EAST VALLEY, AZ
Coffee Talk – What you see on MLS is not always what you get
East Valley Team memberKristin LaVanway talks about how what you see on the MLS is not always what you get. Sometimes what you read in the MLS does not reflect reality…and sometimes the certified expert does not lend a feeling of confidence. Check out this house I recently toured with a client and learn why – despite the fact that the house has everything they are looking for – we will NOT be submitting an offer…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
LAKE GENEVA MORTGAGE RATES HIGHER BASED ON FED’S AUGUST MINUTES
Home affordability took a slight hit this week after the Federal Reserve’s release of its August 10 meeting minutes.
The “Fed Minutes” is a lengthy, detailed recap of a Federal Open Market Committee meeting, not unlike the minutes published after a corporate conference, or condo association gathering. The Federal Reserve publishes its meeting minutes 3 weeks after a FOMC get-together. The minutes are lengthy, too. At 6,181 words, August…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
MLS
Once again I find myself angry with what I see in our MLS. Seriously agents – you’ve got to do better…See the Tweet…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: What do Real Estate Leads and Football Have in Common?
With the start of the Football Season just around the corner, I wanted to share an analogy I often use (especially around this time of the year) when I hear Real Estate Professionals complaining about bad leads or how lead generation is so hard! A GREAT CATCH IS OFTEN THE RESULT OF A BAD PASS! Even if you’re not a fan of Football, you should understand that most if not all the spectacular receptions throughout the history of the game…Rest of Story…

US – AGENTS-FUNNY
Side Job
Does your agent work full -time for you? Here’s just one problem with using a…Watch Video…

US – FHA LOANS
The Basics of A FHA Loan
The Federal Housing Administration or FHA has provided a way for low to middle-income earners to obtain a mortgage loan, when they might otherwise not be able to qualify for a regular mortgage loan. The basics of an FHA loan guarantees that they will insure the lender against any default of payment. This gives the lender the assurance that they will be recouped the full amount of the loan should anything happen and the new homeowner…Rest of Story…

US – FICO SCORES
Four FICO Score Myths, Busted
FICO scores have been around since 1989, but they weren’t thrust into the public’s eye until the mid 1990’s when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac endorsed their use in the mortgage environment. And by “endorsed” I mean, “forced.” Mortgage lenders had until the late 90’s to fully implement FICO scoring into their underwriting processes. I was at FICO (FICO) when this happened and one of my jobs was to criss cross the country speaking at…Rest of Story…

US – MOST EXPENSIVE HOME
Got $100 million? Nation’s most expensive homes for sale
In an era that has seen the rise and fall of excess, it’s no surprise that the average size of a new home sold in 2009 shrank by 100 square feet. Even the wealthy are stepping down in size, with Candy Spelling attempting to offload her 56,500-square-foot megamansion in favor of a penthouse that’s the same size as her attic, while what’s believed to be the world’s most expensive residential property sale is a penthouse that doesn’t even…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
Worthington Mall to be bought… by a local
A Columbus Dispatch article today says “Worthington Mall to be Sold” The Dispatch article written by Marla Matzer Rose says there is a buyer for the local mall and it is a local person. The Columbus Dispatch says: “Local developer Tom Carter and Morris Capital Partners of Texas announced a plan yesterday to buy the mall.” It sounds like the mall originally built in 1974 is going to be opened up… it was enclosed at some point. Carter is…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
Past Is Prologue
A six year old home… Past is Prologue. Before you jump to any conclusions about who the Central Ohio builder is …. who did a bad job in installing the trim on this 6 year old home realize these home inspector photos are from out of state. This is not a Central Ohio home. It could be. Past is Prologue is a Re-Blog of a post from Jay Markanich in Virginia. Jay inspected this home when the present owners bought it four years ago…Rest of Story…

IOWA CITY, IA
Ranch Home for Sale: 119 S Mount Vernon Dr, ^Iowa City
Unique ranch style home for sale, 119 S Mount Vernon Dr, Iowa City. Tons of space, 6 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms. Walk to City High, close to Hoover Elementary. 5 minutes to downtown…See Details…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Real Estate Agents…Please Don’t Over Think Social Media!
I had a lengthy conversation with a high producing Real Estate Professional yesterday who was referred to me to get him set up with a Social Media and Blogging Platform. He had a number of very good questions and was particularly interested in return on investment and cost per lead issues and I was extremely happy to answer all his inquiries with what I knew. SOME WANT TO KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS…OTHERS WANT TO KNOW HOW TO BUILD…Rest of Story…

US – JOBS
ADP estimates U.S. companies unexpectedly cut jobs
U.S. companies unexpectedly cut workers in August, data from a private report based on payrolls showed, Bloomberg News reported today. Employment fell by 10,000, according to figures today from ADP Employer Services. The median estimate of 35 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a gain of 15,000. Forecasts ranged from a decline of 50,000 to a 55,000 increase. A loss of jobs raises the risk that consumer…Rest of Story…

US – SOCIAL MEDIA
Hot new way to sell your home? Use social media
As social media have turned mainstream, many people have started to use Twitter and Facebook in more constructive ways, instead of just connecting with high school buddies. For instance, some use them to sell their home. Real-estate agents and homeowners are turning to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to market their properties in a sometimes frustratingly slow market. While these methods can help expose 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.

COLUMBUS, OH
Indian Springs Elementary School earns “Excellent with Distinction”
Indian Springs Elementary School received a designation of “Excellent with Distinction” from the State of Ohio Department of Education for the 2009- 2010 school year. Is “Excellent with Distinction” an A+ ? It is the highest designation. The six designations for schools in Ohio: • Excellent with Distinction • Excellent • Effective
• Continuous Improvement • Academic Watch • Academic Emergency…Rest of Story…

DENVER, CO
Foreclosure First Time Home Buyer Seminar ^^^ (Denver)
Hundreds of properties available to first time home buyers throughout the Denver area. Free educational class teaches you how to buy, what to watch for, and how you can secure a mortgage on a foreclosure home. Attend this free workshop to learn how YOU can capitalize on foreclosure properties in Denver…See Details…

EAST VALLEY, AZ
Coffee Talk – But I don’t have PMI
East Valley Team member Dean Ouellette talks about how some home owners will be hit up for a contribution from the PMI company when they think they don’t have any PMI. So you purchased your East Valley home with a 80/20 loan so you would not have PMI. Now you need to sell your home and you find out the PMI company is asking for a cash contribution or a note for $10,000 to be signed. Why is that? Well it turns out that investors who…Rest of Story…

MANHATTAN, NY
UWS Trader Joe’s Sets Grand Opening Date
Upper West Siders, rejoice! It’s only a matter of days until one of the most anticipated openings in recent Upper West Side history. The Trader Joe’s at 72nd and Broadway will officially open its doors on Monday, September 20th, exactly three weeks from today, giving the neighborhood an excellent new option to fulfill their grocery needs. Not only has anticipation been building among future customers of the store, but job seekers…Rest of Story…

MIAMI, FL
The Great Miami Condo Head Fake: How 125 sales duped forecasting models far and wide
Examples like these show how vital it is to look at active market data when forecasting local real estate markets. If your model accounts only for transaction prices, you’re costing yourself (and your investors) lots of money with a really bad and latent forecast. Check out median sold prices for condos in Miami, FL (based on transactions from county records). In late October 2009 through early January 2010, sure looked like the condo…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Is There Another Home Buyers Tax Credit In Our Future?
I was reading an interesting article this morning about talk of another home buyer tax credit. After numbers regarding the housing market that I’d rather not mention just in case there are children present…they are that obscene…the government is once again considering offering some stimuli to counter the sluggish market. IS IT A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING? In my humble opinion, another tax credit would certainly help…Rest of Story…

US – AGENTS
How to hire a real estate agent
You have to pay thousands of dollars to hire a realtor to sell your home. Is it worth it…Watch Video…

5 reasons you still need a real-estate agent
The proliferation of services that help homebuyers and sellers complete their own real-estate transactions is relatively recent, and it may have you wondering whether using a real-estate agent is becoming a relic of a bygone era. While doing the work yourself can save you the significant commissions that many real-estate agents command, for many, flying solo may not be the way to go — and could end up being more costly…Rest of Story…

4 lessons from a 97-year-old real-estate agent
Buy a house today if you can, but don’t sell one if you don’t have to, says George W. Johnson, a 97-year-old real-estate agent who has been working the Seattle market since 1936. Johnson, who is reluctant to call himself America’s oldest real-estate agent — he says he just learned of a 99-year-old broker in Florida — has seen his share of housing booms and busts since he hung his first real-estate shingle 74 years ago…Rest of Story…

US – HOUSING MARKET
Housing Market Summary – Week of August 30th
A busy week of mostly negative news for the macro housing market offers; a look at NAR’s Existing Home Sales report, numbers on new home sales, interest rates, mortgage applications, and the Mortgage Bankers Associations quarterly report on delinquency and foreclosures. Existing Home Sales: Expected Fall – The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales dropped 27.1% from June to 3.37million in July (seasonally…Rest of Story…

US – MARKETING
Artisanal Marketing
My favorite type of marketing, by far, is artisanal marketing. Hand crafted, thoughtful, intelligent marketing. Not slick. Not aimed at the masses. Not average marketing for average consumers. But just the opposite. Thoughtful, insightful, honest, embracing complexity and celebrating the craft of the product or products themselves. This type of marketing eschews hype in favor of information yet still has a very strong opinion and point of view that…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.

CORALVILLE, OH
Open, Spacious Condo in ^Coralville
You can’t beat the price on this townhouse style condo – Cheaper than renting! Call me @ 319-400-0268 to set up a showing…See Details…

EAST VALLEY, AZ
Coffee Talk – Homeowners suing for HAMP.. But WHY???
East Valley Team memberKristin LaVanway talks about loan modifications and homeowners suing for HAMP.
Fannie Mae is required to do HAMP for the money they received in TARP and at least look at loan modifications. Some home owners are suing Fannie Mae for not providing the loan modifications. You can read more at Mandleman Matters. Even if they get the loan modifications on their homes it still is unlikely that…Watch Video…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
NEW HOME SALES DROP IN JULY — JUST LIKE EXISTING HOME SALES
One day after the National Association of Realtors released the softest Existing Home Sales report since 1995, the U.S. Census Bureau released a similarly-weak New Home Sales report. Americans bought just 276,000 newly-built homes in July. That marks the fewest units sold since the government started keeping records in 1963. In addition, although new home inventory actually dropped 2,000 units in July, the slowing sales pace still managed…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: What’s the Next Great Marketing Tool for Your Real Estate Business?
Reading back a few weeks, it appears I’ve been talking a LOT about Social Media and Blogging! So now I’d like to ask you, the loyal readers of this blog, “What is the real estate tool you are looking at using to increase your real estate business?” Or, is there such a thing? WHO’S DOING IT DIFFERENTLY OUT THERE? As Summer slowly begins to wind down, the real estate market (normally) sees a bit of an upward trend in the Pacific Northwest so what…Rest of Story…

US – HOME PRICING
Don’t expect home prices to rise this year
It looks like the waiting is far from over for sellers-to-be who have put their plans to sell their homes on hold until the market picks up. According to The Wall Street Journal, a growing number of economists aren’t expecting home prices to increase this year, or even in 2011. The “Developments” blog post said that a survey by MacroMarkets found that only 21% of economists and other analysts expect an annual gain in home prices this…Rest of Story…

US – HOUSING
Housing Market Conditions & Delinquencies: August 2010
Lots of talk of late about the double dip recession, caused in many ways by ongoing housing market declines. Here’s where market conditions matter most for borrower behavior and seller psychology, impacting future housing prices. Jacob Gaffney at HousingWire discusses the “shadow shadow inventory.” He writes: The recent data that shows delinquencies rising, mixed with reports that a lack of borrower equity is one of two major…Rest of Story…

US – TWITTER
Tweet Cred: How To Gain Respect On Twitter
Respect is one of those things that everyone wants, but few people get, especially in social media. On Twitter, it can be overwhelming at times to try and stand out in the crowd of never ending tweets. I opened my Twitter account in March of 2009. I have sent over 35,000 tweets since then, and I have learned so much about the psychology of tweeting just from watching others and paying attention to how they interact. Now, my best friends are…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
How to make your home look larger – from the ground up
More flooring information from Debbie Gartner who works in New York I have Re-Blogged Debbie’s flooring posts for Central Ohio consumers before, look for posts about bamboo, laminate and wood floors. Thanks to Debbie for allowing her flooring information to be Re-Blogged. Via Debbie Gartner – Floor Coverings International (Floor Coverings International): Here are some tips to make your home look larger – from the perspective of 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
Central Ohio WHO inspects for bed bugs
Dogs! I am not calling home inspectors… or pest inspectors “Dogs.” I read about canines doing bed bug inspections first in New York Times article. I read about bed bugs being a growth industry before… but I had never read about canine Bed Bugs inspectors. It can take humans a long time to find bed bugs. Dogs are quicker. New York City has a big bed bug problem…. a New York Times article about bed bugs…Rest of Story…

CORALVILLE, IA
Open, Spacious Condo in ^Coralville
You can’t beat the price on this townhouse style condo – Cheaper than renting! Call me @ 319-400-0268 to set up a showing…Rest of Story…

EAST VALLEY, AZ
Coffee Talk – East Valley market may not reflect national numbers and Fannie Mae rant
East Valley Team member Dean Ouellette talks about how the national numbers may not reflect East Valley real estate conditions and how Fannie Mae is costing you and me money. Yesterday my partner Kristin LaVanway talked about how reality sometimes does not match what you see on paper. National numbers don’t always reflect local numbers, and local numbers may not even be specific enough unless you break them down…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: What’s Happening in Your Real Estate World?
After a very rewarding week of teaching several real estate professionals about Social Media and Blogging, more than a few conversations after the classes were directed not so much at how they are going to implement these tools into their real estate business…but how the method(s) of how they generated business has changed so dramatically. One of the startling discovery for one attendee after taking my Social Media class came…Rest of Story…

US – FINANCING
6 new hurdles for home financing
If you’ve been in the market for a mortgage recently, you’ve no doubt noticed how difficult it can be to get approved. You’re not imagining it, and it’s not just you. Paul McFadden, a loan officer with The Legacy Group in Bellevue, Wash., says, “These days, the number of mortgage applications that get approved is probably three out of 10. In the heyday, it was nine out of 10. Normally five or six out of 10 would be the ratio…Rest of Story…

US – HOME SALES
Weak Home Sales Numbers Don’t Tell Whole Story, Real Estate Center Economist Says
Home sales statistics are likely to paint a picture of a weakening market through the end of 2010 and the first half of 2011. While it’s tempting to attribute the bleak numbers to a deteriorating housing market, an economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University said that doesn’t tell the whole story. “The year-over-year decline in existing home sales will be the result of comparing months when there was no tax credit…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
Coffee Talk – Oh great, more gloomy East Valley real estate news
East Valley Team memberKristin LaVanway talks about all the doom and gloom in the news about the real estate market. Here’s another depressing article about the Katrina – like disaster that is the East Valley real estate market…PLEASE!!! These articles are part of the problem by giving potential buyers unrealistic expectations about the market. Let’s see more responsible journalism and less National Enquirer, ok…Watch the Video…

IOWA CITY, IA
Ranch Home for Sale: 119 S Mount Vernon Dr, ^Iowa City
Unique ranch style home for sale, 119 S Mount Vernon Dr, Iowa City. Tons of space, 6 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms. Walk to City High, close to Hoover Elementary. 5 minutes to downtown…See Details…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
EXISTING HOME SALES PLUMMET IN JULY; LAKE GENEVA HOME BUYERS GAIN LEVERAGE
The number of home resales plunged by 1.4 million units in July, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ Existing Home Sales report. It’s a drop of 27 percent from June; single-family home resales are at the report’s lowest levels since May 1999. Furthermore, because of the sharp drop in sales volume, home inventories are spiking. Homes for sale nationwide fell just short of 4 million units in July and…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Your Real Estate Blog Doesn’t Always Have to be About Real Estate!
As a daily Blogger, digester of multiple news feeds and a Real Estate Instructor, I can tell you there are 3 things that you can blog about if you are a real estate professional. 1. There are great deals out there 2. Interest rates are low 3. There is enough bad news about the housing market to choke a horse! So What Else Can You Talk About? If you think about it…your community maybe…just maybe, might not want to talk…Rest of Story…

US – RECESSION LESSONS
Three Lessons from Three Years of Recession
If there’s one thing that time consistently does, it’s move forward. So, as this Great Recession continues to wear us down, it may be time to cast our eyes towards the horizon as well as take stock in what we’ve learned so far, three years into this latest economic slump. Here are three lessons we have learned within the last three years, with a glimpse to what the future holds for the new real estate. 1. A house is a home, not a piggy bank…Rest of Story…

US – REFERRALS
The Referral Engine
I recently finished The Referral Engine by John Jantsch (another one of my paid-too-much-because-I’m-bored-at-the-airport decisions). Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed and came away with a few pages of notes. Reading it a second time will probably help me implement more of the strategies, but here are a few things that impressed me the first time around: Humans are wired to give referrals. LOVE THIS! Sometimes we hesitate…Rest of Story…

US – REFINANCE
The Great Refinance Wave
With rates dropping significantly in 2010 as I showed over the weekend, the refinance boom is all around us. What’s curious is how people are choosing to refinance and stay where they are now instead of moving up in homes. This is a direct reflection of low level of confidence in the US population. Further, the refinance boom isn’t available to everyone. Many people are still underwater on their mortgages. A recent survey by…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
Worthington history a presidential visit….
Yes it was newsworthy when President Obama visited a home on the northside of Columbus last Tuesday… The Columbus Dispatch called E. Kanawha Clintonville. The Toledo Blade called the neighborhood south of present day Worthington Sharon Heights… On August 25, 1817 President James Monroe visited the Village Green in Worthington. Worthington was founded in 1803. Worthington history…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.

IOWA CITY, IA
Pictures – Sand in the City Weekend 2010
The rain had little to no impact on this year’s Sand in the City event in Iowa City. Resourceful Iowans were able to save their sand sculptures from the rains on Friday and the weekend continued with sunshine and temperatures in the 90′s. On Sunday afternoon I showed up just in time to catch an excellent performance by the all male Capella, Intersection. Right after that I took some photos of the wonderful sand…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Postling Helps You Post and Populate Your Blog On a Single Platform.
I recently had a great phone conversation with Joshua Scherman of Postling about the wonderful services they provide for small business owners to solve some of their Social Media networking issues. Josh explained to me the value of allowing those who are overwhelmed with the thought of Social Media and Blogging to have a single platform to post and populate their message. Keeping It Simple As I’ve learned in many of my…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
EXPOSURE, THE INTERNET, AND YOU.
When you’re thinking about selling your San Antonio home, you have a lot to consider. Price, staging or not, different listing tactics (bonuses, allowances, residential service contracts, inclusions, etc.), and who your Realtor® will be. It’s a huge step in your life and getting it right is the goal. An improperly listed home can languish on the market and cause you more headaches than you want (who wants…Rest of Story…

US – EXISTING HOME SALES
July Existing-Home Sales Fall, But Prices Rise
Existing-home sales were sharply lower in July following expiration of the home buyer tax credit but home prices continued to gain, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, dropped 27.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.83 million units in July from a downwardly…Rest of Story…

US – LANDLORDS
Landlords: How to make a buck in college towns
While the economic recession is bad news for the real-estate industry, it’s a boon for prospective college-town landlords. Housing prices have fallen by half in some areas, and mortgage rates have sunk to a record low, while university enrollment is surging as people go back to school in the wake of job losses. That has led to a dearth of student housing, which means it’s a great time to buy low and rent high…Rest of Story…

US – MORTGAGE FEES
New Fees Weighed for Mortgage Industry
The Obama administration may propose that any federal backing of mortgages be paid for through fees on the lending industry, according to people familiar with the internal discussions. While the administration hasn’t settled on a plan to revamp failed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are now under federal supervision, a consensus appears to be emerging that some type of government guarantee will…Rest of Story…

US – REAL ESTATE POLICY
Carnival of Real Estate Policy
It’s time, y’all. Given all of the energy and action of late around housing, housing finance, and future of homeownership by the Federal government, I think it’s time the RE.net (and others!) put together a Carnival of Real Estate Policy. I’ve organized one and will host the first one here on Notorious. Submission deadline is 8/31/2010 and this inaugural edition will be posted on 9/5/2010. I’m looking for blogposts that…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
Kitchen Remodeling Do’s And Dont’s
This is a Re-Blog. Thanks Scott for allowing your thorough post about kitchens to be Re-Blogged for Central Ohio consumers. Via Scott Hayes (Austin Real Estate Agency): Even the most cursory viewing of home improvement shows, has reinforced the mantra; kitchens and bathrooms sell homes. What the shows don’t tell you, is how to get the most bang for your buck. Too often, the homes featured, showcase budget…Rest of Story…

IOWA CITY, IA
A Fun Weekend in Iowa City – Impressions of Sand in the City 2010
Rain did not wash all the sand sculptures away on Friday. Resourceful Iowans managed to save their exhibits and the weekend continued without further ado at this year’s Sand in the City event. I headed over yesterday afternoon, enjoyed some really excellent singing with the all male capella, Intersection. (I’m Welsh, that makes me a sucker for an all male choir – it’s in the genes). Right after that I took some snaps of…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
BANK MORTGAGE LENDING POLICIES APPEAR TO BE EASING
The tightening in Lake Geneva mortgage-lending policies that characterized the last 3 years appears to be slowing. According to the Federal Reserve’s quarterly survey of senior bank loan officers, roughly 1 in 10 lenders added mortgage qualification hurdles between April and June. It’s a huge departure from just 2 years ago when the mortgage industry was facing its first wave of challenges. During that period, eight…Rest of Story…

NEW YORK, NY
Manhattan-Bound Brooklyn Bridge Close Overnight Until 2014
The Manhattan-bound lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge will be closed overnight for the next four years beginning Monday, the Department of Transportation said. Traffic into the borough will be rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge. The closures begin at 11 p.m. and the bridge reopens at 6 a.m. Sunday through Rriday. On the weekends, the Manhattan-bound lanes will be closed from midnight to 7 a.m.The closure is to allow crews to…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Rubbish Works is Your On Demand Resource for Hauling & Recycling All Your Trash in Seattle
I had the good fortune to be introduced to John Davies of Rubbish Works here in Seattle a few weeks ago. John already enjoyed Blogging and embraced the idea of Social Media to drive his trash and recycling hauling business and allowed me the opportunity to help him with his new blogsite, fan page and twitter presence just for starters. John is a great example of a local small business owner taking advantage of his…Rest of Story…

US – CLOSING COSTS
What to expect at closing
You’re finally wrapping up your home purchase. Congratulations. Before it’s officially yours, though, you have one last hurdle: the mysterious process known as “closing” or “settlement.” Open your wallet and hold onto your hat. “Closing costs” — the catch-all term for a host of fees, taxes and charges — can total 2% to 6% or more of your purchase price — $4,000 to $12,000 on a $200,000 mortgage. That means you’ll need to budget…Rest of Story…

US – HOME RESALES
We hate to say “We told you so…
From the Wall Street Journal (as reported by media outlets far and wide today): Home resales dropped a record 27.2%–nearly twice as much as analysts had expected–to an annual rate of 3.83 million in July, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. Meanwhile, inventories rose to 12.5 months from 8.9 months in June, pressuring already depressed home prices. We certainly don’t enjoy reporting the today’s market…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.

ARIZONA
Feed-in tariff to aid solar weighed
Arizona utility regulators are designing rules that would require power companies to buy electricity from solar developers at prearranged prices. The “feed-in tariff” aims to guarantee profits for solar developers, while encouraging more solar-power generation in Arizona. It also aims to stabilize the Arizona solar-construction market, which has risen and fallen as incentives from utilities and the federal government have…Rest of Story…

CENTRAL OHIO
Central Ohio bed bugs… recommendations to REALTORS®
Columbus bed bugs…. not just City of Columbus of course… Did you know there is a Central Ohio Bed Bugs Task Force…. and their site includes a page titled “realtor recommendations” ? Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force (CentralOhioBedBugs.org is the url) The Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force’s “realtor recommendations” are a .pdf (Acrobat Reader document.) The Central Ohio Bed Bug Taks Force recommendations to “REALTORS®”…Rest of Story…

LAKE GENEVA, WI
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR LAKE GENEVA MORTGAGE RATES THIS WEEK: AUGUST 23, 2010
Lake Geneva mortgage markets stalled last week in back-and-forth trading as Wall Street grappled with weak housing data, falling builder confidence, and worsening jobs numbers nationwide. Because markets were volatile, rate shopping was challenging. Conforming mortgage rates did managed to make a new all-time low last Thursday but quickly gave up those gains. Most of Friday afternoon was spent in the red and…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
Animal Defense League of San Antonio
In light of my past post about the stray cat living under my deck and the response to it, I thought I’d write a little about my favorite place in San Antonio for pets and the care for the animals that get left behind. I’m speaking of the Animal Defense League. I had never heard of the ADL when I moved to San Antonio, but thanks to Mike Osterhage and KSAT12 News, I quickly became familiar with them. Every Thursday morning…Rest of Story…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: How Has Social Media and Blogging Impacted Your Real Estate Business?
I spent a great deal of time this weekend practicing exactly what I preach by using Social Media and Blogging to increase my real estate business. Aside from the normal ‘liking’ or ‘following’ of several individuals, groups or companies, I also responded, reacted and reached out to many of those with offers to help them with their real estate and social media needs. However, the one thing I enjoyed most about my social media…Rest of Story…

US – TWITTER
Top 5 Most Indispensable Twitter Tools for Marketers
What’s more important? The quantity of your Twitter following or the depth of your relationships with your followers? The answer is BOTH! Having hundreds of thousands of followers must be nice. But we all know that the depth of the relationships you maintain with your tweeple is paramount. This article will reveal five great Twitter tools that will help you find and engage with quality Twitter followers…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.

LAKE GENEVA, WI
LAKE GENEVA MORTGAGE RATES MAKE NEW LOWS FOR THE 9TH WEEK IN A ROW
Another week, another new low for conforming mortgage rates. In fact, this week marks the 9th time in a row it’s happened. Lake Geneva mortgage rates are (again) at their lowest levels in history.
The data comes from the Freddie Mac, a government group and major loan securitizer for the U.S. mortgage market. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey is among the most widely-cited reports…Rest of Story…

NEW YORK, NY
That’s Amar’e
New Knick Amar’e Stoudemire is back from a spiritual trip to Israel and on the hunt for an apartment that’s in line with his wingspan and bank account. The 6-foot-10 superstar, who signed a five-year, $99.7 million contract this summer, recently visited a three-bedroom, 3½-bathroom unit with 12-foot ceilings at 40 Mercer St. Stoudemire is looking to rent, and we hear this 2,370-square…Rest of Story…

SAN ANTONIO, TX
Tax Free Weekend
Remember, tax free weekend is not just for back to school families. Its for EVERYBODY!! ^SA San Antonio Tax Free Weekend…See the Tweet…

SEATTLE, WA
My Seattle Blogs: Do You Know Who You’re Talking To When You Blog?
Having just completed back-to-back Social Media and Blogging classes over the past few days, it dawned on me that while I’m teaching folks how to get a blog and in some cases how to write a blog…the one thing I’m forgetting to convey is who are you going to write your blog for once you get up and running? What’s Your Interests? Remember, if you’re only blogging about…Rest of Story…

US – FOURSQUARE & YELP
This is the part 2 of Think Mobile
Foursquare, Yelp and where the heck am I. As a brick and mortar business do you have regular clients or customers such as a pizza place to a chiropractors office or even a regular restaurant. In reality, you can be just about any business that entertains a regular flow people willing to spend money. Then you may be on Foursquare or Yelp and you do not even know it. Who is the Mayor of your…Rest of Story…

US – NAR CHIEF ECONOMIST
Economic Commentary: Varying Signs
These last few months saw a “pause” in housing market activity following the rush of buyers to qualify for the tax credit. That pause was anticipated – and is still occurring. Contract signings on existing homes fell 3 percent in June; that on top of the 30 percent tumble in May. July data is still being collected; unfortunately the raw data coming are not encouraging and could be similarly…Rest of Story…

WORTHINGTON, OH
Sharon Heights neighborhood in the news…
The Toledo Blade called the Columbus neighborhood that President Obama visited yesterday, : Sharon Heights.” “Microphone in hand in town hall-style, the President spoke and took questions from a small crowd sitting at picnic tables in the backyard of architect Joe Weithman, his wife, Rhonda, and their two children in the tree-lined, residential Columbus neighborhood of Sharon Heights…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.