Housing Starts Bounce Back in April
New housing starts nationwide rebounded in April after unexpectedly plunging 17.6 percent in March, the biggest one-month drop in 14 years.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/27/2005 1:22:42 AMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/17/AR2005051701367.html
Unfinished Business
Chevy Chase homeowner Sally Kelly tries to ignore the half-built 12,000-square-foot mansion next door. After almost two years of inactivity, she says it's "ugly and an eyesore . . . but I try not to look at it or worry about it."
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/27/2005 1:18:42 AMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/13/AR2005051300626.html
Developer's Dream House Up for Sale
The house that Anthony M. Natelli built for himself at his exclusive Avenel community in Potomac is up for sale for $6.175 million.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/27/2005 12:45:41 AMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/13/AR2005051300619.html
FHA Alternatives To Subprime Loans
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson has a request for potential first-time home buyers, especially those with limited or imperfect credit histories: When you shop for a home this spring or summer, take a hard look at the new, consumer-friendly breed of Federal Housing...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 11:39:41 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/13/AR2005051300613.html
No-Cost Equity-Style Loans Come to Primary Mortgages
One of the most popular offerings in the home equity lending market is about to become available in the primary home loan arena: mortgages that carry no lender fees, no appraisal charges, no credit report, loan origination, tax service, processing, document preparation, courier or any of the other...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 11:28:40 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/06/AR2005050600558.html
Fighting The Power To Take Your Home
Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson set off a furor in March by warning during a radio broadcast that the county might tear down some crime-riddled apartment complexes if the owners didn't do more to step up security.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 10:41:39 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/06/AR2005050600507.html
Preserving History as the Suburbs Creep Closer
To the average motorist, Brentsville is one of those pass-through communities -- hardly noticed, quickly forgotten on the way to somewhere else.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 9:55:38 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/06/AR2005050600543.html
From P St. Salon to a Candidate's Makeover
Former senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards (D-N.C.) and his family are returning home to North Carolina this summer after the children wrap up school and wife Elizabeth completes breast cancer treatment.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 9:51:38 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/06/AR2005050600908.html
Owners Hold Off On Sales Of Homes
Super-charged local real estate market that has sent home prices soaring is increasingly leaving prospective sellers hesitant to put their homes on the market, believing they cannot find an affordable move-up house.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 9:46:37 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/01/AR2005050100857.html
A Place for Everything
There are days when Alex Post feels as if he has five houses, and all the challenges that go along with maintaining them. John Lauer, owner of Lauer Construction Inc. in Annapolis, enjoys working on outbuildings, but he dislikes dealing with the mess of zoning requirements that restrict where.........
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 9:11:36 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/29/AR2005042900591.html
Social Network Blossoms in Well-Linked Neighborhood
Al Marah, a Bethesda neighborhood named after the horse farm on which it was developed, has no pool, playground, clubhouse or sidewalks. Yet residents say they feel a strong sense of community in this 152-home subdivision.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 8:30:34 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/29/AR2005042900657.html
New-Home Incentives: Who Benefits More -- Buyer or Builder's Affiliate?
If you have shopped for a newly built house in recent years, you have probably run into this: The builder offers you a substantial incentive -- a finished patio, extra square footage or lush landscaping -- if you agree to obtain your mortgage, and maybe your title and settlement services, through...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 7:43:33 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/29/AR2005042900597.html
New Home Sales Continue to Rise
Sales of new homes in the United States increased to the highest level on record in March, the Commerce Department said yesterday.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 7:24:33 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/26/AR2005042601695.html
Bringing More Into the Fold
Frankly, it's scary to head toward a place where I never planned to go.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 7:17:32 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/22/AR2005042200877.html
High on Their Lofty Spaces on the Hill
Jamie Brown and Kyle Hamblin say they won't be buying another 17-foot Christmas tree this year.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 6:46:32 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/22/AR2005042200559.html
Pint-Size Powder Rooms
When responding to nature's call means trekking up or down a flight of stairs to reach a bathroom, many homeowners start looking around for a more convenient place to put the toilet and sink.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 6:27:32 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/22/AR2005042200492.html
A Crusade For Competition
The Department of Justice has two blunt warnings for the American home real estate establishment:
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 5:57:31 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/22/AR2005042200554.html
Housing Starts Fade After Busy February
U.S. builders broke ground on tens of thousands fewer homes than expected in March, the biggest one-month drop in residential construction activity in 14 years, according to government figures released yesterday.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 5:38:30 PMContent source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/19/AR2005041904856.html
Why Should I Refinance?
As the rates dip phenomenally, more and more homeowners are going in for a refinance. But there is more to refinance than meets the eye. Refinance involves switching over to a new mortgage deal from...
[ Visit realtybaron.com for full article and more! ]
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 5:00:29 PMContent source: http://www.realtybaron.com/hotproperty/2005/05/why-should-i-refinance.jsp
Celebrating One Year of Blogging
On this day in 2004, HOT PROPERTY debuted with the intent of delivering useful insight on residential real estate. Thank you for subscribing and we hope it's been a worthwhile read. And a big thank...
[ Visit realtybaron.com for full article and more! ]
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 4:14:29 PMContent source: http://www.realtybaron.com/hotproperty/2005/04/celebrating-one-year-of-blogging.jsp
Flexible Mortgage: The Modern Mortgage Type
A mortgage normally lasts for 25-30 years. When one takes a mortgage in his/her twenties, then there seems to be no reason for worry. But as one ages the worry lines increase as to how fast a...
[ Visit realtybaron.com for full article and more! ]
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 4:01:27 PMContent source: http://www.realtybaron.com/hotproperty/2005/04/flexible-mortgage-modern-mortgage-type.jsp
Passing on the Legacy
The ultimate gift that a parent passes on to their children is their home. The historical trend has been through an inheritance after death. However, recent findings show a new trend of parents...
[ Visit realtybaron.com for full article and more! ]
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 3:17:25 PMContent source: http://www.realtybaron.com/hotproperty/2005/04/passing-on-legacy.jsp
What Exactly Does "Jumbo Mortgage" Mean?
Mortgage loan amounts for more than $359,650.00 are referred to as "Jumbo Mortgages."
[ Visit realtybaron.com for full article and more! ]
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 2:37:25 PMContent source: http://www.realtybaron.com/hotproperty/2005/04/what-exactly-does-jumbo-mortgage-mean.jsp
Elders Skeptical of the Reverse Mortgage
One of the more traumatic events just occurred this last week for me. I got my AARP membership card in the mail! One of my dear friends apparently pulled together $12.50 for a one year...
[ Visit realtybaron.com for full article and more! ]
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 1:54:25 PMContent source: http://www.realtybaron.com/hotproperty/2005/03/elders-skeptical-of-reverse-mortgage.jsp
Vacation Rentals to Go
I just returned from spring break with my son in Vail Colorado. Even though we had a wonderful trip, the nightly cost of the condo was staggering - even with a "discount" (and they didn't even...
[ Visit realtybaron.com for full article and more! ]
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 1:45:24 PMContent source: http://www.realtybaron.com/hotproperty/2005/03/vacation-rentals-to-go.jsp
East Lake launches new brand: Midtown
Nicole Garrison-Sprenger Staff writer During its 84 years in business, Julie Ingebretsen's family has watched sweeping changes along East Lake Street, where Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts & Foods operates. The Minneapolis retail strip, where immigrants have long planted roots with family businesses, still boasts entrepreneurial pride. But it's been through tough economic times and struggled with crime. That's left many Twin Citians with a bad perception of the area. East Lake has boasted good news lately, but businesses there have...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 1:11:23 PMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000099.php
Seller beware
Twin Cities home buyers begin to gain more leverage as the housing market shows signs of cooling. BY GITA SITARAMIAH Pioneer Press Back in December, Jason Thorman put his family's spacious, 5-year-old Lakeville home on sale for $325,000. The multilevel home drew few prospective buyers as the winter months passed. Growing impatient, he dropped the listing price to $300,000, below its appraised value. But Thorman still hasn't gotten a bite. He advises other sellers not to count on a...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 8:22:52 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000095.php
Making the most of 'lifestyle housing'
Terry Fiedler Star Tribune Published April 18, 2005 Jayme Arezzo doesn't seem to have much in common with Paul Lerdal. Arezzo, 24, is at the beginning of his career, single and about to make his first real estate buy. Lerdal, 54, and his wife, Joan, are empty nesters making what they expect will be one of their last home purchases. Together, they represent what the National Association of Realtors calls "the bookends" of the resurgent demand for condominium living....
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 7:40:51 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000094.php
Hot Property: Steele Flats in Minneapolis
Published March 28, 2005 Steele Flats 4500 Chicago Av. S. Minneapolis Cost: $6 million Units: 32 Residential square footage: 55,000 Type: Condominium Owner and developer: Master Development Group Details: Master Development Group, already busy in and around Minneapolis with several condominium projects, said it has completed the land purchases for its next two efforts and will begin marketing the first of the pair in early April. The Steele Flats at 45th St. and Chicago Av. in the Field Regina...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 7:02:50 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000093.php
Joseph Errigo: Making housing tougher to afford
Joseph Errigo Published March 16, 2005 If someone told you their property taxes more than doubled in the past four years, you would think they had moved to an expensive new home in a fancy neighborhood. Most likely, though, you would be talking to one of the affordable-housing providers in Minnesota who have experienced this rate of increase on their apartment buildings. CommonBond Communities is the largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing in this state, operating almost 3,800 housing...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 6:43:50 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000092.php
Whitney Hotel selling heirlooms
Sarah McKenzie Staff reporter Developers planning to build condominiums in the former Whitney Hotel in Minneapolis are organizing an auction to sell the hotel's heirloom pieces, including antique cappuccino makers and marble-top dressers. Whitney Partners LLC, a development group led by Ned Abdul, owner of Minneapolis-based Swervo Development, plan to rehab the former 96-room riverside hotel to make way for 40 to 60 new condo units, said Michael Roess, a Coldwell Banker Burnet real estate broker working on the...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 6:11:50 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000091.php
Edina's Southdale area seeks 21st-century look
David Peterson, Star Tribune February 10, 2005 Tonight, nearly a half-century after Southdale became the first shopping mall of its kind, the city of Edina will introduce a series of plans aimed at transforming the nearby complex of disconnected strip malls and big-box stores into a true town center, with ponds, walking paths and a circulating transit system. And with a new owner expected to be arriving in town, Southdale itself could well get similar renewal. These plans could push...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 5:23:49 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000090.php
Despite an annual record, sales of new homes stall
Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press February 1, 2005 ECONOMY0201 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sales of new homes rose to an all-time high in 2004, the fourth straight annual record. But activity in December barely budged after a big drop the previous month, suggesting that the nation's red-hot housing market finally might be cooling. The Commerce Department reported that sales of new single-family homes climbed 8.9 percent for all of 2004 to a record high of 1.18 million, up from 1.09 million in...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 4:39:49 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000089.php
Home is where bucks are
Jim Buchta Star Tribune Published January 12, 2005 Home sales in the Twin Cities area again broke records in 2004. Several Twin Cities-area Realtors groups announced their year-end sales numbers Tuesday, and as expected, they showed that 2004 was another record year not only for home sales but also for median sale prices and the number of new listings on the market. Realtors sold 58,233 houses, townhouses and condominiums for the year -- 3 percent more than in 2003 and...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 4:35:48 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000088.php
After a rousing 2004, housing markets may cool
Jim Buchta Star Tribune Published January 8, 2005 2004 was a year of extremes for the housing market, and a year of contradictions too. With mortgage rates near historic lows and the highest numbers of houses for sale and apartments for rent since 2000, renters and home buyers found themselves spoiled with choices. For many sellers and landlords, however, it was a year of growing frustration as market times for rentals and for-sale housing stretched to weeks, sometimes months, and...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 3:57:47 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000087.php
Candles For Sale
I am having difficulty getting my candle site indexed by Google. I bought the domain at an auction and I think it might have been previously blacklisted by Google. Since blogs get spidered so frequently, this will be a test of whether or not the site gets indexed. For all of your candle needs please visit www.candles-for-sale.com!...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 3:09:47 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000086.php
Twin Cities condo market strong, says new report
Sam Black Staff reporter More than 2,100 new condos will be introduced in the Twin Cities in 2004, more than the units developed in the nine years combined, according to a report published this week by Dahlgren, Shardlow and Uban Inc. (DSU) in Minneapolis. Despite the "gold rush" of condo development that the Twin Cities is experiencing, DSU predicts there's still room for growth long term. The overall Twin Cities condo market is still trying to catch up with...
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 2:50:47 AMContent source: http://www.minnesotas-real-estate.com/blog/000085.php
Dormant
My apologies for the lack of an explanation re: the dormancy of this blog.I'm rethinking what to do with this idea, as well as Ego Orgasms and I'm not sure when I'll get back to it.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 2:38:46 AMContent source: http://realjoe.com/2005_03_01_archive.html#111167773157479712
A hospital visit
I'm heading to the Mayo Clinic's St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester later this afternoon. My motorcycle buddy Jim Douglas and I are paying a visit to Jon Harmsen who was severely injured in a cycle accident about a month ago.Jon is the son of another friend, Larry Harmsen whom I've known and gone biking with for many years. (Jim and Larry rode on the very first RJ Tour back in Nov. 200.) Jon joined us on our one-day Real Joe Motorcycle Tour that we held back in August. (No, I never wrote about it. I did take photos, but lost them in a hard drive crash.) A couple weeks later, he and his wife rear-ended a van and they've both been in the hospital since. Details and updates on CaringBridge.I may moblog some photos from the hospital.
more...FSBO Real EstateOriginally Posted on 5/26/2005 2:05:45 AMContent source: http://realjoe.com/2004_10_01_archive.html#109813155730274592
