Archive for January, 2009
Housing bottom near?
Housing will not look much better at the end of this year than it does now, but “we do expect ‘09 will be the bottom,” the chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said recently.
Borrowers irked as banks rake it in
The last time the disparity between 30-year mortgage rates and 10-year Treasury yields was so great during a period of Fed monetary-policy loosening was 1982, when Timothy Geithner entered his senior year at Dartmouth College and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was an assistant professor at Stanford University.
What it takes to push buyers off the fence
Strategies to bring buyers back into the market dominated the recent weeklong annual convention of the National Association of Home Builders. It was also the key subject of an eye-opening new consumer-opinion survey conducted by the association’s research unit.
Web tools for home-improvement projects
There are myriad computer programs for budding home decorators, but can be costly and difficult to master. Fortunately, several free Web-based applications and some relatively inexpensive options are available to help you test home-makeover ideas.
A neighborhood that's affordable, accessible and in Seattle
Neighborhood of the Week: The south end of Beacon Hill is attracting attention among home shoppers because of its close location to downtown Seattle and the new light-rail line, affordable housing and a diverse mix of residents.
Bentley, anyone? Homebuilders lure buyers with glitzy incentives
If you build it, they will come. If you want them to buy it, throw in a free $200,000 Bentley. At least that’s what an Arizona homebuilder is hoping as it tries to unload a pair of multimillion-dollar custom homes that have been languishing on the market for about a year.
30-year mortgage rates dip slightly
Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down this week, but remained above 5 percent, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.
New home sales at slowest rate on record
Sales of new homes plunged to the slowest pace on record last month as the hobbled homebuilding industry posted its worst annual sales results in more than two decades.
Mystery Bookstore owners list Holmby Hills home at $5.9 million
Pam Woods and Kirk Pasich’s Mediterranean-style house has six bedrooms, a guest apartment and a pool.
Who doesn’t love to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good mystery? Perhaps [...]
Beverly Hills estate gets inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright
A house dubbed the Jewelry Box unfolds with hidden compartments and built-in shelves at every turn in the architect’s modern and minimalist style.
Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature Taliesin West in [...]