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More Fed rate hikes may not damage economy

By Lou Barnes, Friday, March 31, 2006.

Mortgage rates are in the process of crossing above 6.5 percent in panicky trading, and new economic reports are not the cause. Rates are going up because the Fed is pushing them up in unison with the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank, which raises three questions: why are they going higher, how far are they going, and when are they going to do visible damage to the (global) economy?  more...

Real estate class again

By Alison Rogers, Friday, March 31, 2006.

I'm waiting to present to a bunch of real estate agents in New Jersey – my one last hope – but after a lot of consideration I've decided to get my license in New York. To say that I'm plagued with doubt would be an understatement. In five months, I haven't generated any real estate activity whatsoever – so I'm going to throw good money after bad?

The positive case, the one I talk myself into, is that straight selling is probably easier than flipping because some of the properties start out in good shape in the first place.  more...

How to roll with the luxury real estate crowd Premium Content

By Bernice Ross, Friday, March 31, 2006.

(This is Part 2 of a four-part series. See Part 1.)

What can you learn from the agents who sell the ultra high-end?  more...

5 questions real estate buyers use to their advantage

By Robert Bruss, Friday, March 31, 2006.

Thanks to abnormally low mortgage interest rates, home sellers had an extremely favorable "seller's market" for the last few years. That means there were more qualified home buyers in the market than there were homes available for sale.

Homes often sold in just a few days or weeks. Typical home sale prices appreciated 10 percent or more annually for the last few years in many communities. Since 2000, the average U.S.  more...

Four wheels good, two legs bad

By Arrol Gellner, Friday, March 31, 2006.

We Americans are a puzzling bunch. We travel to Italy, France or Spain and come back smitten with the charmingly walk-able streets, close-knit houses, and humanly scaled public spaces we find there.  more...

Tips for keeping floor insulation dry

By Paul Bianchina, Friday, March 31, 2006.

Q: I have 2-by-12 floor joists, and I plan to use R-38 batts to insulate my floor. Is it OK to go with un-faced batts, or do I need faced insulation with the Kraft paper face-up towards the floor? I do have 6-millimeter black plastic on the ground.  more...