Home

Bernanke blind to mortgage market trouble

By Lou Barnes, Friday, August 31, 2007.

The mortgage market is unchanged, credit available on old-fashioned agency terms and not much else. Rates are about the same, mid-sixes. For every tentative lender toe stuck back into scary water, another bather has run shrieking from the pool, or drowned. The same is true for general, nonmortgage credit: shrinking.  more...

The walkthrough

By Alison Rogers, Friday, August 31, 2007.

A client I met in the spring is close to buying, and we did our walkthrough today. I don't know if lots of you have encountered the "smaller/bigger" phenomenon (or even if it has a real name) but that's what I call a client's reaction to seeing a place for the second time ("it looks so much smaller than I remember it") and then for the third time ("it looks so much bigger than I remember it.")  more...

Bugged by today's architecture

By Arrol Gellner, Friday, August 31, 2007.

There's only one cardinal sin in architecture, and that is not thinking. Though it's seldom recognized, thoughtful architecture has little to do with style, taste or the sort of inane aesthetic minutiae that small-minded design-review boards like to busy themselves with.

Over the centuries, there have been hundreds of architectural works that offended contemporary eyes, but are now seen as works of brilliance. That's the point: Thoughtful architecture has nothing to do with the fashions of its time.  more...

Great ways to expand backyard deck

By Paul Bianchina, Friday, August 31, 2007.

Have you finally found the perfect set of outdoor furniture, only to find that it dwarfs your deck? Are you tired of tripping over lawn chairs each time you squeeze past the barbeque? Would you like to be able to entertain a bigger crowd in you backyard than just you and the dog?  more...

Mediation, arbitration present tough choice for home buyers

By Robert Bruss, Friday, August 31, 2007.

"Should I sign the mediation and arbitration clauses in this home sales contract?" That question is frequently asked by home buyers and sellers of their real estate agents.

Frankly, there is no right or wrong answer, but all the parties should be fully informed before making their decision to possibly give up legal rights.  more...