International Business News Blogs - Real Estator http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/rss/sections/real-estator.rss All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 120 30 http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/rss/sections/real-estator.rss http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif By Robert Freedman, senior editor, REALTOR® Magazine President Obama signed into law a $30 billion loan find for small business. The law also provides $12 billion in tax breaks and tries to improve existing loans to small businesses that are backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20101005/the-30b-small-business-loan-law-in-perspective.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/20253/20101005/the-30b-small-business-loan-law-in-perspective.htm Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:35:33 EDT By Charlene Storozuk, Dezigner Digz BEFORE With the growing number of home staging training schools popping up to make a fast buck, the result is a glut of "home stagers" in the marketplace with absolutely no experience and no idea of how to run a business. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100928/what-to-look-for-when-choosinghome-stager.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/20033/20100928/what-to-look-for-when-choosinghome-stager.htm Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:12:07 EDT By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine So what are some recent trends when it comes to kitchen remodels and decorating? Here are five picks from an article I stumbled upon by Joaquin Erazo Jr., senior vice president of marketing and public relations at Case Design/Remodeling Inc. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100928/kitchen-remodels-sinks-get-fancy-colors-go-neutral.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/20032/20100928/kitchen-remodels-sinks-get-fancy-colors-go-neutral.htm Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:10:38 EDT There is a "war on housing" brewing in Washington. Homeownership seems to be under attack. As 2010 NAR First Vice President Moe Veissi pointed out in his recent blog, ill-informed views on homeownership are appearing more and more in the media. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100827/the-war-on-housing-posted-by-vince.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/19143/20100827/the-war-on-housing-posted-by-vince.htm Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:19:30 EDT By Sonja Greenlee, kitchen gardener for The DS Team Lush gardens and planters sprouting life can make a huge difference to the curb appeal of a home - even in the autumn season. So if your clients are looking for a hardy vegetable to add to outdoor pots, or to spruce up a fall garden, tell them to try planting radishes. They are easy to grow, sprout in three to five days, and are ready to eat in four to five weeks. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100827/fall-garden-favorites-radishes.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/19142/20100827/fall-garden-favorites-radishes.htm Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:16:53 EDT By Elaine Williamson, Elaine Williamson Designs With temperatures reaching record highs throughout the U.S., thoughts of autumn seem but a woeful wish. The fall season evokes thoughts of home and hearth, as families and friends eagerly anticipate re-connecting with one another amid busy lives. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100823/10-autumn-home-designcor-trends.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/19009/20100823/10-autumn-home-designcor-trends.htm Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:19:09 EDT It is late on a Sunday night and I am getting ready to go to sleep. My daughter, Caite, is still at work, so we are "leaving the light on" so that she can find her way into the house. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100820/homeownership-my-personal-perspective-posted-byron.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18944/20100820/homeownership-my-personal-perspective-posted-byron.htm Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:07:08 EDT By Robert Freedman, senior editor, REALTOR® Magazine As I write this, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is in Washington at the Treasury building discussing with a group of academics and business leaders what the home mortgage finance system should look like after the federal government decides what to do with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The discussion is a first step in the federal government's congressionally mandated release of a GSE overhaul plan by January 2011. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100820/feds-gse-reform-meeting-keep-guarantees.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18943/20100820/feds-gse-reform-meeting-keep-guarantees.htm Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:04:21 EDT By Robert Freedman, Senior Editor, REALTOR® Magazine NAR releases 2Q10 metro home price data From a price perspective, the latest news is good for the housing market. Home prices for the second quarter are up on a year-over-year basis in almost two-thirds of the big metro areas that the National Association of REALTORS® tracks, and in almost 10 percent of markets, the gains were in the double digits. The national median home price at the end of June was $176,900, about 1.5 percent higher than the same time last year. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100816/latest-home-price-figures-are-positive.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18864/20100816/latest-home-price-figures-are-positive.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:38:36 EDT By Robert Freedman, Senior Editor, REALTOR® Magazine NAR releases 2Q10 metro home price data From a price perspective, the latest news is good for the housing market. Home prices for the second quarter are up on a year-over-year basis in almost two-thirds of the big metro areas that the National Association of REALTORS® tracks, and in almost 10 percent of markets, the gains were in the double digits. The national median home price at the end of June was $176,900, about 1.5 percent higher than the same time last year. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100816/latest-home-price-figures-are-positive.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18863/20100816/latest-home-price-figures-are-positive.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:38:36 EDT By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine QUICK SKIM Following the subprime mortgage meltdown in 2007 and subsequent housing crisis, the line from most commentators was that no one saw it coming. The near-collapse of finance and credit in this country was like a bolt from the blue. Who could have possibly predicted it? http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100816/the-big-short-wall-streetrole-in-the-housing-boom-and-bust.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18862/20100816/the-big-short-wall-streetrole-in-the-housing-boom-and-bust.htm Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:37:07 EDT By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine If attendees of NAR's 2010 Leadership Summit were seeking some clarity around today's "good news, bad news" economy, what they actually got was, well, good news and bad news. In an economic briefing this morning, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun suggested there were reasons for optimism, but stopped short of saying that a recovery was right around the corner. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100809/economic-update-mixed-signals.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18612/20100809/economic-update-mixed-signals.htm Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:40:06 EDT By Wendy Cole, Senior Editor, REALTOR® Magazine 2011 President Ron Phipps The smiling, young acrobat completed a mesmerizing sequence of flips and spins and whirls, landing literally on the feet of his strong-armed partner. Jaws dropped among the 1,800 attendees at NAR's Leadership Summit who witnessed the gravity-defying feat. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100806/phipps-itour-time.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18554/20100806/phipps-itour-time.htm Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:43:58 EDT By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogic You've preached to sellers that curb appeal goes beyond making a good first impression and that the way their house looks from the street can impact its value and shorten the time it takes to sell. But have you given them concrete curb appeal tips they can implement today? http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100806/give-sellers-free-concrete-curb-appeal-tips.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18553/20100806/give-sellers-free-concrete-curb-appeal-tips.htm Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:39:54 EDT By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Those kitchen cabinets may soon get pricier. A new law recently signed by President Obama limits the amount of formaldehyde used in U.S. products. Formaldehyde can be found in the glue that holds wood together, often used in furniture, cabinets, and inexpensive wood products. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100802/new-law-likely-will-lead-to-higher-prices-for-furniture.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18413/20100802/new-law-likely-will-lead-to-higher-prices-for-furniture.htm Mon, 02 Aug 2010 09:05:02 EDT By Barbara Ballinger, Architecture Coach columnist Functionality is still a key driver when home owners spend thousands of dollars to build and remodel kitchens and bathrooms. But high performance shouldn't exclude comfort - and fun. These products, which were highlighted at the 2010 annual National Kitchen & Bath Association show in Chicago, mesh function and comfort: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100726/5-ways-to-pair-function-and-comfort.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18231/20100726/5-ways-to-pair-function-and-comfort.htm Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:08:58 EDT By Brian Summerfield About to present another too-low offer to your clients? Turn sellers' frustration into a potential sale by sharing free tips on fielding lowball offers from the July "Get Your Home Sold" article package now at the REALTOR® Content Resource. Start with these two tips: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100723/keep-sellers-focused-savvy-responses-to-lowball-offers.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18186/20100723/keep-sellers-focused-savvy-responses-to-lowball-offers.htm Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:02:37 EDT By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine The sagging economy is influencing home design as more home owners favor smaller indoor and outdoor spaces that are often cheaper to maintain. Forget the formal spaces that are rarely used. Home owners nowadays don't want to waste space and want to use every square inch of their home. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100723/small-is-in-formal-spaces-out.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/18185/20100723/small-is-in-formal-spaces-out.htm Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:58:13 EDT By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Photo Credit: Elaine Williamson Add calmness to any room with an eye-catching color combo: yellow and gray, says designer Elaine Williamson with Elaine Williamson Designs. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100712/color-combo-trends-try-yellow-and-gray-to-brightenroom.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/17868/20100712/color-combo-trends-try-yellow-and-gray-to-brightenroom.htm Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:34:13 EDT By Robert Freedman, senior editor, REALTOR® Magazine Last year was a tough year for real estate brokerages but when my magazine colleague Wendy Cole interviewed three top brokers last month to learn how they managed to keep growing despite the rough terrain, their answers were illuminating. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100708/what-change-means-to-top-brokerages.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/17800/20100708/what-change-means-to-top-brokerages.htm Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:24:52 EDT