An excerpt from the WSJ: But Diane Saatchi, senior vice president at Saunders & Associates, a real-estate firm in Bridgehampton, N.Y., says downsizing nowadays "costs more than people have in mind." In her area, she says, total transaction costs easily exceed 10%...
Hat tip to SM for sending this along, from the Seattle Times: The 8,000-square-foot mansion was dark and in foreclosure for years. So last weekend when the for-sale signs came down and the lights lit up, neighbors were relieved. "We were like — 'finally, somebody's...
There are studies of electro-magnetic fields that have been inconclusive, and "the Ghost Meter" is a curious name for scientific device. But nobody is going to want a green box in their front yard that sounds like this: From Amazon.com: The Ghost Meter has been...
From the latimes.com: What's thought to be the only remaining house in Los Angeles designed by the Craftsman stars the Greene brothers is for sale. It's beautiful, yes. It has four original leaded glass light fixtures. It's been lovingly restored over more than 20...
Hat tip to clearfund for sending this along, from cnbc.com: Earlier this week a top executive at Bank of America told an REO conference in Dallas that the lender would be focusing more on short sales than ever before. At first hearing this, I assumed it was because of...
Someday, I'll stop selling real estate/blogging, and it would be a shame if nobody took it over. Our eldest child survived freshman year of college, and is back home for the summer. She doesn't want to be a realtor (so far), but just in case her future college degree...
Rich Toscano does nicer graphs - from the Voice of San Diego: As with prices, San Diego home sales were up sharply in May. The graph below shows that activity first dropped in April as people delayed closing to get into the tax credit double-dip window (as described...
Hat tip to Blue Streak for sending this along - link here for full article, with excerpts here: June 10 (Bloomberg) -- Two Connecticut real estate agents found a way to profit in the U.S. housing bust: Buy low, sell fast. Their tactic was also illegal. Sergio Natera...
The blog has been down intermittently over the last week or so - thanks to those of you who have emailed! It isn't me; we have traced it to Blue Host, the folks who provide our base, and they are a big outfit - thanks for your patience. We're on the lookout for banks...
SB 1178, the bill passed by the Cailfornia State Senate by a 30-4 vote, is on its way to the Assembly. The new intent: This bill preserves a borrowers protection from a deficiency judgment when loans are refinanced, but only to the extent that the refinance is used to...
