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• Mortgage Industry Group Short Sales Own Headquarters

  By Alison Rogers | Feb 8, 2010 | 0 comments

  The Mortgage Bankers Association is the trade association for the lending industry: they put out weekly stats about mortgage application volume and refis, advocate fair lending, and lobby for their members, a group that includes law firms, tech companies like IBM, and, of course, mortgage bankers and brokers. And, it’s been revealed, they’re going to be [...]

• Should You Buy a Timeshare?

  By Alison Rogers | Feb 5, 2010 | 1 comment

  The timeshare business is getting kicked in the head, according to reporter Kris Hudson of The Wall Street Journal. He writes that Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is pulling back on development, which is reflected in a $362 million fourth-quarter writedown. This after Marriott International Inc. wrote down $165 million last fall, covering the [...]

• Walking Away from Your Mortgage Can Have Hidden Tax Consequences

  By Alison Rogers | Feb 3, 2010 | 2 comments

  Should you walk away from your mortgage if you owe too much money? It depends. One highly important factor, which I feel is getting very short shrift in the conversation about debts, is what the rest of your financial picture looks like. We writers like to key our personal finance advice to the widest possible audience, [...]

• Home Sales Down, Median Prices Up

  By Alison Rogers | Jan 25, 2010 | 0 comments

  December home sales numbers are in, with the volume of properties sold dropping by 17 percent and the median price of properties sold rising by 1.5 percent. Alison Rogers explains the distortions caused by the first-time homebuyer tax credit, and looks to the future.

• Latest Report Card on “Good” and “Bad” Mortgage Lenders

  By Alison Rogers | Jan 22, 2010 | 0 comments

  The newest report on loan modifications — a January report based on December data — came out last week, and it’s at least a little better. As of a month ago, 31,382 permanent modifications had taken place; now that’s more than doubled, to 66,000, with another 46,000 wrapped up and ready for the borrowers to [...]

• Photo Tricks to Sell Your Home

  By Alison Rogers | Jan 21, 2010 | 1 comment

  In a smartphone world, real estate photography is more important now than ever. Here are five real estate photography tips from Larry Lohrman, the author of "Learn Real Estate Photography Technique" and "Real Estate Photographer Stimulus Package."

• French Squatters Told to Leave Parisian Mansion

  By Alison Rogers | Jan 19, 2010 | 0 comments

  Parisian squatter group jeudi noir told by court to leave $20 million mansion; their fine, however, is a slap on the wrist -- a sign of sympathy for Paris' housing problems.

• Real estate ads expected to jump — in newspapers

  By Alison Rogers | Jan 15, 2010 | 4 comments

  A new report from advertising research firm Borrell's notes that real estate ad spending in newspapers, which fell 34 percent last year, is predicted to rise. Moneywatch looks at the impact on home buyers and home sellers.

• 3 Things for Homebuyers to Do Now

  By Alison Rogers | Jan 13, 2010 | 0 comments

  Want to save money and buy the best possible home for you? In anticipation of the spring real estate market, here are three things for potential homebuyers to do now.

• How to Have a Safe and Secure Open House

  By Alison Rogers | Jan 11, 2010 | 0 comments

  If you're selling your home, here are tips for making sure your open house is theft-proof. Better safe-than-sorry ways to protect your jewelry, Social Security Numbers, electronics and more.

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