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Affiliate marketing expert reveals secrets of the trade

By Inman News, Friday, December 24, 2004.

Shawn Collins, CEO of Shawn Collins Consulting, is experienced with all facets of affiliate marketing. Through his company, he offers short-term consulting and coaching as well as the ability to handle the entire outsourcing of an affiliate program.

Collins previously served as director of affiliate marketing for ClubMom, where he launched the affiliate program in March 2000.  more...

What did you get from your real estate agent for Xmas?

By Julie Brosterman, Friday, December 24, 2004.

The stores are filled with last minutes shoppers here in LA and I'm sure that if statistics of web purchases were tracked by zip codes, the LA neighborhoods would lead the national pack in dollars of purchases bought via the internet by the looks of all the UPS, US Mail and Fed Ex trucks making multiple stops on my street.  And frankly, given the traffic in our fair city, it's really the only way to shop. more...

Widowed homeowner worries about losing home-sale tax break

By Robert Bruss, Thursday, December 23, 2004.

DEAR BOB: My wife died last August after a long illness. I plan to eventually sell our longtime house because it is far too big for me alone. But my daughter says if I don't sell by Dec. 31, 2004, I lose my $500,000 tax exemption. Is this true? – Raymond H.

DEAR RAYMOND: Please don't despair. This is a technical problem with Internal Revenue Code 121 because 2004 is obviously the last tax year you can file a joint income tax return with your late wife.

Purchase Bob Bruss reports online.  more...

Family accused of exceeding apartment occupancy limit

By Robert Griswold, Thursday, December 23, 2004.

Question: What can be done about neighbors who are living in a one-bedroom apartment with two small children? I have reported it to the management and they will not ask them to move. The regulations state that only two people can live in a one-bedroom apartment. They are also extremely noisy.

Landlord's attorney Smith replies:  more...

NYC home prices worry Curbed.com publisher

By Inman News, Thursday, December 23, 2004.

A Massachusetts native who moved to New York in 1996, Lockhart Steele has made a mark on the New York real estate market through his blog, Curbed.com, which highlights how people define and redefine neighborhoods, community and place, with a focus on New York City.

Launched in May 2004, the blog is filled with information, insight, gossip, guesses, color, commentary, critiques, humor and occasional digressions from real estate insiders and outsiders alike.  more...

What will happen in 2005?

By Inman News, Thursday, December 23, 2004.

Editor's note: The real estate industry is heading for big change in 2005. Experts once again are predicting slower home sales and easing price appreciation due to an anticipated rise in interest rates. In this Inman News forecast series, we attempt to get a clear picture of the industry next year, including what we can expect from housing numbers, who the industry should be watching and what the best and worst-case scenarios might be for housing in 2005.  more...

Realtor association in Wisconsin hit with lawsuit

By Inman News, Thursday, December 23, 2004.

A Wisconsin Realtor is suing the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin and its separate Multiple Listing Service corporation for allegedly forcing local real estate agents to buy memberships in the association as a condition of belonging to the MLS. more...

Feds battle real estate investors over capital gains

By Robert Bruss, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

Timothy Phelan, along with two other investors, purchased a 1,050-acre parcel of vacant land for investment. They formed the Jackson Creek Land Co. (JCLC) partnership to hold title for long-term appreciation in market value.

During the next few years, the local improvement district brought water and sewer pipes to the property.

Purchase Bob Bruss reports online.  more...

Keeping water out of the basement

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

Q: When it rains, I have a problem in my basement. After the earth is saturated, water enters through the foundation. I have an attached house and live on a hill. We have two bedrooms and a bath in the basement. The water flows under the floor, which is elevated about 4 inches. I haven't had any mold problems because I put towels against the foundation wall to soak up the water. But sometimes I don't get it all and it travels down the sloping floor to the drain in the middle of the garage. It looks as if the previous owners have tried a patch or two with little success.  more...

For-sale-by-owner deals may put sellers at a disadvantage

By Tom Kelly, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

The elderly couple planned to sell their small rental home on Washington State's scenic Olympic Peninsula to a young neighbor they had known for years.

"We are not going to use a salesperson because it's a pretty straightforward deal," Sally Coombs said. "We've always liked this kid and I think we are charging him enough."  more...

How can mom get name off of son's real estate loan?

By Robert Bruss, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

DEAR BOB: About two years ago, I foolishly co-signed a home loan for my 26-year-old son so he and his wife could buy a home. That proved to be a major mistake. About a year later, she divorced him. I don't blame her. But that's another story. He is a cross-country independent truck driver, often gone a week or two at a time. He earns very good money hauling specialized freight, even after paying the high fuel costs. It's hard work, but he loves the adventure. He has more job load orders than he can handle, as he is very dependable.  more...

Overnight real estate rates mostly flat

By Inman News, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

Long-term mortgage interest rates barely budged Tuesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield dipped to 4.17 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate average inched up to 5.33 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate held at 4.75 percent. The 1-year adjustable was unchanged at 3.44 percent.

The 30-year Treasury bond yield fell to 4.8 percent.

Rates are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  more...

Real estate refinancings jump

By Inman News, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

Despite a drop in purchase applications, an increase in refinancings last week hiked overall mortgage application volume by 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly survey.

The MBA seasonally adjusted refinance index increased by 5.7 percent to 1,958.2 from 1,852.4 one week earlier. The seasonally adjusted purchase index decreased by 3.6 percent to 471.1 from 488.9 the previous week.  more...

Freddie Mac real estate loan portfolio grows

By Inman News, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

Freddie Mac's total mortgage portfolio grew at annual rate of 2.8 percent in November, the company reported today. Its retained portfolio decreased at an annualized rate of 6 percent last month.

Freddie Mac is a government-chartered corporation owned by shareholders. The company buys mortgages, repackages them and sells some to investors and also retains a portion.  more...

Raines out as Fannie Mae CEO

By Inman News, Wednesday, December 22, 2004.

Fannie Mae's board of directors dismissed its top two executives late Tuesday night in the wake of a growing accounting scandal.

CEO Franklin Raines announced his early retirement from the mortgage giant, while chief financial officer J. Timothy Howard announced his resignation.  more...

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