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Fresh ideas from the Nest Premium Content

By Inman News, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

Jonathan Kauffmann, principal broker-owner for Nest Realty Group in Charlottseville, Va., is speaking during the Real Estate Connect conference in San Francisco, which runs from Aug. 5-7.

A Virginia native who graduated from University of Virginia, Kauffmann secured his real estate license in 2004 and serves on the technology committee for the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors. His real estate career began by rehabbing properties in the Charlottesville area. He founded Nest Realty in 2008.  more...

Take networking to the next level

By Inman News, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

Trouble with Twitter? Feeling left out on LinkedIn? Want to face your Facebook fears?

Daniel Rothamel, Inman News community manager who is an active real estate agent and a social media expert, will offer up advice on integrating social networking into your business plan during a Thursday, June 11, webinar, "Agent Tool Box 2.0: Next-Level Networking."  more...

Appraising the new appraisal problem Premium Content

By Kris Berg, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetruthabout/2763078149/" target=blank>TheTruthAbout</a>.

The Home Valuation Code of Conduct, according to Freddie Mac, is all about "enhancing the independence and integrity of the appraisal process." Good ideas, those. Go, Freddie!  more...

Big Manhattan broker closing its doors

By Matt Carter, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.
Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seamusnyc/288433314/" target=blank>Seamus Murray</a>.

Manhattan brokerage Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy has closed its doors, with about 90 percent of its 200 agents moving to Corcoran Group Inc. and Sotheby's International Realty Inc., company co-founder and Chief Executive Officer David Michonski said.

Michonski said the brokerage -- which has roots in Manhattan going back more than 20 years -- was a casualty of the financial industry meltdown. Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy saw the $22 million in revenue generated in 2007 decline by 35 percent last year, and another 50 percent this year, he said.  more...

Builder saved by bell in defects suit

By Tara-Nicholle Nelson, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

In the case Gundogdu, et al. v. King Mai Inc., the homebuilder (King Mai) filed a notice of completion for a home and continued to own it for nearly a year and a half thereafter before selling it to the buyers (the Gundogdus). After about nine years of owning the property and finding numerous defects in its construction, the buyers sued King Mai.

King Mai said the Gundogdus were barred from bringing suit by the 10-year statute of limitations on construction-defect litigation set forth in California Code of Civil Procedure section 337.15.

The Gundogdus, however, argued that the 10-year statute of limitations didn't begin running at the time the notice of completion was filed ...   more...

Demand for purchase loans grows

By Inman News, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

Applications for mortgage refinancings plummeted 24 percent for the week ending May 29, even with an adjustment for the loss of business on the Memorial Day holiday, but applications for purchase loans jumped 4.3 percent, the Mortgage Banker's Association said.

With stocks rebounding and the government's debt load growing, long-term interest rates have been on the rise as Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities fall out of favor with investors.  more...

Refinish oak table like a pro

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

Q: We picked up a nice old oak table at an estate sale recently. Could you point us in a direction where we could find information on possibly sanding and/or varnishing the top or should this be left to professionals?

A: Unless you think you've got a candidate for the "Antiques Road Show," this is a perfect job for the do-it-yourselfer. If it is an antique, we suggest you leave it alone until you can find out what you've got.  more...

Roost.com announces redesign

By Inman News, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

Roost.com, a real estate search site that features multiple listing service-based property listings information shared through partner brokers, has redesigned its Web site to feature synchronized displays of property maps, photos and basic listing data in the same screen view.

The site features millions of for-sale property listings from a variety of sources -- most of which come from broker-to-broker data sharing agreements in dozens of major metro areas across the country.  more...

GMAC Real Estate to get new name, CEO Premium Content

By Matt Carter, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.
Graham Badun

The parent company of GMAC Real Estate is looking for a new executive to run the firm as it converts all of GMAC's corporate-owned brokerage offices into independent franchisees.

Canadian-based Brookfield Residential Property Services, which acquired GMAC Home Services LLC last year, plans to drop the GMAC name and rebrand the company by the end of the year, said Graham Badun, Brookfield RPS' managing partner and chief executive officer.  more...