News on Real Estate

Investors learn to accept bad housing numbers

2010-03-21T14:45:26Z

<div id="subtitle">For investors, even a little stability in the housing market is good enough for now</div><div><p>The housing market is still in bad shape, but investors don't seem to mind.</p><p>While this week brings reports on sales of new and existing homes in February, there are no signs of heightened anxiety in the stock market. That's a big change from one and two years ago, when these numbers were often horrific enough to send investors running. In r...

What's left to fix housing market?

2010-03-21T12:15:17Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has thrown trillions of dollars at the slumping housing market and it still looks wobbly.</p><p>The government seized the two biggest mortgage finance companies and offered as much as $8,000 in tax breaks to entice home buyers, while the Pulte Homes Inc. is not seeing many sales as result of a federal tax credit designed to spur home purchases, an analyst wrote Friday, so its sales are therefore unlikely to fall after the incentive expires.</p><p>Last year, Congress created a homebuyer tax credit of up to $8...

Calif. politics has short sellers facing big bills

2010-03-17T15:45:19Z

<div id="subtitle">Californians losing their homes face big tax bills unless Schwarzenegger, lawmakers compromise</div><div><p>What should have been a legislative afterthought is threatening to become a financial purgatory for thousands of California taxpayers hit by the housing crisis.</p><p>With less than a month until tax filings are due, struggling Californians who received mortgage modifications or lost ...

Commercial Space San Jose

2010-03-17T03:24:56Z

There may be one or more reasons to review your current commercial space position. You may need to lower occupancy costs, improve your current space floor plan efficiency, consider an early lease renewal at fair market rent, negotiate a tenant favorable lease, or evaluate some of the many choices available from hungry San Jose commercial space landlords.<br>Space occupancy costs may be reduced by finding a lower base rent when your current...

Summary Box: Housing construction falls in Feb.

2010-03-16T15:16:28Z

<div id="subtitle">Summary Box: February snows depress housing construction with permit applications also down</div><div><p>HOUSING STARTS: Construction of new homes and apartments fell 5.9 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 575,000 units.</p><p>SNOW EFFECT: Economists blamed the heavy snowstorms that hit the East Coast, noting that the declines occurred in the Northeast and the South.</p><p>HOUSING PROSPECTS: Economists be...

Advantages of Financing With a VA Mortgage

2010-03-16T20:16:31Z

A VA mortgage has numerous advantages for a borrower purchasing a new home or a homeowner who is refinancing his or her current mortgage. This type of loan is specifically for veterans or service members currently serving in the U.S. military. It is an exclusive benefit available to them in return for their service to this country. This type of financing is known for its great rates, flexible loan requirements and easy qualific...

Ahead of the Bell: Housing starts

2010-03-16T03:45:08Z

<div id="subtitle">Housing construction likely slipped in February in part because of severe winter snowstorms</div><div><p>Housing construction, which hit a six-month high in January, likely slipped in February, reflecting in part the major snowstorms that hit many parts of the country. The housing industry in good times is a major generator of jobs and economic growth.</p><p>Economists surveyed by Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. The National Association of Home Builders releases its housing market index for March on Monday, March 15. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

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Homebuilder sentiment index falls in March

2010-03-15T13:18:08Z

<div id="subtitle">Homebuilder sentiment index drops in March as weather, foreclosures put damper on outlook</div><div><p>Harsh winter weather and competition from deeply discounted foreclosures are putting a damper on sales prospects for homebuilders.</p><p>The National Association of Home Builders said Monday its housing market index, which tracks indust...

5 states rush plans for $1.5B in housing funds

2010-03-15T08:45:43Z

<div id="subtitle">5 states have just weeks to craft plans to spend $1.5B to help struggling homeowners</div><div><p>The five states hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis have been given only weeks to plan how to spend $1.5 billion in federal funding announced by the Obama administration last month.</p><p>Guidelines issued under the

Houston Commercial Real Estate: Giving Your Business a Home in Houston

2010-03-14T12:39:16Z

The real estate environment in Houston is one of the healthiest in the entire of the United States. There is a good mix of residential and commercial properties available for sale. Any business wanting to establish itself in Houston is in good hands. Whether you look inside the Loop or outside the Loop, there is a commercial property that you can get your hands on. There is no formal zoning regulations in Houston that is why there are ...

Obtain Low VA Mortgage Rates and Save Money!

2010-03-13T12:54:51Z

VA mortgages are a great financing option for both first time homebuyers and current homeowners. These types of loans have multiple benefits, including no down payment on purchases and no mortgage insurance. The absence of these costs, which are required on most mortgages today, saves borrowers money for their other expenses. Borrowers can also save money because this type of financing tends to have lower interest rates than other types of home loans.<br><br>Why Low Rates are Bene...

Basics of Buying Real Estate Short Sales

2010-03-13T08:34:43Z

Over the last several years, short sales have received a substantial amount of attention. This type of transaction is done when the seller owes more on his or her mortgage than the value of the property. The lender essentially agrees to accept less than the balance owed as an alternative to foreclosure.<br><br>On the surface, a short sale (SS) seems attractive for all parties involved. The buyer is able to purchase a property for a price that is below market value; the seller is a...

5 Tips For Making an Offer on a Property For Sale

2010-03-13T08:15:45Z

When buyers look at homes for sale, they are often under the impression their real estate agents will suggest a reasonable price. Most realtors will avoid doing so, which can understandably frustrate their clients. Agents want to avoid encouraging a low offer that results in their client missing an opportunity. Similarly, they want to avoid recommending an offer that turns out to be too high.<br><br>In the end, you'll need to absorb the information your realtor provides (i.e. mark...

Despite National Drop, Foreclosures In Connecticut On The Rise

2010-03-12T12:33:50Z

BRIDGEPORT, CT - MARCH 12: An abandoned property is boarded up on March 12, 2010 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A new report by RealtyTrac Inc. announced that the number of foreclosed homes in Connecticut, one of the nation's wealthiest states, is up 3.4 percent from January to February of this year. Nationwide foreclosures have decr...

Treasury says 1 million homeowners in loan modifications

2010-03-12T11:45:35Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Obama administration program to help struggling homeowners modify their mortgages has more than one million active borrowers, though fewer than 10 percent have obtained permanent loan modifications, according to a Treasury Department repo...