Mark's Real Estate Blog

Home Sales— Even In a Weak US Market, You Can Still Sell Your House - CNBC

2011-07-12T15:17:00.001-07:00

http://www.cnbc.com/id/43701630

6 signs your home could be a lemon - MSN Real Estate

2011-06-19T15:18:00.001-07:00

Buyers beware: Behind the new paint, counters and carpets are signs of looming problems — if you know what to look for.

By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

Click Here to read more.

US Economy and Real Estate News: Remodeling as a Housing Indicator — CNBC Realty Check Blog - CNBC

2011-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

US Economy and Real Estate News: Remodeling as a Housing Indicator — CNBC Realty Check Blog - CNBC

Best Old House Neighborhoods 2011: the Southwest

2011-03-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

Best Old House Neighborhoods 2011: the Southwest

Real Estate: Pending Home Sales Fall Faster Than Expected - CNBC

2011-02-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

Real Estate: Pending Home Sales Fall Faster Than Expected - CNBC

Copper Shoots Above $10,000 on US Data - CNBC

2011-02-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Copper Shoots Above $10,000 on US Data - CNBC

US Real Estate and Economy: Home Buyers Kick Tires on a Rocky Road - CNBC

2011-02-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

US Real Estate and Economy: Home Buyers Kick Tires on a Rocky Road - CNBC

Facing Scrutiny, Banks Slow Pace of Foreclosures - CNBC

2011-01-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Facing Scrutiny, Banks Slow Pace of Foreclosures - CNBC

Roubini: 'Housing Prices Can Only Move Down' - CNBC

2010-12-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

Roubini: 'Housing Prices Can Only Move Down' - CNBC

Is It Safe to Buy a Foreclosure? - CNBC

2010-12-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

Is It Safe to Buy a Foreclosure? - CNBC

It's safe to buy a previously foreclosed-upon house if title insurance is available on it, experts say.

Home Price Disconnect: Am I a Buyer or Seller? - CNBC

2010-11-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Home Price Disconnect: Am I a Buyer or Seller? - CNBC

Is John Paulson's Super Bullish Call On Housing Insane? - CNBC

2010-09-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

Is John Paulson's Super Bullish Call On Housing Insane? - CNBC. Interesting article that makes you think both ways (bullish or bearish)about the future of the housing market.

More Americans Are Discovering New Investment: Their House - CNBC

2010-09-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

More Americans Are Discovering New Investment: Their House - CNBC

Bank-Owned Housing: Fannie Mae Wants You to Buy - CNBC

2010-09-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

It's renewing an expired program that gives buyers of its REOs "3.5 percent of the final sales price that can be used toward closing cost assistance, including a home warranty." Read More: http://www.cnbc.com/id/39326976

Economic woes mean manufactured home sales spike

2010-09-18T07:23:00.001-07:00

While much of the housing industry continues to struggle, companies that make modular and manufactured homes say their sales are up. At Oakwood Homes in Greensboro sales are up 28 percent since last year.
http://charlotte.news14.com//Default.aspx?ArID=630090

Real Estate & the Economy: Death of the 'McMansion': Era of Huge Homes Is Over - CNBC

2010-08-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Real Estate & the Economy: Death of the 'McMansion': Era of Huge Homes Is Over - CNBC
They’ve been called McMansions, Starter Castles, Garage Mahals and Faux Chateaus but here’s the latest thing you can call them — History. (Read More)

Divine Help For Home Sellers? - CNBC

2010-08-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Divine Help For Home Sellers? - CNBC

Good Times Ahead for the Homebuyer?

2010-07-23T09:37:00.001-07:00

Good times ahead for the homebuyer?

By Scott Van Voorhis • Bankrate.com

The homebuyer tax credit is gone, but real estate bargains remain for today's home shopper.

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/good-times-ahead-for-the-homebuyer.aspx

* Please note, the sender's e-mail address has not been verified.

Poll: Few homeowners regret purchase

2010-07-20T19:19:00.001-07:00

Poll: Few homeowners regret purchase

By Holden Lewis • Bankrate.com

Despite the nation's housing woes, Bankrate's poll finds that few buyers regret their purchase.

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/poll-few-homeowners-regret-purchase-1.aspx

* Please note, the sender's e-mail address has not been verified.

2009 Migration Study Ranks New Mexico - High Inbound Moves

2010-05-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

WESTERN REGIONS MAINTAIN GROWTH POTENTIAL
WHILE GREAT LAKE STATES CONTINUE TO SUFFER, ACCORDING TO
2009 UNITED VAN LINES MIGRATION STUDY - January 5, 2010

New Mexico (55.5%) held its own as the only Southwest state on the high-inbound list this year. Read More

How to Spot a Home with Potential

2010-04-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

Remodeling professionals tell how to tell a fixer-upper with great possibilities from a hopeless money pit.

By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate

Steve Gray and his wife, Deanna, bought a dowdy fixer-upper in Indianapolis 10 years ago. The windows were shot, the lighting was old and it was a time machine, with décor unchanged from 40 years ago. Oh, and it was beige, beige, beige. Read More

The Home Seller’s Negotiation Cheat Sheet

2010-03-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here are tips and tricks you can use throughout the process, from finding an agent to sealing the deal.

By Christopher Solomon of MSN Real Estate

So you’re thinking about selling your house. But how much do you really know about negotiating a home’s sale? Jump into this unprepared and you could leave thousands of dollars — maybe tens of thousands — on the table. Read More

Inspired Cabin Escape - MSN Real Estate

2010-01-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

This simple cabin built with inexpensive but stylish looking materials shows that your home away from home doesn't have to be out of reach. Click here to read more.

Green Acres Is The Place To Be

2009-12-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

Green Acres Is the Place to Be The Recession Is Inspiring More Young Families and Singles to Head Back to the Country
By GWENDOLYN BOUNDS
In June, 40-year-old Shane Dawley and his 36-year-old wife, Rhonda, uprooted themselves and their four boys from their suburban Atlanta rental home and bought an old five-acre farm in Ogdensburg, Wisc. Their goal: Flee the rat race and adopt a more self-reliant lifestyle amid the troubled economy. Read More

5 reasons to buy a home during holidays

2009-11-09T03:19:00.000-08:00

By Tracey C. Velt • Bankrate.com

While you may think it's crazy to tackle the huge task of homebuying during the schedule-jammed holiday season, the holidays are actually a great time to find real estate deals in today's new economy. Read more

Asking the Seller to Pay Closing Costs

2009-10-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

Asking the Seller to Pay Closing Costs

Some aspects of real estate become very routine to real estate agents, who deal with the same issues over and over. However, these same issues are sometimes new to buyers and sellers - and not immediately understood. This situation came up recently between a buyer and seller. Read More

How To Move Your House In A Tough Market

2009-10-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

How To Move Your House In A Tough Market

Published: Monday, 12 Oct 2009 | 2:16 PM ET
By: Jessica Rao,
Special to CNBC.com

If you’re planning to put your home on the market, it’s not your manners that need polishing. Try your silver, among other improvements. Now, more than ever, getting a signed contract in hand is all about price and quality. Read More

Silver City in Mother Earth News!

2009-09-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

Silver City is currently featured in the current issue of Mother Earth News. It, along with 10 other "Great Places You've Maybe Never Heard Of" were chosen by the writing staff for mainly the following statement: "in search of communities that can inspire all of us, whether we ever visit them or not". Silver City was cited for its cultural prowess in creativity. Also admired was the town's commitment to environmental sustainability. Read more.

Houses Linger On The Market

2009-09-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

By Christine Steele Sun-News Bureau Chief

Posted: 09/15/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT

SILVER CITY - Joanne Foor had been trying to sell her home in Tyrone for nearly two years. Foor bought the home three years ago for $135,000, and spent an additional $28,000 in repairs and upgrades, including putting on a new roof, installing new carpeting, new ceramic tile floors, adding an additional room, having two patios cemented and putting a roof over one, having the garage enclosed and installing shelving. Read More

More Home Sellers Are Cutting Prices: Trulia

2009-09-11T06:10:00.000-07:00

Published: Friday, 11 Sep 2009 | 9:08 AM ET

By: Reuters

More than one in four U.S. homes for sale on Sept. 1 had their prices cut at least once since landing on the market, up slightly from a month earlier, a study showed on Friday.

As of Sept. 1, a total of 26 percent of homes had their prices reduced, up from 25 percent on Aug.1, Trulia.com said in its monthly price report.

Driving the increase was the pending expiration of the government's $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers — part of the stimulus bill — and summer months which are the peak sales period, according to data compiled by Trulia.com. Read more

Existing Homes: What’s Really Selling

2009-08-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Published: Friday, 21 Aug 2009 | 12:53 PM ET

By Diana Olick CNBC Real Estate Reporter

Existing home sales in a row, now to the highest pace in two years. Excellent news that buyers are getting off the fence, but they're only getting off at a certain price point. Just like in retail, where the big bargain stores are showing gains, only the low end of the housing market is moving. As I did last month, I asked the Realtors to break down sales for me by price point. Read more

Manufactured Housing Loans

2009-08-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

Manufactured Housing Loans - As loans become tighter for the purchase of mobile homes/manufactured housing, please be aware that the N.M. Mortgage Finance Authority does provide loans for manufactured housing for people who meet their criteria. See their website for details. RANM has been advised that all their products can fund manufactured homes if they are on a permanent foundation.

Sellers In The Dark

2009-08-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

According to Diane Olick of CNBC, home sellers seem clueless to the current market conditions and how that affects their home's value. It is our duty as real estate professionals to strongly recommend to sellers that they need to be ahead of the wave in pricing their home, not following the wave with price reductions that are too little, too late to attract buyers.

Sellers Still Don't Get It
Published: Friday, 14 Aug 2009 | 3:38 PM
By: Diana Olick CNBC Real Estate Reporter

Homeowners Still Deluded
Published: Tuesday, 18 Aug 2009 | 12:14 PM
By: Diana Olick CNBC Real Estate Reporter

This is no clunker Sun-News photo by Christine Steele

2009-08-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Russ Rappa explains his electric four-wheeled vehicle to Rusty Dobkins. Rappa worked on designing and building it for more than two years. Read more

Diary of a prefab - MSN Real Estate

2009-08-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

A devoted do-it-yourselfer learns what it takes to assemble a factory-made dwelling from start to finish.

By Samantha Schoech of Sunset

When Aaron Jones decided to build a tiny, one-room house on his central Tucson lot, he knew he wanted something minimal, modern and airy -- something that would stand out in the sea of aging desert bungalows, but that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. Read more

Owner of historic Silver City property creates online archive

2009-08-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

SILVER CITY - The owner of a Silver City building with nearly a 125-year history is putting together an online archive of the history of what was once the Sister's of Mercy St. Joseph's Hospital, then a tuberculosis sanitarium and finally, an apartment complex today called St. Joseph's Square. Read more

New gateway to visit visitors to downtown Silver City

2009-07-31T01:08:00.000-07:00

A local business owner is helping to create a custom-designed archway that will span Broadway and welcome visitors to historic downtown Silver City as part of a long-awaited Silver City MainStreet program. Click Here to read more...

Silver City’s MainStreet program gets national recognition

2009-07-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Silver City's MainStreet Program was one of nine in New Mexico to receive national honors for 2009.

Read full story from www.scsun-news.com

Silver City Museum named a McNally ‘must-see’

2009-07-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Rand McNally has brought nationwide attention to the Silver City Museum as a "must-see" destination in their annual "Best of the Road" program.

Read full story from http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_12873632

New Federal Tax Credit Keeps Manufactured Housing in the AffordableHousing Forefront

2009-07-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

PHOENIX, AZ (April 24, 2009) – With President Obama’s extension of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which was signed into law on February 17 and established the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit, today’s Manufactured Home has never been more affordable for first-time home buyers. This credit is available for firsttime home buyers, with the maximum credit amount of $8,000 available for homes purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. To finish reading this article: click here