real estate markets continues to make headlines, some analysts and prognosticators are questioning whether we will see the same kind of meltdown and mass foreclosures in the commercial real estate side of the industry. And the general consensus of those quoted in various news services and website across the United States is not good. Overview of Commercial Market Status The commercial real estate market, including retail malls, multifamily buildings, office buildings and other non-residential buildings has already been hurt by falling prices, unemployment,…
The Benefits of Multiple Exit Strategies for Real Estate Investors

Ryan Moeller

30 Jun 2009 | 3:42 pm

Image via Wikipedia With so many ways to make money in real estate, how are you going to choose to make your money? Investors can make loads of money in residential flips or rehabs or commercial buildings, apartments, self storage, mobile homes, even vacation property. There are even different ways to profit in each of these asset classes, it just depends on how you wish to exit. Here is a list of different exit strategies Flip Rent and Flip Rent and Hold Lease Option Wholesale Refinance Sell the entity that holds title to the property So which one do you choose? Many…
Most People Don’t Take Advantage of Getting Rich Quick…Will You?

Jason Hanson

30 Jun 2009 | 5:12 am

Almost nobody gets rich quickly in the real estate business. You will probably get rich slowly like most of us. You will make $5,000 off a wholesale deal, $30,000 off the back-end of a lease option, $10,000 from another wholesale deal and $50,000 from a pre-foreclosure. Making this money takes time, but once you get good at this business the money slowly begins to add up. Have You Caught Fire Yet? However, there comes certain times throughout your real estate career where you “catch fire”. For one reason or another you will catch fire and you’ll get more deals than you can…
Making Lemonade

Richard Warren

29 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

No fewer than three times in the past week I heard someone use the expression “when life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.” Twice it was used in the context of real estate and the other in reference to the economy in general. What that says to me is that people have, for the most part, come to the realization that things will never return to the way they were. image via Flikr Last week I discussed revisiting your business plan, getting back to basics, and remembering why you went into this business in the first place (article). Often that is easier said than done. Everyone…

GeekEstate Blog
Icicle Creek Real Estate SEO Review

Drew Meyers

2 Jul 2009 | 2:18 pm

I first met Geordie Romer at RE BarCamp Seattle a few months ago. During our SEO session, he volunteered his Icicle Creek site as a website to critique during the session, but we got a bit off topic and we didn’t really get to looking at the specifics of his domain. I again asked for volunteers (this time on Twitter) while at RE BarCamp LA and he again volunteered to be the guinea pig. To me, this shows he’s serious about improving his site’s SEO, so I spent some time reviewing the site and here are a few suggestions/observations: To start, I should say I think this site is…
Links for Geeks - July 2nd

Drew Meyers

2 Jul 2009 | 11:37 am

Here are a few links worth checking out: Redfin adds free-text search and better neighborhood statistics Marc Davison has a two part series I’d recommend - Part 1: New brokerage model & Part 2: Repositioning for the future AgentWorx iPhone App- Your Real Estate Business at Your Fingertips
Firefox 3.5 Released

Michael Price

1 Jul 2009 | 8:42 pm

The latest release of Firefox (3.5) is now available for download. So far I am extremely impressed with the stability and speed. There are quite a few changes for a .5 upgrade, not the least of which is support for the long awaited HTML5 tags for audio and video. When fully implemented the web is going be a much better multimedia environment that will pretty much do away with the need for plug-ins to implement video and audio content. You’ll be able to enclose any file in a simple <video>yourcontent.whateverformat</video>. HTML5 and the upcoming CSS3 standards will allow…
Wordpress Categories vs Tags from an SEO Perspective

Justin Britt

30 Jun 2009 | 9:26 am

One of the dilemmas I face when launching a new Wordress site is whether I should use categories, tags or both to organize content. Both are good options, and when used properly, can be utilized effectively from an SEO perspective. Whatever you choose, stick with it. Changing from categories to tags or vice-versa, after you have a few hundred post will be a lot of work. Also, if you choose to use both categories and tags (and if you use a 3rd - archives), make sure you only index one of them with search engines (to avoid duplicate content). This can be done using a plugin like the popular…
Using and Installing UberTwitter on your Blackberry

Drew Meyers

26 Jun 2009 | 11:16 am

For you Blackberry users who want to get Twitter up and running on your BB, Matt Dollinger at @properties (who I met at RE Barcamp Chicago) has put together a video explaining how to install and use UberTwitter. Using and Installing UberTwitter on your Blackberry produced by Matthew Dollinger on WellcomeMat

MLBroadcast.Com Blog
Carnival of Real Estate #147 - Get Out Your Shades

22 Jun 2009 | 11:18 am

Ah summer time! Most Americans are getting excited about vacations, camping, boating, fishing, swimming and carnivals... in other words, sunglass weather - gotta watch those UVA's. - Real estate professionals typically get excited about the short couple of months where the offers are multiple and the closings bountiful. Of course, for most that's a distant memory of summers gone by. So what are most doing to fill the void? Sharpening the saw. Right? Learning new skills, joining the social networking craze, reading blogs etc. The Carnival of Real Estate is an invaluable resource for the latter…
CORE #147 - Carnival of Real Estate Hosted at Mike's Corner

15 Jun 2009 | 4:36 pm

I'll be hosting the CORE (Carnival of Real Estate) next week. This will be the 3rd time the Carnival has stopped at Mike's Corner here in H-Town. The uninitiated should take the time to check it out. Why is it called a carnival?. Rembember when you were a kid? The carnival would show up in your town. In my case we would cut grass, hunt down pop bottle refunds and suffer the indignity of baby sitting my little sisters only to find out the carnival was bout to pack up go to another town that was way to far to ride our bikes. In the case of CORE, the town happens to the location of a selected…
I'm Back!

7 Jun 2009 | 6:52 pm

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I haven't gone anywhere - Life and family matters had to take a front seat to my social networking and blogging efforts for a while.I will be posting again on a regular basis soon and look forward to reconnecting with my friends in the RE.net.Copyright 2008, Michael A. Price
The Breaths We Take

26 Mar 2009 | 11:57 am

I want to thank everyone who extended well wishes during my recent stint in the hospital. I am overwhelmed by the compassion of my friends.I am feeling great and glad to be back to work. The docs are still not sure how the pneumonia came on so strong but at last check everything is clear and I continue to take a round of antibiotics at home as a precaution.The photo below was taken by my wife. The quote is from a gift given to me by a family member some time ago, I do not know who the author is. I have created a screen background and uploaded it at as a zip file in several different sizes.
Land of The Peach & Home of The Braves - Meet Us In Atlanta

13 Mar 2009 | 4:18 am

RETech South takes place one week from today in the city of Atlanta. We're really looking forward to the event. I've heard great things about last year's event. Brad Nix and Matt Fagioli have been working hard to make sure this year's event exceeds every expectation.RETech South is a real estate technology conference that packs quite a bit into a single day. There are RE.net luminaries coming from around the country to present and be part of the panels. Scheduled to Keynote is Dave Jenks of Keller Williams who will be telling us how we can get order from chaos.Yours truly will be moderating a…

Construction Industry News - Construction Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com
Washington's City Bank slapped with regulatory order

2 Jul 2009 | 5:26 pm

Lynnwood-based City Bank on Thursday became the latest Washington financial institution operating under stricter regulatory enforcement.
Oakland settles with Chase over foreclosure evictions

2 Jul 2009 | 3:56 pm

The City of Oakland said Thursday that it reached a settlement with J.P. Morgan Chase over foreclosure evictions that violated city law. (JPM)
Millennium State Bank of Texas fails

2 Jul 2009 | 3:21 pm

The Texas Department of Banking on Thursday closed Dallas-based Millennium State Bank of Texas, the first bank failure in Texas this year and the first in the Dallas area in more than a decade.
Studley’s Brennan joins Jones Lang LaSalle

2 Jul 2009 | 2:55 pm

Studley Executive Vice President Kevin Brennan is leaving to join the tenant brokerage team at Jones Lang LaSalle.
TWC expands funds for apprenticeship program

2 Jul 2009 | 2:47 pm

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has upped funding for its Apprenticeship Training Program by $1 million, bringing the total amount invested in the program to $2.6 million.

Top News
Mid-Day Recap: Labor Reports Send Markets into Freefall

Patrick McGee

2 Jul 2009 | 8:23 am

The pace of losses in the labor market had been moderating for four months but in June nearly half a million jobs vanished from the economy, in contract to widespread expectations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said 467,000 jobs were lost, pushing the unemployment rate to 9.5%, the highest in 26 years. “The heavy loss of jobs in June is a warning that the road to recovery will be bumpy, but doesn't yet indicate that we have gone off the track” . . . ...(read more)
The Day Ahead: Markets Hesitant Ahead of Employment Data

Patrick McGee

2 Jul 2009 | 5:16 am

Markets are edging lower ahead of the 8:30 release of Nonfarm Payrolls. A lot is hanging on this report as many forecasts for the economy are dependent on the direction of the labor market. Many look for signs of stabilization after last month’s downside surprise, but signs of a recovery have been far from evident in the weekly Jobless Claims numbers or the ADP private employment report. The consensus looks for 325,000 jobs to have vanished this month, with forecasts ranging between 225,000 and 435,00...(read more)
HARP Guidelines Allow for 125% LTV. Originators Still Skeptical

Adam Quinones

1 Jul 2009 | 2:52 pm

The Home Affordable Refinance Program was designed to assist borrowers who have demonstrated an acceptable payment history on their existing Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac owned mortgage loan. Unfortunately due to rising unemployment levels and increasing foreclosure rates, demand for housing has weakened and property values have continued to decline, which has blocked many borrowers from utilizing HARP....(read more)
Mortgage Performance: Fighting Rising Rate of Foreclosures with Loan Modifications

Adam Quinones

1 Jul 2009 | 10:26 am

A joint report from the OCC and OTS, which includes 64% of all outstanding mortgages, shows that instances of delinquency continued to increase in the second quarter. Particularly of note is the increasing growth rate of delinquencies among loans backed...(read more)
Mixed Data for Real Estate, ISM Index Improves

Patrick McGee

1 Jul 2009 | 7:53 am

Three data releases at 10:00 failed to sing in tune with each other. A key indicator of output showed some improvement but is still contracting overall, and while contracts for home purchases are on the rise, spending on the construction of new homes it at historic lows....(read more)

Homes101 Real Estate News
Home Remodeling Showing Signs of Recovery, Future Looks Bright

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Recent surveys and reports show a picture of the home remodeling industry that is a mixed bag of good news and bad according to home remodeling website remodelormove.com.
HOA Musical Meetings

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

A well conducted meeting is like a music to your ears. Using a well thought out plan, the Chair cues, directs and closes the meeting much like a conductor. Conducting successful meetings doesn't happen by chance. There is a combination of clear purpose coupled with ground rules. Here are some tips that can make your meetings like music to the ears.
Real Estate Outlook: When Signals are Mixed

29 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

The key to understanding what's happening for housing and real estate right now is to remember this: In a recovery that's just getting going, don't expect all the economic arrows to point the same way at any given moment.
The 100 Mile Peninsula: A Solution, A Lifestyle, A Future

29 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Strong real estate markets and thriving local economies foster a diversity of business niches across the range of industries in an area. These mini- and micro-ventures hold clues for potential economic and social redefinition of communities when good times come to an end.
Condo Trends: From Luxury Condo to Homeless Shelter

28 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

In a move to ward off foreclosure, a luxury condo developer has turned the units intended to sell for more than a quarter million dollars into a homeless shelter with the help of a New York-based nonprofit.

Talk to CJ
Defining “AS-IS” when Buying or Selling a Home

CJ Brasiel

29 Jun 2009 | 11:00 am

The “AS-IS” title has a different meanings to different people. When I speak with buyers and sellers about selling or purchasing a home, they rarely have the same definition of what “AS-IS” means. If you speak with a seller they might believe that by having their real estate agent advertise the home “AS-IS” on the [...]
Choosing a Real Estate Agent. What Should You Expect?

CJ Brasiel

21 Jun 2009 | 8:40 am

I am not necessarily a fan of the National Association of REALTORS®. I don’t agree with many of their political maneuvers. I only have one reason for being a member. I commit to the ethical standards the organization created. I believe making a promise to uphold high integrity, market knowledge, and consumer protection will make [...]
Understanding Zillow’s Zestimates and Home Values

CJ Brasiel

26 May 2009 | 11:19 am

It is not uncommon for clients to approach me with a value for a home based on an “zestimate” given by Zillow. As a real estate professional, sometimes I have agreed with Zillow’s estimate and sometimes I have not. It can be challenging to explain to a client why the Zillow number is different than [...]
Want to Know More About Asbestos and Your Home?

CJ Brasiel

23 May 2009 | 7:51 pm

Asbestos is a material that many of us have heard about in the news. The inhalation of asbestos fibers has been linked to a cancer called mesothelioma. To know whether or not your home contains asbestos, it is first important to recognize where asbestos can be found in the home. The two most common places [...]
Tax Credits for First Time Home Buyers Explained

CJ Brasiel

10 May 2009 | 11:12 am

This is a really great video that explains the tax credit for first time home buyers. Tags: Buyers' Tips

Future of Real Estate and Loans
Test

Clark C

29 Jun 2009 | 6:57 am

test No Tags
Oil as an Economic Indicator

Clark C

15 May 2009 | 3:44 am

Further expectations of a global recovery seem to be increasing but this expectation seems to be tempered that a turnaround will not be quick. (...)
Mortgage Rates Rising

Clark C

13 May 2009 | 12:07 pm

Further information is coming out showing that the real estate market is still struggling. (...)
Different Ways that You can Reduce Your Debt

Clark C

12 May 2009 | 9:19 am

When you think through your debt and how overwhelming it can be, most people decide to put their head in the sand about it. (...)
An Underused Real Estate Marketing Tool

Clark C

10 May 2009 | 2:57 am

One of the greatest strategies as a real estate investor can be to provide outstanding customer service. This is important because it can help in generating further revenues. (...)

National Commercial Real Estate News From CoStar Group
126-Store Crabtree & Evelyn Chain Files Bankruptcy

1 Jul 2009 | 9:19 pm

Woodstock, CT-based Crabtree & Evelyn, purveyor of fine bath and body products, filed Chapter 11 on July 1, 2009. A global company, Crabtree said its affiliates in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia were not included in...
REITs Move Off Bottom, Can Commercial Real Estate Be Far Behind?

1 Jul 2009 | 7:17 pm

Data from the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) clearly show that investors have smiled on REITs so far this year. There were 45 secondary equity offerings in the REIT industry in 2009 through May 31, which raised $14.2 billion...
Bank Watch (June 28-July 4): Citizens Republic Needing To Raise Capital

1 Jul 2009 | 7:07 pm

Citizens Republic Bancorp Inc. is exploring several initiatives to bolster capital and strengthen its balance sheet. Citizens based in Flint, MI, has been hurt by deteriorating economic conditions, plant and dealer closings and bankruptcy filings in the...
Lease Cancellations (June 18-July 4): MagnaChip Dropping Five U.S. Locations

1 Jul 2009 | 7:03 pm

Crescent Resources, a land management and real estate development company based in Charlotte, NC, with interests in 10 states in the Southeast and Southwest, and certain of its subsidiaries filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court...
Closures & Layoffs (June 28-July 4): Imperial Shutting Down Just-Rite Supply

1 Jul 2009 | 7:01 pm

Imperial Industries Inc. has terminated and discontinued all operations of its Just-Rite Supply Inc. distribution facilities. Based in Pompano Beach, FL, Just-Rite will be sold and liquidated. Just-Rite distribution facilities typically consist of...

1000Watt Consulting
Repositioning for the future

Marc Davison

2 Jul 2009 | 12:16 am

First published on Inman News 7.1.2009 Read Part 1 here A brokerage model of the future is coming. Some might suggest they’re already here. One might be stealing your client right now. In the blink of an eye Hawaii Life Real Estate Services launched and became the No. 1 real estate site in Kauai. Soon after, they went from a pretty for-sale-by-owner site and search portal to a full-fledged real estate brokerage. Their lava has now spread to the Big Island, destroying some of the old growth that lay in their path. You may be wondering what you’ll do if they open in your town. Stop.
New brokerage model: from bust to boom

Marc Davison

1 Jul 2009 | 11:38 pm

First published on Inman News - June 30, 2009 The corridors of real estate echo with the anxious cacophony of futuristic business model chatter. Environmental branding, virtual space, marketing, social media and stemming the ooze of profitability caused by the open gash of lopsided splits are now on the gurney as the present model heads for open-heart surgery. Stat. Today’s brokerage is dying. Its value proposition, earnings and moribund branding all are in dire need of defibrillation. Clear! Its future hangs in the balance. A ghostly spirit invisibly hovers over its stilling life form,…
There is no Web 2.0 bubble - and real estate technology ain’t what it used to be

Brian Boero

25 Jun 2009 | 10:04 am

Back in 2000, the online real estate category flamed out with the rest of the “dot-com” universe. It was five cold years before innovation flowered once more. That will never happen again. Yes, there are plenty of failed Web 2.0 companies, thousands of silly apps. Many more are on the way. But there is no “Web 2.0 bubble” — just a constant fizz of development, trial, error and, once in a while, breakthrough success. This is enabled, and will be sustained, by dramatically lowered barriers confronting technology innovators. One can get a product to market cheaper…
Layar launches, RETS feed mashed up with my cerebral cortex

Brian Boero

23 Jun 2009 | 2:34 pm

Well almost… Layar, an “Augmented reality browser,” was presented this past weekend at the Mobile 2.0 Europe conference in Spain. The application allows users to view an enhanced version of reality through the lens of their mobile phone’s camera. It is currently available in the Netherlands, on Android phones. Layers, or “Layars” of information integrated with the application are displayed on top of whatever appears in the camera’s viewfinder. In real time. With full dimensionality provided by a built in magnetometer, GPS, and a display that even…
Hunch: The intelligence of a million clicks

Brian Boero

18 Jun 2009 | 9:57 am

Hunch, a website that claims it “Helps you make decisions and gets smarter the more you use it” emerged from private beta this week. The site - which collected 7 million answers from 40,000 people during its beta phase - runs you through a series of questions that produce a “hunch” about what you should do. The more questions you answer, the better it understands you. The millions of correlations established from data points provided by other users also condition results. Topics range from the practical (”Which running shoe should I buy?“) to the absurd…

Zillow Blog - Real Estate Market Stats, Celebrity Real Estate, and Zillow News
Rapper Bow Wow Sells Duluth, GA Home to Atlanta Braves Pitcher

Whitney Tyner

2 Jul 2009 | 1:59 pm

Shad Gregory Moss, better known by his stage name Bow Wow (formerly Lil’ Bow Wow), recently sold his Duluth, GA home for $850,000. The lucky buyer? Atlanta Braves pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. The property is located at 2315 Sugarloaf Club Drive, Duluth, GA and is pimped out with a home theater system, swimming pool, new kitchen, and $350,00 in unnamed upgrades. The 22 year old rapper, actor, and music producer purchased the home in March 2006 for $950,000. One year later, he attempted to make a quick profit by listing the home for sale at $1.5 million, according to Big Time Listings. Bow…
Buyer Interest in Purchase Loans Surges

Mary Miller

1 Jul 2009 | 6:00 pm

Requests for purchase loan quotes were up 12% in June vs. May, and up 230% since the start of the year, signifying what could be good news in the number of people who are shopping for homes. Zillow Mortgage Marketplace saw more than 32,000 requests for purchase loans in June versus just under 10,000 in January. Meanwhile, requests for refinance loans were down -36% in June vs. May, and down -28% from the start of the year. This is attributed to a rise in mortgage rates in recent weeks. Today’s average rate for a 30-year fixed loan is 5.35%, up from as low as 4.96% in May.
5.6 More Homeowners Have Potential to Qualify for Home Affordable Refinance

Katie Curnutte

1 Jul 2009 | 4:59 pm

Good news for underwater homeowners who owe more than 105% of the current value of their home: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will now refinance conforming mortgages with a loan-to-value ratio of up to 125%, under the Home Affordable plan. According to our analysis of the Q1 Zillow Real Estate Market Reports, that means up to 36% of all homeowners with mortgages, or 20.1 million households, could now potentially qualify for the plan. Until HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan’s announcement this morning, only homeowners with conforming loans who owed between 80% to 105% of the value of their home…
A Record-breaking 2009

Amy Bohutinsky

1 Jul 2009 | 12:33 pm

Today we announced some significant milestones achieved in the first half of 2009 (how could it be July already??), including a whopping 67 percent year-over-year traffic increase. On average, 8.3 million people (unique visitors) came to Zillow each month so far this year. You can see all of our record-breaking stats in today’s press release, but meanwhile here’s a breakout of our most-visited metropolitan areas.
Mortgage Rates Drop For Second Straight Week

Alison Paoli

30 Jun 2009 | 2:04 pm

Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates dropped again last week, with the weekly average rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace at 5.48%, down from 5.58% the week prior. For 15-year mortgages, borrowers were quoted on average, 4.87% and for 5-1 ARMS, 4.65%. Following several weeks of steady mortgage rate increases, the past two weeks of declines are warmly welcomed. As of Tuesday afternoon, the national rate for 30-year fixed purchase mortgages was even lower: 5.35%. Check out up-to-the-minute rate tables for more.

Trulia Blog - Real Estate Blog
Trulia Momentum - Visits Up 40%, Property Views Up 90%, Page Views up 83%

Rudy, Social Media Guru

2 Jul 2009 | 6:13 am

photo credit: Phil McElhinney Trulia has had great momentum in the first 6 months of 2009. We’ve seen a huge increase in consumer interest in real estate while setting new company records for site traffic, user engagement and revenue. Based on user behavior, consumer, agent and community feedback we’ve added lot’s of new site features and functionality making the user experience on Trulia better for all. Here are the highlights: Visits to Trulia grew 40% Over 30 million unique visitors in the last 6 months Property views up more than 90% Page Views up 83% across home…
Trulia Helps Habitat for Humanity Build in San Francisco

Rudy, Social Media Guru

1 Jul 2009 | 2:20 pm

Today, we have many Trulians volunteering their time and labor to help a Habitat for Humanity build project in the Bayview/ Hunters Point area in San Francisco. It feels great giving back to the community and helping out a good cause. Many thanks to Habitat for the opportunity to help! Related PostsTrulia Application Live on FacebookMarker Men welcome you to San Francisco!Is age nothing but a number?When does it pay to commute?About
April showers bring… stability? - Case Shiller Index

Elain, marketing specialist

1 Jul 2009 | 12:39 pm

Once again, the release of the Case Shiller Index for home prices has the real estate industry (and economists) in a tizzle - but not everyone’s in agreement about the message this time. While year-over-year numbers indicate the index is down a massive 18.1%, the most recent monthly drop for April is smaller than previous declines at 0.6% (as compared to the 2.2% we analyzed last month). Is it the beginning of the “the turnaround” or just a faux? S&P chairman David Blitzer kept his insights fairly neutral: “Thirteen of the 20 metro areas also saw improvement in…
Bachelorette Pads

Rudy, Social Media Guru

30 Jun 2009 | 1:53 pm

Now that Jillian has selected her final 4 bachelors, we thought we’d see what kind of bachelorette pads we’re on the market in each of the final 4’s home towns. Here are our Top 4 Bachelorette Pad Picks: 1. Kiptyn from Encinitas, California $1,375,000 - 805 Hermes Ave Encinitas, CA 92024 2. Ed from Chicago, Illinois $1,349,900 - 2545 North Burling Street Chicago, Illinois 3. Wes from Austin, Texas $1,100,000 - 5005 Red Bluff Road Austin, Texas 787702 4. Reid from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania $749,000 - 929 South 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA Looking forward to next weeks…
Agents send Over 50,000 Trulia Client Listing Reports to their Home Sellers

Rudy, Social Media Guru

25 Jun 2009 | 6:31 pm

If your listings are on Trulia, then you can send each of your clients a custom Client Listing Report. You can learn more about Trulia’s Client Listing Reports when we launched it here and our update on our automated weekly report scheduler here. Have you sent your clients their custom Report yet? Related PostsTrulia Testimonial - Heidi Engel, RE/MAX Suburban in Mt ProspectNew Trulia Client Listing Report Scheduler - Automated Weekly Reports for Your Home SellersTell your sellers what you’re doing on Trulia!Trulia Momentum - Visits Up 40%, Property Views Up 90%, Page Views up…

Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog
Banks Want Free Field That Could Lead To Another Real Estate Bubble-Burst Cycle

Charles Feldman

2 Jul 2009 | 6:23 am

Image by wallyg via Flickr Think the big banks would be at least a little grateful to American taxpayers for bailing them out with their money? Yeah, right! A published report the other day says these “too big to fail” institutions are doing everything in their taxpayer fueled power to head off a proposal by President Obama for a consumer protection agency. The proposed agency would, among other things, regulate home loans. Did I say “regulate?” Now, there’s a word banks don’t like very much. But regulation was exactly what was needed–stricter…
Is Multifamily Immune from Commercial Real Estate Decline?

Ted Karsch

1 Jul 2009 | 11:01 am

While the turmoil in the residential real estate markets continues to make headlines, some analysts and prognosticators are questioning whether we will see the same kind of meltdown and mass foreclosures in the commercial real estate side of the industry. And the general consensus of those quoted in various news services and website across the United States is not good. Overview of Commercial Market Status The commercial real estate market, including retail malls, multifamily buildings, office buildings and other non-residential buildings has already been hurt by falling prices, unemployment,…
The Benefits of Multiple Exit Strategies for Real Estate Investors

Ryan Moeller

30 Jun 2009 | 3:42 pm

Image via Wikipedia With so many ways to make money in real estate, how are you going to choose to make your money? Investors can make loads of money in residential flips or rehabs or commercial buildings, apartments, self storage, mobile homes, even vacation property. There are even different ways to profit in each of these asset classes, it just depends on how you wish to exit. Here is a list of different exit strategies Flip Rent and Flip Rent and Hold Lease Option Wholesale Refinance Sell the entity that holds title to the property So which one do you choose? Many…
Most People Don’t Take Advantage of Getting Rich Quick…Will You?

Jason Hanson

30 Jun 2009 | 5:12 am

Almost nobody gets rich quickly in the real estate business. You will probably get rich slowly like most of us. You will make $5,000 off a wholesale deal, $30,000 off the back-end of a lease option, $10,000 from another wholesale deal and $50,000 from a pre-foreclosure. Making this money takes time, but once you get good at this business the money slowly begins to add up. Have You Caught Fire Yet? However, there comes certain times throughout your real estate career where you “catch fire”. For one reason or another you will catch fire and you’ll get more deals than you can…
Making Lemonade

Richard Warren

29 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

No fewer than three times in the past week I heard someone use the expression “when life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.” Twice it was used in the context of real estate and the other in reference to the economy in general. What that says to me is that people have, for the most part, come to the realization that things will never return to the way they were. image via Flikr Last week I discussed revisiting your business plan, getting back to basics, and remembering why you went into this business in the first place (article). Often that is easier said than done. Everyone…

GeekEstate Blog
Icicle Creek Real Estate SEO Review

Drew Meyers

2 Jul 2009 | 2:18 pm

I first met Geordie Romer at RE BarCamp Seattle a few months ago. During our SEO session, he volunteered his Icicle Creek site as a website to critique during the session, but we got a bit off topic and we didn’t really get to looking at the specifics of his domain. I again asked for volunteers (this time on Twitter) while at RE BarCamp LA and he again volunteered to be the guinea pig. To me, this shows he’s serious about improving his site’s SEO, so I spent some time reviewing the site and here are a few suggestions/observations: To start, I should say I think this site is…
Links for Geeks - July 2nd

Drew Meyers

2 Jul 2009 | 11:37 am

Here are a few links worth checking out: Redfin adds free-text search and better neighborhood statistics Marc Davison has a two part series I’d recommend - Part 1: New brokerage model & Part 2: Repositioning for the future AgentWorx iPhone App- Your Real Estate Business at Your Fingertips
Firefox 3.5 Released

Michael Price

1 Jul 2009 | 8:42 pm

The latest release of Firefox (3.5) is now available for download. So far I am extremely impressed with the stability and speed. There are quite a few changes for a .5 upgrade, not the least of which is support for the long awaited HTML5 tags for audio and video. When fully implemented the web is going be a much better multimedia environment that will pretty much do away with the need for plug-ins to implement video and audio content. You’ll be able to enclose any file in a simple <video>yourcontent.whateverformat</video>. HTML5 and the upcoming CSS3 standards will allow…
Wordpress Categories vs Tags from an SEO Perspective

Justin Britt

30 Jun 2009 | 9:26 am

One of the dilemmas I face when launching a new Wordress site is whether I should use categories, tags or both to organize content. Both are good options, and when used properly, can be utilized effectively from an SEO perspective. Whatever you choose, stick with it. Changing from categories to tags or vice-versa, after you have a few hundred post will be a lot of work. Also, if you choose to use both categories and tags (and if you use a 3rd - archives), make sure you only index one of them with search engines (to avoid duplicate content). This can be done using a plugin like the popular…
Using and Installing UberTwitter on your Blackberry

Drew Meyers

26 Jun 2009 | 11:16 am

For you Blackberry users who want to get Twitter up and running on your BB, Matt Dollinger at @properties (who I met at RE Barcamp Chicago) has put together a video explaining how to install and use UberTwitter. Using and Installing UberTwitter on your Blackberry produced by Matthew Dollinger on WellcomeMat

The Real Estate Bloggers
Mortgage Lending Drops as Interest Rates Rise - Surprised

Tom Royce

2 Jul 2009 | 3:19 am

While the government is spending money to fix our problems, the resulting rising interest rates are putting pressure on the mortgage market. So much so that mortgage lending has dropped to an 8 month low as higher interest rates and rising unemployment is convince homebuyers to remain at home. The scary thing is that this genie is out of the bottle. It will be hard to get interest rates back to their levels of even a couple of months ago with the amount of borrowing by the Federal Government. Interest rates should be rising for a while as the Treasury Department sells the trillion dollars in…
Housing Plan Stuck, National Recovery In Hands of Real Estate Market

Tom Royce

30 Jun 2009 | 3:53 am

As the Treasury Department training company, Goldman Sachs, records incredible profits, the housing market is fighting a battle to save the economy. The 275 billion that the Federal Government allocated to infuse into the housing market is failing to get into the hand of the borrowers. It is staying with the bankers paying down their debt and fix their bottom line. And if you are looking to buy an investment property, God bless you. With 2.1 million empty homes on the market, there is a great deal of excess inventory that needs to be absorbed before the market will have a firm foundation. The…
The Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade Bill Will Control Housing Standards

Tom Royce

27 Jun 2009 | 4:17 am

Remember the local and state building regulations that you have worked under if you are a builder. As New Yorkers would say, Forgetaboutit… The new legislation that passed through the House last night, unread by any of the Congress people, had inserted into the bill a new NATIONAL BUILDING CODE. You heard me right, there is language that would have a national building code override your local and state codes. So what standards are needed for a home in Kittery, Maine will also be required of Miami, Florida or Honolulu, Hawaii. The bill would give the federal government power over local…
Bank of America Offering Cities First Crack at Foreclosures

Tom Royce

26 Jun 2009 | 4:45 am

I am not comfortable with the new Bank of America policy of offering foreclosures to cities and municipalities to buy instead of offering it to the general public. The goal is to allow the cities to buy the properties, rehab them, and then sell them to families. All well and good. But isn’t that the goal of real estate investors? The investor is also working from the profit motive. Sure they will try to charge more, but the price will be determined by the market. Instead, the government officials that will be in the market do not have a profit motive. The want to maximize power and…
Real Life Meets Dilbert

Tom Royce

26 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

I wonder how often this is happening these days. Sad but true… Thanks for reading this post. If you would like to see more articles like this, please come visit The Real Estate Bloggers. where it was originally published. Real Life Meets Dilbert Related posts:Risky Loans And Ponzi Schemes If you have had enough of the banks making bad...Life Insurance Companies Bottom Line Hurt By Real Estate Investments For those selling large commercial real estate deals, times may...The Financial Crisis in 3 Panels Scott Adams can be a genuis on occasion. I wonder...

Sellsius real estate marketing blog
Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty

Joseph Ferrara

2 Jul 2009 | 12:24 pm

One of my favorite networking books is Harvey Mackay’s Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty. Henry’s from the old school. A good school. I highly recommend it. Tweet This Post
Russians Most Engaged in Social Media

Joseph Ferrara

2 Jul 2009 | 7:38 am

According to ComScore , Russia is the most socially engaged country, with folks spending an average 6.6 hours on social media sites. Brazil and Canada are second and third. The U.S. is ninth. Vkontakte.re, the top Russian social media site, has over 14 million monthly visitors. (an English version is in beta) Here’s how other countries rank on social media engagement: Here is the breakdown of the most popular Russian social media websites: Marketing Tip If you speak another language or represent clients from other countries, you might want to consider having a presence /interacting on…
Real Estate Porn: I am Condo Curious

Joseph Ferrara

1 Jul 2009 | 3:40 pm

Pushing the print ad envelope. With the decline in print ads, I guess they figure no one is looking. (what are those guys looking at?) via The Official Realtor Ad Awards (check out Dana Severson’s work. Very funny) For More in the Real Estate Porn Series: Ad Edition Home Stager Edition Furniture edition Title Insurance Titillation Edition City Edition (video) Broker Agent Edition Developers Edition Hotel Edition Top 10 Signs You’ll Score…With a Buyer Technorati Tags: real estate ad, real estate marketing Tweet This Post
Building A Company With Social Media

Joseph Ferrara

1 Jul 2009 | 9:01 am

via WebDesignerDepot (take the jump for more net porn) Further Reading: 50 Ways to Use Social Media, Listed by Objective (WebStrategist) 5 Ways to Use Social Media to Reach People Who Don’t Use Social Media (ReadWriteWeb) How Search-Like are Social Media Sites (SearchEngineLand. Social media categories.) Related Posts: Does Size Matter in Social Media (Or Does It Just Feel Better?) Social Media is NOT Like a Cocktail Party Why Social Media is Like Stand Up Comedy. Technorati Tags: social media, marketing Tweet This Post
RentWiki is Social Real Estate Rental Search

Joseph Ferrara

30 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

Since launching theClozing.com, I’ve been interested in websites that aggregate and organize information from sources that include social media. Rentwiki is a rental seach engine which aggregates neighborhood information and reviews from locals on numerous lifestyle topics. You can also see tweets about the neighborhood. Got a question?– ask it on RentWiki and via Twitter. From the Rentwiki About Us page: Our Vision “Where should I live?” is a question 40 million movers ask each year. When we move, we want to know much more than bed, bath, and price. We want to…

Rain City Guide
Thursday’s Rates following the Jobs Report

Rhonda Porter

2 Jul 2009 | 9:08 am

The Jobs Report was released this morning reporting unemployment trending higher at 9.5% and another 467,000 jobs lost last month which was worse than expected figures. Other points to consider is that people who have lost their unemployment benefits are not factored in this figure nor are those people who are out of work and do not qualify to receive unemployment benefits (such as some commissioned sales people or self-employed). This dismal news is impacting the stock market with the DOW down 178 (at the time of writing this post) causing mortgage rates to improve this…
Notice of Trustee Sales v. Trustee Deeds

Jillayne Schlicke

1 Jul 2009 | 5:33 pm

Each month, Alan from Seattle Bubble religiously posts the Notice of Trustee Sale (NTS) numbers for King County. I’m very appreciative of his work because it saves me time each month so thanks again, Alan. Cruising SB last night, I found Alan’s numbers alarming for June: 1615 NTS were filed. Here are more numbers from Alan: King County Notice of Trustee Sales 6/2009 – 1615 6/2008 – 576 6/2007 – 304 6/2006 – 299 180% YOY (280% of last year) The last few months: 6/2009 – 1615 5/2009 – 992 4/2009 – 938 3/2009: 1089 2/2009: 838 1/2009:…
FHFA Gives the Green Light for 125% LTVs on HARP Refi’s

Rhonda Porter

1 Jul 2009 | 11:13 am

The Federal Housing Finance Agency just issued a press release that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are authorized to expand the Home Affordable Refinance Program to 125% loan to value. The existing limit is 105%. From FHFA Director James Lockhart: “The higher LTV refinancings will allow more homeowners to strengthen their finances by taking advantage of lower mortgage rates. The Enterprises are also incenting these borrowers to combine a lower mortgage rate with a faster amortization schedule, which will enable them to get ‘above water’ on their mortgages more quickly. This program…
Why Home Inspection Negotiations Fail

ARDELL

29 Jun 2009 | 12:07 pm

Properties “falling out of escrow” due to the home inspection negotiation failing, is on the rise. In many cases this is because the buyer is asking for something the seller can’t really say yes to, because what they are asking for just doesn’t make any sense. Consequently the answer often becomes no and the escrow “falls out”. See this example of a recent Extreme Home Inspection to see how difficult it is to say “no” when no is the most appropriate response for all parties, and still keep everything moving forward to a right conclusion. A home…
FHA Condo Approval Process – MAJOR Guidline Changes

Jim Reppond

27 Jun 2009 | 10:45 am

There are major changes on the way for developers of condo projects and existing condo owners who want to get approved for FHA financing. These changes are set to take place October 1st, 2009. But the ramifications are going to start being felt right away. The details are outlined in the Mortgagee Letter 2009-19 that was issued on June 12th by HUD. In this latest Mortgagee Letter FHA is announcing dramatic changes to their Condo Approval Process and the ELIMINATION of the Spot Approval Process. While these changes reduce the documentation and requirements for Full Condo Approval, it will…

Square Feet
Opus West To File Chapter 11; Opus East Chapter 7

squarefeet

2 Jul 2009 | 7:31 am

Two months ago Opus South filed bankruptcy and now following suit is Opus West, who has disclosed its intention to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy (reorganization). In addition, Opus has filed Chapter 7 (liquidation) and decided to liquidate Opus East. We previously discussed Opus West and some of their local projects below in a few previous articles [...]
Oppose Forced Withholding on Independent Contractors

squarefeet

30 Jun 2009 | 1:56 pm

A proposal to force those making payments to independent contractors to withhold 3% is making is making its rounds. This provision was included in a budget gap proposal approved earlier this week by a Budget Conference committee in the California legislature. Here’s how the proposal would work: When an agent closes a transaction, they are typically paid [...]
Trouble in North San Jose For Tishman Speyer

squarefeet

29 Jun 2009 | 10:53 pm

Tishman Speyer has defaulted on the loan it used to finance the purchase a 40 acre site from BEA Systems in 2007. Tishman paid about $60 psf ($108M) for the site in March of 2007, which BEA Systems then parlayed into the purchase of the office tower at 488 Almaden from Sobrato. Tishman had intended on [...]
Goldman Sachs Is The Devil

squarefeet

29 Jun 2009 | 10:12 am

That’s Matt Taibbi’s theory at least. Check out this article in Rolling Stone about how GS has been behind every major bubble, and how there is a commodity bubble brewing (with GS being the chief architect). On a side note, I’ve heard from clients that there are brokers at a certain CRE brokerage firm positioning their [...]
East Meets West

squarefeet

29 Jun 2009 | 8:33 am

Every time things seem to get out of control, there is always an excuse why it can be sustained. During the dot-com run up, we had the “new economy”. During the boom cycle of the housing run up, banks, investors, bankers, builders, the media, and everybody in between had their own reason why the market [...]

Real Estate Market Conditions
Washington, DC – Loudoun County, VA Housing Update for May 2009

ziprealty

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 pm

Year to Year Comparison MonthMay-2008May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price97%98%1%Sold Homes476418-12%Listing Price Per Home $ 407,006 $ 375,821 -8%Sold Price Per Home $ 396,180 $ 368,091 -7%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 152 $ 134 -12%MLS Days On Market Per Home7760-22% Month to Month Comparison MonthApr-2009May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price98%98%0%Sold Homes37341812%Listing Price Per Home $ 362,132 $ 375,821 4%Sold Price Per Home $ 354,138 $ 368,091 4%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 132 $ 134 1%MLS Days On Market Per Home56606%Talk to a…
Washington, DC – Fairfax County, VA Housing Update for May 2009

ziprealty

2 Jul 2009 | 4:00 pm

Year to Year Comparison MonthMay-2008May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price96%97%0%Sold Homes1,2681,3063%Listing Price Per Home $ 488,018 $ 435,732 -11%Sold Price Per Home $ 470,821 $ 422,122 -10%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 198 $ 182 -8%MLS Days On Market Per Home6256-10% Month to Month Comparison MonthApr-2009May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price97%97%0%Sold Homes1,1581,30613%Listing Price Per Home $ 400,035 $ 435,732 9%Sold Price Per Home $ 389,116 $ 422,122 8%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 178 $ 182 3%MLS Days On Market Per Home5856-2%Talk to a…
Washington, DC – Arlington County, VA Housing Update for May 2009

ziprealty

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

Year to Year Comparison MonthMay-2008May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price98%97%-1%Sold Homes2192357%Listing Price Per Home $ 505,782 $ 534,046 6%Sold Price Per Home $ 494,214 $ 518,837 5%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 338 $ 316 -7%MLS Days On Market Per Home466132% Month to Month Comparison MonthApr-2009May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price96%97%1%Sold Homes19023524%Listing Price Per Home $ 523,513 $ 534,046 2%Sold Price Per Home $ 504,967 $ 518,837 3%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 330 $ 316 -4%MLS Days On Market Per Home6961-11%Talk to a…
Washington, DC - Alexandria City, VA Housing Update for May 2009

ziprealty

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 pm

Year to Year Comparison MonthMay-2008May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price97%98%0%Sold Homes1831925%Listing Price Per Home $ 511,591 $ 426,151 -17%Sold Price Per Home $ 497,489 $ 415,610 -16%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 316 $ 269 -15%MLS Days On Market Per Home5948-19% Month to Month Comparison MonthApr-2009May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price96%98%2%Sold Homes14619232%Listing Price Per Home $ 458,920 $ 426,151 -7%Sold Price Per Home $ 439,835 $ 415,610 -6%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 273 $ 269 -2%MLS Days On Market Per Home7448-35%Talk to a…
Washington, DC – Prince Georges County, MD Housing Update for May 2009

ziprealty

2 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am

Year to Year Comparison MonthMay-2008May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price98%97%-2%Sold Homes35744825%Listing Price Per Home $ 303,596 $ 249,990 -18%Sold Price Per Home $ 297,761 $ 241,489 -19%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 144 $ 111 -23%MLS Days On Market Per Home8911227% Month to Month Comparison MonthApr-2009May-2009% Change% Sold Price to Asking Price97%97%-1%Sold Homes38844815%Listing Price Per Home $ 253,408 $ 249,990 -1%Sold Price Per Home $ 246,245 $ 241,489 -2%Sold Price Per Sq Ft $ 109 $ 111 1%MLS Days On Market Per Home1051127%Talk to a…

The Real Estate Tomato
Jeff Turner of Real Estate Shows To Appear on Tomato Radio, July 1st. Mark Your Calendar!

Jim Cronin

28 Jun 2009 | 10:55 pm

We have been having so much fun, and getting such great feedback that we have decided to add a second show a month to the Tomato Radio schedule. Now, instead of just one show on the 15th of each month, we will be hosting 2 shows, the additional date being the 1st of each month. The bi-monthly shows will air live at 3pm PST, and will also be available as a podcast shortly thereafter. On Wednesday, July 1st, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Jeff Turner, president of Real Estate Shows. Over the last few years, Jeff has positioned himself as one of the most…
The 11 Most Common Pitfalls For New Real Estate Bloggers

Jim Cronin

25 Jun 2009 | 11:19 am

We’ve trained hundreds of real estate agents to make the blog an effective marketing tool. We run them through a dozen hours of personal training classes, aiming to keep them on track to success. The following represent the most common issues that we help them recognize in or to keep them focused. ___ 1. Worrying About Design Before the Writing ___ This is akin to planning a wedding before you have even met your husband/wife to be. Before you even ‘deserve’ a great looking home for your blogging, you need to have shown a solid commitment to The…
Tomato Radio Interviews Jeff Corbett of ActiveRain Today at 3pm PST. We Want The Mud.

Jim Cronin

15 Jun 2009 | 11:31 am

Listen in from 3 to 4pm PST today, to get a "Behind the Scenes Look" at the Real Estate Industry's Largest Social Network, ActiveRain. AR is about to eclipse 150K members, and growing at a pace of about 5,000 a month. Our guest, Jeff Corbett, is an old friend of the Real Estate Tomato, but more importantly, he is the VP of Operations and Business Development for ActiveRain. He's Bald, Bold and Brazen. and we're hoping he'll open up and give us the mud (dirt in the rain). We will be talking with Jeff about: His Role At AR New AR Developments AR's Big Challenges and Possible Solutions His…
The Easiest Way To Write 30 Real Estate Blog Articles Every 30 days

Jim Cronin

11 Jun 2009 | 3:22 pm

We all know that Teresa Boardman posts to her real estate blog every day. But most aren’t so inspired, thus making the effort seem unrealistic. The base formula for blogging success is obvious: More relevant content = More of everything you expect (traffic, search engine exposure, subscribers, leads, reach). So, like exercise, we know it’s good for us, we just can’t always get off the couch computer… and since you are already ON the computer, and not jogging, why can’t we get more than a post a week out of you? This article is designed to give…
Ask Yourself, Why Am I Blogging? The Most Difficult Part Is Having An Honest Answer.

Jim Cronin

5 Jun 2009 | 4:19 pm

Blogging is a big commitment. By starting a real estate blog you are embarking on what could be a never ending writing adventure. If you are going to go forward with it, shouldn’t you ask yourself “Why Do I Want To Blog?” Blogging is a strategy. Yet, in order for the strategy to be something that you can really get behind, you need to understand and define your goal. You will defeat yourself, or rather blogging will defeat you, if there is no clear definition of what you want to achieve. If you are unsure of your goal, how can you be sure of how much…

HomeGain Blog
Improve Your Website Rankings

Marc Rasmussen

1 Jul 2009 | 9:49 am

Are you looking for more clients to work with? Most of us are in this challenging real estate market. I recently read that roughly 90% of home buyers are starting their initial research on the internet. Here are 5 tips to improve your website rankings in Google to increase your traffic. 1.) Figure out what phrases you [...]
Spot Max! Orange Gorilla Cruising Around San Diego

Jessica Gopalakrishnan

29 Jun 2009 | 2:42 pm

With summertime here, Max decided to hit the surf and cruise around sunny San Diego, California, in a truck that could fit all his surf boards. By November, when the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Annual Conference is scheduled, Max will be very familiar with the area! Have you seen Max on the road? Let us know and [...]
Finding Success on a New Frontier

Peter McCullough

27 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am

A Realtor’s story about how he went from being a skeptic to a raving fan of blogging, online marketing and HomeGain’s AgentView program I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Kinkade of Cherry Creek Professionals Realty in Colorado to get his insight about the AgentView real estate marketing program and how it has increased his [...]
19 Secret Google Search Tricks

Joseph Ferrara

25 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am

Here are some Google Search secrets to help you better find what you’re looking for: (wait, since I’m telling you, they’re no longer secret). 1. Use quotation marks to search for the exact phrase “co-op board rejection” 2. Use the pipe (|) (it’s above the backslash \) for an either/or search (or use the word [...]
National and Local Real Estate Markets Are Intertwined More Now Than Ever

Ryan Ward

23 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am

We’ve all heard it; “real estate is local”. I’m not so sure. I believe that all of the different “local” real estate markets are in fact intertwined with one another. While there is not much value in a national average or median real estate price, there is value in national sales volume, national inventory levels and [...]

REITS & Finance Industry News - REITS & Finance Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com
Washington's City Bank slapped with regulatory order

2 Jul 2009 | 5:26 pm

Lynnwood-based City Bank on Thursday became the latest Washington financial institution operating under stricter regulatory enforcement.
Oakland settles with Chase over foreclosure evictions

2 Jul 2009 | 3:56 pm

The City of Oakland said Thursday that it reached a settlement with J.P. Morgan Chase over foreclosure evictions that violated city law. (JPM)
Millennium State Bank of Texas fails

2 Jul 2009 | 3:21 pm

The Texas Department of Banking on Thursday closed Dallas-based Millennium State Bank of Texas, the first bank failure in Texas this year and the first in the Dallas area in more than a decade.
Studley’s Brennan joins Jones Lang LaSalle

2 Jul 2009 | 2:55 pm

Studley Executive Vice President Kevin Brennan is leaving to join the tenant brokerage team at Jones Lang LaSalle.
TWC expands funds for apprenticeship program

2 Jul 2009 | 2:47 pm

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has upped funding for its Apprenticeship Training Program by $1 million, bringing the total amount invested in the program to $2.6 million.

Shelter Offshore
IVF Treatment Abroad – Risks Versus Potential Rewards

rhiannon@shelteroffshore.com

2 Jul 2009 | 2:55 am

An in depth report into the risks, rewards and realities of seeking IVF treatment abroad
Mapping Your Path to Financial Success Abroad

rhiannon@shelteroffshore.com

2 Jul 2009 | 1:10 am

How to ensure you stay on the right road to financial success once you relocate, move abroad, become an expatriate and go offshore!
Why Expats Really Have No Excuse When it Comes to Pension Saving

rhiannon@shelteroffshore.com

30 Jun 2009 | 11:02 pm

Why expats have absolutely no excuse when it comes to getting their offshore pension savings scheme set up
Offshore Savings in Isle of Man

rhiannon@shelteroffshore.com

30 Jun 2009 | 10:14 pm

A guide to the Isle of Man, its investor protection scheme, industry regulation and the offshore savings and investment solutions expats can have access to
Retirement in UK, OK or Not OK?

rhiannon@shelteroffshore.com

30 Jun 2009 | 12:26 am

Should you risk your retirement by gambling on the British economy, or are there better options for you abroad and offshore?

MyTechOpinion.com
Balancing Your Social Capital, One Interaction at a Time!

MyTechOpinion

29 Jun 2009 | 6:54 am

Have you’ve embraced social media as a means of marketing your real estate business, but have experienced little in terms of “pay off”? If your answer to this is “yes”….then I ask you to consider the way in which you’ve implemented your social media marketing strategies. Let’ start with the basic understanding of what social media marketing allots us. Creating profiles on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and the like offers you a unique connecting experience, otherwise referred to as “ambient awareness”. This is not a new term. In fact,…
30 Blog Post Ideas To Keep Your Content On A Roll

MyTechOpinion

26 Jun 2009 | 7:48 am

Recently, my friend Rob Hahn posted a great article entitled “Design vs. Content: Design Wins!‘. And I wholeheartedly agree with him! How many times have you left a blog due to eye strain from small print or out of pure confusion from all the flashing ads and shiny objects strewn about! There’s no denying that design plays a major role in Website attraction! I love pretty things and sometimes crap content can be made to look so nice you actually stick around. But watch out, because shiny objects can mislead you and even hypnotize you into monthly payments in some cases!
4 Ways To Add An Event Calendar To Your Wordpress Blog

MyTechOpinion

24 Jun 2009 | 7:40 am

The addition of an event calendar can add a lot of value to your website or blog. This is especially true for those real estate agents who maintain a community based site. Posting information on events such as farmers’ markets, garage sales, club meetings and city recreation programs to a calendar makes your website community resource. A resource worth bookmarking, Twittering or sharing on Facebook. Best of all, updating a calendar is easier than writing an entire blog post. Here are 4 ways to add an event calendar to your Wordpress website or blog: 1. Calendar Calendar is a Wordpress…
Cyberhomes’ Market Forecast Contest Launches Tomorrow!

MyTechOpinion

21 Jun 2009 | 3:28 pm

If you thought watching the “Know Your Market - Game Show Video” (see below) was fun and you want to get in on some of that action, well, YOU CAN! Cyberhomes officially launches their Market Forecast Contest tomorrow giving you a chance to chime in with the correct answer…and win! Here’s how you can play! 1.) Visit Twitter.com and follow @Cyberhomes, if you’re not already. 2.) Starting tomorrow (Monday, June 22nd) @Cyberhomes will tweet a question at 9am PST and again at 1pm PST every day this week (6/22-6/26). 3.) The first person to tweet the correct answer as…
Google Maps: New “What’s Here” Feature

MyTechOpinion

20 Jun 2009 | 11:36 am

Not too long ago maps were used simply to find locations and get from one point to another. But over recent years digital mapping has pushed the boundaries; adding new and innovative features with Google leading the way. Yesterday was no different; Google announced a new feature called “What’s here?” A very intuitive implementation that works by simply selecting a point on their map and choosing “What’s here?” Google then presents what they feel is “the most relevant result representing that location” For example, say you’re working with a…

Matrix
[In The Media] CNBC SQUAWK On The Street 7-2-09

Jonathan J. Miller

2 Jul 2009 | 10:13 am

Diana Olick did a nice job covering the important points on the release of our Manhattan Market Overview 2Q 09.
[Where Credit Is Due] 2Q 2009 Manhattan Market Overview Available For Download

Jonathan J. Miller

2 Jul 2009 | 9:28 am

The 2Q 2009 Manhattan Market Overview that I author for Prudential Douglas Elliman was released today. Other reports we prepare can be found here. The 2Q 2009 data and a series of updated charts will be available today. Press coverage can be found here. An excerpt …The Manhattan market, as measured by the median sales price of re-sale apartments, fell 25.6% as compared to the same period last year. The overall number of sales were 50.3% below the same period last year as a result of the tightening of credit, rising unemployment and a recessionary economy. There was an uptick in the…
[In The Media] Fox Business News 6-30-09

Jonathan J. Miller

30 Jun 2009 | 8:36 pm

I did another stint on Fox Business News covering the The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) and how appraisers feel about it. Last week I did an interview about HVCC on FBN with Neil Cavuto. I’ve been interviewed by each of the anchors Brian Sullivan and Dagen McDowell on prior occasions. Both very nice people. Always fun to do these. View the clip.
Case-Shiller Index: 18.7% Becomes 18.1% = Market Falling, Just Not As Much

Jonathan J. Miller

30 Jun 2009 | 11:54 am

Here’s a cool WSJ interactive map on the results and here is the official CSI press release. The general media coverage focus on the April S&P Case Shiller numbers talks a lot about the 3rd consecutive month of the ease in the rate of price declines. But the jobs outlook slipped, sapping consumer confidence. An interesting, and in my view, likely housing double dip may be seen in the Case Shiller Index caused by performance differences in the bottom and and top half the the market. Here’s the 20-city breakdown: While the Case Shiller Index isn’t a tool to price specific…
Real Estate Mass Delusion Necessitates Consumer Protection

Jonathan J. Miller

30 Jun 2009 | 7:51 am

Two interesting articles for Matrix readers to take a look at… In the current issue of the New Yorker, there’s a terrific article by James Surowiecki called Caveat Mortgagor who discusses the potential legislation to create a consumer protection agency for financial products comparing it to the birth of the FDA. Bankers and Wall Street won;t like it because it hampers their ability to be innovative. Of course some innovation got us where we are here today. However, innovation is not bad per se and I’m realistic in that such regulation will not eliminate financial collapse,…

The Real Estate Bloggers
Mortgage Lending Drops as Interest Rates Rise - Surprised

Tom Royce

2 Jul 2009 | 3:19 am

While the government is spending money to fix our problems, the resulting rising interest rates are putting pressure on the mortgage market. So much so that mortgage lending has dropped to an 8 month low as higher interest rates and rising unemployment is convince homebuyers to remain at home. The scary thing is that this genie is out of the bottle. It will be hard to get interest rates back to their levels of even a couple of months ago with the amount of borrowing by the Federal Government. Interest rates should be rising for a while as the Treasury Department sells the trillion dollars in…
Housing Plan Stuck, National Recovery In Hands of Real Estate Market

Tom Royce

30 Jun 2009 | 3:53 am

As the Treasury Department training company, Goldman Sachs, records incredible profits, the housing market is fighting a battle to save the economy. The 275 billion that the Federal Government allocated to infuse into the housing market is failing to get into the hand of the borrowers. It is staying with the bankers paying down their debt and fix their bottom line. And if you are looking to buy an investment property, God bless you. With 2.1 million empty homes on the market, there is a great deal of excess inventory that needs to be absorbed before the market will have a firm foundation. The…
The Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade Bill Will Control Housing Standards

Tom Royce

27 Jun 2009 | 4:17 am

Remember the local and state building regulations that you have worked under if you are a builder. As New Yorkers would say, Forgetaboutit… The new legislation that passed through the House last night, unread by any of the Congress people, had inserted into the bill a new NATIONAL BUILDING CODE. You heard me right, there is language that would have a national building code override your local and state codes. So what standards are needed for a home in Kittery, Maine will also be required of Miami, Florida or Honolulu, Hawaii. The bill would give the federal government power over local…
Bank of America Offering Cities First Crack at Foreclosures

Tom Royce

26 Jun 2009 | 4:45 am

I am not comfortable with the new Bank of America policy of offering foreclosures to cities and municipalities to buy instead of offering it to the general public. The goal is to allow the cities to buy the properties, rehab them, and then sell them to families. All well and good. But isn’t that the goal of real estate investors? The investor is also working from the profit motive. Sure they will try to charge more, but the price will be determined by the market. Instead, the government officials that will be in the market do not have a profit motive. The want to maximize power and…
Real Life Meets Dilbert

Tom Royce

26 Jun 2009 | 4:00 am

I wonder how often this is happening these days. Sad but true… Thanks for reading this post. If you would like to see more articles like this, please come visit The Real Estate Bloggers. where it was originally published. Real Life Meets Dilbert Related posts:Risky Loans And Ponzi Schemes If you have had enough of the banks making bad...Life Insurance Companies Bottom Line Hurt By Real Estate Investments For those selling large commercial real estate deals, times may...The Financial Crisis in 3 Panels Scott Adams can be a genuis on occasion. I wonder...

360Digest
Mentally ill woman stalks dream house

Marlow Harris

30 Jun 2009 | 10:22 pm

Mentally disturbed woman in Oregon harassing a family building a home on 20 acres: Homeowner of feared stalker: ‘She thinks she’s the lady of the house’
See if you can spot the real estate reference

Marlow Harris

11 Jun 2009 | 10:17 pm
Whack-A-Mole? No, Whack-An-Agent

Marlow Harris

3 Jun 2009 | 6:20 pm

Whack-A-Kitty, Whack-A-Mole, you’ve seen them all. Now it’s time to play “Whack-An-Agent”.
Just how much is negotiable?

Marlow Harris

29 May 2009 | 8:20 am
Help Wanted: Sell your soul

Marlow Harris

28 May 2009 | 2:17 pm

Here’s an ad I ran across today on Craigslist entitled “Local Realtors Needed To Input Flat Fee Listing Into The MLS” Hello, we are currently in need of a Realtor in your area to input flat fee listing into the MLS. You must be a licensed Realtor with access to the MLS. You must also obtain permission from your Broker In Charge to work w/flat fee listings. Pays $100 for basic listings and $200 per listing for very limited representation. Listings are for a 1 year term. Please go to http://www.salebyownermls.net/realtor-join.htm A regional recruiter will contact you…

A Bird's Eye View
50 Real Estate Folks You Should Follow on Twitter

roostblog

2 Jul 2009 | 2:54 pm

We use Twitter a lot here at Roost and have made some great connections over the last year. Since we are in the real estate world, we thought we would put together a list of some of the great industry Tweeple you might want to follow if you are new to this great platform. We will update this list on quarterly basis with brand new people because we are always meeting great folks on Twitter. If you’d like to follow [...]
Pending Home Sales Index from NAR Shows First Four-Month Increase Since October 2004

roostblog

1 Jul 2009 | 3:02 pm

The roller coaster that is the real estate market is on the upswing. Don’t think this is the Kingda Ka type of upswing but more like the Teeny Weeny type. The Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) rose a paltry 0.1% during the month of May. A more impressive comparison was year-over-year where the index showed a 6.7% increase compared with May 2008. This was the first four-month percentage increase since way back in October of [...]
Top Doctors List in Atlanta Magazine Has Emory University Flavor

roostblog

1 Jul 2009 | 2:31 pm

I just did a post yesterday on Emory University, and now I find that a large number of Emory doctors are being acknowledged for their medical expertise. In Atlanta Magazine’s July 2009 “Top Doctors” issue, 72 of the 165 doctors identified for recognition are doctors from Emory Healthcare and faculty of Emory School of Medicine. That’s about 44% of all that were recognized … and they’re all right here in Atlanta. The list was compiled by health care research [...]
A Lot of Banks are Making Sure a Short Sale Benefits Them

roostblog

30 Jun 2009 | 3:49 pm

The basic Wikipedia definition of a Short Sale is as follows: A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the proceeds from the sale fall short of the balance owed on a loan secured by the property sold. In a short sale, the bank or mortgage lender agrees to discount a loan balance due to an economic or financial hardship on the part of the mortgagor. This negotiation is all done through communication with a bank’s loss mitigation or [...]
Atlanta’s Emory University Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant

roostblog

30 Jun 2009 | 3:08 pm

Atlanta’s own Emory University, along with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), has been awarded a $3 million five-year federal grant to build an international center for cardiometabolic disease research in New Delhi, India. The National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded the grant. The grant will enable Emory’s science department to further research cardiovascular disease and diabetes, diseases that are affecting aggressively more young people. Additional funding for the [...]

Real Estate Opinion MAG - AgentGenius
21 Ways to Make Your Blog Irresistably Sticky

Lani Rosales

2 Jul 2009 | 12:11 pm

Don\'t be stingy with your thoughts- stop by and comment!What Does Sticky Mean? The main goal in blogging is to have a site that readers click around and find themselves sticking around, especially first time visitors. There are many ways to make your site appealing to readers, and ProBlogger, one of the web’s foremost voices on blogging suggests 21 ways to make your blog or website sticky (as presented via images below). Hopefully, some of this won’t make sense and you’ll *have* to go read the whole article! It’ll make your site sticky… original image courtesy…
The Window

Erion Shehaj

2 Jul 2009 | 6:30 am

Don\'t be stingy with your thoughts- stop by and comment! Three dollars/character A Houston Chronicle salesperson cold called me yesterday to check if I wanted to place an ad in their real estate classifieds and it brought back memories of staying on hold, waiting to place my $500/week three liner with them five years ago. Suppress that chuckle. In 2004, one of those babies would make the phone ring off the hook and put deals on the pipeline. So I went back for more – just like everyone else. Missing the revolution Newspapers were effective because they owned the eyeballs through and…
AgentWorx iPhone App- Your Real Estate Business at Your Fingertips

Benn Rosales

1 Jul 2009 | 6:49 pm

Don\'t be stingy with your thoughts- stop by and comment! Manage your real estate business with iPhone Apple’s latest real estate iPhone app approval is AgentWorx by AppSpice. It’s a productivity management tool for agents (for ten bucks). We all know those calls we get at the most inopportune time; you know, as you’re getting out of bed in the morning, walking out of a movie, getting off of a plane and a buyer calls wanting information on a listing? Of course you do, we have all had those moments, but what has changed is the need to fumble for a stats sheet with the…
Real Estate Pros Can Offer Branded Mobile Web Property Search App to Home Buyers

Benn Rosales

1 Jul 2009 | 4:57 pm

Don\'t be stingy with your thoughts- stop by and comment!Finally, you can offer more than just service Give’em a shopping cart! You’ve seen them popping up all over the place, those sweet iPhone and Palm Pre applications, and your head spins because the only way you’ve been able to offer it to your consumer is by pimping someone else’s brand. Your alternative has been to either offer Zillow, Trulia, or others, but it’s not specific to you or your company, leaving you to make a financial investment and single out users by the type of phone they’re using-…
Direct Mail Performance Improvement- Dear Ginny, WTH?

Ginny Cain McMurtrie

1 Jul 2009 | 11:03 am

Don\'t be stingy with your thoughts- stop by and comment! Dear Ginny WTH: How can technology be leveraged to improve the performance of traditional marketing campaigns, like direct mail for instance? Trying to be integrated Dear Trying, I use the term 360-degree marketing, which is an integrated marketing campaign. What does that mean? All marketing elements working together and support each other in media and message. These days there are lots of ways to integrate your online with your offline campaign. And the online tools will help you monitor the successfulness and add value back to your…

New England Real Estate Journal
IREM is helping you in going and living green

CRE Newswire

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

It is hard to believe we are already half way through 2009. It is even harder to believe we are ......
The Abbey Group's 45 Province, a 32-story condo. high-rise, celebrates grand opening

CRE Newswire

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Boston, MA The Province St. of today was once known as Governor's Alley, home to the Government House for ......
NH DRA taxing 1031 Exchanges that meet IRS guidelines

CRE Newswire

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

The N.H. Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) is presently opening and taxing closed Section ......
Fantini & Gorga and Eastern Bank arrange $6m acquisition financing

CRE Newswire

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Wallingford, CT Fantini & Gorga recently assisted Eastern Bank in arranging $6 million in acquisition financing ......
Opechee Construction completes 102 unit Hampton Inn for Olympia Development

CRE Newswire

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

Nashua, NH Opechee Construction Corp. completed the design and construction of a 57,286 s/f, four-story ......

New York Real Estate Journal
Abigail Michaels Concierge awarded 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in the Northeast by Ernst & Young

CRE Newswire

22 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

New York, NY Abigail Michaels Concierge has been selected as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur ......
Housing Visions breaks ground on 28-unit, $7.6 million Loguen Homes development

CRE Newswire

22 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Syracuse, NY The construction of new housing on the near east side has officially begun, as Housing Visions ......
Meet the AIA Members

CRE Newswire

22 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Brian Pape has had over 35 years of architectural practice, including over 30 years in executive ......
Kornspun of NAI Friedland brokers $20 million sale of 144,000 s/f Bronx warehouse

CRE Newswire

22 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Bronx, NY NAI Friedland Realty has closed a $20 million deal for the sale of the 144,000 /f Paradise Foods ......
PWC National honors outstanding women at Salute to Women of Achievement luncheon

CRE Newswire

22 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

New York, NY Calling the honorees "some of the most remarkable and accomplished women in the industry," ......

Cremunity.TV RSS Feed
CCIM Houston Gulf Coast Chapter 2009 Forecast Competition - Mark Dotzour, Ph. D Keynote Speaker (Part 1)

2 Jul 2009 | 7:41 pm

Featuring Keynote Speaker and Competition Moderator Mark Dotzour, Ph. D., Chief Economist, Real Estate Center at Texas A & M University
Narrow Way Plumbing & Heating

2 Jul 2009 | 7:41 pm

Video, promoting Narrow Way's services.
CRE News - Week of April 2nd

2 Jul 2009 | 7:41 pm

In This Segment, Major Developments: *Moss & Associates Completes CityPlace South Tower *Satori Goes Green Who's On the Move: *SVN Initiates SVNART *Scott Clendening Named as 2009 FGCAR President Done Deals: *Saunders Negotiates Conservation Deal *Smith Equities Sells Affordable Housing *Reichel Realty Manages 700,000 SF Portfolio *Eola Capital Buys Westshore 500
CCIM Houston Gulf Coast Chapter 2009 Forecast Competition - Mark Dotzour, Ph. D Keynote Speaker (Part 2)

2 Jul 2009 | 7:41 pm

Featuring Keynote Speaker and Competition Moderator Mark Dotzour, Ph. D., Chief Economist, Real Estate Center at Texas A & M University
Renewable Energy World Magazine Interview on Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative

2 Jul 2009 | 7:41 pm

Renewable Energy World magazine had a chance to speak with three Hawaii representatives about how they see the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative rolling out and the benefits it will bring. The representatives explained Hawaii's existing renewables, the abundant renewable energy resource that the island is blessed with, energy independence, the importance of island interconnectors, low-carbon transport and opportunities for businesses to bring their technologies to Hawaii. Visit - www.renewableenergyworld.com

About.com Real Estate Business
REMAX Sues Agent for Cybersquatting

2 Jul 2009 | 5:48 am

It's incumbent on any company to protect their trademark, or they could lose the ability to do so in the future. So, unlike the previous REMAX suit I wrote...
Home Price Trends - Whose Numbers?

1 Jul 2009 | 3:52 am

In my Twitter searches today, two Tweets showed up, both talking about home price numbers for April, as compared to April one year ago. There are many different sampling...
Taking Twitter Around the Block-Literally

29 Jun 2009 | 12:02 pm

I've been writing a lot about Twitter and Flickr of late, as they are both online services that save me a lot of time in my blogging. But, they...
Target Marketing - Homeless Shelters for Buyers

26 Jun 2009 | 12:13 pm

Sorry, couldn't pass this one up. I can't use their image, and it is the whole story, so go on over to the Real-Ad-Tors blog to see the...
Sign on Your Car? - Does It Say "Jerk?"

24 Jun 2009 | 11:27 pm

Image by mad drivers via FlickrNo lesson or lecture here, just some fun. REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Cities With Most, Least Courteous Drivers gives two short lists of cities with courteous...

The Phoenix Real Estate Guy
You can’t believe everything you read in the “Mainstream Media”

Jay Thompson

30 Jun 2009 | 10:08 am

I’ll be the first to freely admit that I’m not a journalist. But when I see shoddy reporting, it makes me cringe. And let’s face it, a lot of people have the propensity to believe anything they read on the Internet, particularly if the source is “trusted” or from the “Mainstream Media”. Case in point: Yesterday there was an article on Realtor.org – a site many would think could be trusted. It is after all, the home of the National Association of Realtors. They cited another source – U.S. real estate values present opportunity to Canadians from the Sierra Vista (AZ)…
Think people aren’t interested in the home buyer tax credit? Think again…

Jay Thompson

29 Jun 2009 | 9:47 am

We’ve written extensively on the tax credit available for first-time homebuyers (a restriction that may get lifted). In many private conversations I’ve had, the general consensus has been that this tax credit hasn’t had much impact, that people really don’t care, that first-time home buyers aren’t buying that many homes, even that people are not aware of the credit. Personally, we have yet to have a potential home buyer say, “The only reason we are buying now because of this tax credit”. (And that’s a good thing, as it is a horrible reason to buy if that’s the only reason…
Phoenix Fireworks 2009: July 4th Fireworks shows around the Valley –Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe and more!

Jay Thompson

27 Jun 2009 | 12:40 pm

4th of July fireworks shows will happen all across the Valley of the Sun. Here is a compilation of July 4th events I could find. Be aware, some Phoenix area cities that had fireworks in the past are not having them this year. Also, some cities are having their fireworks celebrations on July 3, not July 4. In alphabetical order: Ahwatukee Fireworks – July 3 Two events, the Ahwatukee Star Spangled Festival & Bicycle Parade and the Red, White and Boom, a Fireworks Celebration. Where: The Ahwatukee Star Spangled Festival & Bicycle Parade will be held at the Ahwatukee Community…
Why you don’t ask people on Twitter for writing assistance

Jay Thompson

26 Jun 2009 | 4:34 pm

OK, so occasionally I get these odd little glimpses of something akin to writer’s block. I find it disturbing on many levels. Once upon a time, I had an advanced writing professor in undergraduate school that said these things are complicated, but there is no shame in having it occur – it happens to everyone. Her solution was to eat a lamb chop with a side of beans and a bowl of pudding or perhaps a nice beignet for desert. Eggplant is to be avoided. However, anything is better covered in Sriracha sauce, so it is to be applied liberally (perhaps not on the pudding though). Actually,…
Homebuyer Tax Credit to be Extended? Expanded?

Jay Thompson

23 Jun 2009 | 11:03 am

Will the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit be extended, or possibly even expanded? Maybe… Or maybe not. It’s politics after all. Currently there are FIVE bills flitting about Washington, D.C. that would, assuming they are signed into law, either extend or expand the currently existing $8,000 homebuyer tax credit due to end on December 1, 2009. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduced Senate Bill S1230 – the Home Buyer Tax Credit Act of 2009 – on June 10. Senator Isakson created the original $15,000 homebuyer tax credit that morphed into the current $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit…

BloodhoundBlog
Rotarian Socialism in action: Taking lessons from the NAR and the NAMB, Wal-Mart is using compulsory health insurance as a weapon to destroy its smaller competitors

Greg Swann

2 Jul 2009 | 7:34 am

Today is July the Second, the date of the actual drafting of the Declaration of Independence. By now the United States is just another National Socialist oligarchy, a savage jungle of predatory pressure groups, each one looking to plunder the national treasury at the expense of all the others, each one hiding behind an elaborate camouflage of high-blown rhetoric. Whatever the putative purpose of some piece of legislation, the actual purpose is to advantage some pressure groups to the disadvantage of others. The putative purpose and the high-blown rhetoric are for the children — for the…
Follow me on this; I hope Cap & Trade passes for all our sakes!

Al Lorenz

1 Jul 2009 | 2:06 pm

Do I really want the Cap & Trade lunacy, its huge loss of freedoms and destruction that will be wrought to the economy, including the real estate industry? No, not really. But I think it might be better than the alternative. Because WHAT I WANT is for Americans to WAKE UP! I think Cap & Trade, HR 2454, may be just the ticket. Surely, this will wake people up to what is happening! Skyrocketing energy costs, tax hikes, economic stagnation or worse and the nanny state in places it should never have been considered. Won’t that be enough to wake folks up? I’m very…
It’s A Wonderful Life - A Eulogy from California

Don Reedy

1 Jul 2009 | 1:16 pm

If you check out any of my social media profiles you’ll come to find that “It’s a Wonderful Life” with James Stewart is my absolute favorite of all time. Sure, I’m a Star Trek fan, a Dirty Harry fan, and lots’ more, but this movie captures the heart and soul of both an individual man, his family, and the community in which he lives. It is simply a great piece of art. Usually I don’t think about “It’s a Wonderful Life” until December, since that’s when the movie usually plays on TNT, or the mainstream stations. But today, after…
NAR Responds To Cap and Trade Concerns

Dave Phillips

1 Jul 2009 | 12:26 pm

Since Greg’s post last week stirred up some good discussion of what NAR should be doing about the crazy energy bill, I thought I’d pass along the official word from NAR. Personally, I think the Senate is going to kill or “fix” the bill - after all, they will actually have time to read it, discuss it, and have dialog with the public BEFORE they vote on it. From NAR What Does the House-Passed Climate Bill Do? The American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the House recently, takes a multi-pronged approach to improving energy efficiency and NAR weighed in…
Face Down in Iceplant

Geno Petro

30 Jun 2009 | 2:23 pm

To pluck a petal from the bloom of friend and recondite commenter, Don Reedy, I’ve been ‘face down in a slope of iceplant’ for 30 days. Yes, iceplant. (I’ll let the man himself expound a little later but allow me to tempt you with the essence of his yarn—- it involves a houseboat in San Diego, a Belushi Halloween costume (including handcuffed briefcase), and a lost weekend somewhere in the bowels of the 1980s. Un huh.) You see, I too have been on a pastoral quest of sorts this month and presently find myself scurrying through the Bloodhound…

Blown Mortgage
HUD Expands Making Home Affordable Eligibility

Jay Hammond

2 Jul 2009 | 4:20 am

On July 1, 2009, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced an expansion of the Making Home Affordable Refinance Program to include borrowers who are current but up to 125 percent underwater on their mortgage. The announcement was made while the Secretary toured a Las Vegas neighborhood with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Congresswoman Dina Titus. “This decision is part of our ongoing efforts to maximize the effectiveness of the Making Home Affordable program and adapt to an ever-changing housing market,” said Treasury Secretary Tim…
Is Trust Returning to the Mortgage Industry?

Jay Hammond

1 Jul 2009 | 9:12 am

“The economy is based on trust,” said Dean Johnson, associate professor of finance at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. In situations like the recent housing bubble, or even the stock market collapse of 1929, where markets were driven by debt and fueled by the false expectation that values can only increase, trust can be a very fragile thing. “One little blip and everything started to unwind,” Johnson said. “The particulars are different, but the basics are familiar.” Trust, however, seems to be coming back, according to Johnson. If…
Recovery? Mortgage apps down, prime delinquencies up

Constantine von Hoffman

1 Jul 2009 | 7:33 am

Today is the day the recovery starts, at least according to those peering into the rosiest-colored crystal balls. The Wall Street Journal dug up these great examples: Most forecasters seem to expect growth to be weak for a few quarters, but then rebound back to trend in the second half of 2008… –Lehman Brothers research note, Dec. 12, 2007 What is shaping up as the deepest and longest recession since the 1930s will end in the second half of 2009. –Wells Fargo press release, Dec. 19, 2008 And what news did we wake to on this glorious July 1? First, mortgage application dropped 30% last…
New Report Links Foreclosures and Homelessness

Jay Hammond

30 Jun 2009 | 9:24 am

“Local reports indicate that homelessness is on the rise and this report [Foreclosure to Homelessness] gives us insight into the role that foreclosures may be having on that increase,” said Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The Foreclosure to Homelessness: The Forgotten Victims of the Foreclosure Crisis report released last week provides insight into how foreclosures have affected homeless populations around the country. Based on surveys completed by 178 organizations across the U.S. that provide services to individuals and families experiencing …
Subprime Bananas

Morgan

28 Jun 2009 | 4:07 pm

A great post from Homegrown Evolution on one of the surprising benefits of the housing meltdown: fresh fruit. That’s right. The blog thanks Mr. Mozilo for creating our very own ‘Banana Republic’ as rundown homes and unmanned irrigation systems create the perfect environment for the growth of amazing tropical delights. These subprime bananas as the blog calls them, were the result of a foreclosed home and a wayward sprinkler system. Homegrown Evolution is a blog maintained by the authors of “The Urban Homestead“. Hat tip Boing Boing for finding this gem. From…

Rofo Blog
Google Search Trends in Commercial Real Estate

jmiller

2 Jul 2009 | 10:31 am

Google Trends is a tool that tracks how much people are searching for certain terms on Google. Here are a few interesting graphs created with Google trends related to commercial real estate search. The first graph is the average search volume in the USA for the term “Office Space” since 2004. Analysis: The graph represents the search volume index for the term “office space” since 2004. The search volume index is the average number times “office space” was typed into Google search since 2004 and is set at 1.0. The letters on the graph are news articles…
2308 American Avenue Hayward CA 94545 Industrial Office Space

Alan Bernier

3 Jun 2009 | 12:24 am

This is great commercial real estate for lease. Though this type of space is intended for a light industrial type of use I really think this setup would be excellent for a true office use. I like the idea of having a big roll up door that would give your office environment a real indoor outdoor feel.
150 Executive Park Blvd San Francisco Office Space

Alan Bernier

3 Jun 2009 | 12:05 am

150 Executive Park is conveniently located just off of highway 101 near Candlestick Park. The building offers free parking, a free Bart shuttle, and unparalleled Bay Views. The 3200 square foot suite is a fully furnished office space and has updated wiring in place. The suite was designed as an open concept with plenty of natural light and includes a private balcony. The space is configured to accommodate up to 24 employees. Amenities include 2 Deli’s on site, many restaurant choices within a few minute drive and 24 hour security. Companies seeking a centralized location and easy access…
Danville CA Office Space For Rent

Alan Bernier

2 Jun 2009 | 11:58 pm

Thanks again to Steelcase and our local commercial real estate partners for helping us produce the following office space video:
Seattle Office Space

Alan Bernier

22 May 2009 | 3:16 pm

As we think about expansion cities its hard not to consider the Seattle office space market as a logical next step. We seem to get a fair amount of requests from entrepreneurs and businesses to “get up here soon”. I was recently catching up with an entrepreneur who started Helphive.com. Its really a great service connecting consumers with Seattle plumbers, landscapers, cleaners, contractors and handymen. They’re solving a problem that exists for consumers that we are addressing on the commercial side.

Rejournals News
Chatham Financial Meets a Growing Need for GAAP Filers Seeking to Comply with New Mark to Market FAS 157 Derivative Valuations

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

NJ - Financial - 7/2/2009Kennett Sq., PA Chatham Financial, one of the largest independent interest rate and foreign exchange advisory firms, is a leading provider for FAS 133 and FAS 157 services. In the last year alone,...
Chairman's message: Boston's newest $70 million renovations

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

NE - Financial - 7/2/2009The New England/Upstate NY CRE and the Boston CoreNet chapters held a joint event at One Post Office Sq., Boston, Mass. on April 30th. Approximately 108 members attended this evening cocktail...
CRONHEIM MORTGAGE ARRANGES $20,000,000 FOR NATIONAL REALTY RETAIL CENTER IN HACKETTSTOWN, NJ

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

NJ - Retail - 7/2/2009Hackettstown, NJ Andrew Stewart and Dev Morris of David Cronheim Mortgage Corporation have secured financing of $20,000,000 for Mansfield Commons, a 271,979 square foot shopping center in...
Warrenstreet Archts. to design community health center facility

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

NE - Construction - 7/2/2009Somersworth, NH - Warrenstreet Architects has been selected by the Avis Goodwin Community Health Center to design a new community health center facility. This new 30,000 s/f building will consolidate...
Tinkham Realty leases 1,400 s/f to Carry Out Cafe in Londonderry

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

NE - Retail - 7/2/2009Londonderry, NH - According to Tinkham Realty, Inc., Carry Out Cafe has leased 1,400 s/f at the Mr. Steer Maketplace. Mr. Steer Marketplace is an 11,400 s/f retail center located off Rte.102. Other...

The Mortgage Reports
What Mortgage Rates Will Do Over The Next 30 Days (July 2, 2009 Edition)

Dan Green

2 Jul 2009 | 6:32 am

today, mortgage rates are still higher than the government's "ideal" sub-5 percent level, but Wall Street isn't worrying about inflation as much. Data has improved in a lot of sectors, but it can't necessarily be categorized as "strong". Plus, gas prices are falling. Both of these developments are... *** Click the title to see complete post and pictures from http://www.themortgagereports.com ***
Act Quickly On That Mortgage Quote — Mortgage Rates Are Changing Every 2 Hours, 58 Minutes

Dan Green

1 Jul 2009 | 5:15 am

Mortgage rate volatility is back in a big way, folks. To put the pace of change in perspective, consider this: * In the last 60 days, lenders have issued 4 or more rates sheets in a day once per week * In the last 365 days, lenders have issued 4 or more rates sheets in a day once per month. The... *** Click the title to see complete post and pictures from http://www.themortgagereports.com ***
Chart : Comparing The Fed Funds Rate To 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates

Dan Green

29 Jun 2009 | 7:26 am

Since 2000, the spread between the Fed Funds Rate and the 30-year fixed rate mortgage has been as narrow as 1 percent and as wide as 5 percent. There was even a period in the 1970s and 1980s where the spread was negative; where mortgage rates were lower than the Fed Funds Rate. *** Click the title to see complete post and pictures from http://www.themortgagereports.com ***
What Mortgage Rates Will Do Over The Next 30 Days (June 18, 2009 Edition)

Dan Green

25 Jun 2009 | 8:01 am

With rising mortgage rates threatening the housing market's recovery and the employment sector showing signs of life, there was this pervasive nervousness on Wall Street pre-FOMC that the Fed would make a bold statement to keep the economy on track. This would have been awful for mortgage rates. ... *** Click the title to see complete post and pictures from http://www.themortgagereports.com ***
Mortgage Rate-Locking Strategies Ahead Of This Week’s Federal Reserve Meeting

Dan Green

23 Jun 2009 | 4:30 am

So that brings us to today's Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Looking at the chart at top, markets are 99.3% certain that the Federal Reserve won't raise the Fed Funds Rate from its current range of "near-zero". Investors have come to this conclusion because the Fed has repeatedly said it... *** Click the title to see complete post and pictures from http://www.themortgagereports.com ***

Future of Real Estate Marketing
New Firefox Brings Location to the Browser

Joel Burslem

30 Jun 2009 | 5:39 pm

Location awareness is one of the killer features in the new iPhone. Especially in real estate apps, like Zillow’s app, which recently broke ½ million downloads. We all know the old axiom with property, right? Location, location, location. Now that can be translated to your desktop, in addition to your phone. The new version of Firefox (3.5) has added location awareness as one of the new features in this release. From their website: Now Firefox can tell websites where you’re located so you can find info that’s more relevant and more useful (for example, getting directions or finding…
Looking for Hyperlocal Content?

Joel Burslem

24 Jun 2009 | 12:16 pm

Outside.in has you covered. They have just launched a new product called Outside.in for Publishers - what they’re calling “an out-of-the-box hyperlocal news section for your website”. Features include: Customized Neighborhood News Pages for every neighborhood in your market. Rich, interactive maps, headlines, and excerpts. Access to aggregated stories from all local blogs, news sites, and other sources—including Twitter! Tools to curate the stories, sources, and tags that will appear on your site. The product is free but does come embedded ads from Outside.in. There is an…
WellcomeMat Brings Local Video to Your TV

Joel Burslem

22 Jun 2009 | 2:23 pm

6 months ago I gave up my cable TV subscription. How? One word. Boxee. Boxee is a revolutionary application that lets you pull together all your media together in a single browser that you can access from the comfort of your couch. I truly believe that Boxee - when combined with a device like my AppleTV - is the future of television. It lets me consume all the media I’ve gathered on my local network as well as hook in to all kinds of web-based streaming content; including breaking news, music and, of course, video. Recently, the company launched a contest for developers to get companies…
Friday Fun: Augmented Reality Nearly Here

Joel Burslem

19 Jun 2009 | 9:06 am

A nice demonstration of a visual navigation app being developed by Occipital. The app searches for what you’re looking for, plots it inside geo-space and then provides you with directions and a preview of how to get there. Click here to view the embedded video. (h/t Techcrunch) Ad: Win more business. Showcase your company with a custom video ad from Turnhere. Learn more today!.
Real Estate Connect registration deadline tomorrow

Joel Burslem

18 Jun 2009 | 10:13 am

Have you got your ticket for Real Estate Connect San Francisco 2009 yet? Only one more day till the price goes up! This will be the fifth Connect conference that I’ve been been part of and I’m proud of having been able to contribute to the program over the years. But more importantly, Connect is something that I personally look forward to attending every summer. It’s a great place to meet up with all my friends in the industry and catch up; but I also get a ton out the conversations that spin out of the conference. Here are 3 things that I’m personally really stoked…

Tracy's LA Real Estate
Once again, a short sale is no sale

Tracy

24 Jun 2009 | 8:28 am

Wow, short sales have gotten such a bad reputation that Redfin has put this notice on their website: “This home is flagged as a short sale. We’re sorry, we don’t tour or write offers on short sales because of the slim chance that you’ll get the home.” For those new to the real estate purchasing game, a short sale is one where the sales price isn’t enough to pay off the loan so the homeowner has to get the lender’s permission to pay less than what they are owed. Click here to find out more about short sales. I have to say that one listing agent I know who…
California’s New Home Tax Credit is Almost Gone!

Tracy

17 Jun 2009 | 5:48 pm

A boon for new homebuyers, scheduled to last through next March, will be out of money long before that. By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer Last Updated: June 12, 2009: 3:14 PM ET NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Time is running out for California residents wanting to take advantage of a $10,000 tax credit. The state set aside $100 million to help home buyers purchasing newly built homes, hoping to jump start the moribund residential-construction market. But only about 20% of the pot is left. “We’re less than four months into it, and all the tax credits authorized are gone,…
Fear and Real Estate and Life

Tracy

16 Jun 2009 | 6:38 pm

I just heard from an agent about a buyer I had referred to her last year. It turns out that since the lending rules about proving your income have changed, these people are no longer able to qualify for a loan, even though they have a 20% down payment. This is sad, to me. Maybe they are fine with continuing to rent for a few more years, but they had been looking for a place to buy for 3 years, off and on. Nothing was ever quite good enough. Even though we had been in escrow, a sticking point was just not negotiable and the deal fell apart. As prices came down, they congratulated…
Why You Should Help Your Kid Buy A House This Year

Tracy

10 Jun 2009 | 10:52 pm

I can’t say it better than this mortgage broker did, so check out Janet Guilbault’s blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1051983/3-2-1-LIFTOFF-Prevent-Failure-to-Launch-Help-Your-Kid-Buy-A-House-This-Year It’s a great opportunity for us parents as well as the kid. How else could we take advantage of the 3.5% down payment possibility that FHA offers? To qualify for FHA, you have to intend to occupy the property as your primary property—that’s the kid part. Plus, you can have a non-occupant co-signer—that’s you. If you buy units, as long as your child lives in one, you can…
Buyers Market?—Sellers Market? Part 2.

Tracy

7 Jun 2009 | 10:31 pm

Last year, when Congress passed the first tax credit for first-time buyers, raised the conforming loan limits and made FHA a viable loan option in our area for the first time in 12 years, we in the real estate industry hoped that the market could return to a more normal state. But then the worldwide economy crashed and more and more people started losing jobs, and predictions of further huge price drops in the housing industry kept the market at pretty much of a standstill in our little corner of the world. Anyone who didn’t really have to sell, didn’t. Then some of the people who…

Real Central VA
New Disclosure Form and No Texting

Jim Duncan

1 Jul 2009 | 7:30 am

Both new laws are consequential, both for vastly different reasons, and both affect Realtors (and consumers) in Virginia. First, The Residential Property Disclosure Act: Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act; disclosure of stormwater detention facilities. Provides that an owner of real property makes no representations with respect to the presence of any stormwater detention facilities located on the property and that purchasers are advised to exercise whatever due diligence they deem necessary to determine the presence of any stormwater detention facilities on the property, in…
Blog Wayback – Future of Realtor.com, etc.

Jim Duncan

1 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

Blog Wayback Series … January 2006: The Future of Realtor.com, etc. Inman has a simple question: If Zillow competes with Realtor.com, will (and how will) some of the folks at NAR … position the Seattle company as bad for the industry? That is an interesting question. With such a vast number of innovative tools, which ones will survive and thrive? The MLS is one of the most valuable tools that we Realtors have. Rather than treat it as such and ensure that it is the comprehensive source of data, we have gotten comfortable and used to having a great source of information; complacency…
Bundoran Farm

Jim Duncan

1 Jul 2009 | 3:46 am

Disclosure: my firm, Nest Realty Group, is marketing Bundoran Farm in conjunction with three other firms in the Charlottesville area. I would be posting about them regardless of any affiliation I might have; I was talking about them in 2007, long before I was with Nest. I was then and am now genuinely interested in and intrigued by the project (it’s hard to call it a "development"). The New York Times says today in Growing With the Crops, Nearby Property Values: And in more rural areas, developers are buying big tracts of ranchland and selling small lots to buyers. David…
Donate to Charlottesville Tomorrow

Jim Duncan

29 Jun 2009 | 8:36 am

If you’re a Realtor, a homeowner, a renter, someone who lives in the Charlottesville region, who uses our roads, buses, the occasional train, votes, has thought about voting, is impacted by decisions of our local elected representatives, breathes … you likely benefit in some way, shape or form from the reporting and information gathering, analysis and distribution of Charlottesville Tomorrow. If I am looking for information for myself or for my clients, I always send links to Charlottesville Tomorrow. Simply put, I am better prepared to represent my clients because of what they…
Twitter Week in Review

Jim Duncan

28 Jun 2009 | 3:30 am

Taking the kids to see the wife in Suffolk for the night. Leaving Cville in a bit # RT @Rob_Aubrey: If U wouldn't hire a Realtor build a house, Y would U hire a builder to sell your house #slc #ut #justsaying — # Uploading a video for a client … candid property videos are immensely valuable # For the life of me I can't find the 300 page amendment for HR2998 online #energytax # Listening to John Boehner – need to fact check what he's saying, but if true, HR2998 may be *devastating* for American housing # @Acscholl It makes no sense. http://bit.ly/CuT0E – How…

Bucking The Real Estate Trend-Waynesville and Maggie Valley Real Estate
How ’bout Them Maggie Valley Apples! “Buy Haywood” County.

Susie Blackmon

2 Jul 2009 | 11:27 am

The apples are growing around Maggie Valley and making me think of the fall Apple Harvest Festival. Haywood County has wonderful apple orchards famous not only for their apples, but also their ciders, apple cakes, jams, and a sundry of baked goods. Here is a link to addresses and directions to various Haywood County apple orchards and others in the Blue Ridge region of beautiful Western North Carolina. Pictures from last year during Fall’s Apple Harvest Season. 21st Annual Apple Harvest Festival in Haywood County, October 17, 2009. Buy Haywood. Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse…
Maggie Valley Early Morning July 2nd… Not A Cloud In The Sky.

Susie Blackmon

2 Jul 2009 | 4:37 am

Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse News My horse website
What’s Happening at Lake Junaluska This Fourth of July?

Susie Blackmon

1 Jul 2009 | 4:02 am

Photos for this slideshow were taken in and around Lake Junaluska late yesterday afternoon (June 30). Independence Day Celebration 2009 - Schedule of Events Directions to Lake Junaluska Slideshow of last year’s Fireworks at Lake Junaluska Lake Junaluska at dusk photos Seeing the Light on Lake Junaluska Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse News My horse website
How Many More Haywood County Homes Are On The Market June 30 Since January 1?

Susie Blackmon

30 Jun 2009 | 7:43 am

Beautiful mountain laurel blooms found along the Maggie Valley Club creek 06/29/09. Our residential inventory in Haywood County has increased every month this year. As of today the inventory has increased by 272 homes since January 1. The inventory numbers at the end of each month this year were as follows: January - 999 February - 1,021 March - 1,047 April - 1,089 May - 1,218 June - 1,271 Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse News My horse website
Would You Like Some Fried Trout While You Are In Maggie Valley?

Susie Blackmon

29 Jun 2009 | 1:15 am

Stop by Maggie Valley Restaurant, 2804 Soco Road, Maggie Valley NC 28751 (828-926-0425). Breaking Asheville News Breaking Horse News My horse website

Realtor Magazine Online
NAR Gives to Foreclosure Prevention Programs

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Several local and state associations have used nearly $700,000 in grants from NAR to help prevent foreclosures in their areas.
Traffic Increase at Zillow.com

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

The real estate Web site announces that traffic is up 67 percent in the first half of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.
Manhattan Condo and Co-op Prices Fall.

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

According to one of New York's largest real estate firms, prices have dropped by 17 to 26 percent for the high-end.
Retailers Experiment with Short-Term Rentals

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

Commercial landlords have grown more comfortable with shorter leases.
Treasury Makes Refinancing More Attractive

2 Jul 2009 | 12:00 am

In an effort to expand the Treasury Department's foreclosure prevention plan, home owners can now refinance for up to 125 percent of a house's value.

L.A. Land
Hot Property: Frank Lloyd Wright landmark is on the MLS at $15 million

Lauren Beale

2 Jul 2009 | 3:06 pm

The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Ennis House in Los Feliz has landed on the Multiple Listing Service at $15 million. The 1924 concrete-block structure has four bedrooms and 4 1/2 bathrooms in about 6,000 square feet. The Mayan-inspired California landmark -- it is a state landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places -- sits on about three-quarters of an acre with city, canyon and ocean views. The seller is the Ennis House Foundation, a nonprofit that has spent about $6.5 million to restore the earthquake- and water-damaged estate. The house "needs more…
FTC investigates Van Nuys companies

Lauren Beale

2 Jul 2009 | 12:02 pm

A local company is among the targets of a Federal Trade Commission crackdown on consumer fraud. From The Times' Jim Puzzanghera: One of the FTC's new cases alleged that five Van Nuys companies had bilked consumers out of about $300 million by selling fraudulent programs related to real estate or online businesses. The companies -- John Beck Amazing Profits, John Alexander, Jeff Paul, Mentoring of America and Family Products -- and five people who had founded or run those companies were accused of violating federal laws related to telemarketing and consumer fraud. The FTC…
Hot Property: Former home of composer Frederick Loewe is for sale

Lauren Beale

1 Jul 2009 | 4:39 pm

The Palm Springs home owned for decades by Oscar-winning composer Frederick Loewe and the place where he wrote the score for "Camelot" is on the market for $5.95 million. The one-story, ranch-style house, built in 1956, has four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 4,369 square feet and sits on nearly 3 acres. In the master bedroom, Loewe put the bed and nightstand on a turntable of sorts so he could take in different views of the backyard -- a feature that remains. The house was put on the market the year after his 1988 death at $4.5 million. See more photos at…
Loan applications slow despite interest rate decline

Sharon Bernstein

1 Jul 2009 | 9:50 am

A reduction in average mortgage rates last week didn't stop the decline in applications for home loans, the Mortgage Bankers Assn. reported this morning. The refinance boom continued to fizzle out, with applications down 30% from the previousweek, to the lowest level since November. Purchase applications fell by 4.5%, according to the report, which you can read at the website below. http://www.mbaa.org/NewsandMedia/PressCenter/69498.htm The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate home loans decreased to 5.34% from 5.44% a week earlier. For 15-year fixed loans, the rate…
Most-searched-for properties last week in Riverside and San Bernardino counties

Lauren Beale

30 Jun 2009 | 3:37 pm

Here's a look at where online house shoppers were searching in Riverside and San Bernardino counties last week, according to Realtor.com. These properties received the most hits in searches for homes within 20% of the median list price of $229,500: 1. 4197 Hidatsa St., Riverside, CA 92507The 2002 Mediterranean has three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,254 square feet. Listed at $185,000. 2. 1347 Orange Grove Circle, Corona, CA 92879The 1998 house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,937 square feet.Listed at $199,950, 3. 1033 Queenspark Road, Corona, CA 92880 The 2006 home…

Lanser on Real Estate
Hear why storage yards do well in downturns

Jon Lansner

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 pm

The business of self-storage yards tend to counter the economic cycle. People often need storage space when the economy turns south and folks in financial challenges quickly downsize their lives. Michael Schwartz is CEO of Strategic Storage Trust in Ladera Ranch. He explains to ocregister.com in a podcast interview why the self-storage storage business — while not “recession proof” — tends to do better than other real estate assets in economc downturns. To hear our full interview, CLICK HERE! CLICK FOR MORE HOUSING! Check out your blogger’s previous podcasts: Chapman…
O.C. mall may face mortgage default

Jon Lansner

2 Jul 2009 | 12:10 pm

The curiously designed Kaleidoscope mall in Mission Viejo apparently faces “imminent default” on its mortgage. That is according to a report by Fitch Ratings about a pool of commercial mortgages repackaged by Bear Stearns back in 2005. Fitch notes, the pool includes the Kaleidoscope mortgage … The mortgage was assigned to “special service” on June 25. That’s an official designation of trouble. At year-end 2008, Kaleidoscope’s “debt service coverage ratio” was 1.09 — or loosely, it had $1.09 of cash flow for every $1 in mortgage…
Smallest loss in O.C. property index in 15 months

Jon Lansner

2 Jul 2009 | 2:00 am

Click to enlarge This Sunday in the dead-tree edition of The Register, it’s time for our latest Orange County economic snapshot: The Big Orange index! To whet the appetite, here’s a snapshot from the upcoming second quarter report: Yearly change in the Big O’s Property Index — one of six local markers (tracking key Orange County industries) that comprise the overall index. As you can see in this accompanying chart, the Big O Property Index agrees with what other reports are saying: We’re experiencing a moderation in losses in overall Orange County real estate…
High-rise condo builder filing bankruptcy

Jeff Collins

1 Jul 2009 | 4:20 pm

Opus West, a pioneer in Orange County’s condo-tower experiment, announced today that it will file Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization sometime this month. An East Coast affiliate filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, saying it intends to liquidate. The commercial and multi-family developer blamed “steep and pervasive declines” in commercial real estate values and a tight credit market for hampering the company’s fortunes. Said Mark Rauenhorst, chairman and CEO of parent company Opus Corp.: “Declining real estate values and tight credit markets continue to impede the…
O.C.-based apartment owner files for bankruptcy

Jeff Collins

1 Jul 2009 | 11:44 am

An Irvine firm that uses investor funds to buy and fix up aging apartment buildings has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a couple lenders went after it for not making its loan payments, according to court documents. Pacific Property Assets’ financial problems first surfaced in May when the firm skipped about $500,000 in interest payments to about 750 investors who help finance purchase and construction costs through high-interest notes. The firm subsequently defaulted on the June payment as well. The court filing comes seven weeks after the firm mailed letters to investors vowing…

Real Estate in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Foreclosures Expected to Increase

REMAX Las Vegas

18 Jun 2009 | 8:34 am

Las Vegas Foreclosures Expected to Increase Las Vegas Foreclosures expected to increase with the moratorium lifted at the end of May 2009. Las Vegas real estate foreclosures will continue to put... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
West Las Vegas Foreclosure

REMAX Las Vegas

14 Jun 2009 | 2:22 am

West Las Vegas Foreclosure TWO STORY WEST LAS VEGAS FORECLOSURE HOME WITH 4 BEDROOMS 3 BATHS, 3 CAR GARAGE AND FABULOUS IN-GROUND POOL AND SPA. GREAT FLOOR PLAN WITH TONS OF NATURAL LIGHT. LARGE OPEN... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Las Vegas New Townhome Under $100K

REMAX Las Vegas

13 Jun 2009 | 1:06 am

Las Vegas New Townhome Under $100K Search Las Vegas New Townhomes 1,210 sqft, Las Vegas New Townhome under $100K, 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 - car garage. Open floorplan with vaulted ceilings, "New... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Las Vegas Real Estate Tip of the Week

REMAX Las Vegas

13 Jun 2009 | 1:05 am

Image via Wikipedia Las Vegas Real Estate Tip of the Week "LAS VEGAS REAL ESTATE AGENTS NEED TO USE YOUR LAS VEGAS MLS PRINT-OUTS TO AVOID LOAN CHALLENGES LATER" Las Vegas loan pre-qualifications can... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Las Vegas Real Estate Question of the Week

REMAX Las Vegas

13 Jun 2009 | 1:03 am

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Las Vegas Real Estate Question of the Week "I am doing an FHA loan. I am married and my wife won't be on the loan. Why do you still need to pull her credit?"... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Ubertor Real Estate Blog
Unique Realtor Web Sites

Stephen Jagger

2 Jul 2009 | 9:16 am

3 more customize real estate agents websites have been launched on the Ubertor platform by some of our Approved Vendors today. All 3 are examples of how different design styles can be applied to our platform so that you can have that custom look you always wanted. Take a moment to check them out: Sharon deLisser Damali & Neville Adomi
Yes, You Can Specify Additional Rules To Add To Your Site’s Robots.txt file

Stephen Jagger

29 Jun 2009 | 9:57 pm

I was emailed by a clients “tech guy” today asking if there was a way to update the robots.txt for his clients website. The answer, YES, you can specify additional rules to add to your site’s robots.txt file below. How? Within the “Marketing” tab in your control panel, click “robots”. From there you can make the adjustments you want.
Ubertor Feature: Showcase Your Listings Using Google Maps

Stephen Jagger

29 Jun 2009 | 9:33 pm

Interested in having your listings displayed within Google Maps? Within your website you can do it. Contact our client service team for more information on all of the different options you have for showcasing your listings within Google Maps. Here is an example of an agents listings within Google Maps integrated right into the banner section of the agents website: http://www.jenniferle.ca/MapofCurrentListings.ubr
Custom Realtor Website

Stephen Jagger

29 Jun 2009 | 9:14 pm

2 new customized Realtor websites have been launched on the Ubertor real estate website software by SplitMango.com and KuniDesign.com - both a unique and different examples of what can be done on our system. check out her website here - http://www.nazlibirand.com - by SplitMango check out her website here - http://www.jenniferle.ca - by KuniDesign
Over 400 People Attended Meetup of Meetups

Stephen Jagger

24 Jun 2009 | 8:53 am

The Meetup of Meetups had a fantastic turnout last night. We had over 400 business owners, real estate agents and sales people show up for a night of networking, cocktails and catching up. Overall it was a fantastic night. A big thanks to everyone who made the night a success. Here are a couple pictures from the event: photo credit: Minna Betty Van Interested in attending the next Real Estate Technology Meetup? Be sure to sign up here to be notified of the next event.

Appraisal Scoop
AMCs vs. Direct Contact Roughly 50/50 Post-HVCC

Brian Davis

18 Jun 2009 | 3:52 am

Nearly six weeks after the Home Valuation Code of Conduct went into effect, technology vendor Global DMS found that the number of lenders ordering appraisals through appraisal management companies was roughly the same percentage as those lenders who ordered appraisals directly from the appraiser.While Global DMS – which owns and operates Oasis software and e-Trac – reported that there has been a surge in lending institutions ordering valuation services through AMCs, there also have been suggestions that customers of AMC services have been dissatisfied with the results; especially when…
Open Letter from a la mode Chairman: Reversing the damage done by the HVCC

Brian Davis

10 Jun 2009 | 1:02 pm

To: Our colleagues in the real estate industry From: David Biggers, Chairman, a la mode, inc. RE: Reversing the damage done by the HVCC As many of you are aware, we’ve always been at the forefront of lobbying for and protecting the interests of the profession. That’s why, a little over a year ago, we began the complex and expensive process of trying to educate everyone we could about the little-known dangers of the proposed “HVCC”, or Home Valuation Code of Conduct. "Unfortunately, as the economic meltdown and our presidential election garnered all the attention in Washington this…
NAMB - HVCC Call To Action

Brian Davis

9 Jun 2009 | 12:37 pm

To: All Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate Agents, Appraisers, Lenders, Home Builders, Title Agents, and Consumers From: Marc Savitt, President- National Association of Mortgage Brokers After more than a year of exhaustive negotiations with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Director of FHFA (GSE Regulator) James Lockhart, and NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, NAMB believes the time has come for your individual voice to be heard. In order for this “Call to Action” to be effective, we ask that you fully participate, encourage others to join the action and continue calling and emailing everyday, until…
Fannie Mae Announcement 09-19 - Clarification of Announcement 08-30, Appraisal-Related Policy Changes and Clarifications

Brian Davis

9 Jun 2009 | 11:46 am

Fannie Mae's Announcement 09-19 updates and clarifies the following appraisal and property-related topic: Clarification of Announcement 08-30, Appraisal-Related Policy Changes and Clarifications Updates to Announcement 08-30, Appraisal-Related Policy Changes and Clarifications. Market Conditions Addendum to the Appraisal Report In Announcement 08-30, Fannie Mae introduced the Market Conditions Addendum to the Appraisal Report (Form 1004MC) to further enhance the transparency of the conclusions made by the appraiser related to market trends and conditions. To add clarity, Fannie Mae has…
New Appraisal System (HVCC) Impacts Consumers

Brian Davis

9 Jun 2009 | 4:45 am

[The other day Appraisal Scoop posted I'm just an Appraiser. How can I do anything to impact the HVCC? , with permission from Truett D. Neathery, who suggested getting LOCALwith your activism. I belive the following article provides a good basis for your "Letter to the Editor" or elected official.] The HVCC or Home Valuation Code of Conduct was recently implemented by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a new system of appraisals in the U.S. Under the rules, many of the appraisals are handled by management companies (some of which are also owned by the lenders themselves). The system is…

Main Line PA Today
Chesterbrook Wilson Farm Park Summer Concerts

Judy Peterson

1 Jul 2009 | 1:49 pm

Tredyffrin Summer Concert Series at Wilson Farm Park in Chesterbrook This FREE Concert series held in Wilson Farm Park in Tredyffrin Township 500 Lee Road in Chesterbrook Pa , promises to be fabulous. Cliff hanger economic events make this series even more special since it was uncertain IF there would even be a Tredyffrin Easttown Concert Series at Wilson Farm Park this year. Budget constraints plague all of our Townships (Townships depend heavily on real estate transactions and transfer tax revenues . . . us too :-). We have the generous good neighbors from Shire Pharmaceuticals…
Tredyffrin Homes For Sale May 2009 Market Snapshot

Judy Peterson

30 Jun 2009 | 5:50 am

Tredyffrin Township, Chester County Pa Real Estate Market Snapshot May 2009 Real Estate Market Snapshot Table For Tredyffrin Township comparing the Number of Homes For Sale in Tredyffrin, Homes Under Contract, Homes Sold, New Listings that came on the market, the Residual Inventory (homes already in the market place or “backlog”), the Median For Sale Price for Tredyffrin and the Median Under Contract and Median Sold Price for Tredyffrin Township for this three year period beginning in May 2007. The Tredyffrin Real Estate activity chart I prepared below may help you see the market activity…
6 Tips For Real Estate iPhone Love

Judy Peterson

27 Jun 2009 | 6:21 am

6 Tasty Tips+8 Tempting Apps For Real Estate iPhone Love My Apple iPhone 3GS adventure actually began more than a few years ago with a couple of Palm Pilots. I thought they were great until now! Even though I’m an Apple newbie, I already love my iPhone3Gs. The new iPhone was a Birthday present. The launch date fell exactly 30 days after my real birthday, so I was counting the days along with the rest of the world and just barely resisted the temptation to stand in line in the predawn hours at the Apple Store in the King of Prussia Mall on June 19th. 6 Tips + iPhone 3Gs Fav Real Estate…
July 4th 2009 Fireworks Chester County Main Line Pa

Judy Peterson

26 Jun 2009 | 5:14 am

July 4th 2009 Fireworks, Parades and Fun in the Chester County Main Line Pa Area The 4th of July is the traditional start of Summer, in Philadelphia and the Western Suburbs of Chester County, Montgomery County and Delaware County. There will be many back yard picnics a few parades and some spectacular Fireworks displays for you to enjoy. I’ll be taking my best ever “secret recipe” deviled eggs to a party. Actually, I just make them the way my Mother did with a little pinch of this and that (except for the hot sauce and curry). But they really are the best ever! Everyone likes to call…
1901 Parker Hill Lane Chester Springs Sunday Open

Judy Peterson

4 Jun 2009 | 4:20 pm

Sunday Open House 6/7/ and 6/14/2009 2-4pm Parkerhill Lane in Chester Springs Pa 1901 Parker Hill Lane Pa in Chester Springs, West Pikeland, Pa 19425 You’re invited to our Open House, Sunday 6/7 and 6/14/2009 from 2-4pm Come visit the first Sunday Open House on June 7th and Sunday June 14th, 2009 from 2-4pm to preview this spectacular Custom Designed Home. Experience the joy of the true Chester County Main Line Pa lifestyle in this convenient Chester Springs location. Bask in the superior quality amenities of a custom, unique architectural style home featuring dramatic yet cozy and…

Condo Blog
Cramer States Housing Market Has Hit Bottom

Anthony Longo

26 Jun 2009 | 2:13 pm
Christian Major - Beloved by everyone - RIP

Anthony Longo

24 Jun 2009 | 1:10 pm

To any and all whom knew, heard of, worked with and befriended Christian (aka “Major”) - I have sad news to tell you all that Christian has passed and now survives in a better place. As many of you know, Christian was not just a war hero, and peer here at CondoDomain, but was a son [...]
Will Twitter Belly Up Some Real Estate Buzz?

Anthony Longo

4 Jun 2009 | 11:38 am

We tried a little experiment today here in Boston on our Boston Condo Blog - below is the post. Results to come shortly (if we get any) Ok - call me crazy - but we are going to try a little something here. By now you have all heard about the new upcoming [...]
Real Estate Junk Fees: What are Realtors smoking?

Anthony Longo

29 May 2009 | 7:26 am

Saw this article today and had to read it twice. What “full service” real estate brokrage in their right mind has the guts to charge an “adminstrative or technology” fee????? We have researched a bunch of models and even have offered and still do offer multiple service levels including a “flat fee” model and a [...]
NBC Bay Area gives us some love

Anthony Longo

26 May 2009 | 5:58 am

When you know what you want, your best bet’s a specialist: if you need a bed, go to Sleepy’s, and if you need “Beyond”, go to Bed Bath & Beyond, and just try to ignore the beds and baths. When what you want’s a condo, go straight to CondoDomain. Based in Boston, pointedly named brokerage CD [...]

Reverse Mortgage Daily
LTC Global Invests In Reverse Mortgage Business

admin

2 Jul 2009 | 8:44 am

LTC Global announced that Brett Carter has joined LTC Global as Director of Business Development of LTC Global’s Mortgage Division. Carter’s primary duties will include continued participation in the business activities of Next Generation Financial Services (NGFS), a leading originator of reverse mortgage products said a company statement. LTC Global made an investment in NGFS earlier this year, but terms of the investment have not been made public. The company is an independent marketer of insurance and financial products to seniors with emphasis on Long Term Care insurance,…
NRMLA Ethics Advisory: Offering Financial and Insurance Products & Lead Generation

admin

2 Jul 2009 | 7:58 am

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association issued two new Ethics Advisories which outline the expected standards and practices in selling other financial and insurance products as well as standards for mortgage lead generation activities. The first Advisory 2009-01 “Ethical Offers of Other Financial and Insurance Products and Services” discusses ethical practices in which members may refer, recommend, originate or sell any other financial or insurance products. This guidance includes a frame for implementing HUD Mortgagee Letter 2008-24 “Requirements For Mortgage…
NY Times: Reverse Mortgage Enables Seniors to Purchase Home

admin

2 Jul 2009 | 6:54 am

New York Times writer Bob Tedeschi wrote about the HECM for purchase program which enables older borrowers to use a reverse mortgage to buy a principal residence. While the guidelines for the program were released early in 2009, the program is just starting to catch on. “The problem had been that lenders needed more information from the government about acceptable underwriting procedures,” said Peter Bell, the executive director of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. AARP’s recently retired national program coordinator of its reverse mortgage education product said…
GAO: HUD Needs to Improve Oversight of Reverse Mortgage Counseling

admin

1 Jul 2009 | 12:01 pm

A new report from Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s internal controls do not provide reasonable assurance that counseling providers are complying with HECM counseling requirements. As part of the GAO’s examination, they participated in 15 HECM counseling sessions and found that while the counselors generally conveyed accurate and useful information, none of the counselors covered all of the topics required by HUD, and some overstated the length of the sessions in HUD records. The report notes that while HUD has several…
Reverse Mortgage Servicer Celebrates 40 Years, Optimistic Outlook on Future

admin

1 Jul 2009 | 11:18 am

Lansing, MI based Celink is celebrating its 40th year of business and despite being located in the heart of an economically troubled state like Michigan, John LaRose, CEO of Celink reflects on the past and looks with optimism to the future. “There is an invaluable lesson organizations learn in order to weather the storms created in difficult economic times: No business is invincible and it can never take those it serves for granted,” said LaRose. To mark the 40 year milestone, Celink retained the services of a third-party company to conduct a Client Satisfaction Survey on their…

The Real Estate Marketing Blog
Top Online Marketing Tools for Real Estate

Vinny LaBarbera

25 Jun 2009 | 11:23 am

Have you ever purchased a computer, phone or some other gadget only to find that 4 months later your new toy is already out of date, has depreciated in value and has quickly fallen behind ...
Creating a Captive Audience

Vinny LaBarbera

10 Jun 2009 | 9:11 am

More and more real estate companies and agents are finally understanding the importance of marketing, especially online marketing. Some do it well and some are still glued to the old fashioned, ineffective, expensive methods of ...
Real Estate Blog Calls to Action

Vinny LaBarbera

18 May 2009 | 7:33 am

Making your website actionable is one of the most important things you can do to make it as effective as possible. The same goes for your real estate blog. By actionable, we simply mean making ...
Top Twitter Tips for Real Estate Agents

Vinny LaBarbera

13 May 2009 | 6:15 am

There are so many great resources online for real estate professionals these days – especially when it comes to learning how to effectively use online marketing to increase their business. One great resource that we ...
Real Estate Calls to Action

Vinny LaBarbera

11 May 2009 | 8:54 am

Be one of the first of 10 readers to comment on this post and receive a FREE website analysis from the Real Estate Marketing Blog Team! Besides wanting your participation, the above is an example of ...

The Big Bear Real Estate Skinny
REO Repairs? It Never Hurts To Ask

Izzy Barden

30 Jun 2009 | 3:48 pm

When buying an REO property, the first thing that happens after your offer is accepted is, the bank makes you sign their addendum. The banks addendum often has terms and conditions that supersede the provisions set forth in the C.A.R. contract the original offer was presented on. For example, the bank usually shortens the contingency period from 17 to 10 days. One of the first things you notice as you read the addendum is the bank stating the home is being purchased ” As Is “, which is usually stated in a can’t miss manner. Often in bold face type. This leads many buyers and…
Big Bear Foreclosure Numbers - May 2009

Tyler Wood

28 Jun 2009 | 4:37 pm

If the foreclosure market has anything to say about how long this down market will last, don’t expect things to get better anytime soon. Foreclosure filings in Big Bear were up 20% in May 2009 compared to April 2009. And year over year, foreclosure filings were up 53% as compared to May 2008. Foreclosure filings, which are made up on Notices of Default (NOD), Notices of Trustee Sale (NTS), and Trustee Sales, are a good indicator of the future health of any real estate market. Accordingly, the real estate market in Big Bear stands to lose a few pounds. Here’s the breakdown for…
Hurry Up To Wait - Buying A Big Bear Bank Owned Property

Joe Pecoraro

27 Jun 2009 | 3:33 pm

By now just about everyone has heard about how frustrating short sales can be. Waiting week after week for any new news. It seems like many buyers look at bank owned listings just to avoid a short sale nightmare. I just wanted to share a story on a bank owned property that my client currently has in escrow. This was a very aggressively priced property in Big Bear Lake. Going in my client (who is very real estate savvy) and I knew there was going to be more than one offer. We wrote a very aggressive first offer, over asking price and very clean. We expected to at least get a best and final…
What Comes First, Finding A Big Bear Home Or A Big Bear Real Estate Agent?

Steve Hirschler

9 Jun 2009 | 12:35 pm

A classic case of putting the cart before the horse. It’s an easy mistake to make. With so much information available online, you might just wonder why you need a Realtor. You might be thinking, I will know a good deal when I see one. You might be thinking, Real Estate people are going to try to sell me something I don’t want to buy. You might even think that the only reason you need a Realtor is to give you the price of the home and let you inside to look. You will probably end up working with the agent that has the listing. The problem with this is that you shopped for a house,…
Big Bear Real Estate Monday Market Update For 6/8/2009

Tyler Wood

8 Jun 2009 | 1:48 pm

Below is your weekly update for the Big Bear real estate market as of 6/8/2009. Property Type Listings for Sale Change from Last Week Pending Sales Change from Last Week Sales Year to Date Change from Last Week RESIDENTIAL 898 -12 167 +3 300 +24 VACANT LAND 375 -1 15 +2 12 0 CONDOS 61 0 4 +1 10 0 GOVERNMENT LEASE 15 0 1 0 0 0 COMMERCIAL & RES INVESTMENT 61 0 3 0 8 0 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 13 0 0 0 1 0 TOTAL 1423 -13 190 +6 331 +24 These are the quick stats for the week - 36 new residential listings for the week - 7 bank owned (19%), 5 short sales (14%), and 24 organic (67%). 33 new…

Wallingford Wired
Wallingford, Meriden Schedule Fireworks

The Harriman Team

2 Jul 2009 | 1:55 pm

Image via Wikipedia Despite the current financial crunch that threatened to eliminate fireworks shows in Wallingford and Meriden, both have found a way to save their respective annual fireworks displays for 2009. This scenario is being played out in communities across the nation as neighborhoods struggle to find a place in the budget for the popular summertime event. Some, like Yonkers, N.Y. and Tuscon, AZ, have canceled their shows. Other places are also feeling the money crunch, but manage to find the funds to allow the displays to go on as planned. Meriden: Outsourcing the Big Bang In…
New Listing: 3 BR Ranch For Rent in Meriden CT

The Harriman Team

29 Jun 2009 | 1:22 pm

Three bedroom ranch with 1 1/2 baths, fireplace, eat-in kitchen and dining room. Interior to be painted prior to move in. One car garage and level treed lot. Home located on East side on cul-de-sac road. Credit check required. No pets. Call Wayne to schedule an appointment, (203) 672-4498. Post from: Wallingford Wired ©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman New Listing: 3 BR Ranch For Rent in Meriden CT
Mortgage Rate Update 6/26/09

The Harriman Team

27 Jun 2009 | 4:40 pm

The dramatic increase in interest rates since May 28th has reduced refinance activity significantly. For many homeowners the higher interest rates eliminate the benefit of refinancing. Though the rates may decrease from today’s level, it seems unrealistic to hope for them to plunge back into the 4s. On Monday, the MBA slashed its forecast for 2009 mortgage loans by more than 25% due to the slowdown in refinancing and a slow start to the federal Home Affordable Refinance Program. The Senate bill (S. 1230) to amend the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers and make it a…
Wallingford to Perform Property Revaluations

The Harriman Team

24 Jun 2009 | 5:25 pm

Update: As stated below, the revaluation is scheduled to begin in the Southeastern part of Wallingford. We just happen to live in that area and we were visited today (6/26) by our friendly, neighborhood Appraiser! So, the fun has begun; watch for them coming to your neighborhood soon! In accordance with Connecticut law, the town of Wallingford’s Assessor’s Office has announced that the the process of revaluating all real estate in the town is about to begin. The revaluation process must be done once every five years in order to establish a market value for all residential, commercial, and…
Mortgage Rate Update 6/19/09

The Harriman Team

20 Jun 2009 | 9:11 am

The current trend of rising interest rates has put a damper on many real estate deals as rate locks expire and buyers are forced to either accept a higher rate or pay points to get the rate back down to where it was. Others are using the rate increases as motivation to finally get off the fence and make an offer before rates rise even more. Having said that, rates are still hovering around historic lows, and even though a lot of people may disagree, a mortgage rate in the low fives is NOT a bad rate to buy a home at. There is currently a proposal in the Senate (S. 1230) to amend the $8000 tax…

New Home Know-how
Video - A Prerequisite to Mastery - Jeff Shore Interview

NHKh Admin

26 Jun 2009 | 5:31 am

The second installment from our Jeff Shore Interview includes a discussion about what is truly necessary to become a master of technique... Practice. Do we practice enough? Why and how should we practice? The former national sales director for... [[ This is an entry summary. Please click on the title of this article to read the rest of the entry. Thanks. ]]
Communication Card or Registration Card... You Make the Difference.

Kerry Mulcrone, MIRM, CSP, CMP

9 Jun 2009 | 5:55 am

New Home Sales Professionals ponder this; someone has just come up your sidewalk and they are entering your Model Sales Center. Do they need to register to view your home? Are they registering to win something? Will you escort them... [[ This is an entry summary. Please click on the title of this article to read the rest of the entry. Thanks. ]]
Great Sales Personalities = Great Sales!

Shirleen Von Hoffmann

8 Jun 2009 | 6:51 am

One of the most powerful sales tools some salespeople overlook is their personality. Your personality is a key influence to a sale. It is proven that people buy from people they like, trust, and have confidence in. So each day... [[ This is an entry summary. Please click on the title of this article to read the rest of the entry. Thanks. ]]
Internet Marketing Deja Vu

Dennis O'Neil

20 May 2009 | 5:28 pm

All companies and individuals are looking to do more with less these days. No shocker there, right? And it's equally as un-news worthy that many companies are looking to social media as a possible outlet to reach new prospects. Most... [[ This is an entry summary. Please click on the title of this article to read the rest of the entry. Thanks. ]]
Email Ettiquette

Kerry Mulcrone, MIRM, CSP, CMP

13 May 2009 | 8:26 pm

To send or not to send...that is the question! Do you know that 92% of all internet users in the U.S. use email? This is a lot of people, many of whom are your Customers and your Model Home... [[ This is an entry summary. Please click on the title of this article to read the rest of the entry. Thanks. ]]

JD Supra Real Estate
County Outside Counsel Work Product Not Part of CEQA Record Even If Disclosed To Real Party In Interest by Katharine E. Allen

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

29 Jun 2009 | 6:11 am

Contributor: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
Appellate Court Decision Invalidating Unjustified "Affordable Housing in Lieu Fees" Is Now Final by David P. Lanferman

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

29 Jun 2009 | 12:53 am

Contributor: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP [View: Profile | Documents]
Commercial Tenants: Leverage is the Key to a Better Lease Deal

Gary O'Brien

26 Jun 2009 | 1:11 am

Contributor: Gary O'Brien [View: Profile | Documents]
NOTICE OF CONTEST OF LIEN ( BROWARD COUNTY REAL ESTATE )

Lawrence Tolchinsky

24 Jun 2009 | 3:06 am

Contributor: Lawrence Tolchinsky [View: Profile | Documents]
The Simple Life: A Look at Securitization Related Regulatory Reform Proposals

Morrison & Foerster LLP

23 Jun 2009 | 1:38 am

Contributor: Morrison & Foerster LLP [View: Profile | Documents]

Blogging In The Rain
Don't Believe the Hype. Manipulation Is Missed Sales Opportunity In the Making

1 Jul 2009 | 7:42 am

Don't Believe the Hype. Manipulation Is Missed Sales Opportunity In The Making In every sales situation there are trigger points that once hit on they allow people to purchase goods and services. When I sold internet marketing products to real estate professionals I was trained to find and hone in on these trigger points. In a different real estate market the skills taught to me were: 1. I Will Give It To You Today And Take It Away From You Tomorrow- You can have this product for this price today, but tomorrow it will be a different price. 2. Flattery Will Get You To Buy- I can…
Michael Jackson, Social Media Gluttony, and Wall-E

25 Jun 2009 | 8:04 pm

Today I was reading a newsletter from Social Media Today that warned about the risks of overusing social media, with quite a brilliant comparison made to Michael Jackson...those who rise to the top must be careful that their transparency, position, and influence does not disengage them from their audience And isolate them...... At least that is what I got out of the analogy. The article was prompted by a post that Jason Baer wrote, "Let's Stop Swooning Over Social Media". I applaud this post for its spot on appraisal of what social media marketing has come to many and for its resounding…
Is Your Independence Coming Before Your Business Fall?

16 Jun 2009 | 8:37 am

Do you pride yourself on accomplishing everything on your own? Do you take pride in your independence and your ability to grow your business and "manage" on your own? It's a funny thing. This independence creeps into the spirit of an entrepreneur like the ivy of a poison plant. Its vines weave themselves through the mind and body and once the onset of itchy bumps start to manifest the entrepreneur is itching and scratching and longing for the calamine..... Why wait? Why wait for relief when you can open your eyes, look around, and engage in a partnership, affiliation, a…
View Through A Macro Lens: The Great Eight- A Sample Integrated Blog Marketing Strategy

11 Jun 2009 | 12:31 pm

How do you take your blog and make it the focal point of your marketing efforts? A good marketing strategy will involve the integration of your online and offline marketing efforts. In other words you need to take your social marketing efforts, email campaigns, local advertising and farming and setup calls to action that point towards one bulls eye....this is looking at your blogging efforts on a macro level and doesn't take into account a more defined marketing plan, say one for a home buyer seminar or a niche market. These are critical strategies as well and in a future…
Short Sale Sellers Seem Out of Touch? They are Just Everyday People

8 Jun 2009 | 9:03 am

As a former short sale seller reading the increasing articles on short sales and blog posts about the process I just have to scratch my head. The increase of "creative financing", the seemingly endless lines of credit available, and a little thing called human nature is now swirling into a little thing my grandparents would have called repercussion. Some call short sale homeowners greedy and unrealistic. Maybe a little out of touch...but do you remember? Do you remember the first thing you ever crushed on and lost? Maybe it was your first dog that because of age passed away or…

Anne Marie Malfi - Virtually Assisting You
Communication: 5 simple ways to get your emails read and gain a new client. It's all about connecting.

16 Jun 2009 | 1:29 pm

If your inbox looks anything like mine, crowded with emails from all sorts of websites, clients, groups and networks, all vying for your attention, how do you possibly decide which ones to read and where do you find the time to sort through them all. The same goes for your clients and prospects. You may be thinking, my email campaigns have such great and relevant content that will compel your contacts to open and read your emails, but if your contacts don't open them then your email campaigns are not achieving the goal you want and need. So what are some of the ways you can…
Do you embrace or run from unpredictability?

15 Jun 2009 | 8:27 am

Holding some dice in your hand, thinking about the numbers you want to get, throw them out and see what numbers come up. Did the numbers you were thinking of come up? Life is unpredictable and just like we can't always predict the exact numbers that will come up when we throw the dice; we can't predict what will happen each day and who we will meet. We are always setting goals and making plans for ourselves whether in our work lives or personally. I'm actually someone that loves lists - they help keep me focused and ensure that I use my time wisely so that all people and aspects…
Know-it-alls are annoying to everyone…

26 May 2009 | 10:15 am

I think that no matter what position you hold - a real estate agent, broker, consultant, stager, etc. you are ultimately a coach to someone. The meaning of coach (verb) is to train; to teach; to instruct; to guide; to counsel. Real Estate Agents coach someone selling their home through the complicated and ever changing process and guiding them through their decisions. Someone that works for you or with you as is the case of a broker or a more seasoned agent guiding a new agent. Perhaps you're a stager consulting a seller or agent on how to best show the home to achieve the best…
Have you ever gone out on a high dive board and taken the plunge?

22 May 2009 | 5:23 am

This post is dedicated to the kid in all of us. Not only do I hope it will get you to reflect on some of your "great" childhood memories (who couldn't use a good thought right about now?) but that it also gets you thinking about how we all need to take chances, risks and dive right into life. Summer is fast approaching and many of us will be visiting our local swimming pools to beat the summer heat and hopefully it will allow us to interact with many people from our communities. After a recent visit back home to Boston to see my parents, This conversation got…
Life just doesn’t come with an instruction manual but we can still provide great content and lessons…

21 May 2009 | 10:26 am

Over the last few days I visited with my parents in Boston. As many of my friends here know my dad was recently diagnosed with cancer and will have a long and tough battle to fight. During my visit I watched my dad, a man of great determination, faith and fight in him, realize that his life was changing. Some of his choices have been taken away from him but he does still have choices. He can choose to live life as fully as he had before his diagnosis or he could choose to give up. As he goes through his own process of accepting this diagnosis I can tell you…

Buy Owner Blog
Should You Try Composting?

Shanna

2 Jul 2009 | 5:20 am

Going green starts at home, in small, daily changes done consistently. You replace your lightbulbs with energy-efficient ones. You choose ceiling fans. You become conscious of your water usage. And here’s another idea, which is just as simple: You try composting. What is Composting? Simply put, composting is the process of turning organic trash (anything that was once living, such as food, garden waste, grass clippings, straw) into something usable. Instead of just taking it to the curb on trash day, you’re repurposing it towards dark, crumbly compost, which is perfect for adding to soil,…
Choosing the Right Location

Shanna

30 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

Whether you’ve just gotten news about a job transfer, are looking to relocate somewhere nearby or haven’t decided when or how you’ll be moving next, one thing’s certain: you’ll care about location. Within a given region, there are cities; within cities, neighborhoods; within neighborhoods, subdivisions or developments or communities. How can you decide which is right for you? What issues matter most? Beyond visiting homes and asking around, there are ways you can whittle down the possibilities, particularly through checklists. So if you’re coming up against a wall, location-wise,…
25 Surefire (and Cheap!) Ways to Sell That House!

Shanna

29 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

Selling your home is part work, part creativity and part persistence. But what it isn’t—or at least, what it doesn’t have to be—is difficult. Or expensive, for that matter. In fact, when you sell your home yourself, eliminating costly commissions, you’re already on your way to a less expensive sale. Couple that savvy decision with some of the following low-cost tips for further savings! 1. Eliminate unnecessary clutter, trashing, donating, storing or selling whatever you don’t need. 2. Put away all personal mementos and photos. 3. Clean everything, from top to bottom:…
Celebrating a Green Fourth of July

Carrie

26 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

No matter where you live in the United States, the summer season is upon you, and July 4 is right around the corner. As part of our green decorating series, Buy Owner is here to share a few ideas on how you can make your Independence Day celebration a little more eco-friendly. • Recycle decorations from previous holidays. If you have strings of white twinkle lights stashed away in a closet, pull them out and hang them around windows or on a fireplace mantel. They can be hung just about anywhere, not solely on a tree! If you used red and white candles during the Christmas season or on…
Return to Multigenerational Housing?

Shanna

25 Jun 2009 | 5:09 am

In today’s tighter economic times, it’s becoming increasingly common for extended families to live together, whether college kids moving back home or parents joining their children and grandchildren. While most adults still say moving in with a friend or family member is unlikely, 40% of respondents in a recent AARP survey would be comfortable with doing so if necessary. In fact, according to another article, the number of multigenerational households is climbing (from 5 million in 2000 to 6.2 million in 2008). And that number is only expected to climb further. It makes sense. With…

Tina Fountain
956 Bart Manous Road Canton, Georgia 30115

26 Jun 2009 | 11:38 am

Just Reduced 956 Bart Manous Road Canton, Georgia 30115 FMLS # 3814367 This magnificent Old World French Country estate was custom designed and built by one of Atlanta's premier architects and features 5 bedrooms, 5 full bathrooms and 2 half bat...
Atlanta Is Now America's Largest Wireless Hotspot

15 Jun 2009 | 1:45 pm

As of today, metro Atlanta has become America's largest wireless hotspot, that's 1200 square miles of seamless internet access at speeds every bit as fast as DSL. Thanks to a company called Clear, who has been working on the installation for over t...
4049 Land O Lakes Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30324

7 Jun 2009 | 9:27 am

Just Listed - North Buckhead 4049 Land O Lakes Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30324 FMLS # 3911035 Gorgeous new construction 5 Bedroom 4 ½ Bath executive home in the heart of North Buckhead. 4049 Land O Lakes Drive offers all the wonderful hig...
1300 Marietta Country Club Drive Kennesaw, Georgia 30152

6 Jun 2009 | 9:21 am

Just Listed - Marietta Country Club 1300 Marietta Country Club Drive Kennesaw, Georgia 30152 FMLS # 3911481 1300 Marietta Country Club Drive is a beautiful custom southern living style executive home in prestigious Marietta Country Club. The...
2139 Tayside Crossing Kennesaw, Georgia 30152

2 Jun 2009 | 12:11 pm

Just Listed - Overlook at Marietta Country Club 2139 Tayside Crossing Kennesaw, Georgia 30152 FMLS # 3899624 Magnificent new construction home on golf course home site in the Overlook at Marietta Country Club. 2139 Tayside Crossing includes 5...

Arizona Mortgage News
For The 4th Straight Month, There’s An Increase In The Number Of Homes Under Contract

2 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

The number of homes under contract to sell increased in May. Related posts:Pending Home Sales Rise In March — Another Sign That Housing Is Recovering For the second consecutive month, the number of homes...Another Positive Housing Signal : The Number Of Homes Under Contract Increase The number of homes under contract to sell is...Pending Home Sales Shows That More Buyers May Be Shopping For Homes Than You Thought Buyers are returning to the housing market. Each month, The... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Home Prices Show Improvement In 19 of the 20 Case-Shiller Markets

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 am

Tuesday -- for the first time in a long while -- members of the press met the monthly Case-Shiller Index data with enthusiasm. And why shouldn't they? Related posts:The Decline In Home Values Slowed In February, Says Case-Shiller. Probably in March and April, Too. The Case-Shiller Index is a popular reporting tool for...An Interactive Chart For Home Values The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index is a popular measure...Are Home Values Rising Or Falling? The Answer Depends On Who You Ask. A report published Tuesday showed that home values fell... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another…
With The Year Half-Over, How Accurately Did Economists Predict 2009

30 Jun 2009 | 9:41 am

At the start of the year, the "experts" made a lot of predictions about the U.S. economy and what to expect in 2009 Related posts:Top 4 Predictions for Real Estate Market in 2009 The New Year is not yet one week old...See How Mortgage Rates Are Trending With Oil Prices Mortgage rates are hugely important to household budgets. Lower mortgage...How Terrible Housing Data Can Actually Help Push Home Values Higher Once again, the headlines may be misleading you. It’s a... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : June 29, 2009

29 Jun 2009 | 9:00 am

Mortgage markets improved last week on the heels of benign economic data and a non-inspired press release from the Federal Reserve. Aside from trader momentum, 3 market-moving events helped set the pace last week: Housing data hinted at strength Jobless data showed softness The Fed said growth appears on-track The combination of the three created volatility that -- for just the second time in the last 8 weeks -- worked in favor of rate shoppers. Related posts:The Decline In Home Values Slowed In February, Says Case-Shiller. Probably in March and April, Too. The Case-Shiller Index is a popular…
In Another Good Sign For The Housing Market, Builders Are Clearing Out Their Inventory

26 Jun 2009 | 9:00 am

If you only saw the headlines this week, you may have missed another positive sign in the housing market. According to the Census Bureau, the supply of newly-built homes for sale fell to 10.2 months in May, its lowest level in 10 months Related posts:Why Home Buyers Should Worry About Falling Housing Starts And Why Sellers Should Cheer Them With respect to housing data, news is rarely positive...Home Prices May Have Already Bottomed There's a mixed message in February's Housing Starts data...The Strength In New Home Sales Shows That Banks And Builders Have Figured Out The Market Despite…

Office Search Toronto
Building Profile - 55 York Street

Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869

2 Jul 2009 | 8:11 am

Downtown West - Available Space Financial Core - Available Space Midtown - Available Space Downtown East - Available Space Shared / Small Office (less than 1000 sf) - Available Space Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my RSS feed Join me on LinkedIn Shared Offices
The Short Form Calendar

Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869

2 Jul 2009 | 5:19 am

High Quality PDF Subscribe to my RSS Feed Follow me on Twitter! Connect with me on LinkedIn For short term or small office space less than 600 sf click here! Other Available Office Space
Commercial Real Estate Law Firms

Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869

1 Jul 2009 | 5:02 am

Found this in a magazine. I have used Deborah Watkins from Daoust Vukovich and can recommend her but here’s the list. Law Firm List Subscribe to my RSS Feed Follow me on Twitter! Connect with me on LinkedIn For short term or small office space less than 600 sf click here! Other Available Office Space
Happy Canada Day Everyone!

Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869

1 Jul 2009 | 3:51 am

Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my RSS feed Join me on LinkedIn Shared Offices CLICK HERE FOR AVAILABLE OFFICE SPACE
Midtown Commercial Real Estate - Office Space for Lease

Chris Fyvie - 416-992-9869

30 Jun 2009 | 5:56 am

Open publication - Free publishing Open publication - Free publishing Open publication - Free publishing Open publication - Free publishing Please note the attached office space is not listed with OfficeSearchToronto.com but call us first at 416-992-9869 or E-mail Me for floor plans and additional information. To browse available office space CLICK HERE! Subscribe to my RSS Feed Follow me on Twitter! Connect with me on LinkedIn For short term or small office space less than 600 sf click here! Other Available Office Space

OfficeFinder Blog
Rotating Skyscraper Becoming Reality

1 Jul 2009 | 3:54 pm

It appears to be straight from the Jettsons cartoon series, but it is becoming a reality. The Rotating 80 story Skyscraper is currently under construction in Dubai where it is expected to be completed by 2010. Another, at 70 stories, has approval to be constructed in Moscow. The Dubai project is a residental project and has a waiting list of over 1,100 potential buyers for the 200 units. Prices range from $3.7 to $37 million dollars for the 1,300 to 13,000 square foot apartments; a mere $2,800 / sf... The Moscow project will be a mixed use project with nearly 1.2 million square feet of…
Consumer Confidence Up Sharply Again!

25 Jun 2009 | 9:39 am

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index showed a sharp increase in May for the second straight month. The Index now stands at 54.9 (1985=100), up from 40.8 in April. The Consumer Confidence Survey is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. The monthly survey is conducted for The Conference Board by TNS. TNS is the world's largest custom research company. The employment outlook was also less pessimistic. The percentage of consumers expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased to 20.0 percent from 14.2 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs decreased to…
How long of an office lease should you sign?

19 Jun 2009 | 1:51 pm

It all depends on your business and your office market. Obviously now with it being an office tenant's market, the longer you lock in lower rents the better. However, if rents increase upon a recovery and it becomes a landlord's market you will be faced with increases upon renewal or expiration; which emphasises the need for regular review of you lease vs the market. You may want to negotiate a stabilized rent in year 3 of a 5 year lease in exchange for an additional 3 years which extends the lease at the lower rent and gives the landlord a tenant in the space for a longer period. If…
Video on Virtual Offices

11 Jun 2009 | 3:26 pm

Do you know what a "Virtual Office" is all about?Let MSNBC tell you in the video below. Please be patient. It may take a moment or two to load. Find a Virtual Office
Renegotiate Your Lease Now...or NOT!

8 Jun 2009 | 10:22 am

Today's economic climate is without a doubt unlike any we have seen in many years. One does not need an MBA to see that the present state of our economy has impacted both the public and private sector and it has no limitations as to the size or type of company affected. The relationship a company has with their landlord is quite unique in that it does not follow the pattern of most other business associations. Typically, when one partner in a relationship has an issue, the other partner looks to make an accommodation so the relationship can continue to flourish. …

CyberhomesBlog.com
Facebook Business Essentials - Webinar Recap

Reggie

30 Jun 2009 | 3:19 pm

This morning we had a webinar covering Facebook Business Essentials and this post is a recap. We covered a lot of ground and promised that we would compile links, slides and video for your review. If you haven’t connected with us yet, you’ll find us here: Cyberhomes Fan Page Connect with Reggie Connect with NikNik Here are the PowerPoint slides Here is the video recap. We had a little problem with the recording, you’ll notice it cuts in about 5 minutes after the presentation started. If you don’t see the player below, you may need to install Microsoft silverlight.
NAREE Awards Cyberhomes Best Real Estate Website

Janine Sieja

24 Jun 2009 | 8:06 am

Isn’t it always nice to be noticed? The National Association of Real Estate Editors took notice of Cyberhomes over the weekend, awarding us Best Real Estate Website in the organization’s 59th annual journalism competition. The Cyberhomes team is pleased to be honored and aims to continue and improve our consumer resources for home buyers, sellers and owners. The awards were handed out in a ceremony at NAREE’s annual conference, held in Washington, D.C. The competition is judged by journalism faculty of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Judges’…
Twitter Contest, Win Cyberhomes Market Forecast

Reggie

21 Jun 2009 | 4:08 pm

In the spirit of Twitter, we wanted to have a little fun this coming week and give away some free Market Forecast reports in a Q&A contest. The questions will relate to Cyberhomes in one way or another. You’ll be able to research the questions in real time. The first tweet directed to @Cyberhomes with the correct answer will win a free Market Forecast report! ($9.99 value) Here are the full contest details: Visit Twitter.com and follow @Cyberhomes, if you’re not already. Starting tomorrow (Monday, June 22nd) @Cyberhomes will tweet a question at 9am PST and again at 1pm…
Market Forecast Report: What’s all the buzz?

Reggie

18 Jun 2009 | 2:10 pm

It’s been very exciting at Cyberhomes over the last few weeks with the launch of our new Market Forecast report. If you’re not already aware, the Cyberhomes Market Forecast is the only report that uses loan data, foreclosures, and defaults to project changes in your local real estate market. The initial feedback has been great! Recently Holden Lewis over at Bankrate.com said the Market Forecast Report was “like Carfax, but for houses.” Holden went on to say that from the report he learned “the pace of new foreclosures in his area will remain steady over the…
Find Creative Commons Images using Google Image Search

Reggie

12 Jun 2009 | 8:50 am

Google has added the option to restrict search results to images that are licensed using Creative Commons. Although the feature is not represented in the advanced search options, it’s possible by using the search included here: FIND CREATIVE COMMONS IMAGES It’s possible to tweak these searches by simply coping the URL, for example replace the word “Landscape” with any word or phrase you want to search: Reuse http://images.google.com/images?q=landscape&as_rights=(cc_publicdomain|cc_attribute|cc_sharealike|cc_noncommercial|cc_nonderived) Commercial reuse…

AOL: Mortgage News
Time for the Return of ARMS?

bethpinsker

30 Jun 2009 | 4:39 pm

"We might even be back to looking at adjustable-rate mortgages," says Bob Moulton, president of Americana Mortgage. Have we learned absolutely nothing from this mortgage meltdown? Find out more.
Houses at $299k Sell Better Than $301k

bethpinsker

30 Jun 2009 | 4:33 pm

In a piece on selling your home in a hurry, Money Magazine staff reporter Beth Braverman offers some good tips -- but then there's this clunker...
More Americans are Behind on their Mortgage Payments

damanickdantes

30 Jun 2009 | 8:58 am

Now that one in eight people are behind on their mortgages, the "it's not so bad" crowd seems to have quieted down a bit. But here's the reason that we should relax:
Is a Reverse Mortgage a Good Deal?

26 Jun 2009 | 7:21 am

Companies are promoting a reverse mortgage as "the answer". Watch today's video to learn whether a reverse mortgage is right for you, and get a few warnings about the potential risks.
Portland Mayor Headed for Foreclosure?

bethpinsker

17 Jun 2009 | 12:59 pm

Portland, Oregon Mayor Sam Adams is five months behind on his mortgage. And now his default notice is all over the state's foreclosure website!

Loan Classroom
40th Bank Failure of the Year

Matt Isleib

22 Jun 2009 | 5:39 pm

The FDIC was busy Friday making up for lost time. Three banks alone were shut down and taken control of by the FDIC. In fact there had been only one bank that has gone under since May, 22nd and that was June 5th when the Bank of Lincolnwood was taken over by the FDIC. ... Read More
Frank Lloyd Wright Home For Sale

Matt Isleib

19 Jun 2009 | 11:23 am

Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright who designed many structures including the famed white spiral at the Guggenheim Museum in NY has had is home listed for sale. His famed home named “theEnnis House” that has served as the set of many movies and is located in Los Angeles has been put up for sale. The listing ... Read More
Before Buying a Condo

Matt Isleib

18 Jun 2009 | 2:41 pm

Before you take the plunge to purchase a condo you should take a look at LoanClassrooms list of important questions that you need to ask and be aware of before making any offers to buy a condominium. · If you are getting FHA financing not all condo’s are FHA approved. Make sure you know what condominium ... Read More
CT Mortgage rates for now are coming back

Matt Isleib

17 Jun 2009 | 6:53 pm

I type this with caution as the past five days have finally given a reprieve to the fast rising mortgage rates. From the fours to topping out near six in a quick two week unraveling of mortgage rates, here in CT we are getting close to being back at 5 percent for a 30 year ... Read More
$15,000 Any-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Matt Isleib

16 Jun 2009 | 1:22 pm

There is a new bill that hit the Senate floor. Senate bill, S. 1230, The Home buyer Tax Credit Act of 2009 is underway. The bill proposed by Sen. Johnny Isakson, D-Ga. Is a replacement to the present $8,000 tax credit that first time home buyers can receive upon closing of a home before November ... Read More

Vero Beach Real Estate
Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (June 23 - June 29, 2009)

starfish

30 Jun 2009 | 1:19 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 1705 19th Place Suite C-1 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
ANSLEY Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate

starfish

30 Jun 2009 | 1:16 pm

Find ANSLEY Homes For Sale and ANSLEY 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 ANSLEY, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian River County town. Paul Kitchen…
Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (June 16 - June 22, 2009)

starfish

23 Jun 2009 | 4:47 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 1705 19th Place Suite C-1 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
MOORINGS Homes For Sale | Vero Beach Real Estate

starfish

23 Jun 2009 | 4:44 pm

Find MOORINGS Homes For Sale and MOORINGS 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 MOORINGS, school districts and the Vero Beach Real Estate market in this beautiful Indian River County town. Paul…
Vero Beach Real Estate Sales (June 9 - June 15, 2009)

starfish

15 Jun 2009 | 10:35 am

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 1705 19th Place Suite C-1 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

Reality on Realty
A First-Time Homebuyer in 2009 Part 2: The Five Stages of Grief

Editor

29 Jun 2009 | 3:37 am

If only New York didn’t have to be so special. If only the rent-versus-buy calculator gave me a more concrete answer — I wouldn’t have jumped off the Renter ship so quickly. And so, I mourn a little. Okay, a lot. When the sponsor of my future potential condo accepted my offer, I was shocked. Shocked because I got an answer within two hours. Shocked because — for all I know — buying property in New York could be a secret, terrible money pit of which I am completely unaware. “No,” I thought. “There must be something wrong. There has to be a…
A First-Time Homebuyer in 2009: Part 1

Editor

22 Jun 2009 | 8:04 pm

I gave them a lowball offer they could refuse. I got an acceptance two hours later. And that’s the story of a first-time homebuyer in 2009. As I’ve been a militant renter for my adult life so far, I didn’t exactly plan on buying a home, even with Obama’s $8,000 late Christmas gift for first-timers. But slowly, surprisingly, every roadblock that made renting better than owning began to come down. Like the Berlin wall, but way less revolutionary. The first step was overcoming my fear and loathing of new construction condominiums. With a slower rate of appreciation, an uncomfortable…
I Want My Artificially Low Interest Rate!

Editor

11 Jun 2009 | 8:30 am

In spite of efforts to buy up securities to keep mortgage rates low, those rates are a-climbin’ up to 5.59 percent this week. Is this promising? Not very much.
Here’s One Way to Get Ahead in the Real Estate Market

Editor

9 Jun 2009 | 10:59 am

A friend of mine over at Blommit.com (a hilarious blog, by the way) made a, ahem, modest proposal to get ahead in real estate. Check out their blog this week for a humorous take on our very subject at hand: Real Estate.
Editor’s Confession: I’m A Buyer

Editor

8 Jun 2009 | 7:28 am

We all make mistakes. I simply forgot the three things that could turn my die-hard renting self into a motivated buyer: 1) No closing costs. 2) Local 25 year tax abatements. 3) Defeated developers making fire-sales. 4) $8k tax credit for first-time buyers this year. When you put these three things together, my hypothetical mortgage and fee payment looks a lot more like my monthly rent. In other words, it’s finally happening — you know it’s the bottom when buying makes sense again. Rapidly gentrifying, YUPPIE misgivings aside, I am completely enthralled by a particular new…

CREOpoint
Mark Kingston updated their profile

2 Jul 2009 | 7:39 pm

Mark Kingston updated their profile
Mark Kingston, Joshua Han Miller, Dave Lewand and 2 more were featured

2 Jul 2009 | 7:39 pm

Mark Kingston, Joshua Han Miller, Dave Lewand and 2 more were featured
Arjun Arora replied to William Gladstone's discussion 'Business Development Tools'

2 Jul 2009 | 6:39 pm

Arjun Arora replied to William Gladstone's discussion 'Business Development Tools'William those are some great ideas for ways to keep the marketing spend low and effective. I actually recently started a company that you may find interesting. We are able to show display ads to visitors of your website on thousands of sites acros...
Bob Woods and Arjun Arora joined CREOpoint

2 Jul 2009 | 4:39 pm

Bob Woods and Arjun Arora joined CREOpoint
Chris Davis updated their profile

2 Jul 2009 | 2:39 pm

Chris Davis updated their profile

Oh My Apartment
A Guide to Lease Agreement Forms

content-factory

2 Jul 2009 | 2:39 pm

Lease agreement forms spell out what is expected from each party when you rent a house or an apartment from a person or a business. Pay Close Attention to Payment Terms Lease agreement forms will specify exact points within the agreement such as: The amount of rent expected When the rent is due Where to pay the rent What forms of payments are accepted Most lease agreement forms will also define who is to pay the water bill, where and when to put out the trash and other things like that. Verify the Lease Length Additionally, most lease agreement forms will be for a pre-set period of time with…
Don’t Get Stuck with a Bad Landlord: Take These Precautions

content-factory

2 Jul 2009 | 2:11 pm

Anyone who has had the misfortune of dealing with a bad landlord can attest to the fact that it is not a good situation. It can lead to difficulties ranging from the inability to get repairs done when needed to suffering additional and unexpected expenses. Tips for Avoiding a Bad Landlord Find landlords through family and friends. There is a good chance that someone you know has had a good experience with a landlord and they may be able to recommend their landlord to you. Utilize online, printed resources and the better business bureau to research the landlord in question. Many times, if…
Don’t Go Broke From Application Fees

content-factory

2 Jul 2009 | 2:01 pm

When considering multiple apartments, the application fee for each apartment can quickly add up. It’s enough to make renters looking to save money just sign the lease on the first somewhat livable apartment they find. However, there are a few ways you can keep yourself from going broke from application fees, and still get the apartment most suited to your needs. Understanding Application Fees Although not all landlords charge application fees, that does not mean that any landlord who does charge you a fee is trying to cheat you out of your hard earned money. A few important points about…
Get the Most Back from Your Security Deposit

content-factory

2 Jul 2009 | 1:50 pm

To get the most back from your apartment security deposit, you have to remember that you’re living in “borrowed” space, and it’s your responsibility to “return” the borrowed space in as close to original condition as you can manage. At the same time, as a borrower, you have rights, too, and you must make sure that your landlord is not taking advantage of you when it comes time to collect. Review Your Lease Carefully The first step to getting the most back from your security deposit is to review your lease or contract carefully before you sign the dotted…
Can You Be Evicted For Cohabiting?

lillian

29 Jun 2009 | 8:29 am

When it comes to deciding whether your significant other is going to move in with you, it’s a matter for some discussion between the two of you—and your landlord. That’s because your lease almost certainly has a clause regarding occupants, along the lines of this clause in a sample lease from MrLandlord.com: “Guest(s) staying over 15 days without the written consent of OWNER shall be considered a breach of this agreement. ONLY the following individuals and/or animals, AND NO OTHERS shall occupy the subject residence for more than 15 days unless the expressed written…

Missouri Living at it's BEST
140 Quail Run Rd. Branson, Missouri 65616

26 Jun 2009 | 9:17 am

Close to town for quick commute, close to lakes for a quick dip, and out in the country for the quiet lifestyle all found here. 3 bedroom and 2 bath home with fresh paint, vacant and ready for your family to move into for only $119,000. Allergy free home with all tile floors and an air filtration system too. "Family friendly" area with community pool and lawn service all part of the HOA. Owners moved out of state and are very motivated to sell asap. Custom cabinets, new paint and newer appliances are just some of the features this home boasts of. Branson…
408 Lakewood Drive, Branson, Missouri, 65616 For Sale by Table Rock Lake.

26 Jun 2009 | 9:01 am

This lakeside community home provides secluded wooded views and plenty of sunlight too, in this quiet neighborhood by Table Rock Lake. Greatest feature is the huge deck that is perfect for evenings to enjoy the ambiance of lakeside living. You can park your boat in this carport too and be ready for the water. Open floor…
140 Quail Run Rd, Branson, MO 65616 Home for Sale.

15 Jun 2009 | 4:19 pm

Close to town for quick commute, close to lakes for a quick dip, and out in the country for the quiet lifestyle all found here. Allergy free home with all tile floors and an air filtration system too. "Family friendly" area with community pool and lawn service all part of the HOA. Owners moved out of state and are very motivated to sell asap. Custom cabinets, new paint and newer appliances are just some of the features this home boasts of. Branson schools and a quick drive to the lakes in all 4 directions. Take advantage of the FHA deals for…
48 Acres, Mayberry Rd, Highlandville, MO 65669 for sale.

11 Jun 2009 | 7:25 pm

$240,000 so all you horse lovers really need to see this parcel with two ridges perfect for view of valley below from your walkout basement home located on a paved county road just off State Hwy O west of Highlandville. A relatively easy drive or commute to Branson or Springfield from here. Turkey and deer all around with a trout farm right around the bend below. Private well and electricity on the property already. Wet weather creek as well as two seasonal artesian springs in the front part of the property. This is the kind of quality parcel that is very hard to find for a horse ranch…
Warning: my (dog)house has fleas!

4 Jun 2009 | 9:55 pm

Listing another's home can get you into situations you would really prefer not to be involved in. Like a couple weeks ago the president of our local MLS showed a new listing that a couple of other agents had shown the day before. That same evening we were talking and in the meantime one of the one agents called and informed me they had some fleas on them when they left the day before. It was too late to inform the Pres. so when I saw the bites on her arm I knew we had a situation but she was so gracious and assumed I did not know about it before I could inform her of…

Nelson NZ Real Estate
Attention Landlords - Top 3 reasons to suspect….

David Leggott

2 Jul 2009 | 12:24 pm

…..that you might not be giving the bond back. MacGyver Fire Alarm? (look closely) IMAGE CREDIT - http://joe-ks.com/ (via thereifixedit.com) Gas Hot Water Heating bills too much for another MacGyver fan. IMAGE CREDIT - http://bulapictures.com (via thereifixedit.com) Real explanation here via Neatorama. The next one, actually its before you get the bond, I’ve been told many a Landlord would do themselves [...]
I love Rural NZ BUT don’t want to give up Broadband

David Leggott

1 Jul 2009 | 9:45 pm

Yes you’d love to buy a place in rural New Zealand. But what about that home business / study project /share trading program that works via your broadband, fast, like in the city. How does that apply to rural New Zealand? Will I be left behind because…… “I just couldn’t live with dial-up alone” Well help is at hand. (Larger [...]
The $90million question

David Leggott

30 Jun 2009 | 4:23 am

Do they have to want to beat us in everything we do? Why? Well, does the acronym IRA ring a bell? Actually for baby boomers like me, its probably not what you think. The Impact Risk Assessment. After quite a long ongoing campaign, (not without WTO involvement) recently in the news… Now Australia may lift a 75 year ban [...]
Can Mainstream Media be unbiased?

David Leggott

28 Jun 2009 | 9:45 pm

Vividly remembering The Eagles’ Don Henley, just before launching into “Dirty Laundry“, uttering these words in Melbourne “………. I dedicate this song to Mr. Rupert Murdoch” And frankly, how true his words/lyrics are today, in 2009? I don’t recall having seen My House My Castle recently, or if I had it must have been the first series [...]
NZ Mortgagee Sales Skyrocket?

David Leggott

28 Jun 2009 | 12:51 am

Well according to an article in todays Sunday Times, that is what is happening. According to data provided by Terralink ……. The numbers have been consistently higher than the previous year, reflecting the increasing pressure homeowners are under as the recession bites. Terralinks‘ MD, Mike Donald, chips in …… “mortgagee sales were hitting ordinary homeowners, and 36% of forced [...]

Andy Tolbert
She’s Just Lucky…That’s Why She Has So Many Closings…

Andy Tolbert

1 Jul 2009 | 12:37 pm

Do you believe that’s actually what someone said about me?!?!? I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that, I started laughing uncontrollably! I see 3 different types of agents in the field right now… First: those that sit around and hope something happens Second: those that go out and make something happen, and Third: those that wonder what just happened! Let me explain my self, and I’m actually going to lump 1 and 3 together. This morning I was at a closing at a “Traditional” real estate office, and since I was running a little early, I sat in the…
2 cool resources I just found

Andy Tolbert

16 Jun 2009 | 1:08 pm

I’ll keep this short and sweet today… I’ve been coming across several resources that I’m going to be using in my business, so I thought I’d share some of them with you! Today’s 2 are: FIRST: A link to a self-analysis of whether you have “Chinese Drywall” in your home. It asks several yes or no questions and also has good pictures of “normal” and “problem” systems. (this would be a good link to send out to your farm list) CLICK HERE SECOND: By now, I KNOW you’ve heard of loan modifications, and you’ve…
102% Financing with no monthly MI? 620 min score? Does your listing qualify?

Andy Tolbert

10 Jun 2009 | 11:47 am

I know, I know, that sounds like a headline from the crazy boom days, but it’s real and has been for a long time. It’s been called Rural Housing and USDA financing (when I see USDA I think of a big t-bone steak!). But don’t be fooled by it’s “rural” name… there are many beautiful subdivisions that qualify! Eric in my husband’s mortgage office just closed a beautiful townhouse overlooking a golf course and IT went USDA financing! Here’s the quick skinny: 620 minimum score, no monthly MI (but there is up front “guarantee fee”…
What’s Loan Product Got To Do With ShortSales and Loan Mods?

Andy Tolbert

3 Jun 2009 | 12:21 pm

Quite a bit, actually. Loan product can refer to several things, FHA, VA, Fannie, Subprime, Adjustable Rate, Negative Am, credit line, etc. Each loan product has specific guidelines as to what can be done for shortsales and loan modificatons. Make this a standard question that you ask your clients when you first meet (and then confirm the info… I recently had a client tell me his loan was VA, but when I called the VA office, they said it was not). Once you know some details, it will better guide you in the options your client has. FIRST AND FOREMOST: If your customer wants to…
Does your attitude determine your success? You Bet! (Revisited)

Andy Tolbert

27 May 2009 | 11:57 am

(This week’s article is a reprint of one that I wrote back in June of 2007. I thought it was very relevant for what’s happening in our market and why some agents are succeeding and others are failing. Hope you don’t mind the reprint… I’m studying for my brokers state exam tomorrow at 8am!) This week we are going to discuss how your attitude determines your success, this takes shape in many different ways, but today we’re going to cover one of the more critical ones: Self Talk: If a five year old child heard every day “you’re stupid,…

BostonKayakGuy...John Prescott's The MetWest Scene
Farrah Fawcett Documentary…

bostonkayakguy

28 Jun 2009 | 8:18 am

A look at the courageous battle waged by Farrah Fawcett...
Open House Saturday & Sunday 6/27-28, 1:30-3:00

bostonkayakguy

26 Jun 2009 | 7:32 pm

Great Value in this 10 year young Natick Colonial 6 Parker Court, Natick Tagged: Natick, Needham, new construction, South Natick Real Estate, Wellesley Real Estate
Shh…Surprise Reveal…

bostonkayakguy

25 Jun 2009 | 6:26 am

This house is sweet! Impeccable condition..great location..SUPER PRICE POINT! And it's coming to market THIS WEEKEND! Call me right away for details 508 - 523 - 9252
There is a God and She Likes to Shop…

bostonkayakguy

22 Jun 2009 | 5:35 pm

Nordstrom's discount arm, the hugely popular The Rack, is coming to metrowest Boston...(more) John Prescott's The MetWest Scene
A Poker Group with Panache…Fine Dining,Superb Wine,Eloquent Company

bostonkayakguy

22 Jun 2009 | 7:50 am

When the poker buddies dine, they do it in style! No chips and dip for this group - how does authentic CANTONESE & SZECHUAN CUISINE with specially selected wine pairings sound? In South Natick it's called poker with panache...(more) BostonKayakGuy...John Prescott's The MetWest Scene

Hawaii Real Estate Reporter
Hawaii Ranked 15th for Highest Number of Foreclosure Filings

melissav

15 Jun 2009 | 11:30 pm

Due to a steady rise in Hawaiian foreclosure filings as stated by a June 11th honoluluadvertiser.com posting, Hawaii ranked 15th among the 50 states for the highest number of foreclosure filings per household last month. These numbers come from a recent RealtyTrac report, ranking the states based upon foreclosure filings. There were 816 foreclosure filings within Hawaii. This marks the second time that Hawaii has been among the 20 top states for foreclosure filings since RealtyTrac’s creation in January of 2005. The reason for Hawaii’s ranking in recent months is believed to be that the…
Mortgage rates have risen above 5%, Probably Won’t Go That Low Again

melissav

5 Jun 2009 | 7:45 pm

According to a May 29th, 2009 article posted by CNNMoney.com, Both mortgage and interest rates have risen above 5% and will remain there for sometime. This past week mortgage rates peaked at 5.45%, which is the highest recorded rate for this year. The reason for the increase in rates has been linked to the great deal of debt that the United States government has been issuing in the form of treasuries or bonds. Recently the supply of treasury bills has begun to increase with little response from buyers. This has led to a direct hit on mortgage rates, pushing them well above the 5% mark. The…
$8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Explained in Video - Do You Qualify?

Hawaii Real Estate reporter

4 Jun 2009 | 12:09 pm

The National Association of Home Builders put out a great video explaining $8000 first time home buyer tax credit. Do you qualify? Click play on the video to watch: Post from: Hawaii Real Estate Reporter $8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Explained in Video - Do You Qualify?
RealtyTrac Claims Foreclosures Have Risen 217%. Debatable.

melissav

2 Jun 2009 | 6:29 pm

According to an article from a Wednesday, May 13th posting to honoluluadvertiser.com, Isle Foreclosures rose 217% in April. Andrew Gomes states that while Hawaii’s foreclosure rates have risen, they are well below the national average of one filling per 374 households. While there has been an overall consensus from local economists and foreclosure attorneys that foreclosures among the Hawaiian Islands are worsening, it may not be to the extent at which the research company RealtyTrac has been reporting. In recent weeks, concerns have been rising as to the methods by which the California…
May 2009 Hawaii Real Estate Stats: Sales Up Again, Inventory Down

Hawaii Real Estate reporter

2 Jun 2009 | 1:25 pm

Attached please find the May 2009 Honolulu Board Of Realtors Stats for May, 2009. There is a lot of good news here for Hawaii real estate. The good news will be clear to see for anyone - except the media who is still comparing everything to last year. If you look at what is going on so for this year – it is looking much better. One important thing to keep in mind. Median home sales prices were down compared to April `09 and of course to May of last year. This was expected. It was expected because median sales price is measuring the median price of the property sold within the month. With a…

Hawaii Real Estate reporter
Hawaii Ranked 15th for Highest Number of Foreclosure Filings

melissav

15 Jun 2009 | 11:30 pm

Due to a steady rise in Hawaiian foreclosure filings as stated by a June 11th honoluluadvertiser.com posting, Hawaii ranked 15th among the 50 states for the highest number of foreclosure filings per household last month. These numbers come from a recent RealtyTrac report, ranking the states based upon foreclosure filings. There were 816 foreclosure filings within Hawaii. This marks the second time that Hawaii has been among the 20 top states for foreclosure filings since RealtyTrac’s creation in January of 2005. The reason for Hawaii’s ranking in recent months is believed to be that the…
Mortgage rates have risen above 5%, Probably Won’t Go That Low Again

melissav

5 Jun 2009 | 7:45 pm

According to a May 29th, 2009 article posted by CNNMoney.com, Both mortgage and interest rates have risen above 5% and will remain there for sometime. This past week mortgage rates peaked at 5.45%, which is the highest recorded rate for this year. The reason for the increase in rates has been linked to the great deal of debt that the United States government has been issuing in the form of treasuries or bonds. Recently the supply of treasury bills has begun to increase with little response from buyers. This has led to a direct hit on mortgage rates, pushing them well above the 5% mark. The…
$8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Explained in Video - Do You Qualify?

Hawaii Real Estate reporter

4 Jun 2009 | 12:09 pm

The National Association of Home Builders put out a great video explaining $8000 first time home buyer tax credit. Do you qualify? Click play on the video to watch: Post from: Hawaii Real Estate Reporter $8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Explained in Video - Do You Qualify?
RealtyTrac Claims Foreclosures Have Risen 217%. Debatable.

melissav

2 Jun 2009 | 6:29 pm

According to an article from a Wednesday, May 13th posting to honoluluadvertiser.com, Isle Foreclosures rose 217% in April. Andrew Gomes states that while Hawaii’s foreclosure rates have risen, they are well below the national average of one filling per 374 households. While there has been an overall consensus from local economists and foreclosure attorneys that foreclosures among the Hawaiian Islands are worsening, it may not be to the extent at which the research company RealtyTrac has been reporting. In recent weeks, concerns have been rising as to the methods by which the California…
May 2009 Hawaii Real Estate Stats: Sales Up Again, Inventory Down

Hawaii Real Estate reporter

2 Jun 2009 | 1:25 pm

Attached please find the May 2009 Honolulu Board Of Realtors Stats for May, 2009. There is a lot of good news here for Hawaii real estate. The good news will be clear to see for anyone - except the media who is still comparing everything to last year. If you look at what is going on so for this year – it is looking much better. One important thing to keep in mind. Median home sales prices were down compared to April `09 and of course to May of last year. This was expected. It was expected because median sales price is measuring the median price of the property sold within the month. With a…

Realty Times
HOA Musical Meetings

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm

A well conducted meeting is like a music to your ears. Using a well thought out plan, the Chair cues, directs and closes the meeting much like a conductor. Conducting successful meetings doesn't happen by chance. There is a combination of clear purpose coupled with ground rules. Here are some tips that can make your meetings like music to the ears.
Home Remodeling Showing Signs of Recovery, Future Looks Bright

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm

Recent surveys and reports show a picture of the home remodeling industry that is a mixed bag of good news and bad.
More Biz in Today's Tough Market – The Phrase That Pays

30 Jun 2009 | 11:00 pm

BNI is a group Brian Hilliard works with in Atlanta, and is best known for generating referrals amongst its members. In other words, 20 or so entrepreneurs get together on a weekly basis with the sole intent of developing relationships, and passing referrals to members based on the contacts those individuals have in the local business community.

Inman News
Finding right 'square' for the job

Paul_Bianchina

2 Jul 2009 | 3:55 pm

Seven styles handle most do-it-yourself projectsread more
Bond market to Obama: Wake up

Lou_Barnes

2 Jul 2009 | 12:39 pm

Commentary: Government borrowing a threat to long-term ratesread more
How do you spell 'recovery'?

Teresa Boardman

2 Jul 2009 | 12:14 pm

Realtor Notebookread more
Zillow crunches new refi limits

Inman_News

2 Jul 2009 | 11:22 am

6.6% of loans too deep underwater for Home Affordable refisread more
Title premiums down 25% in Q1

Inman_News

2 Jul 2009 | 10:41 am

Decline less severe than last yearread more

craigmische.com : lakefront real estate in Alexandria, MN
The Annual Fourth Of July Lake Carlos Boat Parade

Craig Mische

2 Jul 2009 | 6:57 am

Starting at 10:30 am at the Carlos-Darling Bridge on the Fourth of July will be the annual Lake Carlos Fourth of July Boat Parade. Decorate your watercraft and join the fun or if you have a home on Lake Carlos or know someone that does, pull up a lawn chair, grab a Bloody Mary and get ready to wave and laugh.
Blading By Brophy

Craig Mische

1 Jul 2009 | 5:16 am

Last night was a beautiful night in Alexandria, Minnesota and I had a lot on my mind so I needed some activity. So, I headed out my back door with my Rollerblades strapped on my feet and headed to Big Ole and The Central Lakes Trail.Most nights, I like to skate east past Lake Agnes, Lake Geneva and Lake Victoria but I decided to head west. It was so nice out that I kept skating and skating. Before I knew it, I was in Garfield and my skate was 14 miles round trip. Along this route, you pass Lake Brophy and I always enjoying seeing it as it was my first experience of life at the lake (my family…
Alexandria Area Lakefront Real Estate Sales : May 2nd thru June 22

Craig Mische

23 Jun 2009 | 5:25 am

I have fallen behind in my reporting of lakefront sales in the Greater Alexandria Area mostly because of my recent trip to Tanzania (see my photos from Peace House Secondary School and a 2 day safari). So before I get too far behind, here are the 14 closed sales (unless I note that it is a bare lot, it is a lake home) involving lakeshore since May 2nd (Minnewaska was the clear winner in number of sales): 3716 Christopherson Rd (80' on Lake Ida)...original list price $285,900, sold for $255,000. 1428 Firemens Lodge Road (100' of Lake Latoka)...original list price $699,900, sold for $699,900…
For Sale On The West Side Of Lake Ida

Craig Mische

19 Jun 2009 | 12:35 pm

This morning I have been at Lake Ida at the Ida West Townhomes (9 homes total) shooting photos of a three bedroom home that is on the market as of today (stay tuned for video). This 2004 built home is listed in the Greater Alexandria Area MLS (#10-1631) and is priced very attractively at $329,000. The owners in this waterfront community enjoy 400 feet of level lakeshore and a large beach.4108 Omaha Lane NWAlexandria, MN 56308
Driving Along County Road 34

Craig Mische

17 Jun 2009 | 6:32 am

While on a drive on the eastside of Lake Ida, I pulled out my video camera (look at the reflection in my glasses) to briefly talk about lakeshore on this side of the nearly 4,500 acre lake.[DNR info about Lake Ida - Real Estate For Sale on Lake Ida]

WSJ.com Video - Real Estate
Great Glass! Not For the Faint-Hearted

2 Jul 2009 | 4:01 pm

WSJ's Tim Martin tours the new glass ledge that is drawing tourists at Chicago's Sears Tower.
Betting on Cheese to Save the Farm

19 Jun 2009 | 4:55 pm

Barbara Hanley, a former real-estate consultant, and Leo Brooks, an airline pilot, have teamed up with a local dairy to create an artisanal cheese called Hannahbells. Their main aim is to help struggling farmers in their area find a way to become sustainable. Beckey Bright reports.
What $90M Buys: Neverland Ranch, Without the Animals

12 Jun 2009 | 3:39 pm

The new owners of Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch hope the property will fetch as much as $90 million when it soon hits the market. The site, which has some notoriety, is undergoing re-branding, including a switch back to its original name. Ethan Smith reports from California.
New York Debuts Highly-Anticipated New Park

8 Jun 2009 | 3:50 pm

The High Line, an ambitious new public space opens in Manhattan this week. Set atop once-abandoned railway tracks, the new park has been given a makeover and is already spurring development near by. Sushil Cheema reports.
Houses Still Not Priced to Sell

5 Jun 2009 | 11:26 am

One out of every four homes on the market has experienced a price reduction, but when you look at the discounts, sellers still are loath to lower their asking prices, a Trulia.com study says. Jonathan Burton reports.

WSJ.com: Developments
Optimistically, Toll Brings McMansions to Texas

2 Jul 2009 | 11:13 am

Tollbrothers.com Like many master-planned communities, the Woodlands north of downtown Houston has it all: shopping, golf courses designed by the greats, miles of scenic hiking and bike paths and homes in every price point. Now Toll Brothers is set to add its McMansions. After scouring the region for a more than a decade, the builder known for its luxurious models is opening for pre-construction sales next month, hoping its brand name–an industry rarity–will draw buyers. The move is one of the first expansions announced since the housing crash. For its first new market since…
Letter from Appraisal Groups Joins the Chorus of Complaints

2 Jul 2009 | 10:40 am

The “moaning” that we wrote about last week continues. Appraisal groups are telling U.S. housing officials that new regulations could steer veteran appraisers away from working on Federal Housing Administration and other mortgage product applications. A letter from the Appraisal Institute and three other appraisal groups asks the Department of Housing and Urban Development to rescind a 1997 regulation relating to the use of appraisal management companies that are being used more frequently today by lenders as a result of new appraisal regulations. Those rules took effect in May…
Slow Sales, Lower Prices: Manhattan Real Estate’s New Reality

1 Jul 2009 | 9:01 pm

Bloomberg News Apartments with roof decks in Manhattan–perhaps now more than a dream for renters priced out of the market. New Yorkers perhaps are growing accustomed to the new real estate reality — after years of outrageous prices and bidding wars, the market is drifting back down to earth. The latest round of market reports released Thursday show that Manhattan’s residential sales remained depressed in the second quarter. Closings decreased by as much as 60% from a year earlier. No market segment or neighborhood has been immune, with median prices shaved in every bedroom…
Planned Manhattan Skyscraper to Help Fix Healthcare?

1 Jul 2009 | 10:25 am

A rendering of the World Product Centre A group of real-estate developers see a cure for what ails companies in the far flung healthcare industry. It’s a planned 60-story skyscraper in Manhattan called the World Product Centre. The office building, which will have 1.5 million square feet of space and cost upwards of $1 billion, is designed around a concept that is somewhat unusual: all of the buildings tenants will be healthcare suppliers or distributors. The idea is to create a centralized marketplace where companies can interact under one roof. Although a few other themed and trade-fair…
Three Reasons Pending Sales Isn’t a Reliable Indicator

1 Jul 2009 | 7:07 am

The National Association of Realtors is trumpeting a fourth consecutive monthly gain in their report of pending home sales. The index tracks the number of contracts signed on homes, which increased in May by just 0.1% from the previous month. Pending sales are up 6.7% from a year ago. In the past those contracts would give a pretty good indication of what existing home sales would look like when the NAR reports its May numbers a few weeks later. These days the report’s reliability as an indicator is shakier. More pending sales appear to be falling through, as financing becomes harder to…

BBC News and Sport Search: housing
UN chief set for mission in Burma

2 Jul 2009 | 6:54 pm

The UN secretary general will visit Burma to seek the release of political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi.
Two men charged with stab murder

2 Jul 2009 | 6:52 pm

Two men are charged in connection with the death of Jordan Griffiths, 20, who suffered a fatal stab wound at a house in High Wycombe.
Housing group 'needs to improve'

2 Jul 2009 | 4:55 pm

Inspectors tell a housing association which owns hundreds of homes in the Borders it must improve its services.
Spare rib diplomacy in Pyongyang

2 Jul 2009 | 4:30 pm

Bobby Egan, a barbecue restaurateur from New Jersey, has been a self-appointed middleman betw

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