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Finding football metaphors in real estate Premium Content

By Alison Rogers, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/adobemac/257265795/" target=blank>adobemac</a>.

NEW YORK -- People at the Real Estate Connect conference in New York City have teased me for wearing my sneakers, but it allowed me to hit a lot of panels.

A sampling of what I've seen:

Inman News Publisher Brad Inman ran us through the crazy number of changes that have hit the economy in the past nine months  more...

Another home inspection nightmare

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: Before we bought our home, we hired a home inspector, but he didn't report any of the major problems in the house. Now we have to repair the plumbing, the electrical wiring and the roof. When he did the inspection, he said everything was OK, but he was just lying, and we think he may have gotten a big tip from the seller or the agent. He was supposed to be working for us. Why would a home inspector do business this way? --Beatriz  more...

Seizing opportunities in undervalued markets

By Eric Tyson, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

Recent data out from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that its home affordability index (HAI) is at the best levels in more than three decades. The HAI compares median family incomes to median home prices on a national basis. A value of 100 signifies that a family earning the median income has enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced home. (The monthly mortgage payment is conservatively figured to not exceed 25 percent of the median monthly family income).

The current HAI value of 141.8 means that a family earning the median family income has 141.8 percent of the income necessary to qualify for a conventional loan covering 80 percent of a median-priced existing single-family home.  more...

Return to old ways won't save real estate Premium Content

By Inman News, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.

Editor's note: Inman News has embarked on the "Roadmap to Recovery," an editorial project that seeks to engage you, the readers, in charting a course for the future of the real estate industry. Click here for more details.

The following is an Inman News Roadmap to Recovery Q&A with Manuel J. Iraola, president and CEO for Homekeys, a company that offers online real estate tools and services:  more...

Real estate experts bet on partnerships, productivity Premium Content

By Glenn Roberts Jr., Tuesday, January 13, 2009.
Image by <a href="http://www.lumaxart.com" target=blank>lumaxart.com</a>.

NEW YORK -- Real estate discounters are down but not dead, and more traditional companies are struggling, too, under the weight of a wounded economy and hobbled housing market.

That's the word from Glenn Cohen, founder and CEO of Expert Real Estate Services, an online real estate marketing and lead company, who spoke during a panel at the Real Estate Connect conference last week in New York City.  more...