Archive for November, 2009
Shaping the City: Instead of suburban sprawl, let's embrace townhouse living
Many architecture firms have little interest in designing townhouse projects. Architects rarely pursue developers of these single-family attached homes as clients. Why should this be?
Expect tightening from the FHA
For the past several years, the Federal Housing Administration has been the go-to financing resource for cash-strapped home buyers who can’t come up with a big down payment. It has zoomed from barely a 3 percent market share to nearly 30 percent of home-purchase loans. But now, wildly popular…
A seller acts as banker, and who owes what?
My mother sold her house in 2002. The purchaser paid off the existing mortgage, and my mother financed the rest, which was $18,000 and which was due the next year. The buyers now pay $100 a month on the balloon loan.
Do-It-Yourself: Fixing a drafty window on the cheap
Our house is about 60 years old and has the original wooden, double-hung windows. Several of the windows are drafty and loose, and they rattle when the wind blows. A few won’t stay open unless I prop them with a stick. I can’t afford new windows and wonder whether there is a less expensive way [...]
Holiday House Goes Up For Sale
A holiday house in Wichita is up for sale and a tradition could come to an end.
Not a bride in sight as couple tie knot
“Finally we’re equal and we’re not treated as second-class citizens”… Warren McGaw and Chris Rumble seal it with a kiss.
Days of wine and poses
Before Tareq and Michaele Salahi catapulted to international notoriety as possible White House gate-crashers this week, the Virginia socialites had their pictures taken with President Obama during his inauguration, Prince Charles at a polo match and Oprah Winfrey at another event. They had Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy speak at their elaborate wedding, which [...]
Home sales rebounding but experts cautious
Recent sales data shows Birmingham’s housing market is coming back but experts say it’s too early to get overly excited about an uptick.
Home Sales Jump 6.2 Percent In Oct.
Sales of new homes rose more than expected last month to the highest level in more than a year as the housing market shows stability after its historic collapse.
Li Ka-shing Increases Cheung Kong Stake as Developer's Shares Trail Rivals
Cheung Kong Ltd. Chairman Li Ka-shing , Hong Konga s richest man, is buying more shares in the property developer, the worst-performing stock this year among the citya s five biggest real-estate companies.