ALTOS – REAL ESTATE VALUES
Gazing into the future of real estate valuation
If you’ve followed Altos Research for any length of time, you’ll have noticed that we’re a bit pedantic about the orientation of housing market data. For years we’ve been talking about the power of the insights in the active market. Understanding real estate is not just about which transactions closed, it’s about how much the sellers are asking, changes in those ask prices; it’s about inventory and demand metrics. The active market of homes for sale is rich with information and insight about future transaction…Rest of Story…

COLUMBUS, OH
Columbus Board of REALTORS® MLS YOUR Personalized Real Estate Site
If you search for homes on my site CbusHomeSearch.com you will be offered the opportunity to receive information about real estate directly from the Columbus Board of REALTORS® MLS. Fill in the first blank below with Columbus, Dublin, Gahanna, Grandview, Hilliard, Lewis Center, New Albany, Powell, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Worthington or other Central Ohio community names…. “If you use the ______, Ohio homes for sale link you may search the online inventory of Central Ohio homes…Rest of Story…

EAST VALLEY, AZ
In search of the smokin’ deal
East Valley Team member Kristin LaVanway talks about how East Valley buyers need to be realistic on their offers.
We get a lot of off-the-wall questions about Phoenix real estate…like this one. Buyers are still surprised when sellers don’t kneel down in gratitude when an offer – especially a CASH offer – is made. Buyers are not calling the shots in this market. Good homes are selling and selling fast – often at or even above the asking price…Watch Video…

INMAN – REAL ESTATE PRICES
Real estate prices fall for 5th straight month
U.S. home prices fell for the fifth month in a row in December, but the rate of decline is decelerating, according to the latest Home Price Index from mortgage data aggregator CoreLogic. The CoreLogic HPI showed national home prices falling 5.46 percent from a year ago in December. Looking at the year as a whole, the index showed essentially no change from 2009 — a sign that the largest declines are over, CoreLogic said. “Despite the continued monthly decline in home prices and year-over-year…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
ADJUSTABLE RATE LAKE GENEVA REAL ESTATE MORTGAGES ADJUSTING TO 3.000 PERCENT RIGHT NOW
If your ARM is due to adjust this spring, your best move may be to allow it. Don’t rush to refinance — your rate may be adjusting lower. It’s because of how adjusted mortgage rates are calculated. First, let’s look at the lifecycle of a conventional, adjustable rate mortgage: There’s a “starter period” of several years in which the interest rate remains fixed. There’s an initial adjustment to rate after the starter period. This is called the “first adjustment”. There’s a subsequent adjustment until the loan…Rest of Story…

PULP LOAN FRICTION
Pulp Loan Friction – Scene One
Pulp Loan Friction is a four-part series produced by Jonas Kruckeberg, Rick Iacovetta, Garrick Werdmuller, and Hans Bruhner. Whether you’re using mortgage videos to communicate with your clients, agents or office, it’s important to have a message, as well as keep your audience engaged as these guys have done. One of the things that I love about this video series is that these guys are giving us short videos over the course of a few weeks in order to keep our attention. Mortgage Video Marketing is going to be big…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
San Antonio Real Estate Enters Springtime
After our short bout of wintery weather, I’m feeling rather eager to see the spring (and even more so the summer). Part of what makes San Antonio so great is the fantastic weather. As the temperatures thaw and our days get warmer, I’m seeing a pick up in real estate activity. More people searching for homes, more questions being asked, more phone calls being made, and an overall increase in traffic to this website. As I shake off the final remnants of a wicked cold, I wanted to discuss a few preparations…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
Social Media 101…A Beginners Guide
Thursday February 10th 10a-1p Windermere Lake Tapps – Wednesday February 16th 11a-2p Guild Mortgage in Tacoma – Wednesday February 23rd 11a-2p Keller Williams Puyallup – Wednesday March 9th 10a-1p CB Danforth in Northgate – Monday March 14th 11a-2p Windermere Puyallup Thursday March 17th 10a-1p Guild Mortgage in Tacoma…See Schedule…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

BUY VS. RENT
Cheaper to buy than to rent in 72% of largest U.S. cities
Despite the rising number of renters across the country, it is cheaper to buy a home rather than rent one in 72 percent of the 50 largest cities in the U.S., according to an index released by real estate search and marketing site Trulia. “Since the start of the ‘Great Recession,’ many former homeowners have flooded the rental market. Following the principles of supply and demand, renting has become relatively more expensive than buying in most markets,” said Pete Flint, CEO and co-founder of Trulia, in a statement…Rest of Story…

COLUMBUS, OH
Where do we disclose the snakes?
The question “Where do we disclose the snakes?” could just as well be where do we disclose the bedbugs?…skunks?…bats in our belfry?…Where do we disclose the …? The question is where do you disclose the presence of a pest or the treatment / removal of the presence of a pest to prospective buyers of your Ohio home? Answer below… I want to share this video with you first. Scared of snakes? I am. I am sure the snake story that is hot now is the same snake house that was in the news back in 2006…Rest of Story…

FINANCIAL CRISIS
Financial crisis was avoidable: FCIC
The financial crisis, which wreaked havoc on the economy and sparked a painful recession, could have been avoided, according to a federal commission. The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, in its final report on the causes of the crisis, said Thursday that federal authorities, who failed to curb reckless behavior on Wall Street, bear much of the blame for the turmoil that erupted in 2008 and 2009. “We conclude first and foremost that this crisis was avoidable,” said Phil Angelides, the commission…Rest of Story…

FLORIDA
Florida’s Foreclosure Pipeline: Inventory & Prices
A question we hear every day – “What about the shadow inventory? How are housing prices affected?” with lots of talk about the foreclosure pipeline in judicial states like Florida. (For the uninitiated, “judicial state” means that foreclosure proceedings go through the court system, which considerably slows the clearing the distressed housing market.) Here’s the very complex answer: Inventory up, prices down. Check out Tampa (black line in both charts) in particular…See Chart…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR LAKE GENEVA REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE RATES THIS WEEK: JANUARY 31, 2011
Lake Geneva real estate mortgage markets improved this week as positive economic data was overshadowed by geopolitical strife. A flight-to-quality drove buy-side activity in mortgage bond markets, which, in turn, helped conforming rates fall across the state of Wisconsin. Last week marks the first time this year that mortgage rates fell on a week-over-week basis, and considering why rates fell, it points to the fragile nature of the global economy. By all accounts, last week showed that the U.S. economy…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
HOW’S THE MARKET IN SAN ANTONIO?
“How’s the market?” It’s the question on everyone’s mind. Even when people looking to buy or sell, they always want to know where the market stands. We all know the real estate market has been… uh, interesting, to say the least… over the past few years. We’ve all heard the news and by now know that San Antonio real estate has fared better than most, but what does that mean…See Chart…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Don’t Forget About Your Offline Inbound Marketing.
We talk a ton about how to increase your online presence but don’t forget about your efforts to get your offline inbound marketing out there to your community. If you have invested time and money in a mailer or any type of offline campaign, you now have a better way to get folks to visit your online marketing platforms like your blog and your fan page(s). Adding your website to your marketing stuff has been done for years…but how about adding text numbers or a QR (Quick Response) Codes to your…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

BUY VS. RENT
Cheaper to buy than to rent in 72% of largest U.S. cities
Despite the rising number of renters across the country, it is cheaper to buy a home rather than rent one in 72 percent of the 50 largest cities in the U.S., according to an index released by real estate search and marketing site Trulia. “Since the start of the ‘Great Recession,’ many former homeowners have flooded the rental market. Following the principles of supply and demand, renting has become relatively more expensive than buying in most markets,” said Pete Flint, CEO and co-founder of Trulia…Rest of Story…

FHA
Changes in FHA anti-flipping rules
Dan Keller is a mortgage professional in Seattle Washington who specializes in FHA loans. Here Dan joins us to discuss recent changes in the FHA anti-flipping rules and what it may mean to the housing market…Rest of Story…

HOME SALES
December Existing-Home Sales Jump
Existing-home sales rose sharply in December, when sales increased for the fifth time in the past six months, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 12.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.28 million in December from an upwardly revised 4.70 million in November, but remain 2.9 percent below the 5.44 million pace in December 2009…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR LAKE GENEVA MORTGAGE RATES THIS WEEK: JANUARY 24, 2011
Lake Geneva real estate mortgage markets worsened last week in a holiday-shortened trading week. As the body of U.S. economic data continues to show slow, steady improvement, Wall Street is becoming a net-seller of mortgage-backed bonds. As a result, conforming mortgages rates for Lake Geneva real estate are rising. This is why conforming and FHA mortgage rates rose last week in Wisconsin. Existing home supplies plunged to a 2-year low in December, and unemployment claims dropped more…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
New Construction – Is a Home Inspection Really Necessary?
This question comes up time and time again in talking with clients thinking of buying a new home. One thing I notice is that many buyers of newly constructed homes are looking to save a little money as they are spending a large sum today, for a house they can live in tomorrow. Which costs more: a stage-by-stage inspection or finding out the foundation guys didn’t let your foundation cure properly?, an electrician who had a “few too many” the night before forgot to cap a wire and it didn’t get…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: What’s Your Education Calendar Look Like?
Would you take a clock hour class if you thought it would increase business? Of course you would. So, why are you waiting until the last minute to get your required renewal hours and then running around like a Chicken with a cut on your head taking some useless online course on basket weaving for real estate agents to boot!!! Putting the proper education first is simply what makes great Brokers great! PLEASE…DON’T GIVE ME THE EXCUSE YOU DON’T HAVE THE…Rest of Story…

SHORT SALES
A Letter from Bank of America’s Short Sale Department
Just received an e-mail from Bank of America’s short sale process and thought I’d share … with a few helpful notes.
Bank of America continues to improve the short sale process and recognizes that the timely (repeated) upload of homeowner documents is critical to reducing processing times (from “eternity” to “when hell freezes over.“) To improve the collection of these documents, agents should take the following steps (and repeat whenever we lose the paperwork): 1. Upload…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
Welcome to Worthington
Whether you’re a visitor to Worthington, a new neighbor or a longtime resident, or an employer or investor contributing to Worthington’s business community, you will find endless opportunities and a unique sense of partnership here. Steeped in rich traditions dating to 1803, Worthington also brings fresh and innovative approaches and provides many opportunities for the whole community to experience and enjoy an outstanding quality of life. Worthington is a community where citizens…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

GILBERT, AZ
5 Bedroom with Pool in Shamrock Estates Houses Homes For Sale in Gilbert, Arizona
Stunning 4012 s/f home w/5 Large Bedrooms, (4 with w/i closets), Huge Bonus Rm, Formal Living, Formal Dining, Breakfast Room, Spacious Fam Rm, 3 car/gar & fenced Pool on .25 acre lot in one of Gilbert’s most desirable communities, Shamrock Estates. **NO Bank Approval Required** Granite, Cherry staggered cabinets, stainless appliances, w/walk-in pantry, wood shutters, designer fans, tall base boards and doors, Luxurious Master suite/bath/closet, covrd patios, citrus & more! One of Arizona…Rest of Story…

HOUSING INVENTORY
Housing Inventory: First signs of seasonal up-tick
Inventory (orange line, right axis) is showing an up-tick in this week’s data. Sellers on the market are subsequently responding with a flattening in the number of homes on the market with price reductions in the last 90-day period (black line, left axis). History tells us that the inventory count hits a trough in January each year, so we may have hit that trough this week. (See our January 2010 webcast.) Higher inventory means increased competition among sellers which can lead to downward price pressure…Rest of Story…

HOUSING STARTS
Housing Moving to Higher Ground in 2011
Housing will see gradual improvements in activity this year as the nation’s economy and job market continue to move to higher ground, establishing momentum that will produce more considerable gains in 2012, according to economists who appeared at the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Orlando on January 12. “This year’s spring selling season will be better than last year’s,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe, with job growth providing a stronger stimulus in the housing market than last…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
HOME BUILDERS SLOWED BY ECONOMY, BUT SEEING MORE FOOT TRAFFIC FOR THEIR LAKE GENEVA NEW HOMES
Homebuilder confidence held firm for the second straight month this month, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The monthly Housing Market Index registered 16 out of a possible 100. January’s reading is three points higher than the 2010 low-point, set in September, and in-line with last year’s average reading. According to the NAHB, the market for newly-built, single family homes remains relatively weak “following a below-expectations finish in 2010.” Builders expect a better 2011…Rest of Story…

REBARCAMP
@AndyKaufman joins RETV to discuss REBarCamp
Andy Kaufman is not only a real estate agent in the San Francisco Bay area, he is also one of the founders of REBarCamp. I asked him to join RETV before Christmas to discuss the past, present and future of REBarCamps. Our schedules did not align until this week, but that difficulty in scheduling turned out to be a blessing because we were able to build off a discussion Rob Hahn started on his blog just a few days earlier. And and I sat down and discussed: How did REBarCamp start…Watch Video…

RETWEET
WHY I WON’T RETWEET YOU
I recognize that all that I have—including my platform—is a gift. I am a steward not an owner. As a result, I enjoy using what I have for the benefit of others. I want to be helpful and generous. But, no, I won’t retweet you. This is a difficult decision. I struggle with it more than I should. But I get several requests a day from people who want me to retweet one of their posts. Here are the six most common reasons I won’t retweet you. Because you asked. If you write interesting Twitter posts or link to interesting…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
New San Antonio Real Estate Search Coming Soon
You may recall that my San Antonio real estate search has been down for awhile after the company I had partnered with closed up shop. After a lengthy search of the various real estate search products out there, I have chosen to work with Diverse Solutions and begun the set up process. Their map-based search solution is hands down, the best real estate search available today.
I expect to have the system up and running by the end of the week. It’s a lengthy approval process in which I…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
Worthingview – 1344 Snowmass Rd. Columbus OH 43235 – Price Reduced!
Worthingview – 1344 Snowmass Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43235- price reduced – Price reduced from $219,900 to $199,999 – Interior photos and details: – 1344 Snowmass Rd. Columbus Ohio 43235 on Real Living HER – Just in case that link fails again… 1344 Snowmass Rd. Columbus Ohio 43235…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

COLUMBUS, OH
Powell, Ohio 43065 homes for sale
The graph shows homes for sale (Months of Inventory) for the past 15 months. The Powell Ohio 43065 zip code had more homes for sale in December 2010 than a year earlier. Search – Powell, Ohio 43065 homes for sale. Powell, Ohio 43065 homes for sale – a market report for December 2010 – 267 homes for sale – 26 homes sold – 10.3 months of inventory based on recent sales – average active price $446,000 – average sale price $301,000 – median sales price $265,000…Rest of Story…

HOUSING SUPPLY
Chart of the Day: US Housing Supply & Prices vs. 2010
It’s easy to get fixated on today’s housing prices and today’s active inventory. But, it’s a healthy exercise going into the new year to do some year-over-year comparisons of our most leading indicators to get some longer term perspective. A look at both the Price of New Listings (black line, left axis) and Active Inventory (orange line, right axis) in this light…See Chart…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
LAKE GENEVA REAL ESTATE AFFORDABILITY EASING ON WEAK DECEMBER RETAIL SALES REPORT
Consumers keep spending, the economy keeps growing. Lake Geneva mortgage rates are easing lower this morning on just-released, slightly worse-than-expected Retail Sales data from December 2010. Excluding motor vehicles and auto parts, December’s sales receipts were $1.5 billion higher from November. Analysts had expected a number north of $2 billion. Despite falling short of estimates, however, December’s reading is the highest in Retail Sales history, surpassing the previous record set in July…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
A letter to Congress about foreclosures, short sales, and the tax credit.
This post originally appeared on June 20, 2010 on another real estate site I had been experimenting with, TattooedRE.com. I happened to read it this morning and thought it was a good one to share in light of the fact that I still see a massive amount of traffic with keywords relating to whether or not the tax credit will be extended into 2011. I have yet to decide what will become of the Tattooed Real Estate blog, but I haven’t written there in some time now. If someone has an idea, feel free to let me…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Let’s Get Social
Is there anyone out there who still thinks Social Media is anything other than simple marketing? It’s no different than mailing out postcards, knocking on doors or handing out brochures and business cards! Oh, wait…there is one difference…Well, actually there are several major advantages to adopting an online marketing platform as a value add to your overall marketing business plan…none of which more effective than the ability to instantaneously communicate with a designed audience (niche) on a…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

EAST VALLEY, AZ
We accepted banks short sale offer, now they want more money
Why does bank want more from short sale after we accepted their offer. East Valley Team member Dean Ouellette talks about how accepting the banks counter offer on a short sale is not the same having an accepted offer. The bank will counter back on short sales and you would think once you have accepted the deal you are done right? Wrong! More often than not the bank is just the servicer and the investor still has to approve the deal too…Watch Video…

HOUSING REPORT
January 2011 Real-Time Housing Report
Highlights from this month’s report (available for download here):The Altos 10-City Composite is now at $448,996, off 1.63% from last November 2010. All 27 of the major markets tracked by the report showed seasonal price decreases. Most were relatively minor, with the steepest declines seen in San Francisco (down 4.77%), San Diego (down 3.71%), and Minneapolis (down 3.16%), respectively. Housing inventory is off by 5.89% nationwide, with dramatic decreases in several major markets, including Boston…Rest of Story…

ILLINOIS
Illinois Governor Flees Capitol Through The Basement After Disastrous Meeting On State Budget
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn fled the state’s Capitol building through the basement after a lengthy day of debating a rescue plan for the troubled state, according to CBS Chicago. Illinois is considering raising the state’s income tax by 75% as part of its financial reform package. The reform is key to Illinois balancing its budget and avoiding further debt market stress. The state’s current government is attempting to rush through income tax reforms prior to the new assembly being sworn in later this week…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
HOW TO RENEGOTIATE YOUR CREDIT CARD INTEREST RATES TO SOMETHING LOWER
Credit card debt, left unchecked, can pile up quickly. Especially for debtors making minimum payments. According to the Federal Reserve, a credit card balance of $5,000 at 23.99 percent APR won’t pay off for 16,127 years. That’s one reason why it’s important to manage your credit card rates, and renegotiate them whenever possible. In this 4-minute piece from NBC’s The Today Show, you’ll learn the tested tactics that can cut a credit card rate, and get monthly payments to a more manageable range. And it’s do-it-yourself — no debt…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
11935 Travis Path – The Hills at Alamo Ranch
One look at 11935 Travis Path (map) and you will want to become a resident at The Hills at Alamo Ranch immediately. This spacious five bedroom, three bath home is 4,570 square feet of comfort and beauty. Located in Alamo Ranch (San Antonio 78253), you’ll find yourself at the doorstep of the growing Culebra Corridor without the city taxes. 11935 Travis Path was built by Meritage Homes in 2007 and has been lovingly cared for by the owners, who have added many decorator touches and upgrades throughout…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Quora Is a Good Place to Ask a Question…or Give an Answer
I joined Quora roughly a week ago and have been impressed by the content and the level of questions and answers on the site. Some of the content is admittedly way over my head as early adopters seem to be more interested in flexing their tongue muscles than speaking humanese. That said, it appears the debate over whether this is a threat to facebook seems a bit dramatic. Quora and facebook (in my humble opinion) offer different experiences for the average user. As one who is more or less engrossed with the social media…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
Ice Dams, Pantyhose, Salt
Reuben’s ‘Ice Dams, Pantyhose, Salt’ post makes him sound like a “mad scientist” when it comes to removing ice dams from roofs… the earlier post (link in the second paragraph) has other methods. Don’t try these at home in Columbus, some sound downright dangerous. I have not heard of anyone having ice dams this winter but the last couple of years I know Central Ohio houses that had them. I hope we make it through this winter without them. Here’s an old poll from the summer of 2009 about wearing / uses…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

APPS – REAL ESTATE
10 free real estate apps for Android smartphones
With Google’s annual developer conference — Google I/O — in full swing, here’s a look at the tech giant’s free real estate-related applications for its Android smartphone. The Android App Market surpassed the 50,000 mark in April and is steadily growing…Rest of Story…

HAFA
HAFA changes unlikely to change anything with East Valley short sales
East Valley Team member Dean Ouellette talks about the new changes in HAFA and their real world effect. New changes were announced to HAFA this week. When he program was first announced I did a video that day saying why it would be failure. If you live in the Phoenix East Valley and have tried to do a HAFA short sale you have seen better than any what a failure it has been. The new changes will not change that. If the Treasury department wants to get serious about making a difference they…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
LAKE GENEVA LOAN COSTS INCREASING APRIL 1, 2011
Starting April 1, 2011, loan-level pricing adjustments are increasing. Most conforming Lake Geneva mortgage applicants will face higher loan costs. Loan-level pricing adjustments are mandatory closing costs. They’re assigned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and based on a loan’s specific risk to Wall Street investors. First constructed in April 2009, loan-level pricing adjustment are a means to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac compensate for “riskier loans” by bolstering their respective balance sheets…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: What’s Your Offline Inbound Marketing Look Like?
We all talk so much about all the benefits to a successful online marketing campaign but are you utilizing your offline marketing to get online inbound results? Does your business card have your fan page or twitter address on it? Are you flyers littered with ways to get to your online platforms? Are you using your for sale signs as a way to direct traffic to your blog? Don’t forget to use offline mediums that we hold on to so strongly as a way to drive viewers to your sites. Aside from those 3 ideas I just…Rest of Story…

SHADOW INVENTORY
S&P warns on ‘shadow inventory’
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said Monday that it’s taking longer for the U.S. housing market to absorb foreclosed homes, which means there may be a major drag on prices for a few more years. The New York metropolitan area may suffer the most from this, the ratings agency also said. At the end of the third quarter of 2010, the principal balance of foreclosed homes topped $450 billion, which represents about a third of the nonagency residential mortgage-backed securities market, according to S&P…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
WaysHome launched by Fannie Mae
I was looking for a way to embed the interactive video about “WaysHome” from Fannie Mae into my blog. If there is a way to embed the video I am not seeing it. An email I got from Fannie Mae HomePath Real Estate News says: “Today, January 6, Fannie Mae launched WaysHomeTM, a new interactive video to educate homeowners about their options to avoid foreclosure, motivate them to make the right decisions, and encourage them to seek help. WaysHome is part of Fannie Mae’s Know Your…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

COLUMBUS, OH
What types of Hardwood Flooring are best for pets?
What types of Hardwood Flooring are best for pets? … and people too! Do you need to make some flooring decisions in 2011? Want something that will stand up to Fido and Fifi or just the kids? The “handscraped or distressed hardwoods” Debbie describes made me think of the floors in the New England Homes entry in the 2009 Parade of Homes at Tartan Ridge. I believe that was a floor from Amish craftsmen in Ohio. Thanks to Debbie for allowing a Re-Blog of the post which has “Westchester NY and…Rest of Story…

CONSUMERS
Real estate funnel vision
Over the holiday I read an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review. In the article “Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in All the Wrong Places,” David Edelman highlights some research conducted by one of his colleagues at McKinsey & Co. The thrust of the article centered on understanding the process customers use to engage with a brand. The term used to describe this process is “consumer decision journey.” Edelman sets up the decision journey in opposition…Rest of Story…

EAST VALLEY, AZ
Code of ethics means agents have to be honest to each other
East Valley Team member Dean Ouellette rants about a recent deal where the buyers agent was not being totally honest.
The code of ethics for real estate agents says we need to be honest to all party in the transaction and that includes one agent to another and the buyers agent to the seller. If your buyer wants out of a deal you need to explain to them the consequences of doing so. If they are staying in the deal only to keep their earnest money then you need to be honest with the selling agent…Rest of Story…

HOUSING SUPPLY
Explaining “The Other Housing Supply Problem”
In our Q4 webcast earlier this month – “When Does the Housing Recovery Start?” – I discussed how the “other housing supply problem” will drag prices lower in 2011 and into the next couple of years. Allow me to elaborate… Defining “The Other Supply Problem” It’s not just the raw number of homes entering the active market each week, but the quality of these homes. Specifically, when foreclosures and REOs enter the market – shadow inventory that becomes real inventory – they are typically…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
PENDING HOME SALES RISES TO 6-MONTH HIGH. LAKE GENEVA REAL ESATE SALES MOVE SIMILARLY
The Lake Geneva real estate market continues to expand, and surprise. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, November’s Pending Home Sales Index gained 3 percent from October. A “pending home sale” is a home under contract but not yet closed. The index is now at its highest point since April 2010′s federal tax credit contract expiration deadline. If the tax credit really did “borrow” sales from the summer months, as has been theorized, housing has rebuilt its foundation…Rest of Story…

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS
Is THIS The Year You Grow A Pair And Finally Walk Your Talk?
If that title harshed your mellow in any way, you’re the target audience. Does it sound unfair? Make you feel like you’re being picked on? Poor baby. Compared to much of what’s published on these pages, I’m a relative Mr. Rogers. But the dark cloud messin’ up the mostly silver lining that was my 2010, was the talk/walk ratio with which I constantly was forced to deal. Isn’t shame possible any longer? Does nobody know how to blush? Has there been some sorta immunity from embarrassment pill on which…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Add a Slide Show to Your WordPress Blog
Want to show off your great new listing! How about share some of the wonderful photos you took over the Holidays. Well, now you can with a great new Slide Show tool on your WordPress Blog. This is an easy and effective way to get multiple pics on one post with a clear and specific message your readers will love! Simply go to Upload/Insert and click Add an Image. From here, add your photos from your desktop (hint: to add a bunch of pics at once, simply hold the Ctrl key while clicking your pics) and…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

ALTOS RESEARCH
Chart of the Day: More bad or less worse?
Looking ahead to 2011, seems the big question in the housing market is whether it will get more bad or less worse. We’ve been pretty darn good with our crystal ball (aka: real-time active market leading indicators) over the past few years: Spring ’08: Asking Price changes (blue line) peaked barely above 0% in April ’08 before turning lower. The S&P/Case-Shiller (red line) never moved into positive ground for the year, with a 2008 peak value of 167.78, reported in September ’08…Rest of Story…

CORALVILLE, IA
Best priced townhouse in ^Coralville
2237 Oakleaf St, Coralville. $119,400. You can’t beat the price on this townhouse style condo – With the low interest rate this is cheaper than renting! Call me @ 319-400-0268 to set up a showing…See Details…

EAST VALLEY, AZ
East Valley buyers move quicker or risk losing the house
East Valley Team member Dean Ouellette talks about how waiting to make the offer can cost you the house. Recently I was working with some buyers in the Chandler area and they found a house they really liked and were considering putting in an offer. After a night to sleep on it they still wanted to make an offer, but didn’t want to rush. The problem, they waited to long and lost the house they really wanted. The market is not as soft as some would lead you to believe. That is the East Valley has plenty of buyers so if…Rest of Story…

THE FED
Real Estate News for Real Estate and Mortgage Professionals
The Fed Rule Part 1 of 3…Watch the Video…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
LAKE GENEVA HOUSING AND MORTGAGE PREDICTIONS FOR 2011
With 2010 coming to a close, the “experts” are out in full force, making predictions for next year’s housing and mortgage markets on business television and in the papers. Predictions for 2011 are wide-ranging:
Some say home prices will rise in 2011
Some say home prices will fall in 2011…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, AZ
My Seattle Blogs: 2010-Whatever Doesn’t Kill Us…
If you’re reading this and you still are a producing Real Estate Broker…you can honestly say, “I made it!” What I simply mean is if you can proudly stand up and look 2011 squarely in the eye with dogged determination…you are a winner!!! WHATEVER DOESN’T KILL US…ONLY MAKES US STRONGER! Here’s the point of my post. Isn’t virtually anything you do easier once you know what you know? I’m not too sure that 2011 is going to be any better than 2010…and, that’s a good thing! We know what we have to do…Rest of Story…

2010 & 2011
REALTORS® Reflect on 2010 and Prepare for 2011
2010 has been a year of real estate contrasts. While many consumers have taken advantage of historic buying opportunities and the market has seen a gradual stabilization of sales and prices, other challenges facing the nation have led some to question the value of homeownership for families, communities, and the country. “People are passionate about the American dream of homeownership, and this passion underscores how important homeownership is to our nation,” said National Association of…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
The Brookside Woods Neighborhood
The Brookside Woods neighborhood in northwest Columbus is unique in that there are two school districts within the neighborhood. Part of Brookside Woods is in Dublin schools and part is in Worthington schools. School districts in Central Ohio were put in place long before this area was developed. A house is in one school district or the other, there is not a choice of school districts on any house in Central Ohio. Within each school district there are attendance areas for each neighborhood. Brookside Woods…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.

COLUMBUS, OH
Unused Furnace Air Filters ~ Chattels or Fixtures?
Christmas Eve… I should save this post for two weeks from now since it is about furnace filters* but I forgot today is Friday! Maybe I forgot it was Friday and I need to post a post about a furnace here because it is Christmas Eve? Brian asked this question back in November and only got one comment and does not seem to have come back to answer it… Furnace Friday with a legal twist. I will answer the question “Chattels or Fixtures” in the first comment here and on Brian’s original post because I would…Rest of Story…

CORALVILLE, IA
Best priced townhouse in ^Coralville
2237 Oakleaf St, Coralville. $119,400. You can’t beat the price on this townhouse style condo – With the low interest rate this is cheaper than renting! Call me @ 319-400-0268 to set up a showing…Rest of Story…

EAST VALLEY, AZ
Why short sales are for winners
East Valley Team member Dean Ouellette talks about the decision of selling your house with a short sale and why it is the right decision for winners not losers. If you are trying to decide if a short sale is right for you, these next two videos will help you out. Also make sure you check out the short sale FAQ section of our website along with the video short sale vs foreclosure. Many people think they are a loser or they are a failure because they need to do a short sale. I am going to explain how doing a short sale does…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD) and Incorrect Information
In two separate cases this week, I have found mistakes made in the Bexar County Appraisal District’s records on San Antonio homes owned by my clients. Both mistakes could lead to trouble down the road for my clients if they chose to sell their homes, so I thought I worthy to mention. In Bexar County, our property tax (also know as ad valorem tax) data is available to the public via the Bexar Appraisal District website and your San Antonio real estate agent uses it to help determine many things (one of which…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Your Greatest Ability Should be Your Availability!
Are you aware of how many people (professionally) you impact on a daily basis? Do you realize how many folks would like to know a little bit (or a lot) of what you know? Is there someone you count on to be there when you have questions or concerns? Think about all the stuff you know and the abilities you have and ask yourself, “Do my peers & clients consider me accessible?” It’s amazing how much more business comes your way once someone feels they can approach you both professionally and personally…Rest of Story…

DeedStreet is bringing the best hyperlocal real estate stories / blogs / news of the day to one place in the form of a daily NewsRoll. We would like to make the NewsRoll as hyperlocal as possible. So if you have a RE story from your town/city/neighborhood/blog, send it our way; we will be sure to give you recognition and a link back to your site. This is just our latest experiment with real time social media, so please be sure to give us any feedback on how we can make this service even better.