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Two-month bond rally hits bottom

By Lou Barnes, Thursday, August 31, 2006.

The two-month-long bond rally has hit bottom. It's been fun: From a peak at 5.24 percent, the 10-year T-note made it to 4.73 percent yesterday, which has taken mortgages from just below 7 percent to just below 6.5 percent.

This morning's news that August payrolls had grown by 128,000 jobs was the rally killer -- the economy is slowing, not crashing. Bonds are way ahead of a chance for Fed easing; in the presence of current inflation numbers it cannot ease unless it sees a real threat to economic growth.

We might get some inflation relief from a decline in oil prices.  more...

Web transforms real estate's future Premium Content

By Bernice Ross, Thursday, August 31, 2006.

(This is Part 4 of a four-part series. Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.)

Are you ready to look into the future of real estate?  more...

The trouble with starter homes

By Alison Rogers, Thursday, August 31, 2006.

When Jeff and I saw the $495,000 alcove studio, he thought the alcove was too small -- "all I want is a queen bed, a lamp and a dresser," he said. 

Then we saw the $509,000 alcove studio, and at 11 feet, the living room really was too small, due to the way the windows broke.

We went up in price and the next place was gorgeous -- a little on the edge of civilization, but a brand-spanking-new granite/marble condo. One bedroom, gigantic kitchen, smoking balcony. $615,000. Not quite right. And I don't think it was the edge-of-civilization part that bothered him.  more...

Cities of tomorrow shaped by hybrid technology

By Arrol Gellner, Thursday, August 31, 2006.

Cars can't help but affect architecture, as they constrain so much of what we design and build. We devote a big chunk of our homes to them, and build shopping centers in which a quarter of the space is for people, and the rest is for parked cars. Add up all this area given over to cars, whether moving or standing still, and you'll find that around 40 percent of our cities belong to our four-wheeled friends.

Of more pressing concern to humankind, however, is the fact that cars consume vast amounts of petroleum while pumping out vast amounts of pollution.  more...

Do-it-yourself fix for crossed electrical wires

By Paul Bianchina, Thursday, August 31, 2006.

Q: When I bought my house, the home inspector said some of the electrical outlets had reverse polarity. He said it was not a big deal, but that to meet the building codes the outlets needed to be fixed. He said it was a simple repair, but I don't remember what to do. I was also wondering if I can do a few at a time, or if they all need to be done at once. --Matt A.

A: Electrical outlets have three slots in the front: the shorter rectangular slot is designed to be the hot conductor, the taller rectangular slot is the neutral conductor, and the U-shaped slot is the ground.  more...

How to find fixer-upper homes with profit potential

By Robert Bruss, Thursday, August 31, 2006.

As the volume of new and resale house and condominium sales gradually slows down in most communities from last year's record levels, due primarily to rising mortgage interest rates, savvy home buyers are rediscovering a source of bargain-priced residences known as "fixer uppers."

Retail sellers of homes in excellent condition, including brand-new houses, expect to earn top dollar for their "model home" condition residences. But in today's market that has become difficult.  more...

Landlord, tenant butt heads over repainting costs

By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, August 30, 2006.

Question: I just moved out of an apartment that I rented for about 6 1/2 years. I had painted the apartment a terracotta color after asking the onsite manager for permission in advance. We never discussed the actual color that I would be painting, but he indicated that it was OK because the apartment would have to be painted when I moved anyway. I think the apartment looks much better in this color than the dull boring colors used by the landlord.  more...

How to avoid overpaying in a buyer's market

By Robert Bruss, Wednesday, August 30, 2006.

DEAR BOB: My wife and I want to buy our first home, as she is expecting in about six months. However, the area where we want to buy is in a "buyer's market" with lots of homes for sale. We notice many "price reduced" hangers on the for-sale signs, so we are in no hurry to buy. The block where we almost bought a house last weekend has three houses listed for sale out of 20 houses on the block. How can we avoid paying too much? --Ned W.

DEAR NED: Before you make a written purchase offer, ask your buyer's agent to prepare a written comparative market analysis, or CMA.  more...

Vacation homes reel in cash with hot tubs

By Tom Kelly, Tuesday, August 29, 2006.

You've found a place in the sun, but you can't use it all the time. If you were going to rent it out -- perhaps to offset maintenance and mortgage costs -- what would be the best thing you could do for the place?

"Add a hot tub," said Bill May, whose Sunspots Inns, Resorts & Rentals owns and maintains more than 100 resort and rental properties in Hawaii and the mainland.

"It's a four-season amenity and something people really like to have available even though they might not use it.  more...

Pooled water under home raises red flag

By Bill and Kevin Burnett, Tuesday, August 29, 2006.

Q:I just purchased a home and have noticed that I have a major problem under the house. Water is pooling up and making it a muddy mess. There are even mushrooms growing there.

My first inclination would be to install a French drain, but I want to talk with an engineer before I do that.  more...

Parking lot mishap inspires absurd lawsuit

By Robert Bruss, Tuesday, August 29, 2006.

Peggy Lampert was a customer of the One-Half Off Card Shop at the Minges Creek Shopping Center. After she left the card shop, as she was walking to her car in the parking lot, she slipped and fell, causing serious personal injuries and damages.

She sued the shopping center owner and the card shop. The state trial court dismissed the card shop from liability because the card shop did not legally have control over the sidewalk or parking area where Lampert's injury occurred.  more...

Legal loophole may let widow sell home tax-free

By Robert Bruss, Tuesday, August 29, 2006.

DEAR BOB: My mother-in-law was recently widowed at age 60. She is considering a move from her primary residence. She will owe capital gain tax on the sale and wishes to eliminate such tax. Could she move out of the home, rent it for a brief while, and then do an Internal Revenue Code 1031 tax-deferred exchange without incurring tax on the eventual sale? We are familiar with the Internal Revenue Code 121 use test for 24 of the 60 months before the sale, but how long must a home be rented before it qualifies for an IRC 1031 tax-deferred exchange?  more...

Homeowner tackles tree invasion at roots

By Barry Stone, Monday, August 28, 2006.

Dear Barry,

A home inspector recently pointed out that the trees near my home are lifting one side of the house. A tree trimming company recommends removing them completely, but that would be a terrible loss. They are many years old and I've come to regard them almost as friends. Is there anyway to save these wonderful trees, or is it necessary to sacrifice them? --Vivian

Dear Vivian,

Property owners often resort to tree removal when less drastic measures would suffice.  more...

Special agent needed to sell apartment building

By Robert Bruss, Monday, August 28, 2006.

DEAR BOB: We are considering listing our 48-unit apartment building for sale. So far, we have spoken with two Realtors. We would like to know what sales commission to expect to pay on a $3 million sale. The standard rate for houses in our area is 6 percent commission. One of the Realtors wants a flat commission. The other has some sort of pyramid-style system involving starting out at 10 percent and going down to 3 percent after a certain amount, all combined together. What guidance can you give?  more...

'Idiot's Guide' for home buyers disappoints

By Robert Bruss, Monday, August 28, 2006.

The Fifth Edition of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home" by Shelley O'Hara and Nancy D. Lewis is just as disappointing as the previous editions. Although the book's coverage of important home buying and selling topics is very complete, the low real estate experience level of the co-authors becomes painfully obvious as the book drones on.

This is a "formula book" where the writers show little creativity and virtually no personal examples to illustrate the hundreds of topics discussed.  more...

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