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Web snares more real estate buyers Premium Content

By Inman News, Sunday, September 14, 2008.

The share of home buyers who said the Web was integral to their purchase process continues to grow, according to an annual survey of home buyers by the California Association of Realtors trade group. Meanwhile, the home-search process lengthened compared to the 2007 survey.

The association's "Survey of California Home Buyers" reveals that 78 percent of buyers used the Internet "as an important part of (their) home buying and selection process," compared to 72 percent in 2007.  more...

Stayin' alive in a shrunken real estate market

By Alison Rogers, Sunday, September 14, 2008.

So we just had this discussion in the office today: How are we going to increase business?

Five years ago, lots of real estate agents knew the answer to that question: We can just get a share of an ever-increasing market! Home-ownership rates had been trending up and there were about 6 million transactions a year, so eager salespeople would just sell newbies their first home or boomers their second.  more...

Condo owners disagree on dry rot repair

By Benny Kass, Sunday, September 14, 2008.

DEAR BENNY: I own a condo in a two-unit building. We have always split all common expenses 50/50 per our legal documents. Recently we discovered a leak in the common garage, and have established the cause and are embarking on repairs. This leak also caused dry rot in some of the hardwood floors in my unit. I considered this to be a common expense and expected the entire cost of the repairs to be divided 50/50. The other owner disagrees and claims that because the damage is in the interior of my unit I must bear the cost of those repairs myself. Your advice will be most helpful.  more...

Curb appeal tips that pay off

By Dian Hymer, Sunday, September 14, 2008.

Imagine going on a job interview looking shabby, or trying to sell your car for a good price when it's filthy and loaded with stuff. In a competitive market, you wouldn't do well.

The same can be said about selling your home. If it looks neglected and in need of work, some buyers won't even take a look. This is particularly the case in today's market where, in many parts of the country, there are far more homeowners anxious to sell than there are buyers interested in buying.  more...

Don't be too quick to co-sign mortgage

By Jack Guttentag, Sunday, September 14, 2008.

The economic distress of the last year has battered the credit scores of many potential borrowers, while causing lenders to increase the scores they are willing to accept. The result is a growing number of co-signing requests. Co-signing arises when one party with good credit agrees to be liable for the debt of another party with no or poor credit.

Some co-signers have had their lives severely disrupted when the borrower for whom they co-signed stopped paying, leaving it up to the co-signer to make the loan good. Most of the mail I get on the subject is from co-signers in this situation.  more...

Cyberhomes launches real estate blog

By Inman News, Sunday, September 14, 2008.

Property-search and home-valuation site Cyberhomes.com on Friday launched the Cyberhomes blog, where consumers can get "the newest buzz on the housing market, explore the latest real estate data and get insight on what it means."  more...

New site enters Canadian real estate search Premium Content

By Joel Burslem, Sunday, September 14, 2008.

Maybe it's the dominant position that MLS.ca (recently rebranded as Realtor.ca) occupies in the market, but real estate search north of the border seems to have been stuck revving in neutral for a while.

Zoocasa is a new, free, Canadian real estate search engine that aims to kick it in to gear. Zoocasa covers the Canadian market from coast to coast and marries real estate search with research tools, like neighborhood guides and listing comparisons that are aimed at home buyers.  more...