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Going green in real estate Premium Content

By Pooja Kumar, Monday, October 13, 2008.
<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/sbrown/369256816/" target=blank>Flickr photo by SimonBrown</a>

Agents, brokers and builders alike are looking at ways to tap into the "green" movement -- an emerging awareness about minimizing environmental impacts. And what they find can be overwhelming, as the number of green-branded designations and products and services has soared.

But what does green mean? That depends on who you ask.  more...

Online ad spending defies economy Premium Content

By Matt Carter, Monday, October 13, 2008.

A new report shows spending on Internet advertising grew at a double digit rate during the first half of 2008, but that pace of growth trend isn't expected to continue into into 2009 -- particularly among companies in the real estate and mortgage lending business.

Internet advertising revenue grew 15.2 percent during the first half of 2008, to $11.5 billion, according to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.  more...

Home inspection fee was a waste

By Barry Stone, Monday, October 13, 2008.

DEAR BARRY: We just closed escrow on a home, and the day we moved in we found a flooded basement because the water heater had failed. But four weeks ago, our home inspector said the water heater would be good for many more years. Our plumber disagreed. He said the fixture was 10 years old, was rusted at the bottom, and was well past its normal lifespan. We paid our inspector $450 to let us know what was wrong with the house and then had to spend twice as much for repairs on moving day. Is our home inspector liable for this mistake? --Faith  more...

Foreclosure filings slow in California

By Inman News, Monday, October 13, 2008.

Notices of default filings -- which mark the beginning of a home foreclosure process -- fell 61.8 percent in September compared to August and fell 36.4 percent compared to the same month last year in California, reports data company ForeclosureRadar.com.  more...

Broker counsels agents through slow spell Premium Content

By Glenn Roberts Jr., Monday, October 13, 2008.

While the impacts of the global credit crunch may be unavoidable, Spokane, Wash., tends to be insulated against the most extreme peaks and valleys in housing cycles, said Ken Lewis, who has worked as a broker for the past 42 years.

"We're hurting like everybody else, but not nearly as bad," he said.

And while the market has slowed down, "This is not the worst I've seen," said Lewis, broker for Prudential Spokane Real Estate. "It's slow, but it's not terrible."  more...

Treasury seeks to prevent foreclosures

By Inman News, Monday, October 13, 2008.

The Treasury Department "will look for every opportunity possible" to help troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure when it begins buying mortgages and mortgage-backed securities from banks and financial institutions under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Neel Kashkari today revealed some of the particulars of how the $700 billion TARP program, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush Oct. 3, will be implemented.  more...

RE/MAX franchises bloom in '08

By Inman News, Monday, October 13, 2008.

Despite weakening economic conditions, RE/MAX International Inc. recently announced it added more than 500 new franchises to its global network in the first three quarters of 2008, with nearly half of the new franchises located in the United States and Canada.

The company said in a press statement that many of the sales were made to existing real estate brokerage offices converting to the RE/MAX network.  more...

Report: Don't blame Fannie, Freddie

By Inman News, Monday, October 13, 2008.

Loosely regulated subprime lenders and investment firms that bundled loans into private label mortgage backed securities -- not Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or banks subject to the Community Reinvestment Act -- were the main drivers of the housing boom and bust.

That's the assertion of a McClatchy Newspapers story published Sunday that examines the emergence of "a conservative campaign that blames the global financial crisis on a government push to make housing more affordable to lower-class Americans."  more...