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McCain keeps hands off housing Premium Content

By Marcie Geffner, Friday, August 29, 2008.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain

Real estate professionals who turn to John McCain's Web site for information about his housing policy may be disappointed to discover there's not much there to examine. But the omission of specific plans and programs may be less of an oversight on the candidate's part and more of a statement in and of itself as to his views.  more...

Fed gets it: Credit crisis trumps inflation Premium Content

By Lou Barnes, Friday, August 29, 2008.

Mortgage rates improved again this week, slightly, to 6.375 percent and the 10-year T-note trading often just under 3.8 percent, a resistance level since spring. The improvement anticipates a weakening economy, but a further decline in rates will depend on the fact of weakness. A test comes quickly, in the first August data due next week.  more...

Represent REOs with caution Premium Content

By Bernice Ross, Friday, August 29, 2008.

Up to 50 percent of all transactions in many markets are foreclosures, short sales and REOs. Like it not, these types of transactions are part of the landscape. While you're busy protecting everyone's interest, are you taking the necessary measures to protect yourself and your brokerage?

Back in the early 1990s, I specialized in representing REOs (properties that the banks had taken back in foreclosure).  more...

Don't let home inspector out of your sight

By Paul Bianchina, Friday, August 29, 2008.

Q: In as much as there are a great number of current issues regarding disclosure to the purchaser of real property, when, if ever, is it going to be the responsibility of the purchaser to investigate particular items of relevance to them? --George D.  more...

Urban planning's future: people, not cars

By Arrol Gellner, Friday, August 29, 2008.

What's an architect doing writing about cars, anyway?

I always get indignant e-mails asking me this whenever I criticize some aspect of our autocentric society -- whether it's our parking-obsessed city planning, our mania for fruitless road widening and freeway building, or our laughably primitive traffic control systems.  more...