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Top reasons 'tweeples' love Twitter Premium Content

By Bernice Ross, Monday, June 22, 2009.
Flickr image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindacastaneda/2980416243/" target=blank>lindacq</a>.

Most people who experience Twitter for the first time walk away feeling confused. If you're someone who just doesn't get Twitter, today's column may motivate you to join the twitterverse of tweeting tweeples (people who post messages on Twitter).

I had a Twitter account for four months before I started using it regularly. I was following one good friend and was confused by what appeared to be one-sided conversations. In the meantime, my husband was happily tweeting to his friends by taking pictures of his latest kitchen triumphs and posting them on Twitter. Sure, the picture of the beer-can chicken was funny, but who cares?  more...

A case for tax credit extension

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Monday, June 22, 2009.

I heart the stimulus plan. Specifically, I love the $8,000 first-time homebuyer ("FTH") tax credit. I won't bore you; if you read my columns, you know that I've deemed this credit "the stimulus that, gasp, actually stimulates!" because it made my real estate brokerage phone ring with buyers wanting to take advantage of it, unlike the other dozen stimulus measures that have had no obvious, direct results on the consumers I work with. (Though they might be effective at some higher, less direct level. Or not.)

If you've been wedged underneath a real estate-free rock for the first half of the year, let me brief you on the details of this program. Folks who (a) haven't owned a home for the past three years, (b) earn a "modified adjusted gross income" (don't even ask -- check with your tax pro) of $75,000 or less for singles/$150,000 or less for marrieds filing jointly, and who (c) close escrow on a home purchase no later than Nov. 30, 2009, can qualify for the tax credit.  more...

Deferred maintenance often a deal-breaker

By Dian Hymer, Monday, June 22, 2009.

Three years ago, when the home-sale market peaked, buyers frequently bought "as is" regarding deferred maintenance, like wood-destroying pest or "termite" work.

Home prices were rising in many areas, and buyers were flush with cash and could line up a mortgage even if they didn't qualify. Today, prices are still declining with a few exceptions; many buyers are cash-strapped; and they need to put more cash down and go through a rigorous qualifying process to get a mortgage.

In the hot seller's market of several years ago, many sellers invested money to make their homes look pretty in order to attract multiple buyers and drive the sale price up.  more...

Don't ditch the second home yet

By Benny Kass, Monday, June 22, 2009.

DEAR BENNY: My husband and I purchased a second home for $300,000 in November 2008. We were planning to move into that house and sell our current residence. We put $15,000 into repairs on the house. Our children do not want to move and we came to realize after the purchase that we are happier where we are. What should we do: sell and cut our losses since the market value has decreased, or rent? --Jackie

DEAR JACKIE: The first question is whether you can afford to carry two houses for a couple of years. Even if you decide to rent, you have to understand that being a landlord is not always lucrative -- and clearly never fun. You may have two to three months when the property remains vacant, and you still have to pay the mortgage, insurance and real estate taxes. Additionally, there are always minor (and sometimes major) repairs that will be necessary. And when there are tenants, they often find problems with the house -- real or imagined -- that you will have to correct.  more...

Report: Stage is set for recovery

By Inman News, Monday, June 22, 2009.

Conditions that could support a housing recovery are taking shape now, but job losses, falling home prices and tight lending standards mean demand for housing remains "remarkably low," according to a new Harvard University report out today.

Home-price declines and low interest rates have restored housing affordability in many markets, and a dramatic reduction in home construction should eventually improve the balance between housing supply and demand, the 2009 State of the Nation's Housing Report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University concludes.  more...

Kanjorski: Real estate key to recovery Premium Content

By Glenn Roberts Jr., Monday, June 22, 2009.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski said he used to be considered the "gloom and doom guy" on the House Financial Services Committee for opining about worst-case economic scenarios.

Now, given the dramatic turn of events that has led to what the Pennsylvania Democratic congressman describes as "the most important storm that's come our way in three quarters of a century," he quipped, "I'm no longer thought of as a gloom-and-doom man but as a prophet."  more...

Screen capture a boon to broker biz Premium Content

By Joseph Ferrara, Monday, June 22, 2009.

Every business with a Web site (that's probably you) can benefit from tutorials on how to use and navigate the site. This includes a real estate broker Web site. Not only are tutorials helpful in training agents and employees on using the site (and showing others at tradeshows and Tupperware parties), they make it easy for potential clients to see the site's value. A potential client who does not know how to use your Web site to its fullest potential, or experiences frustration navigating it, will likely never be a client. And they'll probably never come back to the site.

Traditionally, companies have relied on text instructions on the Web site, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and static screenshots to explain a site's benefits. There are three main problems with these methods:  more...