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Top 10 markets for home-price growth in Q4 2011

By Inman News, Thursday, February 9, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-80483p1.html" target=blank>House and dollar signs image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Median single-family existing-home prices rose in about 20 percent of the 149 markets tracked by the National Association of Realtors in fourth-quarter 2011 compared to the same quarter in the previous year, and Florida and Texas are home to nine of the 29 metros with positive growth.

Nationally, the U.S. median single-family existing-home price fell 4.2 percent year over year in fourth-quarter 2011, to $163,500. Real estate owned (REO) and short-sale properties accounted for 30 percent of home sales in fourth-quarter 2011, down from 34 percent in fourth-quarter 2010, the association also reported.  more...

An answer to 'What's it like to live here?'

By Inman News, Thursday, February 9, 2012.
Screenshot courtesy of Trulia.

Trulia, a prominent online real estate search and marketing company, has announced the release of a new free search feature that aims to give users a better feel for a locale they'd like to live in.

Trulia Local allows users to search cities via interactive, "zoom-able" Google Maps where they can see Trulia-listed homes both for sale and sold, area amenities like restaurants, school district and school information, and crime levels.  more...

Zillow releases mortgage app for Android devices

By Inman News, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
Screenshot courtesy of Zillow.

Today, real estate search and valuation site Zillow launched an Android version of its free Zillow Mortgage Marketplace app that helps users calculate different aspects of a mortgage, including estimating monthly payments. It joins an iPhone version released in June 2011.

Since the mobile app's release for iPhone about eight months ago, its financial calculators have been used more than 1.5 million times, said Erin Lantz, director of Zillow's Mortgage Marketplace.  more...

10 hottest markets for out-of-area house hunters

By Inman News, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-248635p1.html">Real estate moves image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Deep price declines have made metropolitan areas in the Sunshine State popular destinations for online house hunters looking to move to a different metro area, according to a quarterly report by real estate search and marketing company Trulia.

Trulia's Metro Movers Report is based on the ratio of inbound property searches on Trulia.com in a given metro area by out-of-area residents, compared to outbound searches by locals. The report examined searches on Trulia.com between Oct. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2011, in U.S. metropolitan areas.  more...

Popular neighborhood attributes: kid-friendly and hip

By Inman News, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
Neighborhood Suggester screenshot courtesy of Robot Workshop.

"Fun for Kids," "Fun and Hip," and "Most People Use Public Transportation," in that order, are the most popular attributes selected in a search tool launched last year by real estate technology firm Robot Workshop, the company announced.

The 17 neighborhood attributes that users can select from using Robot Workshop's Neighborhood Suggester tool include: "Fun and Hip," "Local Culture," "Pet Friendly," "Golfers Paradise," "Near Everyday Needs," "Near Shopping," and "Quality Schools," among others.  more...

The legendary pads of Grammy winners past

By Inman News, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-706243p1.html">Gramophone image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

With their musical achievements crafted in attics, basements, bungalows, Victorians, Jersey cottages and Hollywood mansions, the legends of pop, folk, alternative, rap and rock have shown that home may not be where the heart is, but it's definitely where the art is.

From the hills of Los Angeles to the lakes of Tennessee, some of America's most original and game-changing creators have called upon special, sometimes spiritual, places to conjure their muses to bring forth the tunes.  more...

New tool for aspiring NYC renters

By Inman News, Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
Screenshot courtesy of Rentenna.com.

Rentenna.com, a real estate startup launched in late 2011, takes rental-related data -- including landlord and building reviews from current and previous tenants; perceived value; building amenities; and proximity to subway associated with thousands of New York City-area apartment buildings -- and creates a score on a 100-point scale.

The focus of the tool, said Kayvon Bina, one of rentenna.com's founders, is on multilevel apartment buildings, but there are some smaller rentals in the mix, too. The algorithm used to calculate the "Apartment Review Score" uses hundreds of data points to evaluate more than 7,000 New York City apartment buildings in the rentenna database now.  more...

Find exact school district assignment info for any US home

By Inman News, Tuesday, February 7, 2012.
School Boundaries widget screenshot courtesy of Education.com.

Education.com has launched a free mapping tool that allows users to view school district boundaries across the U.S. School Boundaries is a widget that can be incorporated into real estate websites and blogs.

It allows users to identify the school district a home falls within using a database of all 13,000 U.S. school districts. The widget tool also provides specific school assignments for homes in 55 percent of school districts nationwide.  more...

A home on San Francisco's 'Billionaire Row': $8.85M

By Inman News, Monday, February 6, 2012.

Commissioned by "a prominent lawyer and San Francisco mayoral candidate" in 1894, this gray-and-white Victorian occupies a prized corner on one of San Francisco's best streets, a section of Broadway known as "Billionaire's Row." Compared to some of the other sprawling mansions on the street, this one is a bit cheaper, even at $8.85 million, but still enjoys spectacular downhill views from the upper levels.  more...

The residences of U.S. presidents

By Inman News, Monday, February 6, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-237082p1.html">White House image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

Forty-four men have served a total of 56 terms in the Oval Office. With Presidents Day around the corner -- on Monday, Feb. 20 this year -- and an election ahead, let's take a look at what this nation's top commanders in chief over the past 40 years have called home.

President Barack Obama

The Obamas purchased a 6,199-square-foot, two-story single-family home at 5046 S. Greenwood Ave., in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood, in June 2005 for $1.65 million -- $300,000 less than the asking price.  more...

Texas regulator issues cease and desist order against flat-fee FSBO site Premium Content

By Andrea V. Brambila, Monday, February 6, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-66838p1.html">For-sale-by-owner sign image</a> via Shutterstock.com.

A Texas real estate regulator is investigating a flat-fee, for-sale-by-owner site for alleged unlicensed brokerage activities in the state and has issued a cease and desist order against the company.

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) alleges San Francisco-based Owners Advantage LLC, which does business as Owners.com, has violated statutes that prohibit companies from acting as or representing themselves as a broker or salesperson if they are not licensed.  more...

A home where the reptiles roam

By Paul Hagey, Monday, February 6, 2012.
Walter, a 46-year-old rhinoceros iguana, shows off his skateboard moves at his home in Tucson, Ariz. <i>Photo: ©2012 JOHN BINNS.</i>

Daily baths, natural stone floors, misting nozzles, heat lamps, a cool pool, fresh greens. No, this isn't a luxury resort spa -- it's the life of a kept reptile.

What leads some homeowners to cater to these toothy, scaly, often-maligned beasts in this way? Call it cold-blooded love, and it all comes through in the clear, simple excitement in their voices when they talk about their pet reptiles and customized living quarters.  more...

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