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Let there be a bridge

By Alison Rogers, Friday, December 30, 2005.

Every columnist looks forward to the holidays as a chance to write a "perennial" – a column that takes the concerns of the present and mixes them up with more important and more spiritual themes. You know, like "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

So of course the natural thing to do is to put forth a series of New Year's resolutions that are at once witty and reflective, insightful and charming.  more...

Jazz up your yard with famous flora

By Katherine Salant, Friday, December 30, 2005.

I grew up near Alexandria, Va., where local history is American history and there are at least 16 historical sites connected in one way or another to George Washington.

Now I discover that I can make my own connection to George Washington. I can plant a sapling in my backyard that was germinated from the seed of a tree that Washington planted himself at Mt. Vernon.  more...

Give the gift of home tools this season

By Paul Bianchina, Friday, December 30, 2005.

Yep, it's that time again. The holidays will be here before we know it, and if you're looking for gifts, here are some great tool ideas that are sure to delight just about anyone:

-Ridgid Heavy Duty 1/2-Inch Right Angle Drill: Got some holes to drill? Why not do it right with one of the most powerful, well-designed electric drills on the market. Ridgid's right angle drill has a compact, low profile head that is ideal for framing, electrical wiring, plumbing, and any other project that requires some tough drilling chores.  more...

The nation's best home mortgage lender

By Robert Bruss, Friday, December 30, 2005.

With a title like "The Nation's Best Home Mortgage Lender," if you expect me to name one of the largest national home mortgage lenders, such as Bank of America, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo, Countrywide or Chase, you will be disappointed.

These are all fine lenders. I've done business with all of them over the years. But the nation's best home mortgage lender is one you probably don't know. Most home buyers and real estate agents have never heard of this well-kept secret mortgage source.  more...

Real estate survival tips for interest-rate rollercoaster

By Bernice Ross, Friday, December 30, 2005.

If you have never experienced a market where interest rates are climbing steadily, hold onto your hat--you may be in for a wild ride.

October 2005 saw record national home sales numbers. Rather than being encouraged by this, many experts believe this surge is due to buyers purchasing prior to additional interest rate increases. With each interest rate increase, there is a reduction in the number of buyers who can afford to purchase property. The Federal Reserve is expected to continue to raise interest rates during 2006.  more...

Versatile HomeGain CEO grooves to classical, hip-hop

By Inman News, Friday, December 30, 2005.

Under Richard Sommer's leadership of HomeGain, a provider of online marketing solutions to the real estate industry, the company has expanded its innovative line of products and technology solutions to agents and brokers, helping them succeed with today's tech savvy consumers.

An industry veteran, Sommer previously served as senior vice president of business development for the mortgage banking unit at IndyMac Bank and before that was president of Homestore International.

Inman News named Sommer to the 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate in 2005.  more...

Financing your first real estate investment

By Robert Bruss, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

As emphasized before, your first "investment property" should be your home. One of the major reasons is that owner-occupied residences are the easiest to finance.

Another big benefit is your capital gain resale profit will be tax-free up to $250,000 (up to $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly in the year of home sale). Internal Revenue Code 121 requires principal residence owner-occupancy for any 24 of the 60 months before selling for tax-free profits up to the limits.  more...

Is open house effective way to market real estate?

By Robert Bruss, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

DEAR BOB: In early January I plan to put my house on the market for sale. I have already signed the 90-day listing with the Realtor. She wants to hold a Sunday open house every other week; sometimes she will attend and other times her licensed assistant will attend. During the process of interviewing several Realtors to get my listing, most said open houses rarely sell homes. What is your opinion? Should I agree to open houses every other week until my home sells? --Janice C.

DEAR JANICE: Yes.  more...

Homescape debuts online video communication

By Inman News, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

Homescape, which provides a technology platform for real estate advertising online, is innovating communication with its newspaper network through Internet video produced by Inman Stories.

To view the online video, click here.

Homescape is a division of Classified Ventures, a joint venture of media companies looking to capitalize on online advertising in real estate, automotive and rentals.  more...

Connecticut landlords settle lead-paint probe, will pay $18K

By Inman News, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

Connecticut landlords accused of not telling tenants about potentially dangerous lead levels settled with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, agreeing to clean up any hazards and pay a total of $18,000, HUD said today.

Klee Properties, owned by Menachem Gurevitch, and five other affiliated property companies agreed to disclose any known lead-based paint hazards to their tenants and to test for and clean up any hazards, including the replacement of windows, in nearly 200 apartments in the New Haven area, HUD said.

In addition, Klee and its affiliates will pay $3,  more...

Million-dollar idea draws real estate advertising

By , Thursday, December 29, 2005.

Julie Lauer, a Realtor for Keller Williams Realty in Pleasanton, Calif., paid $100 for a tiny square adjoining the image of a flying Elvis. Michael Seitz, associate broker for Kingman Realty in Kingman, Ariz., bought a $400 rectangle to display the word "Arizona."

Other real estate professionals, too, spent $100 or more to be a part of a pay-per-pixel advertising site dreamed up by Alex Tew, 21, a college student from Wiltshire, England.  more...

Real estate exec takes novel approach

By Inman News, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

For more than 20 years, Pam O'Connor has managed networks, which ultimately were consolidated into the present company, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.

Leading Real Estate Companies is a national network of independent residential real estate firms and focuses on the special needs of individuals and families relocating from one area to another.

Formerly known as the RELO network, the organization encompasses 650 local and regional real estate brands in residential real estate, with 4,700 offices and 120,000 sales associates in the U.S. and 24 other countries.  more...

Real estate agents, brokers escape liability in lawsuits

By Inman News, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

Real estate disputes that lead to lawsuits most commonly involve property management issues such as debt collection, liability for tenant's property condition, liability for the condition of a common area, liability for crimes occurring on leased property, and fair-housing claims, the National Association of Realtors announced today.

The Realtor trade group released the findings of a legal report, prepared by Legal Research Center Inc.<  more...

Real estate markets normalize as average time to sell climbs

By Inman News, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

According to a recent nationwide survey of real estate professionals, the average length of time for-sale houses spend on the market has increased dramatically in the past six months.

Seventy-five percent of respondents said it now takes more than 30 days to sell a house, and of that figure 30 percent said it takes more than 60 days, according to HouseHunt's current market conditions survey.  more...

Overnight real estate rates slip again

By Inman News, Thursday, December 29, 2005.

Long-term mortgage interest rates were lower Wednesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield dipped to 4.37 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate average fell to 5.7 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate was down at 5.27 percent. The 1-year adjustable dipped to 4.53 percent.

The 30-year Treasury bond yield increased to 4.53 percent.

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

Mortgage rate figures are according to Bankrate.com, which publishes nightly averages based on its survey of 4,000 banks in 50 states.  more...

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