Resales

Roost Study Alludes To Power Of Words

You may not understand the true power of words until you"ve tried to sell a home.

Minneapolis, Minnesota Housing Market Moves Into Summer

Late snows slowed housing slightly, but overall, local Realtors say summer"s heating up sales, but not as hot as last year.

Columbus, Ohio Realtors Report Modest Home Gains

Ohio"s state capital is Columbus, which has grown to the largest city in the state, according to local Realtors, with modest appreciation in home values.

Dayton, Ohio Home Prices Gain Slight Altitude

Dayton, Ohio, birthplace of flight pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright, is leveling off between a buyer"s market and a seller"s market, with prices gaining slightly in altitude.

Rhode Island Towns Report Home Sales Brisk, Slowing Only Slightly

Higher interest rates and interest rate hike fears are beginning to weigh on homebuyers nationwide, but Realtors in Rhode Island towns report that sales are still brisk, even as they begin to slow due to overinflated home prices.

Austin, Texas Pulls Out Of Housing Slump

Ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country, Austin, Texas has suffered through a dot-com meltdown which also flattened housing sales for several years. Local Realtors are reporting those days are over.

Providence, Rhode Island Sales Slow From Last Year

Providence, Rhode Island has transformed itself over the last ten years, but its brisk real estate market has begun to slow down, says a local Realtor.

Louisville, Kentucky Area Homes Increase In Sales Along With Listings

Local Realtors in the Louisville, Kentucky area report rising housing inventories, and rising sales as buyers try to buy before rising interest rates puts them out of the home of their dreams.

Wisconsin Lake Communities Sell Homes Quickly

Wisconsin Realtors in Lake Geneva, Legend Lake and Rice Lake say their areas are fast-growing.

Katy, Texas Existing Home Sales Soften Slightly, But New Homes Surge

Existing home sales are softening slightly in the Houston, Texas suburb of Katy, but local Realtors report sellers holding their prices and new homes are still being built.

Whidbey Island, Washington Home Prices Continue Rising

Between retirement homes, getaway homes, air base housing and working family homes, Whidbey Island, Washington offers diversity along with its beautiful scenery.

Providence, Rhode Island Home Sales Soften

It"s a good opportunity for local buyers to get in on a soft housing market with low interest rates in Providence, Rhode Island, says a local Realtor.

Dunwoody Is Atlanta"s Best Kept Secret, Say Realtors

According to local Realtors, Dunwoody has New England appeal with hills, trees and the Chattahoochee River, as well as a fine quality of life. It"s a buyer"s opportunity.

Newport Beach Home Inventories At Low Tide

There aren"t enough homes on the market, say local Realtors, in Newport Beach, California, to satisfy buyer demand.

Indianapolis Buyer"s Market No Longer In The Pits

The Indianapolis housing market has been stalled in a buyer"s market, but local Realtors say they see signs that it is emerging from its pitstop.

Lakewood, California Is Growing In Popularity, Say Realtors

Many folks might know neighboring community Long Beach better by name, but local Realtors say that Lakewood, California offers great advantages to buyers.

Albuquerque Suburb Home Sales Quicken Pace

Albuquerque, New Mexico area suburbs such as Rio Rancho and Corrales are enjoying faster sales than this time last year, say local Realtors.

Charleston, South Carolina Housing Inventories Rise

After several years of steady growth, home sales in Charleston, South Carolina are slowing, but not significantly, say local Realtors.

Minnesota Lake Areas Have Cautious Buyers, Says Realtor

Buyers in Pelican Lake, Crosslake, and Lake Ossawinnamakee in Minnesota have plenty of opportunities to buy, but they are cautious, says a local Realtor.

Market Conditions

Is the real estate market beating the heat in New Orleans?

Nashville Reports Platinum Record Sales In Homes

Nashville, Tennessee boasts more than platinum-selling country recording artists. Home sales are booming, too, say local Realtors.

New Hampshire Towns Are Growing, Says Local Realtor

New Hampshire Realtor Mark Allen says that Auburn, Manchester, and Merrimack are the places to be in New Hampshire, despite what may appear to be a softening market.

Austin, Texas Straddles Buyer and Seller"s Market

Austin, Texas, still recovering from the dot-com meltdown, has been in a buyer"s market for several years, but local Realtors say that is changing.

Dallas" Park Cities Realtors Report Growing Inventory, Stable Prices

The unique townships of University Park and Highland Park are in the center of Dallas, Texas with their own schools, police and fire departments, and some of the most coveted properties in the area. Local Realtors say home prices in this high-dollar area are stable.

Washington"s San Juan Islands Rise In Housing Costs

While the volume in sales is about the same as last year, San Juan Islands Realtors report rising home prices.

Washington State Realtors Report Brisk Housing Sales

In select cities across the state of Washington, including Spokane, Vancouver and Tacoma, local Realtors are reporting seller"s markets.

Washington Report: Backlash over Housing Bill

The ink from President Bush"s signature on the 2008 housing bill was barely dry when the first critical backlashes began circulating in Washington.

What To Do When You"re Facing Foreclosure

It"s a situation facing hundreds of thousands of people and the numbers are growing rapidly. Foreclosures aren"t just happening to people who over-leveraged themselves and got into risky loans. They are happening to homeowners who are getting divorced, facing health issues, needing to relocate for a job, and numerous other reasons. Regardless of how you may end up falling behind on your mortgage, knowing what to do next is critically important.

Greenville, South Carolina"s Housing Inventory Grows In All Price Ranges

Greenville, South Carolina is progressive and offers a broad-based economy, but home sales have slumped in all price ranges due to economic conditions, but rising interest rates might spark more buyers to make a commitment.

Birch Bay, Washington Realtors Report Rising Home Values

Local Realtors in Birch Bay, Washington report renewed interest in summer homes by American and Canadian homebuyers, resulting in rising home values for homeowners.

Salt Lake City, Utah Housing Weakens

Despite having incredible natural resources, low crime and other attractions, Salt Lake City is experiencing a slowdown in housing prices and sales, a natural correction after such a bull national housing market, say local Realtors.

Blue Bell, Pennsylvania Wows Buyers, But Not With Cows

Although its name evokes a country lifestyle where big bowls of ice cream are served for dessert, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania is actually located in Montgomery County, part of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-New Jersey metropolitan area, and doesn"t have an ice cream factory in sight.

Ocala, Florida Breeds Horses, Happy Residents

Ocala is situated in the midst of one of the largest horse breeding and training areas in the world, but local Realtors say there is something for everyone.

Iowa Realtors Report Hot Market Under $150,000

Realtors in Iowa communities including Ames, Iowa City, Cedar Falls, and Marshalltown say that low interest rates are spurring the sales of starter-priced homes.

Texas" Fort Bend County Area Communities Continue Strong Growth

Southwest of metro Houston, Fort Bend County area communities continue strong growth, says a local Realtor.

Capistrano Beach: Ocean Views, Sea Of Buyers

Despite California"s now-famous affordability problem, buyers are still flocking to its coastal communities like Capistrano Beach to enjoy the incomparable views, weather and lifestyle, say local Realtors.

Vail, Beaver Creek, Colorado Homebuyers Cautious, But Thawing

Local Realtors promote that the Vail-Beaver Creek areas are as much fun in the summer as they are in the winter, making the area a great place to visit or live.

Lowell, Arkansas Goes Upscale In Housing

Lowell, Arkansas is a bedroom community, located between Springdale and Rogers, but it has experienced over 200 percent growth in recent years in response to a strong Northwest Arkansas economy, says a local Realtor.

Historical Townships Offer Diverse Housing Near Philadelphia

Whitemarsh Township and Worcestor Township offer historical as well as new housing, parks, educational opportunities and easy access to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and other east coast cities.

Dallas Lofts, Condos, Townhomes Lift Sales

There was a time when you couldn"t give a condominium away in the land-rich Dallas, Texas area. But traffic congestion (bad), the revitalization of downtown (good) and other factors have contributed to a loft, townhome and condominium-friendly housing environment.

Toronto Home Sales Pick Up

Toronto is a clean, safe, cosmopolitan city with a wonderful network of parks, recreational, and cultural facilities, say local Realtors, and it is Canada"s most populated city. Home sales are still down from last year, but picking up steam from early spring.

Indianapolis Housing Market Slows With Buyer"s Market Curves

Indianapolis, Indiana is rounding the curves of a buyer"s market which local Realtors hope will be helped by low interest rates.

Market Conditions

According to the latest from the Case-Shiller home price index, home prices were down 15.8% in May. They report, "For the second straight month, all 20 MSAs posted annual declines, nine of which are posting record lows and 10 of which are in double-digits."

Peachtree City: A Georgia Peach Of Planned Communities

Peachtree City, Georgia offers an abundance of new homes, say local Realtors.

Near Boston Towns Show Spring Housebuying Activity

The towns of Sudbury, Hudson and Wayland offer proximity to Boston, Massachusetts along with their smaller town versions of America"s colonial past.

Carlsbad, California Coastal Town Enjoys Seller"s Market

Low interest rates are boosting lower priced home sales and there is some softening in higher priced homes in desirable Carlsbad, California, say local Realtors.

Toronto Has Best Year Ever In Real Estate

The year 2002 was a record-setting year in real estate sales according to local Realtors, about 10 percent higher than 2001, say local Realtors.

Pennsylvania Big-city Suburbs Experience Housing Inventory Shortages

Mount Airy, a suburb of Philadelphia, and Mount Lebanon, a suburb of Pittsburgh, are both reporting housing shortages in certain price ranges of inventory.

Grand Rapids, Michigan: Interest Rates Help Stable Market

Realtors in Grand Rapids, Michigan describe the community as a great place to live, with four distinct seasons, a diversified economic base and new growth.

Lake Norman, North Carolina Has High Prospects With New Lowe"s HQ

Lake Norman is a 33-mile long lake about 30 minutes drive north of Charlotte, North Carolina. According to Realtors, there are 528 miles of shoreline crossing four counties. Lovely waterviews as well as new job opportunities in the area, are creating nice possibilities for homebuyers.

Boulder, Colorado Loosens Tight Housing Market

"Boulder is ranked amoung the best places to live by numerous publications," says Realtor/attorney Susan Soklin. "It is expected that Boulder County"s population will increase by 15 percent with a significant increase in the age 60+ group. Yet, Boulder County and its residents remain ever youthful and fit due to a very active lifestyle. In the winter, we ski at Eldora ski area, less than 30 minutes from Boulder, in the spring, we run the Boulder Bolder, and in the summer, we hike and camp in the mountains. Come to Boulder County to learn and play."

South Carolina Islands Showing Breezy Housing Sales

Low interest rates and investment opportunities combine to raise the island housing markets of South Carolina.

Naples, Florida: A Retirement Paradise

"This is paradise found, where the sun shines on the miles of white sand beaches more that 290 days a year," says Realtor Mal Griffin. "The finest hotels, restaurants, world-class cultural facilities, and a vast array of fine home choices await you. There is fun for all ages - professional sports complexes, state and national parks with walking and biking trails, and an abundance of birds and wildlife.

Falls Church, Virginia Housing Market Shows Subtle Shift

Realtors report a more balanced market in Falls Church, Virginia over the last few weeks, with home prices and concessions slightly more favorable to the buyer than in the past seller"s market.

Alexandria, Virginia: A Quaint Town Near Bustling Washington D.C.

Alexandria, Virginia is a city of quaint shops, excellent restaurants and theaters, bike paths, marinas, pet-friendly shops, and a friendly small-town atmosphere, say local Realtors.

Los Angeles Area Beach Towns Report Rapid Housing Price Gains

Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Santa Monica Realtors report rapid housing price gains along one of the world"s most popular coastlines.

Market Conditions

Worried that your town can"t offer you the job you need? Why not move where the economy is hoppin".

Silicon Valley Market Still Sliding

Silicon Valley home buyers and sellers shouldn"t be taken by the recent uptick in prices in September.

California"s Ventura County Offers Beaches, Bedroom Communities

California"s Ventura County includes seashore communities and bedroom communities that are building out into farmland.

Houston"s Popular Suburb, Katy, Improves Its Buyers" Market

In Katy, Texas, west of Houston, the real estate market is slowly improving, say local Realtors. The rising tide of Houston real estate is lifting the suburb"s boat.

Silicon Valley Real Estate Heads More Toward Normal

The volatile Silicon Valley market has been news in California and the nation for years. Now it seems to be taking a temporary breather in the near normal range.

Investor Report: Where to Buy Low, Sell High

Where are the best opportunities to buy houses at below market prices, fix them up and sell them at a substantial profit?

Managing Your Time & Making a Difference: Summer Survival Skills for Working Parents

Right about now for many of you, the summer season is taking its toll. Your child has that look. You know the one that stops you in your tracks and makes parochial school guilt look like amateur hour. Susie"s mom is making homemade fruit sorbet or watermelon boats, has daily activities schedules and prepared from here until Labor Day and you are trying desperately to keep your head above water in a changing market with way more low tides than high. Makes a day at the beach is sound pretty appealing to you to given the circumstances -- right?

Bridgewater, Massachusetts: Commuter Town Appeals To Families

Bridgewater, Massachusetts is a Boston-area town where young commuters are choosing to live to raise their families, says a local Realtor. Centrally located at Routes 24 and 495, Bridgewater provides easy access to Boston, Cape Cod, and Providence R.I., and average housing is about $188,700.

Florida"s Deerfield Beach Provides "Boca" Living At Affordable Prices, Say Realtors

Centrally located to Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, Florida"s Deerfield Beach provides a smaller beach town atmosphere with more affordable pricing than its tonier neighbors, say Realtors.

Westport, Connecticut Reports Hot Summer"s Housing Market

Located on Long Island Sound, Westport, Connecticut offers breath-taking ocean-front scenery, a charming country landscape, attractive amenities and a comfortable commute to urban centers, say local Realtors.

Colorado Springs Has Opportunities For Buyers

Despite its picture-postcard beauty, Colorado Springs has reversed its recent sellers" market. As more homes are entering the marketplace, prices are coming down, offering bargains to buyers in many price ranges.

Fort Worth Addresses Housing Bubble

As housing sales slow down in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Fort Worth Realtors suggest that there"s no housing bubble while low rates keep homebuying so favorable.

North Carolina"s Small Communities Have Charm, Slow Growth

For those of you who want a more relaxed pace than Raleigh, North Carolina provides, nearby and not-so-nearby rural communities provide the charm and the paced growth that you may be seeking.

Dallas Real Estate Market Slows Down

Dallas, Texas, one of the hottest relocation destinations in the nation, is starting to show signs of easing from the overheated housing market of the last seven years. Dallas area Realtors say certain price ranges are still hot, but that million dollar properties are starting to drop in price as the summer homebuying season winds down. Is it time for buyers to jump in?

Richmond, Virginia: Developing Two Markets

Homes in Richmond, Virginia and surrounding towns are dividing into two markets, say local Realtors. Consumer confidence is on the wane, causing Richmond-area buyers to take a wait-and-see attitude, but good buys are available for the taking, especially in the first-time buyer price ranges.

Palm Beach County Grows With New Developments

Palm Beach County in Florida offers some of the most desirable waterfront communities and homes along the Atlantic coastline, and the area is being energized by beautiful new developments.

Meet Homebuyers In St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri has enjoyed a steady increase in property values in one of the country"s most charming and interesting historical areas - St. Louis County.

Henderson, Nevada: All That Glitters Is Las Vegas

Henderson is the fastest-growing large city in America, according to the U.S. Census. Recently overtaking Reno as Nevada"s second largest city, Henderson is a model of controlled, planned growth, say local Realtors.

Lake Oswego Convenient To Oregon"s Major Metros

Located just eight miles south of downtown Portland and 45 minutes north of Oregon"s state capitol Salem, Lake Oswego is the ideal bedroom, vacation home, small town living or retirement community to serve Oregon"s metros.

Vail Valley Resorts Are In A Buyer"s Market

Vail, Colorado is a world-renowned ski resort town, and has evolved into a year-round resort destination. And nearby sister resort Beaver Creek has also come into its own.

Nashville, Tennessee: Upscale Country Music Living

The most visited city in Tennessee is the heart of country music, Nashville. Home of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the incredible Opry Mills entertainment and shopping center, Nashville is known as "Music City," and it offers the visitor and lucky resident plenty to do and see, including frequent glimpses of famous residents.

Albuquerque"s Real Estate Market Moves Albuquickly

If New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment, then Albuquerque is its magic wand. Nestled on the Rio Grande River next to the Sandia Mountains and its mesas, the city is a blend of cultural identities, all of which are charmed by the earthy views which can be enjoyed in near year-round warm weather.

Shorts Sales and Foreclosures Make Way Into Market

The real estate marketplace has undergone dramatic change in recent months. The exuberant seller"s market of the past year has transitioned into a more moderate buyer"s market, leaving in its wake an expected $1 trillion of adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) loans that will need to be refinanced in 2007. As higher home prices made home ownership more difficult for most buyers, especially those entering the market as first-time homebuyers, lenders introduced new adjustable loan options to help buyers qualify. The backlash, however, is that many buyers have gotten in over their heads struggling to maintain homes they cannot afford.

Los Angeles South Bay Areas: Life"s A Beach

Redondo Beach, in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, is like Hollywood"s version of the Riviera. All properties are expensive, even without the ocean views, but as high-priced beach resorts go, it is a bargain, and experiencing a rapidly rising sellers" market.

Plano, Texas: Top Ten Relocation Destination Still Reigns

The North Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas was once a farming community, but aggressive growth northward from Dallas area transferees as well as the addition of a much needed new turnpike has made Plano one of the most desirable locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. In just twenty years, from 1980 to 2000, Plano has grown from a population of 72,331 to 222,030 with an average median age of 34.1 years.

Calgary: Snowing A Seller"s Market?

Calgary, located in the Canadian province of Alberta, is known for more than its terrific ski resorts near Alberta"s Rocky Mountains. Once the host city for the winter Olympics, Calgary is a beautiful city on the banks of the Bow River, the home of progressive technology, oil and forestry companies, as well as great real estate buys.

Cincinnati: First Quarter Home Prices Up

Like other big cities that want to improve home and business values by cleaning up, Cincinnati has launched "The Big Cincinnati Sweep." The city is known for its civic pride, including hiring the first career firefighters in the nation.

Connecticut Yankees Are In King Sellers" Court

Tiny Connecticut has a population of a little over 3.2 million and just over 5,000 square miles, but it packs a wallop in the history books and as a relocation destination.

HOA Board Directors: Lone Ranger or Tonto?

Being a person that wants to serve and protect your own interests, you get yourself elected to the board. At the first board meeting, the president gives you a pep talk about not giving instructions to contractors or discussing board issues with other members unless you preface comments with "the board policy/decision is...". You bristle at this. Who does this guy think he is? This is America, Home of the Free and Land of the Lone Ranger. Why shouldn"t you be able to say what you want, when you want and to whoever you want?

New Homes: Give Them Gas Cards and They Will Come

How hard is it to get prospective new homebuyers to drive out to the hinterlands to walk through, let alone purchase a new home? Just to get them to hit the highway, homebuilders across the nation are going to great lengths.

NAR Pushes For Agent, Homeowner Safety

The National Association of Realtors has funded, produced and released a new safety video called "Don"t Be A Victim: Personal Safety For Realtors," but the lessons contained within should be equally important for buyers and sellers to take to heart.

The Importance of Young Home Buyers

According to the 2000 National Association of Realtor’s Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, young people buying their first home, with a median age of 32, make up a significant part of today’s housing market. An astounding 52 percent of entry-level buyers are between the ages of 25 and 34, and an additional 11 percent are under the age of 25. First-time buyers accounted for 42 percent of all home sales over the last few years. They were a driving factor in setting a new record for the housing market in 1999, and without this strong level of young entry-level buyers, people would be unable to sell their existing homes to meet growing family needs, or trade down to smaller, easier-to-maintain properties as lifestyle preferences change. In short, the overall health of the housing industry depends on this critical segment of the market.

REALTORS Commercial Alliance To Provide Uniform Industry Voice

The explosion in Internet technology and increasing globalization throughout the business sector are causing vast changes in the commercial real estate industry. As a commercial Realtor, I"m very excited about a new alliance - the Realtors Commercial Alliance - that will help provide a framework for collective leadership in developing a common, unified voice for the commercial real estate industry.

Architects: Enhancing Security and Aesthetics

In February 2002, I was at a meeting of the Counselors of Real Estate in Washington -- the first time that esteemed group had gathered since the terrorists attacks of the previous autumn.

Biloxi-Gulfport Cashing In On Florida"s Coastal Land Drain

Move over Utah.

Do Real Estate Brokers Charge too Much?

According to no less an authority than an editorial in The Washington Post, "not only have the 6 percent commissions earned by purveyors of real estate begun to seem outlandish in an era of exponential growth in housing prices, there is evidence, nationally, of local real estate agents trying to preserve their high fees by preventing or hampering online and discount competitors." "(Electronic Competition", May 20, 2005)

Californian Home Buyers Coming Up $60,000 Short

California"s relentless march toward the $500,000 median priced home is leaving many households behind the eight ball to the tune of more than $60,000.

Appraisal Fraud Remains Hot Topic

Appraisal fraud is generating a firestorm of responses from the industry, both to extol efforts to publicize the issue and to offer insight a recent study may not reveal.

Helping The First Time Buyer Understand The Process Is Paramount To Our Industry.

One of the things about running a mortgage company that I miss is taking a loan application with people who are buying their first home. Oh sure, I still get my fair share of loan volume but frankly, my clients usually apply online or had previously purchased a home. Just the other day, I took one of my rare face-to-face loan application meetings from a couple buying their first home. These first-timers typically ask the very same questions, only worded a little differently. But no matter how much technology has impacted mortgage lending... some things never change.

California Offers 35-Year Mortgage

A new 35-year mortgage will cost you tens of thousands of dollars more in interest than a conventional 30-year mortgage over the life of the loans, but the special loan is packed with enough attractive provisions to offset that drawback.

Tax Liens Provide Safe Real Estate Investing Option

You"ve been reading about it, listening to late-night shows and hearing about your friends making the jump into real estate investing. But you just can"t bring yourself to taking the plunge into owning property, collecting rent, taking repair calls and possibly having a renter who won"t pay the rent or take care of your property.

Giving Title Companies Only Their Due

First American Title recently agreed to give back $24 million to consumers nationwide while denying any wrongdoing after it was charged in Colorado and elsewhere with alleged kickbacks to real estate agents, lenders, and developers.

Knowledge Is Power When You Buy A House

If you are going to spend top dollar for a house, you want a golden goose and not a turkey.

Late-Summer Refinancing And "Cashout" Spurts Underway

With a 21 percent spurt in applications in mid-August, lenders say they are seeing signs -- maybe fleeting, maybe not -- of a refinancing revival.

Which Is Better: Real Estate Or Stock?

For a very long time I have made the argument on Realty Times and elsewhere that real estate is undervalued as an investment. Each time I mention this idea I get e-mail from folks on Wall Street who disagree. Now they can write to The New York Times.

Navigating Your Way Through A New-Home Purchase

My wife and I are starting negotiations to buy our retirement home. We are almost 70 years old and have not purchased real estate in over 30 years. It seems even more stressful now; the requirements and responsibilities have increased drastically. We have several questions (see below):

Buying To Expand Can Be Tricky

It may be better to buy the square footage you need in a neighborhood of larger homes rather than buying into a neighborhood of smaller homes with plans to build up or out.

Home Fairs Offer Keys To Home Ownership

After a five-year hiatus, a recent "Spring Into Your First Home Affordable Housing Fair" in the twin cities of Bloomington and Normal, IL, population about 225,000, drew 500 people looking to learn how they can afford to buy a home.

Buying Houses Just One Way To Invest In Real Estate

Most correspondence I receive inquiring about how to start investing in real estate start with the foreclosure. It"s quite simply the easiest real estate investment strategy to figure -- buy low, sell high or buy low, rent high.

Read The Small And Large Print

What you don"t know can hurt you and most consumers make sure they don"t get hurt.

Helping Your Children Buy Their House

Q: What can you suggest about helping one"s adult children purchase a home. Our son and daughter-in-law currently rent a home, and pay $1,100 a month in rent. That could pay for a pretty decent monthly mortgage. However, coming up with the down payment for a home of approximately $200,000 is not easy for them.

The Art of House Hunting: 8 Tips to Help in Your Search

Armed with your down payment and your pre-approved mortgage loan, the next

Top 100 Places To Live

A central California town that"s an unlikely locale for an annual pizza festival, a northern Virginia town that hosted two bloody Civil War battles and the Kansas birthplace of Jesse James were among America"s Top 100 Places to Live in 2002.

Questions Every Buyer Should Ask

When you"re in the market for a home, it seems as if there are millions of questions to ask -- and no doubt plenty more. As buyers we become so wrapped up in the physical aspects of the house -- the rooms, amenities, and structure -- that we give less attention to quiet issues which may strongly impact our ability to enjoy a home.

How to Help Your Kids Adjust When You Move in the Middle of the School Year

Going through the arduous process of buying a house may leave you with all

Creating A Business Model from the Current Distressed Asset Marketplace

[Note: To follow is an excerpt of a radio show interview conducted by Peter L. Mosca, host of Income Property Investment Talk dot com, with Scott Griffith, President, ERA Griffith Realty, Rob Verhaaren, Managing Director of Universal Equity Group, and Blaine Walker, President, RealSource. The guests explore the driving forces in today’s distressed market activity, the importance of conducting due diligence and ways to maximize profitability. To listen to the show archive or download an MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com/110409.]

Homeowners Insurance: Are You Really In Good Hands?

When you purchase homeowners insurance, you expect that it will be there when you need it. That means that if there is a natural disaster such as an earthquake, hurricane or a flood, it will be there. And in the environmental context, if oil is leaked from your heating oil tank, you expect that it will be there.

When Is A Buyer In Default?

Q: We recently entered into a contract to buy our first home. Our contract contained two contingencies: 7 days in which to obtain a satisfactory inspection of the house, and 30 days to obtain financing. We completed the inspection and removed the first contingency. However, there were a couple of blemishes on our credit record of which we were not aware, and now we have been rejected for a loan. However, we did not count the days carefully and our rejection came after the 30 days contingency period was over.

What to Do If You Can"t Get Homeowners Insurance

Purchasing and keeping your homeowners insurance policy is increasingly

Home Owners Hit The Mother Lode

Real estate has become the "psychological equivalent of gold" to investors flocking to a tangible asset to find shelter from the economic storm.

10 Steps To The Perfect Second Home

The largest numbers of second homes are in states with large populations. The greatest percentage of second homes, however, are in smaller and less populous states.

Keep Basements In Mind To Meet Future Space Needs

In an environment where housing prices are increasing and the square footage above ground is being consumed by larger family rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, refinishing a basement offers a way to meet both present and future space needs.

Manufactured Homes Make Affordable Housing Option

Growing up in the south, it was not unusual to pass by many mobile home parks on the way to anywhere. They were – and still are – considered a vital part of many communities across the country and may offer a viable alternative to traditional housing for households seeking an affordable home of their own.

Record Home Equity Growth Buoys Economy

Are you feeling a little wealthier, a little more comfortable as a homeowner despite all the talk of recession and budget deficits?

Fair Housing Rules Guide Real Estate Sale Efforts

"Say what you like"" isn"t one of the catch phrases of the real estate industry.

Why Are Vacation Homes Still Hot?

Home equity to burn, favorable tax laws, and record-low mortgage rates are all converging at an opportune time to make buying your vacation home a dream come true.

How To Avoid Rookie Mistakes

First-time homebuyers face a steep learning curve. There"s much to know, much to learn, and a great potential for "rookie mistakes" -- with potentially costly consequences.

How Your Parents Can Help You Buy

Question. My parents are in the mid-seventies, and are retired. They have some money in their IRA account and have offered to help me purchase a condominium unit. The price is approximately $150,000. I am a first-time homebuyer and would like to know how this works?

Canadian Buyers Save Time With Less Down

Do you want to buy a home now instead of waiting for years to save the 25 percent down payment that Canadians have traditionally considered ideal? Many first-time buyers now opt to accelerate their entry into the housing market by carrying a larger mortgage -- with the federal government"s endorsement.

How To Prevent Basement Leaks

When searching for a new home, looking for indications of water in the basement is about as common as kicking the tires of a used car -- everybody does it, but few have any idea what they are really looking for, or why.

Do You Need An Energy Rating Inspection?

Before you buy, sell or refinance, consider an accredited energy rating inspection.

Avoid Surprises: Know Your Homeowner"s Coverage

Most of us sign up for a homeowner"s insurance policy when we purchase a home not only because of the protection it offers us, but also because of the “required reading” aspect of it to our mortgage lender. Those institutions lending us the money to make homeownership possible cover their bases by making sure their own financial investments are protected in case of fire or natural disasters.

Inside Scoop: Breaking Down Broker Costs

By Jim Lee

Tips for First-Time Buyers: Part II

While the Internet has proven to be an invaluable tool for any first-time

Are You Ready for Homeownership?

The decision to pursue homeownership may be based on many factors: everything from a friend"s decision to purchase a home or a family member"s advice against "throwing your money away on rent" to your bad experience with a landlord or the noisy neighbors sharing your wall. While all of those scenarios (minus peer pressure, of course) may inspire valid

The 5 Important Activities of Top Commercial Brokers: One-On-One With Dr. Jim Gillespie

[Note: To follow is an excerpt of an interview with Dr. Jim Gillespie, America"s premier commercial real estate coach, with over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate as both a successful agent and manager. To listen to, or download the show archive MP3, go to www.IncomePropertyInvestmentTalk.com.]

First Timers: Can You Master The Three C"s Of Home Ownership?

There are three major benchmarks of a successful home buying candidate: commitment, credit and cost. As a preliminary step to the homebuying plunge, see how you fare in these three categories:

Market Conditions: Yolo County, California

Ken and Linda Pillard, market experts in Yolo County, California, say default notices have jumped from 197 to 488 since 2007.

Feng Shui for the Ugly American Homebuyer

According to Kwan Lau, author of the book Feng Shui For Today, published by Tengu Books, "Feng Shui theory is

Defining Your Service Standards

By delivering excellent service on a consistent and ongoing basis, your current client relationships will spawn repeat business and referrals that draw new clients into your business. As a result, your success will reap yet more success, your business will grow bigger, and you"ll need to provide superb service to an ever-growing group of people. At some point you"ll face the important but difficult task of transitioning from an individual service provider to a service provider who works with a team to communicate with and serve clients.

Returning The Deposit

The earnest money deposit that the buyer furnishes along

How Much Are The Taxes?

It"s a question every house-hunter asks when it looks as

Hot Housing Market Causing Buyers To Become Hot Headed

Last year,

Market Ripe for Equity Sharing Provided Buyer Heeds Caveats

Rents are rising, incomes are swelling, home values are appreciating, but you don"t have enough for a down payment.

Should an Attorney Review Your Sales Contract?

Even in areas where I was told no one uses a lawyer for real

The Basics: Home Buying 101

You need three things to buy a house -- good income, good

When NOT to Use A Buyer"s Agent

Buyer"s Representation. Few topics in the real estate field have the

Want a Bargain? Look Under the Clutter

Some of the best bargains to be found in the housing market are discovered

12-Step Program to Buying a Home

Buying a home can be one of the most exciting and rewarding things you ever do, or it can be one of the biggest nightmares you will ever go through. How you experience the home buying process depends entirely on how well prepared you are and how knowledgeable the people helping you are. The following report should clear up a lot of confusion you might have.

Put The Freeze On Heating Oil Scams

Try to make up for rising home heating oil prices by investing in commodity futures that promise to warm up your portfolio and you could lose your flannel shirt and suffer an especially frosty winter.

Home-Based Business: What You Should Know About Technology, Taxes, and Time

It"s a dream for some and a reality for others -- running your own business from home. For many, it"s often tricky knowing how to start. There are many technical, legal and familial issues that can crop up, especially for those who are self-employed with no employees.

Crime Spree Puts Safety Stats In Perspective

You can"t miss the stories. For more than a week newspapers and television broadcasts have been reporting on the Montgomery County sniper, the lunatic(s) who have murdered at least eight people in Maryland, Virginia and Washington as of this writing.

Condo Trends: Conversion Bailouts Latest Loan Fraud Scheme

Want to invest in a new condo with a guaranteed cash flow? Sound too good to be true -- it may be and it could be you"re looking at the latest loan fraud scheme on the market.

Homeowners Raise Health Concerns Over Insulation

I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that several litigations have been filed concerning Zonolite - which is a home insulation material. If your home has zonolite, you may want to seek legal assistance to determine whether you need to take any legal action - if you have not done so already.

Tackling Low-Flow Toilet Woes

Not everyone wants to talk about toilets, but the low-flow variety that are now the nation’s standard tend to launch a lot of conversations.

Brownstones Require Lots of Maintenance

Nothing conjures up visions of Victorian American cities better than streets lined with rows of three-story brownstones and sets of grand steps. It is a material that hasn’t had much press over the last 80 or so years because it hasn’t been in widespread use for buildings at least that long.


News of the day
Architects: Enhancing Security and Aesthetics
In February 2002, I was at a meeting of the Counselors of Real Estate in Washington -- the first time that esteemed group had gathered since the terrorists attacks of the previous autumn.
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HOA Clauses with Cause
Each year, thousands of homeowner associations across the country engage in complicated renovation projects that run the gamut from siding replacement to roof overhauls to dryrot repair to new decks and fences. Aside from the complexity of the tasks themselves, all need a carefully crafted construction contract that not only describes the scope of work and price but includes the fine print.
Accommodation in discount hotel Kiev
Green Living: Natural Dûcor Better For Earth And Your Wallet?
Sellers are looking for ways to get the most for their homes and buyers, of course, are looking for the best value. The a flowing floor plan, a spacious layout, a not-so-crowded street, great curb appeal, low HOA or planned community fees, etc. are certainly big influencers for buyers. But so, too, are some of the items in your home that you might not give much consideration.