Real Estate Bloggers Looking for the Best Real Estate blogs around? Wether you're looking for homestaging advices, real estate agents, fsbo support, you're at the right place. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 3 0 51 4112

Articles from Real Estate Bloggers

Merrill Adds $5.5 Billion to the Write Down Pile 2007-10-05 07:26:56 Merrill Lynch announced today that it will take a write down charge of $5.5 billion related to the credit crunch. Stunningly $4.5 billion of the losses will be directly related to charges associated with the marking to market of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) currently held by the company. The remaining $1 billion is a result of fees and operating costs associated with prior company commitments.  From Market Watch: “Despite solid underlying performances in most of our businesses in the third quarter, the impact of this difficult market was much more severe in certain of our FICC [fixed income, currencies & commodities] businesses than we expected earlier in the quarter,” said Stan O’Neal, chairman and chief executive, in a statement. “While market conditions were extremely difficult and the degree of sustained dislocation unprecedented, we are disappointed in our performance in structured finance and mortgages,” he added. “We can do ...

Things to do on a fall day In Central Alberta. 2007-10-04 16:36:00 There is so much to see and do in Central Alberta in any season. Recently I had an opportunity to take some time off with a few friends and enjoy a round of golf. Sure there was a frost delay as there are in many areas across Canada this time of year, but it was worth it. One of the joys of golfing is enjoying the outdoors, and taking in the scenic views of a well cared for course. Another is by the end of the season we generally have an improved game from the spring.We drove south from Red Deer through Penhold, and onto Innisfail. The Innisfail Golf Course is one that is always well cared for, and offers some spectacular views no matter the season, and a fun yet challenging round of golf. If you are visiting or new to the area and haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Innisfail and the golf course I encourage you to do so, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I do. Often Red Deer is the focus of attention and spotlight in Central Alberta. Deservedly so, as it is ...

Penhold raises funds for Multi-Plex. 2007-10-04 16:10:00 This past weekend marked first of several events planned by organizers for Penhold’s Multi-Plex. The Multi-Plex is planned to be a state of the art facility with space for Town services, sports and recreation facilities such as skating and fitness rooms. It also part of an initiative to bring the new Red Deer County high school to Penhold. The existing County high school has exceeded it’s life expectancy and is now located in an area that really doesn’t serve the constituents of the County very well at all. Penhold started the Multi-Plex initiative as a project for growth for the community and as a way to provide services to their County Neighbors, and have a one stop schooling destination for County residents as well as the Town. A true community partnership, and one that makes a great deal of sense. Both schools in Penhold presently serve the County with Jessie Duncan School hosting grades K to 3 and the Penhold school hosting grades 4 thru 9 Saturday showca ...

Blown Mortgage: Top 25 Most Influential 2007-10-04 12:23:59 Well, personally I’m not a big fan of lists; there is always someone deserving left out and controversy surrounding those that got in. This list is no different.  However, I am very proud to announce that Blown Mortgage has been included on Inman News’ “25 Most Influential Real Estate Bloggers: 2007“. This is a totally unexpected honor that is tremendously humbling. There are some other great bloggers on the list that I admire very much. Here’s a rundown of the bloggers chosen. Remember, these are only real estate blogs, so sites like Implode-O-Meter aren’t on the list because they aren’t a blog. Real Estate Broker & Agent Blogs Teresa Boardman St. Paul Real Estate Blog Ardell Della Loggia SearchingSeattleBlog Marlow Harris 360Digest Doug Heddings TrueGotham Noah Rosenblatt Urbandigs.com Community/Multi-Author Blogs Dustin Luther Rain City Guide Greg Swann Bloodhound Blog Mortgage Morgan Brown Blown Mortgage Todd ...

Mish of Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis Interview 2007-10-04 06:52:45 In this edition of the Blown Mortgage audio podcast series we interview Mish of Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis blog. Mish is a well-known and respected writer on all things current and of the economy. His blog is one of the most visited economics blogs on the web and we are honored that he has taken the time to talk with us about the impact of housing on the economy. In this wide-ranging interview we talk with Mish about his start in blogging, and then shift in to his thoughts on the housing and stock markets as they relate to the current Fed action and the housing decline. We talk about the potential impact of tomorrow’s jobs report on future Fed action, and we wrap up with some insight on how consumers can protect themselves from economic adversity through some time-tested principles. If you cannot view the above media player you can download a copy of the podcast here. The Blown Mortgage podcast is also available via the iTunes store. Mish references a coupl ...

Which Words Sell, and Which Don’t 2007-10-04 04:47:52 Words matter. Wars have started over them. Civilizations have collapsed because of them. And it appears the speed with which a house sells might be determined by them. Words that help sell a home: Handyman special Curb appeal Move-in condition Landscaping Granite Gourmet Golf Words that hurt: Motivated seller Good value As-is Clean Quiet New paint Los Angeles Times For example, a Canadian professor, as part of a broader study on real-estate sales patterns, found that homes where the seller was “motivated” took 15 percent longer to sell, while houses listed as “handyman specials” flew off the market in half the average time. “It surprised even me,” said researcher Paul Anglin, who teaches real-estate and housing trends at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. What surprised him most was how the buying public put style over substance. Words that denoted “curb appeal” or general attractiveness helped a property sell faster than thos ...

Find The Best Place To Live Before You Move 2007-10-04 01:38:52 A real estate for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) site Fizber.com launches a new feature for home buyers; Fizber’s new service allows homebuyers to check what the climate is like in another town or city all year round before they move there. The following feature was designed to help people avoid potential problems when they move to a new town, city or state and make it easier to enjoy a relaxing, stress free life there. Weather and climate are the most important factors for homebuyers when it comes time to choose the best place to live. It’s one thing to buy a house in one’s own ZIP code. It’s another to look at homes for sale online. When deciding where to live, think about the kind of activities you enjoy and how much weather will affect those activities. What kind of weather can you expect this time of year? Can you still do gardening there? Now real estate for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) site Fizber.com is making it easy to answer those questions. ...

Go Wild this Halloween - at the SF Zoo! 2007-10-03 23:49:30 Spend Halloween with Your SF REALTOR® at the SF Zoo! You’ve got lots of options to party on down in SF this Halloween even if the annual Castro Street Halloween Party isn’t an option this year. This year, the weekend before Halloween, I’ll be all dressed up in costume and spending time volunteering at the San Francisco Zoo’s annual Boo at the Zoo (and Dia de los Muertos) festival! This year’s event will be held on October 27 & 28 (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Rain or shine! Come on by, have some fun, see some animals, and stop by and say “Boo!” if you see me! Looking for an “un-BOO-lievably” wild way to celebrate Halloween and one of the most important celebrations in the Hispanic culture, Dia de los Muertos? Then make plans to join the animals for two days of not-so-scary, high-spirited fun at Boo at the Zoo and Dia de los Muertos presented by Spanish radio Estereo Sol, Recuerdo, La Kalle and KLOK. ...

Zephyr Weekly Sales Reports - October 3rd, 2007 2007-10-03 21:32:46 Below is Zephyr Real Estate’s sales data for the previous week. These are NOT properties that have closed, just listings on which a purchase agreement has been ratified and the property has gone into escrow. Multiple offers are back up (way up) and offers over the asking price are back up too. We’re on par with sales compared to this time last year, which surprises me, because inventory is lower this year than it was last year. Overall, the San Francisco property sales are doing well, in spite of the drama across the country. Here’s this week’s numbers, and check back next week to see how they change. 55% of sales received multiple offers 22% of sales sold under the asking price 14% of sales sold at the asking price 64% of sales sold over the asking price ...

NOW IT’S PERSONAL”¦ AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT! 2007-10-03 13:10:29 Did anyone see today’s Wall Street Journal article by Bob Hagerty about Countrywide’s efforts to battle bad publicity? The cast of characters includes a former San Diego Chargers offensive lineman screaming “NOW IT’S PERSONAL” on a conference call with managers, an executive earning $120 million a year describing himself as a “poor kid from the Bronx,” and a former Clinton White House spokesman having this promise to Countrywide staff show up in the world’s most widely read business newspaper: “I have brought companies through the worst type of publicity.” Every company has good days and bad, but it is hard to imagine two more different entities colliding than the sales-driven Godzilla of mortgage banking, Countrywide, and the self-effacing former head of the Journal’s London bureau, Bob Hagerty. Our bonus link, in memory of the audacious Herbert Muschamp, is his review of the Seattle Central Public Library. The New Yor ...

Countrywide Closes 12 Regional Loan Fulfillment Locations 2007-10-03 09:38:43 This just in from Countrywide. Apparently 12 regional loan fulfillment centers are closed effective immediately. No word on total jobs lost, but I am sure it is in line with plans outlined from Countrywide to cut more than 20,000 jobs from it’s work force. If you have more information please email me directly. Dear Business Partner: First and foremost, I’d like to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to our dedicated base of core Business Partners for your continuing support of Countrywide®, America’s Wholesale Lender®. The immense value we place on our solid, long-term relationships with you cannot be overstated. As I’ve mentioned before in this series of communications, to prosper in this new lending environment, we must all adapt and take measures to revitalize the wholesale channel. In this note, I’d like to share information about the measures we are taking to further evolve our business model and to enhance our core strategies - all ...

Bear Stearns Next Up - Cuts 310 Jobs in Consolidation Move 2007-10-03 08:43:34 Morgan Stanley reported job cuts of 600 yesterday as it combined its three mortgage divisions in to one; and now it is Bear Stearns’ turn.  Bear announced today cuts in its mortgage divisions as a result of combining its two mortgage units Bear Stearns Residential Mortgage and subprime unit Encore Credit: Bear Stearns Cos. said on Wednesday that it’s cutting 310 jobs as the investment bank scales back its residential mortgage lending business amid rising delinquencies and slumping volumes in the industry. … The move will allow the firm to reduce the size of the business to fit current market conditions and increase efficiency, Bear said. The firm has cut its mortgage origination workforce by 40% so far this year, it noted. Bear is the latest Wall Street firm to make a move, following Morgan Stanley yesterday and Lehman’s closure of subprime mortgage unit BNC in August. Share This ...

5 Things to Do Right Now if Your ARM is Going to Reset Soon 2007-10-03 07:33:43 Most of the emails I have been receiving lately have been from folks who have an adjustable rate mortgage that is going to adjust on them within the next few months.  The comments come from people with both subprime and prime loans; and the concern is the same: “I can afford the payments now; I won’t be able to when they change.” I’ve put together this list of 5 things to do right now if you are in an adjustable rate mortgage so that you can better manage what needs to happen before your rate changes.  I recommend starting this process at least 75 days from your adjustment date; however, if you have credit issues I recommend starting right away - regardless of your reset date.  1.  Determine your rate adjustment date. Find your loan documents, determine what type of adjustable rate mortgage you have and when it is set to adjust.  If you don’t know how to read your loan documents watch this video on understanding adjustable rate mortgage loan disclosur ...

Toronto Real Estate Market 2007-10-03 07:03:07 Second Best September September put in another excellent performance, with 6,866 single family units changing hands through the TorontoMLS system, Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Maureen O’Neill announced today. “This figure was up four per cent from last year (6,622 sales), and off only six per cent from the record 7,326 sales recorded during September of 2005.”� Year-to-date sales, at 73,827, were up 12 per cent over 2006. “They are also,”� the President went on to note, “up 11 per cent over the first nine months of 2005, which turned out to be the best year ever recorded in the history of TREB.”� Prices rebounded in September, rising five per cent over August to $380,132. On a year-over-year basis they were up also up five per cent, to $371,848 from the $352,318 recorded during the first nine months of 2006.Breaking down the total, 2,613 sales were reported in TREB’s 28 West districts and averaged $351,328; 1,298 sales ...

11 Steps to Buying the Home That’s Right for You - Step 3: Get Pre-Approved! 2007-10-02 21:51:39 So you’ve made it through the first two steps in the home buying purchase and you’ve picked your REALTOR®. You’re on your way to buying your own little piece of San Francisco real estate. But you’re not ready to get out there and go home shopping just yet. First, you need to know how much you can afford. It’s scary how few people are out home shopping without having a clue as to what price range they should be shopping in. When I first meet clients, I always ask them how much home they think they can afford. The answers NEVER match the truth - they are either WAY more (I had a client come to me thinking they were in the $600-700K price range when they were in the $1.2M price range) or WAY less (another client thought they could swing $700-800K but couldn’t afford $500K) than reality. Either way, if your impression of what you can afford doesn’t match your reality, then you are, frankly, wasting your time. So, before ebmark on your SF ...