• Home prices rise in June, but a drop may be looming (Wed, 1 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index shows a modest 1% gain over May figures, with prices in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco increasing. However, some experts predict that the expiration of federal tax credits will have a negative effect.
  
  A closely watched national index showed Tuesday that home prices rose in June, the last month that a federal tax credit probably boosted sales. Many experts predict a drop in values in coming months without the popular government stimulus.

  
  

  
  
• Hot Property: Graham Nash is leaving Encino for Hawaii (Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  Their house is a very, very, very fine house, to borrow Graham Nash's own lyrics.

  
  

  
  
• Foreclosures of million-dollar-plus homes on the rise (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  The number of homes in the $1-million-and-up slice of the market that have become bank owned has tripled during the last three years in Los Angeles County, and the trend has shown little sign of slowing.
  
  Foreclosure is blind.

  
  

  
  
• New house is straight out of the Old World (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  A Santa Monica residence completed in 2008 was inspired by historic homes in Belgium. It boasts 17th century limestone floors, Belgian bluestone details, elaborate ironwork and refitted antique doors.
  
  This 2-year-old house inspired by the historic homes of Belgium feels as if it could be sitting in the countryside rather than in a Santa Monica neighborhood just blocks from the boutiques on Montana Avenue.

  
  

  
  
• Fannie Mae says lenders must verify mortgage applicants' debt loads before closing (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  Despite earlier reports to the contrary, it turns out that your mortgage lender will not have to pull a second full credit report on you hours before closing on your home purchase or refinancing.

  
  

  
  
• Beware of 'improvements' that reduce a home's value (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  Renovations that reduce the number of bedrooms or bathrooms and poorly planned expansions may kill a sale in the future.
  
  Every real estate agent has seen them: home "improvements" that turn out to be anything but, at least down the road when it comes time to sell. Instead of deal sealers, they are deal killers.

  
  

  
  
• Moving away won't shield ex-association board member (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  Question: Is a homeowner association legally responsible for the actions of any board member who has harmed any member of the association? What if the board member has moved away from the association when a lawsuit is pending against it?

  
  

  
  
• Evicting a freeloader living in a spare bedroom (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  The law regards this person as a tenant, even though he is not paying rent, so proper legal procedures must be followed.
  
  Question: About a year ago I found out that a casual friend had been laid off and become homeless. I let him move into my apartment's spare bedroom free of charge. Now I want my privacy back. I have asked him to leave, but he doesn't appear to be making any effort to do so. A real estate agent says my friend is a trespasser, since we have no rental agreement or landlord-tenant relationship. She says I can call the police to have him removed or I can change the locks on a day when he is away. I don't want to get into any trouble, so I am writing to ask what my legal rights are.

  
  

  
  
• Diving home sales stoke new worries about economic recovery (Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  U.S. sales fall for the third consecutive month to the lowest rate since 1999, pushing down stocks and fueling fears of a 'double dip' in the housing market.
  
  The end of a popular government stimulus program drove home sales in July to their lowest levels in more than a decade, fueling fresh concerns about the economic recovery.

  
  

  
  
• Countrywide's Angelo Mozilo made exceptions for VIP mortgages, exec testifies (Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700)
  According to testimony in an SEC lawsuit, the Calabasas firm's co-founder fostered the practice of making exceptions to its lending standards.
  
  The late "Tonight Show" announcer Ed McMahon was far from the only person to get a special mortgage thanks to Countrywide Financial Corp. co-founder Angelo Mozilo.

  
  

  
  

_{©2010, latimes.com}

• Property Values: What You Get for ...$275,000 (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:02:30 GMT)
  A one-bedroom condo in Philadelphia, a three-bedroom bungalow in Tennessee and a two-bedroom house in Wisconsin.
  
  
  
• The Appraisal: Using Private Eyes to Keep Track of Tenants (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:20:02 GMT)
  Real estate investigation, a big business in a borough like Manhattan with plenty of rent-regulated apartments ripe for exploitation, has picked up in the past year.
  
  
  
• A Frontier With a View on the Far West Side (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:07:04 GMT)
  High-rise residential towers are attracting young people and forming the beginnings of a neighborhood.
  
  
  
• Posting: A Building With 3 Facades, 8 Rentals and a School (Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:32:49 GMT)
  A site 12 years in the making was at different points imagined as a single-family home, a United Nations mission and a hospital.
  
  
  
• Square Feet: Above Ground, a 2nd Ave. Subway Plan Attracts Critics (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:15:28 GMT)
  A half-dozen buildings on Second Avenue will house ventilation equipment, disperse smoke and allow for evacuation from subway tunnels in emergencies.
  
  
  
• Square Feet: A Detroit District Thrives by Building on the Past (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:15:11 GMT)
  Developers in Midtown are refurbishing older buildings, using tax credits and public financing, as much as they are building from scratch.
  
  
  
• Habitats: An Island Perch With Postcard Views (Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:07:39 GMT)
  A couple from Brazil found themselves drawn to Roosevelt Island not just for the breathtaking views but also for its community.
  
  
  
• The Hunt: A Serial Buyer Stops in His Tracks (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:07:04 GMT)
  Bret Faszholz was in the habit of buying and selling apartments. Then he fell hard for a penthouse with a terrace.
  
  
  
• Living In | Jamaica Hills, Queens: A Singular Place With Plural Ethnicities (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:50:59 GMT)
  A look at a neighborhood whose residents cite harmonious diversity as a defining element.
  
  
  
• Streetscapes: The Persuasive Pamphlets of Another Time (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:51:07 GMT)
  The Avery Architectural Library at Columbia University has put part of its collection of real estate brochures online. They date from the 1920s to the 1970s.
  
  
  
• House Tour: Garrison, N.Y. (Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:30:03 GMT)
  A small farmhouse is expanded with a two-story extension, vaulted ceilings and a focus on Hudson River views.
  
  
  
• Real Estate Q & A (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:07:04 GMT)
  Still waiting for a lease; a dual policy on allowing pets; canceling a board election.
  
  
  
• Mortgages: Rethinking Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:20:02 GMT)
  With the economy still weak, borrowers may want to hold onto their adjustable-rate mortgages a little longer.
  
  
  
• Square Feet | The 30-Minute Interview: Dorothy Herman (Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:02:47 GMT)
  Ms. Herman, who is known as Dottie, is the president and chief executive of Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, a residential brokerage firm.
  
  
  
• In the Region | Westchester: 3 Sellers Stuck in the Slowdown (Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:28:07 GMT)
  Sellers whose circumstances have collided with today’s harsh real estate realities have a lot of company in Westchester.
  
  
  
• In the Region | New Jersey: Down to Its Last Million Acres (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:07:04 GMT)
  According to a new report, New Jersey is down to its last million acres of developable land, and may run out by midcentury.
  
  
  
• In the Region | Long Island: A Pushback Against Cell Towers (Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:52:31 GMT)
  Homeowners concerned about health, aesthetics and property values are trying to block new antennas.
  
  
  
• Big Deal: Sitting, or Selling? The $3 Million Threshold (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:26:20 GMT)
  In the city market, the pace has quickened a bit for lower-priced properties, allowing some New Yorkers to return to their customary haste.
  
  
  
• Big Deal: Barbara Corcoran Obviously Knows a Deal (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:26:21 GMT)
  A real estate entrepreneur paid $900,000 for a ground-floor apartment that will be used as work space. She already lives in the building.
  
  
  
• Unwelcome Neighbor for Empire State Building (Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:31:21 GMT)
  A defining element of the skyline since 1931 is set to get a rival with 15 Penn Plaza, though it is not clear how soon the project will be built.
  
  
  
• Square Feet: When Feng Shui Helps Determine a Deal’s Fate (Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:30:02 GMT)
  As the number of Asian buyers and lessees in New York has grown, commercial real estate brokers are quickly learning just how pervasive feng shui can be.
  
  
  
• Square Feet: Tastykake Baker Finds a Home in the Revamped Philadelphia Navy Yard (Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:41:06 GMT)
  For the company, whose regional distribution ranges from Cleveland to Connecticut to Florida, the move was about increasing efficiency and production.
  
  
  
• Housing Market Plunged in July, Fueling Anxiety (Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:32:51 GMT)
  Housing sales fell a surprising 25.5 percent in July below the level of a year ago, as buyers lost the spur of a government tax credit.
  
  
  
• On Location: In Versailles, a House With a Famous Neighbor (Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:42:53 GMT)
  Behind a green door in Versailles is a secluded four-bedroom duplex apartment, with a garden for inspiration and a guesthouse for income.
  
  
  
• International Real Estate: House Hunting in ... Colombia (Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:54:11 GMT)
  The property market in Medellin had remained flat, despite the global downturn.
  
  
  
• Property Values: What You Get for ... $400,000 (Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:54:17 GMT)
  A two-bedroom self-sufficient house in Taos, N.M.; a two-bedroom midcentury in Lenox, Mass.; and a one-bedroom condo in Portland, Ore.
  
  
  
• To Catch Cairo Overflow, 2 Megacities Rise in Sand (Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:40:03 GMT)
  The Egyptian government is building two megacities outside Cairo from scratch.
  
  
  
• The Appraisal: Client to Broker: Clean My Windows! (Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:10:02 GMT)
  In today’s market, some New York brokers say they have never encountered so many demands from their clients, or so much hostility.
  
  
  
• Big Deal: A Man of Many Roles Reads the Market Right (Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:26:26 GMT)
  The actor Liam Neeson sold his two-bedroom apartment on Central Park West for $1.35 million.
  
  
  
• Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Say (Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:40:39 GMT)
  Many economists believe that the days of banking on an asset that could only rise in value are gone for good.
  
  
  

_{Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company}

• Mortgage applications rise 2.7 percent as borrowers seek low rates ( Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:52:12 -0600 )
  NEW YORK -- Mortgage applications rose 2.7 percent last week as more borrowers took advantage of the lowest rates in decades to reduce their monthly loan payments.
  
• Home prices rise in 17 of 20 big metro areas in June ( Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:47:19 -0600 )
  Prices rose in June, but are expected to drop in next report.
  
• Architectural gems languish on California home market ( Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:49:33 -0600 )
  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The home sale slump has left some dwellings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and other architectural luminaries languishing on the Southern California market.
  
• One in 10 homeowners with a mortgage face foreclosure ( Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:43:17 -0600 )
  In a worrisome sign, the number of homeowners starting to have problems with their mortgages rose after trending downward last year. The number of homes in the foreclosure process fell slightly, the first drop in four years. More than 2.3 million homes have been repossessed by lenders since the recession began in December 2007.
  
• Mortgage rates hit low of 4.36 percent for 30-year fixed loans ( Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:02:54 -0600 )
  Mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in decades for the ninth time in 10 weeks, as concerns grow that the economy is weakening.