Highlights
Buying a house, condo or other real estate the largest and most complex purchase most Americans will ever make -- remains a huge part of the economy. In 2007, a dismal time for the business, about 6.3 million housing transactions occurred in the United States, according to the Realtor's trade group. But the market has taken a serious body blow in recent years. The National Association of Realtors predicted the sales of existing homes in 2007 would be 10.8 percent below 2006. Sales of new homes were expected to be at the lowest level in a decade. The Internet has made it much easier for a layperson to locate properties that fit their needs and budget. As a result, while about 90 percent of tr...
Buying a house, condo or other real estate the largest and most complex purchase most Americans will ever make -- remains a huge part of the economy. In 2007, a dismal time for the business, about 6.3 million housing transactions occurred in the United States, according to the Realtor's trade group. But the market has taken a serious body blow in recent years. The National Association of Realtors predicted the sales of existing homes in 2007 would be 10.8 percent below 2006. Sales of new homes were expected to be at the lowest level in a decade. The Internet has made it much easier for a layperson to locate properties that fit their needs and budget. As a result, while about 90 percent of transactions involve a real estate agent, the rest were simply buyers and sellers hooking up independently. By-owner sales are popular among many people, in part because it saves on commissions. But even more buyers favor using a real estate agent who has the expertise and time to negotiate the complex processes. It may be obvious that no purchase in your life will ever be as crucial, but the good news is that it does not have to be as intimidating as you think. The single best piece of advice is not to let the big numbers and the jargon unnerve you. Simple, easy-to-understand step-by-step advice and instructions are available in literally hundreds of books in the library, on-line articles and websites (enter the words "real estate tips" and "selling" or "buying" in any search engine). Most give the exact same information although each may have a bit of a bias such as favoring by-owner or using a Realtor. Other significant advice: have patience; this can often be a long process and time usually is on your side. Trust your instincts; if a deal seems too good to be true, there's often a reason. Believe in options; just like buying a used car, there is always another house out there. Buying a home is essentially a lengthy parade of complex decisions, starting with whether this is the right time to be making a transaction. But the websites and books lay out the specific criteria you can use to make an informed judgment call rather than just making a blind guess. For buyers, the process includes finding out precisely how much you can spend on a house without destroying your standard of living; locating financing; identifying a large array of potential homes so you are not focused on one choice; visiting, inspecting and evaluating properties; negotiating a deal, and closing the deal.
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Quotes from McCain, Obama in their second presidential debate
Quotes from Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois during their second presidential debate on Tuesday at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.: ___ On mortgages: McCAIN: "I would order the secretary of...Tags: John McCain, Barack Obama, National Government, Medical Services, Government Health Care
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Buy high, sell low: GM may unload RenCen for the cash
Autoblog.comFiled under: GMOne thing's for sure, General Motors is not very good at playing the real estate market. Last May the world's biggest automaker finally bought its world headquarters in downtown Detroit called the Renaissance Center for the sum of $626... -
Business Planner - October 7, 2008
WEDNESDAY OCT. 8 WHITEHALL/NAZARETH/ Slate Belt Business Expo, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel and Conference Center, Routes 512 and 22, Hanover Township, Northampton County. Open to public 10 a.m.- noon. Info: 610-432-4130 SATURDAY...Tags: American Legion, Bethlehem (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)
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Seminole nonprofit groups work to reach consumers with questions about housing market
Sentinel Staff WriterHabitat for Humanity in Seminole County and the Housing Solutions Program are working together to improve and expand resources they provide locally, including monthly real estate resource forums that host free legal and mortgage support, credit-rebuild...Tags: Housing Industry, Property, Mortgages, Financial and Business Services, Real Estate
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real estate transactions
Tamarac July 23 •5713 NW 66th Ave $110,000 Seller: Dyke Hans Van Buyer: Gabriel Vazquez •8211 NW 74th Ave $250,000 Sellers: Paul John Petrillo and Debra Petrillo Buyers: Paul M.Marcum and Amanda Marcum July 24 •7303 NW 58th...Tags: North Lauderdale, Real Estate Transactions, Justice System, American Home Mortgage, Foreclosures
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WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
As far back as the penny-saving Ben Franklin and the conquistadores chasing their dreams of golden cities, this has been a country of mixed minds about how to get rich. We extol the conservative Warren Buffett model: selling 4 cent Cokes for a nickel...Tags: Warren Buffett, Central Park
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Emirates flexes its financial muscle
Los Angeles Times Staff WriterNo, no, no, he assured one of the businessmen buying the ailing Manchester City soccer club. The price tag for the British team wasn't $4 billion, but a mere $400 million. Anil Bhoyrul, editorial director of Arabian Business magazine and a confidant to...Tags: Soccer, Property, Citigroup Incorporated, Petroleum Industry, Imperial and Royal Matters
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Illegal residents but responsible homeowners
Los Angeles Times Staff WriterThree years ago, Jose Perez purchased a small condo northeast of San Francisco for nearly $250,000. Since then, the first-time buyer has watched the housing market collapse. But Perez has managed better at avoiding foreclosure than thousands of other U....Tags: Illegal Immigrants, National Government, Mortgages, Los Angeles, Loans
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Coldwell Banker to discount hundreds of Orlando-area homes by 10%
Sentinel Staff WriterHundreds of Orlando-area homes listed for sale by Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate will be discounted by as much as 10 percent to participate in a national sales campaign that kicks off Friday. The first ever "Coldwell Banker 10-Day Sales Event"...Tags: Orlando Real Estate, Florida, Marketing, Orlando, Homes
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How much foreclosure relief will homeowners get from bailout plan?
Los Angeles Times Staff WriterThe $700-billion rescue package for the financial system includes measures designed to stem the rising tide of foreclosures. Here's a look at the specifics. How does the bailout plan help homeowners facing foreclosure? The plan provides the Treasury...Tags: Derivative Securities, Mortgages, Loans, Foreclosures, Securities
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A roundup of editorials from Michigan newspapers
Plug Great Lakes Compact loophole It took 53 years, but the Great Lakes states finally have a federal mandate to prevent massive diversions of Great Lakes water -- such as to states in the arid West and Southwest and the corn and wheat belts of the...Tags: National Government, Population, Trade Agreements, Treaties, Rentals
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Nice bailout. Now what else you got?
MARKET BEATWith Uncle Sam now about to make good on a $700-billion bailout for the financial system, Wall Street on Friday looked like an ungrateful child. The stock market began to slide soon after the House approved the bailout bill, and most major market indexes...Tags: Countrywide Financial Corp., American International Group, Mortgages, Bonds, Merrill Lynch & Company Inc.
Oct 7, 2008
|Story| Associated Press
Oct 7, 2008
|Blog| Autoblog.com
Oct 7, 2008
|Story| Allentown Morning Call
Oct 7, 2008
|Story| Orlando Sentinel
Oct 7, 2008
|Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Oct 6, 2008
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Oct 6, 2008
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Oct 6, 2008
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Oct 6, 2008
|Story| Orlando Sentinel
Oct 6, 2008
|Story| Los Angeles Times
Oct 6, 2008
|Story| Associated Press
Oct 4, 2008
|Column| Los Angeles Times
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