Archive for Real Estate News

Buying your first home is an important and exciting undertaking, but first time home buyers may be unprepared for the task. The real estate business can be complicated for someone who has never experienced it before. You should not begin your search without being prepared for what to expect. There are several things every home [...]

Is seller on the hook for concealed flaws? Barry Stone Inman News DEAR BARRY: We just bought a home and discovered a major undisclosed foundation problem after moving in. The seller insisted on an as-is sale, so we relied on the home inspector to find any serious problems. In the basement, he noticed old water [...]

Tara-Nicholle Nelson Inman News Book Review Title: “The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City” Authors: Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen Publisher: Process Media, 2010; 330 pages; $16.95 My town, Oakland, Calif., claims to be the epicenter of the urban gardening movement. The urban part is pretty self-explanatory. What [...]

Borrower fears payments will skyrocket in 2011 Benny Kass Inman News DEAR BENNY: I have a hybrid mortgage that is fixed for the first five years at 4.25 percent, and is tied to U.S. Treasury securities. The loan document notes that the index value is 2.1 and the margin is 2.75. The first change date [...]

For existing owners, liquidation can be bittersweet Steve Bergsman Inman News Some 1,500 condominium units in Greater Downtown Miami were sold from April to June this year, reported an associate of mine, Peter Zalewski, a principal with Condo Vultures LLC in Bal Harbour, Fla. All those units represented 1.8 million square feet and reduced the [...]

Mood of the Market Tara-Nicholle Nelson Inman News In the last week or so, I saw two films that inspired and evoked the crystallization of some concepts that had previously been very loosely percolating in my head about this economic and financial crisis in which our beautiful nation still finds itself embroiled. First, I watched [...]

Key factors make this recession different Jack Guttentag Inman News In past recessions, the housing and mortgage sector, stimulated by the lower interest rates generated by an easier monetary policy, was a source of strength that led the economy out of the recession. Not this time. Despite the fact that the easing of monetary policy [...]

Avoid penalty fees when it’s time to sell Dian Hymer Inman News Having work done to your home without going through the local building department permit process saves you permit fees and the hassle of meeting city inspectors to approve and sign off on work. If you make changes in your plans along the way, [...]

Home Sale Hindsight Tara-Nicholle Nelson Inman News Q: Since I don’t have a large downpayment, is a seller-financed deal a better way to get a house sale done? I have a home I own free and clear that I want to rent out and have it pay for my next home. What would you recommend? [...]

REThink Real Estate Tara-Nicholle Nelson Inman News Q: We keep hearing everywhere that interest rates are “historically low,” but no one I know seems to be able to qualify to get the 4.4 percent we keep hearing and reading about. How do you qualify to get the lowest rates? What do you advise a financially [...]