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Risky Subprime Mortgage Cartoon
2008-04-21 13:45:00
When a picture tells a story, as told by Steve Kelley: Sometimes listening to friends this is exactly my reaction. Post from: The Real Estate Bloggers Risky Subprime Mortgage Cartoon

Top 10 States With Lowest Foreclosure Rate For March, 2008
2008-04-20 16:12:00
The states with the lowest foreclosure rate are an interesting group. RealtyTrac tells us they range from upper Northeast states such as Vermont and Maine to vacation destination Hawaii, Midwest outposts North and South Dakota to to Southern states such as Mississippi and Alabama. What they do share in common was that they were not the ...
More About: Foreclosure , March , States , Rate , March 2008

New York City Average Sale Price of Homes Soaring
2008-04-19 16:49:00
With slowing sales on the low end the average price of New York City’s real estate is seeing amazing heights. The average price of a Manhattan dwelling is up 41 percent, while New York City as a whole is up 28 percent. The numbers are skewed with the high end doing so well but ever ...
More About: Real Estate , Sale

Comerica Profits Take Hit On California Property Loans
2008-04-19 16:26:00
Comerica’s profits took a 43 percent haircut due to losses in the California real estate market. The company saw a loss on loans they have in the Golden State and are planning on making provisions for further losses. Earnings  last year were $1.19 a share last year for the first quarter but came in at $0.73 ...
More About: Real Estate , Property , Loans , Profits

Home Remodeling is Slowing Down in United States
2008-04-18 16:28:00
What may be a sign of the economy is slowing down overall, a new report released by the Harvard University Joint Center For Housing Studies has released a report that home remodeling is slowing down. There has been a great deal of investment in properties over the past decade as people have remodeled and added ...
More About: United States , Home , United , States , Remodeling

Sharpe James, Former Newark Mayor, Convicted in Scam To Sell City Propertie
2008-04-17 15:51:00
It is amazing what some of our elected officials think they can get away with. Fortunately, this time the politician got caught. For 36 years Sharpe James was a power broker in Newark, New Jersey politics. He watched the city deteriorate and essentially fall apart. Now we know why, he was using the city as ...
More About: City , Sell , Mayor , Scam

Using Local Access Television To Increase Exposure to Your Real Estate Prac
2008-04-17 15:43:00
It is great to read stories that show how real estate agents can improve their exposure in local markets and expand their perceived expertise. We are so caught up in blogging and the internet, but there are many other ways to let the public know how knowledgeable you are. And if they were real smart ...
More About: Television , Estate , Real Estate , Local , Access

Top Ten States For Foreclosures - March, 2008
2008-04-16 15:00:00
Nevada, California, Florida, and Arizona take the top spots for foreclosures in the month of March , 2008 according to RealtyTrac. The speculative markets in these states are still unwinding as housing prices continue to recede. Nevada is the hardest hit with one out of every 139 homes in foreclosure, nearly 4 times the national average. ...
More About: Foreclosures , Foreclosure , States , March 2008

Ron Paul on Congress and the Housing Bailout
2008-04-16 14:41:00
Luke Mullins has an excellent interview with former Presidential Gadfly Candidate Ron Paul on the housing crisis and the role Congress may play in it. I would have said fixing it but we all know that is smoke and mirrors. Paul is very libertarian and on economics we share many of the same principals, let ...
More About: Housing Bubble , Foreclosure , Mortgage

Fulton County Georgia Businesses See Major Tax Hike
2008-04-15 18:07:00
Fulton County , Georgia , which encompasses the city of Atlanta is about to raise taxes significantly on many of it?s commercial properties. The median tax increase will be 44 percent, meaning that half of the properties will see increases of more than that. For those with tenants and a fixed rent this could really hurt ones cash ...
More About: Taxes , Featured , Hike

Housing Will Be Defining Issue in Presidential Election
2008-04-15 15:02:00
Interesting tidbit I found reading an article on Republican candidate John McCain changing his position on the foreclosure problem in the country. Political pundits are surmising that as long as we do not have a major terrorist attack, housing will be the dominant issue in the upcoming presidential election. That should be fairly interesting as it ...
More About: Presidential , Housing Bubble , Foreclosure , Housing , Election

Top 10 Cities With The Worst Traffic
2008-04-15 14:26:00
Hate traffic? If so these are the cities you probably want to avoid. Washington D.C. leads the list as huge levels of government hiring have choked the infrastructure and created perpetual bottlenecks on most of the highways. Coming in second is Atlanta, Georgia. When I moved here in 1991 everything was 20 minutes away. The ...
More About: Traffic , Cities , Featured

Is The Real Estate Downturn Ruining Your Mental Health?
2008-04-14 16:05:00
Downturns in fortune are not typically happy events. Loss of job, income, and savings will raise the stress level for any of us facing these issues. But MSNBC has a new article on how these downturns are affecting those in the real estate business. The gist of it is pretty generic, downturns raise stress and ...
More About: Health , Mental , Estate , Real Estate , Mental Health

Menino - Send The Cities Your Tax Money (For Foreclosures, this time?)
2008-04-12 16:32:00
Boston mayor Thomas Menino asked for federal aid directly to the cities to help those facing foreclosure. Now I am sure that there are noble arguments that can be made and groups that will get the money to those that are truly needy. But that is not the reason for the plea by Menino. It is pure unadulterated ...
More About: Money , Foreclosures , Time , Cities , Foreclosure

Senate Passes Foreclosure Bill
2008-04-11 14:59:00
The controversial election year housing bill has passed the Senate today, creating a possible showdown with the White House over passage of the bill. It is no surprise that I am not in favor of it as it will slowdown any much needed correction for the marketplace. Instead, after the politicians are done handing out ...
More About: Real Estate , Foreclosure , Bill

Roommates.com Loses Fair Housing Case in 9th Circuit Court
2008-04-10 14:51:00
In a very controversial decision, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Roommates.com has violated the fair housing laws by matching roommates by gender, sexual orientation, and parenthood. By asking prospective roommates to put in their status on these criteria and allowing prospective roommates to judge them on that basis. Now lets think this through, ...
More About: Housing , Fair , Case

Senator Jim Bunning Condemns Housing Bill
2008-04-09 13:55:00
The housing bill that has wound it’s way through Congress is a boondoggle that could only be produced in an election year. Anyone who follows real estate and the issues being faced could tell you that, but most politicians want to be seen getting something done while giving pork to their friends and thouse politically connected. ...
More About: Real Estate , Housing , Bill , Senator

Will European Housing Mirror The United States and Have a Downturn?
2008-04-09 13:38:00
A Cyprus financial paper had this article today about how the United States and Europe’s housing prices have  mirrored each other in the past. Europe tends to lag slightly in the reaction to housing news in the United States. The article is very informative but I was unable to determine where it came from, so read at ...
More About: European , Housing Bubble , Housing

California DA Looking Into Tax Reduction Services - Fraud or Intimidation
2008-04-08 13:33:00
This is a tough question. Who do you trust more, the government to be honest on reducing property taxes as values go down or the company that is charging a fee to help you appeal the same taxes? The reason this came up is the Alameda County District Attorney is investigating two companies for providing a service ...
More About: Services , Taxes , California , Fraud , Reduction

Cash For Keys - A Way To Keep Foreclosures From Being Trashed
2008-04-08 13:06:00
If you are buying foreclosures you know some of the horror stories of how the foreclosed upon are destroying the properties on their exit. Well, there is a new concept coming out where the buyers are paying a stipend, called Cash For Keys , to the homeowners for a non destroyed home. It does make a great deal ...
More About: Foreclosures , Foreclosure

As Real Estate Stumbles, Corporate Bankruptcies Increase in Florida
2008-04-07 13:25:00
If you are going to play in the real estate investment business your appetite for risk is greater than the  average bears. So it is no surprise that real estate investment companies, builders, and suppliers are starting to fail as Florida tries to recover from the housing bubble. Real estate is a very capital intensive ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Corporate , Foreclosure

Subsidizing Housing For Sex Offenders in New York City
2008-04-07 13:15:00
This is a problem that faces landlords all over the country. How to handle a tenant on the sex offender registry. The City of New York has an out though, they have a firm rule that housing for those who are on the sexual offender registry. They can not rent. But as with any large ...
More About: New York City , Housing

California Real Estate New Licensee?s Drop Significantly
2008-04-06 14:40:00
The number of California real estate licensees has barely moved since the peak in November, but those taking the licensing exam have dropped significantly. State data also show a stark drop in the number of people signing up for the licensing exam. Just 1,324 people took the real estate salesperson exam in January, down from ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real , Drop

Sex Sells For Los Angeles Apartment Complex
2008-04-06 13:25:00
The video speaks for itself. Post from: The Real Estate Bloggers Sex Sells For Los Angeles Apartment Complex

At NYC?s Plaza, Quest For $100 Million Sale - WSJ.com
2008-04-05 19:47:00
The Plaza Hotel in New York may the canary in the gold mine for the over-reaching executives. Since they started selling condo’s in the building they have been snapped up as the glamour properties for some of America’s top executives. Well, it seems things crash and burn around those business magnates that bought a condo at the Plaza Hotel ...
More About: Real Estate , Sale , Quest , Million

The 100 Percent Solar Home
2008-04-05 19:20:00
The creation of a fully solar home is an ambitious concept. Fortunately the developer is thinking of putting it on the Dubia coastline and not in the middle of Seattle, Washington. United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based real estate giant Nakheel is planning to build entirely solar-powered homes on its iconic Palm Jumeirah development. “The idea is still ...
More About: Solar , Home

RETech South - Listing Syndication ?Trulia Me This, Zillow Me That?
2008-04-04 17:41:00
Participants: Kevin Boer, Moderator,   3O ceansRealEstate.com Rudy Bachraty, Trulia.com David Carroll, Softrealty.com David Harris, FLMS Brad Nix, Maxsell.net Discussion: Why do you want my information on a syndication site? Rudy frames it as a question of serving your client, it allows you to offer the largest audience available. David Carroll says that the information should be distributed in the most honest way possible. David Harris talks to serving ...
More About: Real Estate , Syndication , Zillow , South , Listing

Facing Downturn, Fannie Mae Raises Levels For Mortgage Qualification
2008-04-03 16:36:00
Fannie Mae is tightening down the ship as foreclosures and bad debt piles up on it’s balance sheet. Previously they did not have a minimum FICO score for buying a loan, now it is 580. Another criteria for buying a loan is that the buyer not have a foreclosure on the record for 5 years, ...
More About: Mortgage , Fannie Mae , Qualification , Facing

Top Ten Cities For Real Estate Investing, 1st Quarter 2008
2008-04-03 16:18:00
The kings of the We Buy Ugly Houses, HomeVestors has released their list of top real estate investing markets for the 1st quarter of 2008. The company specializes in buying and refurbishing modest homes for the marketplace. The list is probably one of the weaker ones out there, as they do not tell their methodology, ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Investing , Cities , Investing

Commercial Real Estate Dead? Not According To Blackstone
2008-04-02 17:24:00
The Blackstone Group is going against those predicting dire consequences for the commercial real estate market by raising an additional 10.9 billion dollars for their Real Estate Partners VI fund. The company sees a number of potential bargains on the horizon as the market retracts from its highs in 2006–2007. Blackstone said it had raised ...
More About: Commercial , Real Estate , Dead