Foreclosures Reach Record Highs in 2010
January 6, 2011 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
Foreclosures were big in 2010 and buyers eager to own them came out in record numbers, Foreclosure Deals, a news source, reports.
Experts are expecting foreclosures to climb even higher in 2011.
“We saw a lot more repossessions, but we also saw record numbers of home buyers at foreclosure sales,” said James Foxx, business analyst for Foreclosure [...]
4 Fading Fads That You Won’t See in 2011
January 6, 2011 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
We keep hearing about what’s popular in 2011 for home design — but how about what’s not? Builder Magazine writer Jenny Sullivan asked industry experts to weigh in on design fads that you won’t likely see in the new year. Here are some of the fading home trends experts mentioned:
1. [...]
Home Modifications for Boomers Are Booming
December 22, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
Home Modifications for Boomers Are Booming
A survey by AARP earlier this year found that 33 percent of adults older than 45 have modified their homes to allow them to age comfortably in place.
Aging-in-place modifications can include:
· Decorative grab bars in showers
· Step-free entrances
· Levered door handles
· Raised electrical outlets
· Bathrooms that can accommodate wheelchairs
· Widened [...]
Home Trends
December 22, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
So what does 2011 hold for home decor? Expect lots of 2011 forecasts in the coming weeks. Here are highlights from a recent article in which design experts chime in what they expect to see popular in home design in the New Year.
1. Old is ‘New’
Vintage is to be hot in 2011. Period pieces that [...]
Mortgage Interest Deduction
December 22, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
By Robert Freedman, Senior Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
President Obama’s deficit reduction commission flamed out, right? It needed to get 14 of its 18 members on board for the commission’s final report to go to Congress for an automatic vote on its recommendations, which include curbing the mortgage interest deduction. But the commission only received 11 votes, [...]
5 Steps to Remodeling Done Right
October 26, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
5 Steps to Remodeling Done Right
Here are five steps to developing a great relationship with a remodeling contractor.
1. Let the contractor know if you are ready to remodel or just kicking the tires. Gary Palmer, a Charlotte, N.C.-based general contractor, says seeking multiple bids is fine, but don’t waste his or her time by letting [...]
White Can Be the Key to a Dramatic Room
September 21, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
Interior designer Vicente Wolf’s new book, Lifting the Curtain on Design, says simply, “White can do everything. Painting a room white simplifies the environment. It brings it to its essence.”
Wolf, who has spent most of his career trying to expand small places in New York City, relies on white strategically throughout an apartment. His approach [...]
Are Cramdowns the Answer to Underwater Properties?
September 21, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
The rising number of home repossessions could encourage Congress to pass cramdown legislation, something lenders fought vigorously and prevailed against when bankruptcy laws were reformed.
But the cramdown concept has been working successfully in Chapter 12 of the bankruptcy code, which affects farmland.
Cramdowns, or more properly “bifurcation,” divide the value of the debt between that which [...]
4 Tips for Setting the Right Sales Price
September 21, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
Sellers think their homes are worth more than their real estate professional recommends, and buyers think these same homes are worth less.
It’s a difficult disconnect that makes selling properties a challenge. Successfully marketing a home requires that the price be set carefully — or it will languish on the market. Among the considerations:
How many homes [...]
10 Reasons to Buy a Home
September 17, 2010 by Melodye · Leave a Comment
10 Reasons to Buy a Home
Enough with the doom and gloom about homeownership. Brett Arends explains why owning a home is a good thing.
The Wall Street Journal, By Brett Arends
September 16, 2010
Enough with the doom and gloom about homeownership.
Sure, maybe there’s more pain to come in the housing market. But when Time magazine starts [...]
