Seattle Real Estate Professionals

• Strategic Defaults and Foreclosures: Law Professors Should Stick to the Law

  Ken Harney in today's piece covers a "Discussion Paper" written by Brent T. White of the University of Arizona - James E. Rogers College of Law. In that piece he concludes that more homeowners should default on their mortgages, even if they are able to pay. [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 9:10am EST
  

• Pet Peeves: Bad Pictures, Bad Driving Directions

  Sometimes I have really bad ideas. This week it was thinking that I could give our clients an early idea of what the houses were like that we were going to show them the next day. Their computer was on, so I simply asked to use it to sign on [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 7:02am EST
  

• The Seattle-Eastside Real Estate Story, Chapter 10-09

  Seattle-Eastside Real Estate Activity Through October, 2009 [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 7:06pm EST
  

• Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension Explained

  Here is a quick summary of the Homebuyer Tax Credit program. [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 12:10pm EST
  

• Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended

  Here is a link to a chart regarding the changes and extension to the Home Buyers Tax Credit. [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 4:54pm EST
  

• Freakonomics hate-mongers invade Seattle

  Those Freakonomics guys are back again and appearing this evening at Town Hall in Seattle with a new book called Super-Freakonomics, where they continue their Realtor bashing with even more outrageous comments directed towards real estate agents. [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 4:46pm EST
  

• Consumer Real Estate Search Tools--Still Not There!

  Undoubtedly consumers have better access to information on real estate listings today than back in the days when they had to search through want-ads. No one can deny that. But I think that most consumers think that what they have is better than what it really is. They think that [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 7:55am EST
  

• Winner of Trumps "The Apprentice" hosts panel discussion tomorrow in Bellevue

  Kendra Todd, winner of Donald Trumps "The Apprentice" was the first woman and the youngest contestant to ever win the hit reality show. [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 5:08pm EDT
  

• Home Sweet Homepage, by Bob Brody

  Tonight I was reading my copy of the November Smithsonian. [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 7:46pm EDT
  

• Real Estate Agents Are Not Licensed To Give Legal Advice!

  Real estate agents are authorized to practice law in a very limited way. They can fill out forms, prepared by attorneys. Anything beyond that is arguably the unauthorized practice of law. How much beyond that is an open question. Would striking a single word from a sentence be okay? Striking [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2009, 10:45am EDT
  

• One Step Forward and Three Steps Back?

  As we all know, the economy has given all of us a huge wallop in all levels of our personal finances. In June 2008, I had 8 clients decide to wait to buy or sell homes. In more than 20 years I have never had that significant of a 'pull' [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 9:58am EDT
  

• Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

  Facts are simple and facts are straight Facts are lazy and facts are late Facts all come with points of view Facts don't do what I want them to Facts just twist the truth around' [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 8:29am EDT
  

• The US Treasury Plans to Fund Loans for First Time Home Buyers

  While the debates continue as whether to extend the first time home buyers $8000 tax credit, the Obama Administration announced a plan to bring back the lending power of The Housing Finance Administration. The HFA has been in the business of loaning money to first time buyers, but since the [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 1:45pm EDT
  

• Reverse Mortgages: Q & A

  As a real estate agent, I often have people ask me for referrals to mortgage professionals when they want to buy a home, refinance a mortgage, buy a vacation property, or buy an investment property. [...]
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  Posted: October 11, 2009, 1:10pm EDT
  

• Home Ownership: Still A Good Investment?

  An Associated Press article from Friday points out what most homeowners already know – it still generally pays to own a home. Even though prices are down significantly from the peak, they're still worth quite a bit more than they were a decade ago. In Seattle, the median home price' [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 12:32pm EDT
  

• Nonsense Lenders

  A quick thought on why the real estate market has been so slow to recover. Lenders are demanding answers to such irrelevant and intrusive questions posed to potential borrows, that borrowers are unwilling to go through the third degree. Instead, they opt to stay out of the market. [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 3:26pm EDT
  

• Real Estate Firms: Full Service vs. Limited Service--Snapshot #3

  This is the third comparison of three unnamed limited service firms to three unnamed full service firm offices. The most recent comparison, as well as a link to the first comparison, can be found here. The reason this is being done repeatedly is each event is merely a snapshot. Over [...]
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  Posted: October 06, 2009, 8:48am EDT
  

• Fannie Mae Homepath

  This isn't a full piece, just a heads up on an interesting site you can link to by clicking here.' [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 7:28am EDT
  

• New FHA Rules May Affect Condo Valuations

  There are new FHA rules going into effect involving condominium units that will be important if you have any clients that own condominium units (or you own one yourself). The conventional wisdom seems to be that the effect of these rules will be to reduce the value of many condominium [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 3:03pm EDT
  

• How do they stack up? Puget Sound Brokers Ranked By Residential Sales Volume for 2008

  From the Puget Sound Business Journal September 11-17, 2009: Residential Sales Volume 2008 [...]
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  Posted: September 19, 2009, 1:14pm EDT
  

• The One Million Dollar Challenge

  The Million Dollar Challenge. Put $8,000 into the hands of 125 first time home buyers and ONE MILLION DOLLARS will flow into the local economy. This is exactly what Windermere Real Estate/NE of Kirkland, Cobalt Mortgage of Kirkland and over two dozen Community Partners are attempting to do in a [...]
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  Posted: September 18, 2009, 4:55pm EDT
  

• What Do NWMLS Medians, Case-Shiller and Other Statistics Indicate?

  Last Friday the NWMLS released its official numbers for August, 2009. King County SFR came in at a $375,000 median, with sales just over 1,609. Does that mean anything to anyone? [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 8:18am EDT
  

• Can't Wear Wool ... Gotta LOVE Microsoft!

  This isn't really a Seattle real estate story. It's just a little story about friends, conversations, earthquakes, wool and why I love Microsoft.' [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 5:12pm EDT
  

• So Are You Feeling Lucky? (Real Estate Short Sales)

  Definition: A short sale exists where the debt against the property exceeds the sales proceeds (net of fees and costs) that will be received from the buyer, AND the seller doesn't have other funds to make up the difference. This means that for the sale to close one or more' [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 9:55am EDT
  

• Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreements: All You Need Is Trust?

  In June the Supreme Court of Washington decided a case involving One Lincoln Tower in Bellevue. The plaintiffs in the case were real estate agents who were not only involved with selling the project's units, but who were also under contract to buy some units personally for their own accounts. [...]
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  Posted: August 26, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• Are Appraisers Asked To Do Crazy Things?

  The history of real estate appraisal harkens back to the days when a sagacious caveman (yes, you could be sagacious even then) sought to trade a bundle of three hundred dinosaur eyelashes (makes a great cave-painting brush) for a little vacation spot overlooking the valley. [...]
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  Posted: August 26, 2009, 8:40am EDT
  

• House Values Reach Four-Month High

  The S&P/Case-Shiller Index shows that values of Seattle-area houses rose about half a percent in June, bringing the index to 149.53. [...]
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  Posted: August 25, 2009, 8:03am EDT
  

• Home Industry Plea to Congress: In a Nutshell, This Is a Disaster.

  Take a few minutes, and watch this video from a variety of people in the building industry. [...]
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  Posted: August 24, 2009, 8:14pm EDT
  

• For Real Estate Agents: Not All Business is Good Business

  I recently received a call from someone interested in listing a co-op apartment. Many people may associate co-ops with condominiums, but they are really quite different. For one thing, condominiums are real property, where a co-op apartment is more like a partnership, and thus personal property. [...]
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  Posted: August 20, 2009, 11:23am EDT
  

• Market Activity Summary - July 2009 Closed & Pending Sales Data By County

  This data chart was provided by NWMLS, and is not guaranteed but believed to be accurate. Enjoy some dry statistical reading on a sunny summer day! [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 2:20pm EDT
  

• What Does Today's "Dream House" Look Like To You?

  We've come a long way since cave man evicted the dinosaurs (Cavasauria relocatus) out of their caves and called the new dwellings, "Home."' [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 8:43am EDT
  

• A Closer Look: Recent Washington Foreclosure News Not As Bad As Raw Numbers Indicate

  You may have noticed some news stories in recent months reporting a significant increase in the Notice of Trustee's Sale documents being filed locally. Per Seattle Bubble, in King County the June filings shot up to over 1600, from just under 1000 in May. July was about 1,250, most of [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 5:57pm EDT
  

• Have We Become A Nation of the Extremely Gullible? (It's on the Internet--It Must Be True!)

  Seems like everywhere I go on the web today I see references to a Deutsche Bank study predicting that almost 50% of homeowners will be underwater by 2011. People seem to accept this as being fact. Maybe I'm too skeptical, but my immediate reaction to such a study isn't printable [...]
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  Posted: August 06, 2009, 4:05pm EDT
  

• Consumer Websites Will Be Getting Better--But We're Still Not There

  Have you ever wondered why when you look on Realtor.com, Trulia.com and Zillow.com the sites do not show the same listings? Well without getting in over my head on technology I don't fully understand, it's because the NWMLS limits the IDX feeds of its data to three for each broker,' [...]
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  Posted: August 02, 2009, 7:11am EDT
  

• Deadline Approaching Quickly for $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit

  The deadline for the $8,000 tax credit is coming quicker than you think! Yes, the credit ends on November 30th (sale must be closed). But did you know to meet that deadline you should have your purchase and sale agreed to and in escrow no later than October 1st? [...]
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  Posted: July 29, 2009, 8:20am EDT
  

• Lenders Live in LaLa Land

  Recent real estate transactions confirm that lenders live in their own world that bears no resemblance to the world occupied by the rest of us. Without belaboring the details of numerous transactions, it's exceedingly clear that lenders are ignorant of or, worse yet, completely uncaring of the consequences their actions [...]
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  Posted: July 22, 2009, 11:36am EDT
  

• A Conflict Of Interest Or Not?

  Last year on one of our Issaquah blogs I wrote an article that was not received well by real estate agents. Perhaps the title was a bit too bold, " Here Is Why I Don't Give The Listing Agent Feedback".' [...]
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  Posted: July 20, 2009, 9:21am EDT
  

• Cellulite, Fat and Standards

  Is anybody besides me getting grossed out by online ads? There are moving ads, flashing ads, ads showing fat, ugly bellies (with a nice graytone to make them even uglier), noisy ads that blare loudly before you can shut them down, ads galore. [...]
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  Posted: July 15, 2009, 9:30am EDT
  

• Future of the Mortgage, Real Estate and Foreclosure Markets

  What's happening in residential real estate these days? Read below for one broker's observations and opinions. [...]
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  Posted: July 14, 2009, 2:42pm EDT
  

• Would you pay?

  In today's mail was an offer from National Deed Service, Inc., (from Northbrook, IL). The offer advised that "the U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center website recommends that property owners should have an official or certified copy of their deed." And, for $69.50 (conveniently payable by credit card), National Deed [...]
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  Posted: July 13, 2009, 11:17am EDT
  

• It's More Than About Time

  It's about damn time. [...]
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  Posted: July 11, 2009, 11:33am EDT
  

• Real Estate Firms: Full Service vs. Limited Service--Snapshot #2

  Just over two months ago, I did a piece here comparing the records of three full service firms to that of three limited service firms. The problem was that piece was admittedly just a snapshot in time, and might not be representative of the situation at other points in time. [...]
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  Posted: July 10, 2009, 2:00pm EDT
  

• Short Sale Problems: They're Not All The Banks' Fault!

  I've done more than my fair share of complaining about how badly banks are handling short sales. But to be fair, at least some of the blame needs to be placed on agents. Some of the practices of agents are nothing short of appalling.' [...]
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  Posted: July 06, 2009, 8:14pm EDT
  

• Pacific NW Vanilla

  I've been noticing a pronounced trend in online and print media 'hype' marketing. We see the breathless excitement of Zillow and Trulia with much emphasis on athletes' or stars' homes, details of their foreclosures, their prices, and their lives. I say who cares?' [...]
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  Posted: July 01, 2009, 9:38am EDT
  

• Selling a House? What Questions Would You Ask?

  Selling a house in this environment can be difficult. The last thing a seller wants is to get into contract with a buyer that will not close, or even worse, cannot close. That takes the property off the market, and in a declining market that can be costly. Also, after [...]
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  Posted: June 16, 2009, 10:36am EDT
  

• Water Rights

  Interesting water rights case out of the court of appeals, division three involving relinquishment of water rights. In Washington, water rights that attach to a parcel of land can be lost (relinquished) through a period of "nonuse." In the first sense, Pacific Land Partners, LLC v State of Washington, Department [...]
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  Posted: June 09, 2009, 4:07pm EDT
  

• Nightmare on Main Street

  Have any of you, home buyers, sellers or Realtors been involved with an appraisal since the HVCC, The Housing Valuation Code of Conduct has been in force? As of May 1, 2009, the appraisal process has changed drastically. Appraisals are now ordered through a central clearing house, to "enhance the" [...]
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  Posted: June 08, 2009, 6:00pm EDT
  

• Pre-Foreclosure

  Here's a reader's question: [...]
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  Posted: June 02, 2009, 11:19am EDT
  

• What is a Real Estate Agent?

  Real estate agents take a lot of hits from certain segments of the population, and some of it is undoubtedly deserved. But a lot of it is not. The topic of this piece will be pricing: Pricing of listings and pricing of offers. [...]
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  Posted: May 28, 2009, 9:02am EDT
  

• Short Sales: Sellers, Agents and Buyers Beware!

  Introduction/Disclaimer: Sellers, agents and buyers involved with short sales should obtain their own legal advice regarding their personal situation. There are simply too many possible variations of fact to address every situation. This piece deals with possible outcomes, but other outcomes might be possible depending on a specific situation. Also, [...]
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  Posted: May 19, 2009, 4:08pm EDT
  

• Zillow - Moving Forward

  Zillow invited industry professionals and homeowners to give them advice on how to make Zillow more useful - for homeowners, homebuyers, and real estate professionals. How would you improve Zillow or it's competition Trulia and Cyberhomes? What motivates a consumer to get involved in a community like this? [...]
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  Posted: May 15, 2009, 4:20pm EDT
  

• It's Official-The $8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Incentive Can Be Used for a Down Payment

  The first time home buyer tax credit can be used for a down payment all over the country. Here's a link to the NAR press release regarding HUD's plans for the new program. [...]
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  Posted: May 14, 2009, 6:42pm EDT
  

• Foreclosure "Scammer" Pays The Price

  I won't repeat the facts that lead to the $3M+ judgment, because they're lengthy and reported here. [...]
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  Posted: May 07, 2009, 10:50am EDT
  

• Finding People, With A Little Help From New Friends

  Last week I received the following email. I've taken out the real names for privacy reasons, but the story is true, and I had a lot of fun being the messenger. I hope you enjoy this reunion story!' [...]
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  Posted: May 03, 2009, 12:52pm EDT
  

• Surprise! You Get What You Pay For!

  Yesterday I ran some statistics to try to determine which was the best way to list a property: Full service broker or limited service broker. To do that I picked 3 limited service brokerages. I also picked 3 full service brokerage offices that were located in close proximity to one [...]
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  Posted: May 01, 2009, 2:00pm EDT
  

• Who's Responsible For Freeze Damage?

  Last December I took the keys to a bankruptcy listing and discovered upon entering the house that the electricity had been turned off. The natural gas was still on, but without power that didn't matter. This was the day before the snows started, so the timing was very fortunate.' [...]
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  Posted: April 27, 2009, 7:13am EDT
  

• Are Carpools Hampering Our Economy?

  As a real estate agent I've often said that the only way I can carpool is "by accident". I don't work in a big box building all day – I work in my car. Due to the nature of my career, I must drive alone to pick up buyer clients. [...]
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  Posted: April 26, 2009, 3:24pm EDT
  

• Choosing a Professional

  Some time ago I signed up for the Zillow real estate blog email updates. I tend to think of blogs like these as the 'People Magazines' of real estate, since every one of them seems to have a section of celebrity real estate news, which personally, I could care so [...]
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  Posted: April 24, 2009, 12:27pm EDT
  

• Seattle / Eastside Demand Is Higher

  In my post on April 4th, I observed that virtually over night, Pending sales made a significant jump in King County going from 401 to 497. Pending sales are also significantly better than last year at the same time. [...]
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  Posted: April 22, 2009, 2:25pm EDT
  

• Will WA State Be First State Gov't Program to Use First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit for Down Payment Assistance?

  This is a copy of a memo from Barbara Lally for a Washington State program that is still in the works: [...]
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  Posted: April 20, 2009, 7:00pm EDT
  

• A 6 Year Look at Eastside Sales Ratios

  I have often written about tracking the market with sales ratios. It has been my belief for several years that sales ratios, as defined by Months of Inventory, gives us a very clear picture of the strength of any real estate market. [...]
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  Posted: April 14, 2009, 11:57am EDT
  

• King County Residential Pending Sales Continue to Show Strength

  For the second straight week, King County Residential Pending Sales continued to show strength. In-City Pendings (NWMLS Areas 380,385,390,700,705,710,720) for the seven day period ending on 04/08 came in at 161. Last year Pending counts for the same period came in at 140. 2007 Pendings were 131, however the 2007 [...]
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  Posted: April 11, 2009, 5:21pm EDT
  

• Real Estate Broker Starts Online Newspaper

  Do something, even if it is wrong! Start an online newspaper like I did. [...]
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  Posted: April 11, 2009, 12:00pm EDT
  

• ARE FORECLOSURES MARKETED WELL? NOT.

  In our area, many if not most foreclosed properties are not being 'marketed', they are simply being slapped on the market, and prices dropped until they sell. Sounds simple enough, and for many buyers, it's a great opportunity to really get a bargain. However, those bargains come at a huge [...]
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  Posted: April 10, 2009, 10:51am EDT
  

• Things are looking UP

  While the best market information to use for making a buying or selling decision is local, regional information can shed light on broader trends in the market. [...]
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  Posted: April 09, 2009, 12:03pm EDT
  

• Spring Buyers Are Active! -- King County Posts Sales Gain

  Armed with record low interest rates and an $8,000 tax credit, King County residential real estate buyers are coming out of hibernation. [...]
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  Posted: April 04, 2009, 2:19pm EDT
  

• A Bankruptcy Primer for Real Estate Agents

  This weekend I came across two listings in Snohomish County where the property bad been listed for sale only a few days after the debtor filed bankruptcy. Neither listing made any mention of the bankruptcy, and neither indicated that the "owner" was a bankruptcy trustee. I suspect in both cases [...]
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  Posted: March 30, 2009, 10:36am EDT
  

• Did The Stimulus Plan Goose March Pendings?

  March sales numbers for Seattle look like they'll barely beat February's – 194 closings so far in my Seattle Subset (houses built in 2007 or earlier, no houseboats or mobile homes), but there's 395 Pendings since March 1st, which is a huge jump in activity.' [...]
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  Posted: March 30, 2009, 8:45am EDT
  

• The Economy And The Ugly Stick

  I used my Way-Back Machine tonight, and conjured up some memories... [...]
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  Posted: March 27, 2009, 12:06am EDT
  

• Distressed Property Law Amendment Signed!

  The Governor has signed the legislation making amendments to the Distressed Property Law. I discussed those changes in this piece. [...]
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  Posted: March 26, 2009, 4:47pm EDT
  

• The American Bling and Picking Up the Pieces

  In late 2004 I nearly left real estate. I was burned out, cranky and disgusted at the attitudes of nearly everyone from consumers to professionals. The real estate market had long gone from being sensible, to being out of control. Everyone and their dog was becoming a real estate agent, [...]
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  Posted: March 25, 2009, 10:16am EDT
  

• How much should we budget for a Broker's Open? $12,000?

  Broker's Opens. A way for a real estate agent to attract other agents to view their listing. We've watched agent participation wane in these weekly activities for at least three reasons. First the hot sellers markets of recent years didn't give agents much incentive to do them, and second internet [...]
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  Posted: March 24, 2009, 2:50pm EDT
  

• Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Refinances - Even If You Owe 105% Of Your Value

  I got an email today from Steve Tedrow, of Windermere Mortgage. He pointed out an article in The Wall Street Journal, which gives an overview of some of the recent plans that have come out for loan modifications and the new Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac refinances which allow refinances up to [...]
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  Posted: March 21, 2009, 1:33pm EDT
  

• Home Inspector Referrals

  A new WAC (regulation) is going into effect, which is quoted in the next two paragraphs: [...]
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  Posted: March 19, 2009, 1:18pm EDT
  

• Will The Latest Fed Move Bring Inflation?

  A trillion here, a trillion there, after a while, it starts to add up to real money! [...]
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  Posted: March 19, 2009, 10:35am EDT
  

• Bottoms Up!

  Lots of focus on the bottom. [...]
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  Posted: March 18, 2009, 3:31pm EDT
  

• Must see VIDEO Real Estate Mini-Boom in San Francisco

  San Francisco real estate has exploded in the last 2 weeks. Here is a video report from a local S.F. TV station. [...]
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  Posted: March 18, 2009, 2:41pm EDT
  

• "Seattle Real Estate Professionals" to stay online at the new Seattle PI

  The Seattle Post-Intelligencer will print its final edition today and become the nation's largest daily newspaper to move to an entirely digital news product, and we'll be here too, continuing to write about Seattle real estate.' [...]
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  Posted: March 17, 2009, 1:55am EDT
  

• How Much Have Prices Really Declined?

  People pay a lot of attention to Case-Shiller and the NWMLS mean/median price information. All three of those data sets showed that December 2008 was about 17-18% off the peak of July, 2007. But what's that mean to anyone? I'd argue nothing unless you happen to own a lot of' [...]
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  Posted: March 15, 2009, 11:06am EDT
  

• Has Disintermediation Died?

  Disintermediation: The process of cutting out the middle man in a business transaction. A few short years ago, Web marketers and real estate pundits declared that the Web would virtually eliminate the need for real estate agents. In fact, the opposite has occurred. In 2001, 69 percent of all buyer [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2009, 11:30am EDT
  

• Seattle Real Estate 2009 The First 68.5 days. "Stats for Closed Sales & Closed Sales Prices"

  Since it's only about noon on March 10th for the stats I am using for this, I figured today is only 50% finished, hence the 68.5 days title. As usual, the disclaimer that "Information From Reliable Sources, But Not Guaranteed" applies. [...]
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  Posted: March 10, 2009, 2:32pm EDT
  

• The Face of Foreclosure

  Back in January I wrote a piece on The Changing Bankruptcy Picture. To do that piece I looked at 24 bankruptcy filings to determine how many owned real property, when they bought, whether there was a foreclosure pending, etc. [...]
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  Posted: March 10, 2009, 12:54pm EDT
  

• Surely In Real Estate It's A Buyers Market, Isn't It?

  We all know the gloomy picture. [...]
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  Posted: March 04, 2009, 7:29pm EST
  

• FHA and Conventional Equity Requirements for Keeping Existing Home as Rental + Buying Another Home

  Lending rules are changing nearly every day. [...]
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  Posted: March 02, 2009, 7:26pm EST
  

• Some Help For People Needing To Do a Short Sale

  Courtesy of information provided through WR, Fannie Mae has a new servicing regulation: [...]
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  Posted: March 02, 2009, 5:20pm EST
  

• Henry Ward Beecher on Land Ownership ...

  I enjoyed reading this, maybe you will too. The link to the full article is below. [...]
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  Posted: March 02, 2009, 1:17pm EST
  

• Recession: Change, Decisions, Itchy Feet and Fun

  I was driving in my car yesterday and had the radio on. I noticed that nearly every ad was loudly proclaiming 'recession, sales down, this bad, that bad' yet they were all using those words to sell a service or product. The ads were all obnoxious, as usual, and I [...]
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  Posted: February 25, 2009, 9:24am EST
  

• 3% Selling Office (Buyer's Agent) Commission--1% if Listing Agent Shows

  We've discussed these commission terms a bit in the past. Basically this is a system whereby a listing agent wants to limit the commission if they're required to show a house to a buyer. Some people might call it a "Redfin" clause, with the agent apparently being afraid they'll be' [...]
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  Posted: February 21, 2009, 2:35pm EST
  

• 3% Selling Office (Buyer's Agent) Commission--1% if Listing Agent Shows

  We've discussed these commission terms a bit in the past. Basically this is a system whereby a listing agent wants to limit the commission if they're required to show a house to a buyer. Some people might call it a "Redfin" clause, with the agent apparently being afraid they'll be' [...]
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  Posted: February 21, 2009, 2:35pm EST
  

• Are you addicted to Pessimism Porn?

  I'm not talking about being a regular newspaper or newsmagazine reader; heaven knows, the news is always all bad all the time.' [...]
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  Posted: February 16, 2009, 1:05pm EST
  

• Are you addicted to Pessimism Porn?

  I'm not talking about being a regular newspaper or newsmagazine reader; heaven knows, the news is always all bad all the time.' [...]
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  Posted: February 16, 2009, 1:05pm EST
  

• Is Housing Government's Fault--Zoning?

  A lot of different groups have been blamed for the downfall in housing. Agents, mortgage brokers, government, appraisers, etc. One thing I haven't seen mentioned though is local government zoning regulations.' [...]
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  Posted: February 15, 2009, 11:29am EST
  

• Is Housing Government's Fault--Zoning?

  A lot of different groups have been blamed for the downfall in housing. Agents, mortgage brokers, government, appraisers, etc. One thing I haven't seen mentioned though is local government zoning regulations.' [...]
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  Posted: February 15, 2009, 11:29am EST
  

• States Cannot Control National Banks, But Guess What? (Plus other issues.)

  The state has little control over many/most financial entities in this state because the state cannot control national banks, which are subject to federal control. But that doesn't apply to trustees on Deeds of Trust! By their very nature, deed of trust trustees are entities subject to the state's control,' [...]
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  Posted: February 14, 2009, 2:15pm EST
  

• States Cannot Control National Banks, But Guess What? (Plus other issues.)

  The state has little control over many/most financial entities in this state because the state cannot control national banks, which are subject to federal control. But that doesn't apply to trustees on Deeds of Trust! By their very nature, deed of trust trustees are entities subject to the state's control,' [...]
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  Posted: February 14, 2009, 2:15pm EST
  

• Graph It!

  They say a picture says one thousand words. Graphs do too. This one is shocking, and says exactly why there is urgency in Congress this weekend to vote and bring forward viable decisions for movement to correct this downward economic spiral. See that GREEN ARROW? That says "YOU ARE HERE". [...]
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  Posted: February 06, 2009, 8:43pm EST
  

• Graph It!

  They say a picture says one thousand words. Graphs do too. This one is shocking, and says exactly why there is urgency in Congress this weekend to vote and bring forward viable decisions for movement to correct this downward economic spiral. See that GREEN ARROW? That says "YOU ARE HERE". [...]
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  Posted: February 06, 2009, 8:43pm EST
  

• Government To Blast Buyers Off The Fence?

  I've long believed as I have observed the course of events as we're unwinding from the first round of TARP that the Government would go all out to stimulate housing sales. [...]
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  Posted: February 05, 2009, 2:50pm EST
  

• Government To Blast Buyers Off The Fence?

  I've long believed as I have observed the course of events as we're unwinding from the first round of TARP that the Government would go all out to stimulate housing sales. [...]
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  Posted: February 05, 2009, 2:50pm EST
  

• These are the "good old days!"

  A large percentage of our dedicated readership seems heaven-bent on rooting for declining prices, which is, frankly, not what I expected when I started posting here. [...]
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  Posted: February 05, 2009, 9:25am EST