"Real Estate Market & Property News / Investment News"

The Appraisal Institute recently advised homeowners to properly maintain their landscaping, which can significantly affect property values. “If a landscaping change is positive, it can often enhance price and reduce a home’s time on the market,” says Appraisal Institute President Richard L. Borges II, MAI, SRA. “But if the change is negative, [...]

What would you do if you won $600 million? That is the question on everyone’s mind as Powerball fever sweeps the nation. The water cooler within our office has been all-abuzz as Wednesday’s estimated $360 million swelled to an unfathomable $600 million Friday. As speculation turned to anticipation, we began to discuss the luxury upgrades [...]

Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have implemented policies to expedite the short sales process, including new resources to help determine property values, according to panelists at a property valuation forum during the REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. Short sales continue to represent a significant portion of the real estate [...]

There are 20 Frank Lloyd Wright homes now on the market, and some are available at a markdown. But owning an architectural treasure can come with significant headaches.

Coping tips for handling the unexpected while selling a home

An arts district approved for a section of Jersey City's Heights neighborhood could spur new development and bring more creative types to an area that is already home to many artists.

Hedge fund billionaire William Ackman and an investor group are in contract to buy a New York penthouse for over $90 million; Ron Radziner sells his California home for $4.4 million.

Looking to connect with his roots, the owner sought out this French Colonial-style home overlooking a bay.

Mortgage rates followed U.S. Treasury bond yields higher this week on signs of stronger consumer spending.

No matter the system or strategy you employ to protect yourself from telephone interruptions, you will, on occasion be caught by them. There will be a few calls today or this week that penetrate your defenses.

Build it and they will come. The new housing industry is growing stronger and helping boost the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Homebuyers seeking new homes are encouraging this growth.

A home on Lake Austin is surrounded by natural beauty, but it's also a short kayak ride to the local coffee shop.

Construction of new homes sank last month far more than expected, but a surge in building permits points to a pickup in the months ahead.

For 21½ hours in 1969, two astronauts lived aboard a cold, cramped lunar module with a balky circuit breaker. Buzz Aldrin talks about what this home aboard Apollo 11 was like.

An eye-popping price tag in Greenwich, Conn., is a new test of the ultra-high-end property market.

Five custom-made vessel sinks with inspiration from nature.

Rather than pay off their homes, some seniors are finding that their money can work harder elsewhere.

Now is a perfect time to reassess and calculate what you need to do to get your goals on track! As we move towards mid-year, it’s time to put pen to paper about what is working (and what isn’t). A business plan isn’t set it stone, nor should it be a heavy burden. Rather, it’s [...]

While many Japanese real-estate companies are only just starting to emerge onto the international stage after years of focusing on Asia, Mitsui Fudosan has been aggressively pursuing deals in the U.S. and Europe.

A sharp pullback in apartment and condominium construction led to a big decline in overall home building in April, even as single-family home construction remained strong, according to government data released Thursday.

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The apartment sector's biggest mystery these days: What will Lehman do with its stakes in Equity Residential and AvalonBay?

Realtor.com®, a leader in online real estate operated by Move, Inc., released its April data showing that the U.S. housing market is on its way to a broad-based recovery, an accelerated trend since March. The home-buying season shifted into high gear last month as inventory and home list prices on realtor.com® increased by 4.12 percent [...]

Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs of RFR Holdings have taken full ownership of the Seagram Building in Manhattan....And Beacon Capital Partners is gradually getting out of the Seattle area.

The Brandon Plantation, a National Historic Landmark with a detailed history tied to the Civil War and Washington politics, is scheduled for auction in June.

REALTORS® from across the nation will be meeting with regulators, lawmakers and industry leaders in Washington this week to address critical real estate issues affecting individuals, communities, and the nation as the REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo begins. More than 9,000 REALTORS® and guests are expected to attend the meetings, [...]

The condo conversion of St. Vincent's hospital, a development rising at 50 United Nations Plaza in Midtown and a newly restored tower at Gramercy Park have the backing of Eyal Ofer.

The No. 1, most important asset we have in our real estate arsenal is our relationships. Perhaps it will feel a bit redundant for me to remind you how important it is to work on your sphere of influence, but what exactly does that mean? For some, it means connecting with them on Facebook or [...]

Prospect Park South, a landmarked Brooklyn neighborhood of detached houses spread out along gracious tree-lined streets, is drawing more young families priced out of surrounding areas.

The most important asset within your company is the people. Attracting the right people means appealing to those aligned with your values and vision and giving them a compelling reason to say yes to your company. Finding these people gives you an opportunity to create a flourishing environment that translates into an improved bottom line. [...]

With more than 25 years in the business, David Schoner is recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts in new-home sales and marketing. As the previous owner of Schoner Research and the New Jersey New Homes Guide, he’s worked for the past 17 years as vice president, Coldwell Banker NRT, responsible for all New [...]

Many residents in rural America would have reduced access to mortgage credit despite accommodations included in new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) mortgage rules, according to survey results released recently by the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA). ICBA’s Community Bank Qualified Mortgage Survey found that provisions [...]

The mortgage interest deduction is one of the most expensive tax breaks on the books, but its benefits are distributed unevenly across the country, according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Time Warner Inc. is leaning toward moving its roughly 1 million-square-foot headquarters to a fledgling office district on Manhattan's far West Side, according to a person briefed on the company's plans.

After fishing trip,Huey Lewis was hooked on Montana; now the News frontman sings Sinatra and Satchmo on horseback.

To keep teens and tweens occupied at home, more parents try luxe, amenity-packed "kid zones."

Riskier real-estate projects are starting to move forward again, thanks in part to a resurgence of so-called opportunity real-estate funds.

The housing market is heating up, yet many house hunters are not prepared to take on the biggest purchases of their lives.

Due to a processing error, borrowers received checks for less than what they were owed under a mortgage settlement reached with 13 mortgage servicers, the Federal Reserve said.

Editor’s Note: This is the sixth of a seven-part series from Homes.com on how to manage your online reputation. Homes.com has put together a free playbook on the topic, which can be downloaded here. Watch for this series in RISMedia’s Friday Weekly Business Builder e-newsletter. When attempting to manage your online reputation, it’s important [...]

Many of us have learned to be careful what we wish for. Years ago, as a young custom homebuilder, I reached a point where these words were ringing in my ears. While I was excited my business was growing quickly, I found myself struggling to keep up with my work like the proverbial ‘one-armed paper [...]

The agents, managers and staff of Better Homes and Gardens Mason-McDuffie Real Estate in partnership with the World Transformation Center (WTC), hosted a Charity Poker Tournament on Friday, April 26 that raised over $27,000 for The Children’s Village of Sonoma County. The event, held at the Zio Fraedo’s restaurant in Pleasant Hill, drew over 200 [...]

Trulia, Inc., a leading online marketplace for homebuyers, sellers, renters and real estate professionals, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Market Leader, Inc., a leading provider of Software as a Service (SaaS)-based customer relationship management (CRM) software for the real estate sector, for approximately [...]

(MCT)—Area basketball coaches are seeing a lot of off-court action these days. Now that the Lakers are out of the playoffs, head coach Mike D’Antoni can turn his attention to moving into the house he and his wife, Laurel, just bought in Manhattan Beach for $6.9 million and working on his tan. The ocean-view home [...]

A 1916 home in one of Ohio's toniest areas has been expanded and updated to suit the needs of the owners and plenty of house guests.

We know how hard you work – now it’s time to share your success! RISMedia wants to hear your Success Story. If you’ve overcome a real challenge or tricky situation with a client, we want to know what you’ve accomplished and how you did it. Success stories may include: - Helping a buyer with a [...]

NAR PULSE—Attending the Midyear Trade Expo in D.C.? Meet us in NAR’s Booth No. 1707, at the center of the REALTOR® Pavilion’s neighborhood of NAR information and resources. Pick up a campaign button for your hill visit and record a video message for the REALTOR® Party, take action on two MVP offers, learn about exclusive [...]

The heart of any company can be found beating inside the walls of its customer service department. Providing superior customer service after the sale is a smart business decision that pays long-term dividends. All the money that companies spend on sales training, marketing research, advertising, and PR initiatives to attract new customers is wasted [...]

A majority of Americans forecast home prices will rise over the next 12 months for the first time in three-year old survey by Fannie Mae.

If you had to hire a real estate professional to sell your home, or to help you buy a new one, would you hire “you” to do the job? If the answer is yes, then list all the reasons why. If the answer is no, list all of the reasons why not. As you consider [...]

New York has announced plans to sue Bank of America and Wells Fargo over their alleged failure to comply with last year's National Mortgage Settlement.

RISMedia Midyear Forum Set for May 16 in D.C. From inventory shortages to a changing investor landscape, the real estate playing field has changed, and success moving forward means staying in step and remaining relevant to today’s consumers. Leading brokers from across the nation will address this topic during RISMedia’s Power Broker Forum at NAR [...]

Buoyed by rising home prices throughout much of the nation, both single-family and multifamily housing starts are expected to post double-digit gains over last year in 2013. However, headwinds continue to hold back even stronger growth as the housing recovery evolves, according to economists at NAHB’s Spring 2013 Construction Forecast Conference Webinar. [...]

FHA will generate $10 billion by locking middle-class borrowers into high fees for decades.

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Editor’s Note: This is the fifth of a seven-part series from Homes.com on how to manage your online reputation. Homes.com has put together a free playbook on the topic, which can be downloaded here. Watch for this series in RISMedia’s Friday Weekly Business Builder e-newsletter. Both on the playing field and in real estate, the [...]

Editor’s Note: This is the fifth of a seven-part series from Homes.com on how to manage your online reputation. Homes.com has put together a free playbook on the topic, which can be downloaded here. Watch for this series in RISMedia’s Friday Weekly Business Builder e-newsletter. Both on the playing field and in real estate, the [...]

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As consumers continue to become increasingly savvy and demand more from real estate professionals, the need for a reliable real estate rating system is more important than ever before. While the World Wide Web offers no shortage when it comes to ratings and reviews of the real estate industry and the professionals who work on [...]

In traditional housing recoveries, individuals and households provide the bulk of the demand the market needs to rebound. This time, though, a different kind of buyer has been powering the housing recovery: investors looking for valuable rental property. Along with individual investors, institutional investors have poured into the single-family home [...]

NAR PULSE—You and your agents earn the Goal Productivity Package download from Realtor.com® after taking the less than 5 minute Midyear Adjustment to Keep Goals on Track Assessment. The Goal Productivity Package gives you and your agents a personalize action plan, a webinar, a video coaching series, and a toll free number for help and [...]

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CoreLogic®, a leading residential property information, analytics and services provider, announced the acquisition of Case-Shiller® from Fiserv, Inc. in conjunction with first quarter 2013 CoreLogic earnings results on April 24, 2013. The acquisition closed on March 20, 2013. In addition to the widely recognized Case-Shiller Indexes, CoreLogic will [...]

Regional Spotlight—The Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® (MORe) recently announced a new program that will provide consumers in the Chicago suburbs with a comprehensive system for rating REALTORS®. MORe is the largest local association in the nation and the first in the Midwest to offer such a service. Through partnership with the REALTOR® Excellence [...]

The top two business issues on the minds of leading real estate executives are thoroughly explored by prominent industry experts in a new 12-page special supplement on “Recruiting and Technology” commissioned by technology firm Imprev for the latest issue of RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine. Renwick Congdon, CEO, Imprev, said, “We know [...]

Some shareholders in the Empire State Building are in court this week seeking to block plans for a trust and subsequent IPO for the landmark building and other Manhattan properties.

Have you ever had a sale that didn’t close and you weren’t sure why? Chances are you lost the sale because you didn’t establish sufficient trust and rapport with your prospect. Once you have developed trust and rapport, you’ve actually got the hard part behind you and you’re probably going to make a sale! It [...]

Have you ever had a sale that didn’t close and you weren’t sure why? Chances are you lost the sale because you didn’t establish sufficient trust and rapport with your prospect. Once you have developed trust and rapport, you’ve actually got the hard part behind you and you’re probably going to make a sale! It [...]

Focusing your energy and attention on a particular real estate niche hasn’t always been an attractive idea. In fact, there are many real estate professionals that believe niche marketing is far too narrow in scope. If you find yourself fighting the urge to ‘dig for riches in real estate niches’ you might want to reconsider. [...]

Data scraping and misuse of listing data that belongs to brokers are growing concerns. Many scrapers (or others who receive the data legitimately but use it in ways that violates its licenses) are actively reselling listing data for various uses not intended by brokers, such as statistical or financial reporting. I recently had the opportunity [...]

As Congress pursues comprehensive tax reform it should focus on doing no harm to housing and America’s 75 million homeowners by maintaining current tax laws for homeownership and real estate investment, the National Association of REALTORS® said in a recent testimony. NAR President Gary Thomas testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee [...]

The salesman greeted me with a friendly smile as I approached the shiny SUV on the showroom floor. “That’s a pretty one, isn’t it?” he asked. “It sure is,” I agreed, “But can you tell me about its towing capability?” “Well, let’s take a look,” he responded as he walked around to the rear of [...]

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Editor’s Note: This is the fourth of a seven-part series from Homes.com on how to manage your online reputation. Homes.com has put together a free playbook on the topic, which can be downloaded here. Watch for this series in RISMedia’s Friday Weekly Business Builder e-newsletter. On the Internet, word travels at a million miles a [...]

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These 10 cities had the highest level of year-round pollution and some of the highest incidences of heart and lung issues as well, according to the American Lung Association's annual report.

NAR PULSE—Victor O. Schinnerer, a REALTOR Benefits® Program partner, has expanded their errors & omissions policy with additional coverage enhancements for REALTORS®. The new policy increases the important protection that Real Estate E&O insurance offers REALTORS®, brokers, and commercial professionals. Learn more by visiting REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits [...]

Targeting, converting and nurturing online leads are challenges many real estate professionals face. From the expense to the tools and management, knowing how and where to spend time and money can feel like an immense undertaking. With this in mind, I sat down with Scott Lehman, owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Sonoran [...]

Rick Judson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Charlotte, N.C., issued the following statement regarding comprehensive immigration reform unveiled today by a group of eight bipartisan senators: “NAHB congratulates Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lindsey [...]

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In preparation for Open House weekend, realtor.com® and Top Producer® have jointly collaborated on two elements of a successful open house: Attendance and follow-up. To start things off, realtor.com® will help you learn how to post their open houses on the realtor.com® web site and also to make them visible on realtor.com®‘s mobile applications. [...]

The annual pace of housing starts topped 1 million for the first time in nearly five years in March, another sign of the rebound in the sector.

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These terrific small cities offer what American families care about most -- strong job opportunities, great schools, low crime, quality health care, and plenty to do. And they're true communities too