Home

Agents' skills provide an exit option

By Teresa Boardman, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

There is a large society out there that I am a member of and so are many of the Inman readers. We call it the RE blogosphere, made up of real estate bloggers. In recent weeks some of our most prolific members have developed writer's block. Some of us are not exactly sure what to think about current events or what our own futures hold.  more...

Landlord: Lawyers too risky as tenants

By Janet Portman, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

Q: My wife and I have been turned down for a home we tried to rent. Our credit is good, our references are excellent, and we make more than three times the monthly rent -- but I'm a lawyer! The landlord told me she won't rent to lawyers, because she's found them to be hard to deal with. Is this illegal discrimination? --Larry L.  more...

Buyers, be careful what you sign at escrow

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

Q: I am about to buy a home. I have heard that I should request a copy of my closing documents several days prior to my scheduled signing. What should I be looking for, and who can I hire to help me go over them?  more...

Web 2.0 lessons from the wine world Premium Content

By Matt Carter, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk may make a living selling and critiquing wine, but he's got a few things to say to real estate professionals about building brand, marketing and advertising.

In the process of transforming himself into an Internet celebrity and marketing guru, Vaynerchuk has all but left behind the newspaper ads and other traditional marketing techniques that helped him and his father re-brand their New Jersey liquor store as Wine Library and boost sales by 1,200 percent in six years.  more...

Short-term rates nearing historic lows

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

For the second time this month, the Federal Reserve has cut a key short term interest rate, but the widely anticipated move was expected to have little immediate impact on mortgage rates.

In slashing its target for the federal funds overnight rate by 50 basis points, to 1 percent, the Federal Open Market Committee said a decline in consumer expenditures has "markedly" slowed economic activity.  more...

Fannie: First-time buyers need counseling

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

Fannie Mae is reinstating required home ownership counseling for first-time homebuyers who don't have a solid credit history or are seeking loans tailored for low- and moderate-income buyers.

Beginning Jan. 1, Fannie Mae will require counseling for homebuyers relying on nontraditional credit or obtaining a MyCommunityMortgage loan to by a single family home. Fannie Mae already requires pre-purchase counseling including landlord education for borrowers purchasing a two-to-four-unit property using a MyCommunityMortgage loan.  more...

Home loan apps on the rise

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

Mortgage applications jumped 16.8 percent during the week ending Oct. 24 from the previous week, but applications were down 30 percent from a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.  more...

Oct

29
2008

"25 Most Influential Bloggers" special report comes out tomorrow

By Daniel Rothamel, the Real Estate Zebra, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

The 2008 edition of the Inman News Special Report, "25 Most Influential Bloggers," will be released tomorrow.  What can you expect from the special report?  Here's a glimpse from the introduction:  more...

Falling home prices threaten economy

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

If rising home prices helped the economy bounce back from the dot-com stock market crash by allowing homeowners convert their growing equity into disposable cash, falling home prices will only exacerbate the current downturn by reining in consumer spending, a new study suggests.

The study, by economists at the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate and the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate, found that between 1989 and 2001, changes in housing wealth had about three times the impact on consumer spending as other sources of wealth, such as stock holdings.  more...

What the next president must do Premium Content

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

The presidential candidates, in coordination with the White House, are taking aggressive steps to facilitate a smooth transfer of power to the new administration.

At the top of the agenda are national security and the economy, of course. However, considering the housing market kick-started the over-leveraged credit debacle, the administration must act swiftly to address the drifting housing market, which weighs so heavy on the economy.  more...

Will Realtors go the way of the record labels?

By Inman News, Wednesday, October 29, 2008.

Editor's note: The following is a reader comment on the Oct. 22 Inman News column, "Big brokerage model is 'on the roof.' "  more...