housing trends: Real Estate News From Inman - First Hand Homeowner Stories on Their Upside Down Ownership Experiences
- 09/10/07 09:09 AM
Many of us read Inman on line. They just started a three part series highlighting stories from actual homeowners who are upside down and facing foreclosures. The first part was very insightful, covering several different homeowners: one who lives in her property and finds herself upside down because of the market and the terms of her loan; a guy in Atlanta who said he unfortunately purchased investment homes at good prices in neighborhoods that weren't the best investment areas. You can read the entire article here. It was sad but insightful to read how they got into trouble because of job losses or … (18 comments)
housing trends: Can Someone Seriously Explain to Me How Prices Were Allowed to Skyrocket?
- 08/12/07 11:40 AM
Reading Lenn Harley's amazingly 'on point' post today got me thinking about something that keeps churning in my brain. If prices on homes should be $300,000, how in blazes did they get to $500k and $600k in the time it takes to eat a cookie? I'm really serious about this. What do they tell you about appraisals for homes? Here they say, you better expect your home to be within one precent (two MAYBE) of the comparable sales in the neighborhood. How did these homes pass appraisals or am I missing something? I believe in a free market economy; I surely want … (79 comments)
housing trends: Universal Design Homes Just Might Help You Keep Your Independence So You Don't Have to Move to Florida
- 07/19/07 07:02 AM
No offense to Florida, really. It's a great State! But Clevelanders are 'sticky.' It's one of those high tech terms for those who own a website; we want our websites to be sticky meaning people visit our sites and then browse for more than a few seconds. Well, that's how I view the Midwest, at least here in Cleveland. Families are here so as people reach retirement age, moving to Florida or anywhere else away from our families is not always a pleasant thought. Moving to a retirement community isn't always a happy thought either. There are things you can do to your … (40 comments)
housing trends: What Percent of Asking Price are Sellers Getting For Their Homes?
- 05/12/07 01:43 PM
Traditionally, Northeast Ohio was fairly regular, no prunes needed. Agents could quote the fact that historically, Sellers could expect to get within 3% of their Ask Price for their home. Then we could explain that to get on the higher end of these statistics the home should be in tip top shape, updated and ready to accept their new owners without much fuss. If your home needs work, then 3% of what you are asking might be what you see. If your home is in need of love, still harboring that green shag or avocado appliance-filled kitchen, it might be that … (46 comments)
housing trends: Are Granite Countertops So Yesterday?
- 03/25/07 03:13 PM
So I discovered msn.com's real estate section today for the first time. Maybe I'm a tad late to the party on this one. Anyway, they had an article about trends that work and don't work if you are planning on putting your house on the market. I'm re - printing them here verbatim and of course adding my comments because I can't help myself lol:1. Avoid installing bowl-shape, above-the-counter bathroom sinks.They look pretty but have proved to be harder to maintain and keep clean. Me: This is a no-brainer. I could tell by looking at them this would happen! I agree … (28 comments)
housing trends: Housing Trends of the Future.... and Will Buyers Like It? Will We Like It?
- 10/18/06 01:57 PM
That's my Manager Mark, with one of my colleagues Chris. We opened our City Office last January and the space is a cool, long, narrow urban design, replete with the original tin ceiling. It's a creative atmosphere within which to work. Mark is as geeky about searching out books on homes and home design as I am. He also loves Dwell Magazine and forces us to read it...not that we mind! My interest was piqued when a friend of mine called me to say Karrie Jacobs, the magazine's Founding Editor, had written a book she knew I would love. I immediately … (26 comments)
Many of us read Inman on line. They just started a three part series highlighting stories from actual homeowners who are upside down and facing foreclosures. The first part was very insightful, covering several different homeowners: one who lives in her property and finds herself upside down because of the market and the terms of her loan; a guy in Atlanta who said he unfortunately purchased investment homes at good prices in neighborhoods that weren't the best investment areas. You can read the entire article here. ;)
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