Real estate blog links

To all real estate webmaster here is a great resource for real estate blogs
Real Estate Blogs
A directory of real estate blogs and blog sites of industries affiliated with and serving the real estate industry

Rainbow City Real Estate Realtybid.com

Rainbow City-based RealtyBid.com, an online real estate auction company, said it saw sharp increases in the number of online listings and sales during the third quarter. "Our third quarter saw the largest number of homes that have ever been offered for auction on our Web site - well more than 4,000," said Chief Executive Tony Isbell. "That number is a more than 136 percent increase over the third quarter of 2006." Meanwhile, the number of homes sold through the company's online auction system increased 145 percent during the period.

Minorities get more 'high cost' loans

A disproportionately large percentage of mortgages made to blacks and Hispanics last year met the government's definition of "high cost" loans, a new study said.
The report, released Thursday at an industry conference in Arlington Va., analyzed nationwide mortgage data for 2006 and reached conclusions similar to those of another study published by the Federal Reserve last month.
Advocacy groups say mortgage discrimination has contributed to the current crisis in lending to borrowers with weak, or subprime, credit, in which a growing number of families are losing their homes.
The study, sponsored by Richmond, Va.-based mortgage insurer Genworth Financial, concluded that 48 percent of home loans given to blacks and nearly 42 percent of loans given to Hispanics last year met the government's definition of "high-cost "loans. That compares with 18 percent for whites and more than 24 percent for the overall population.
The analysis, which excludes refinances and second mortgages, uses the Federal Reserve's definition of high-cost loans: mortgages whose rates are at least 3 percentage points above comparable Treasury securities, a category that includes most subprime loans given to people with weak credit records.
Subprime lending among blacks nearly doubled from 2004 to 2005, and it more than doubled among Hispanics, according to data from the study.
"Some of those consumers could have been in prime loans with lower interest rates if they had been given the proper education about their options," said Lori Jones Gibbs, vice president for affordable housing industry affairs at Genworth.
Consumer advocates say low-income borrowers and minorities are intentionally steered by unscrupulous lenders toward subprime loans. But Jones Gibbs instead stressed that consumer education is crucial for borrowers.
Total lending dropped nearly 12 percent in 2006 from a year earlier as the housing boom ended, the study found. Even as that happened, the number of home loans to blacks actually grew by 0.6 percent, while loans to Hispanics fell by more than 5 percent.
The Mortgage Bankers Association couldn't be reached for comment on the study, but mortgage lenders generally say they examining borrowers' debt levels and the amount of money they can provide as a down payment, rather than race.
Source: Huntsville Alabama Real Estate

Firms join to help fix homes

Wednesday, September 05, 2007
By JOHN PECKTimes Staff Writer john.peck@htimes.com
Professionals to aid volunteers in city's repair plan
A volunteer-based emergency home repair program in Huntsville is getting some expert help from the construction industry, a move that should boost the number of homes getting repairs.
Turner Universal, along with M&D Mechanical in Decatur, agreed to join hands with Huntsville's Community Development Department by providing skilled laborers at company expense.

Mayor Loretta Spencer visited a northwest Huntsville home-repair job Tuesday to thank Turner workers and commend program organizers for their outreach. Workers were installing siding on a house owned by an elderly person on Del Norte Street.
The emergency home repair program in Huntsville began in 2004. Community Development partners with local churches and volunteer groups and uses grants and other resources to obtain building supplies. The program is for low income, elderly and disabled homeowners aimed at removing health and safety hazards.
"I have had the opportunity to see first hand many of the repair projects and visit with the homeowners and volunteers," Spencer said. "We are very fortunate to have so many people in our community who are willing to invest their time and hard work to benefit others."
The emergency home repair program has completed 108 exterior home repair jobs this year using 900 volunteers.
Rosa Wade and Rodney McCallie with the city's Community Development Department said having skilled help will help tackle larger jobs and those requiring specialized skills such as steep roofs and handicapped features that must meet federal standards. The program has a target of 200 homes this year.
Lorraine Lee, president of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., of which Turner and M&G are members, said more contractors may furnish laborers as word of the partnership spreads.
"Not only are we able to help individual homeowners by bringing the structure from substandard to habitable condition, we're also able to give back to the community," she said.

So which grill wins the debate? Let’s look at the arguments for both. The case for gas or charcoal seems to be divided along three main points:

So which grill wins the debate? Let’s look at the arguments for both. The case for gas or charcoal seems to be divided along three main points:

Convenience Cost Taste The convenience argumentThe clear winner in this category is the gas grill. Most models feature push-button ignitions, a consistent, steady heat source that’s ready to go within minutes, excellent temperature control, and easy cleanup.

But convenience isn’t necessarily a deciding factor for all grill shoppers. Charcoal enthusiasts say it’s the ritual—piling up the charcoal, lighting it, tending the fire, and manually adjusting cooking temperatures by moving food from hotter spots to cooler ones—that makes outdoor cooking worth the effort. They feel that trading the process of the backyard barbeque for the push-button convenience of a gas grill is missing the point.

The cost argumentIf cost is the most important deciding factor for you, you’ll likely want to look at charcoal grills. They cost considerably less than gas, with basic models ranging from about $30 to $100. If you add features like additional burners and side tables, you can count on something like a $300 to $400 range.

Most gas grills—excluding portable and table-top models—are on the expensive side, ranging anywhere from $300 to $1500, and more for higher end models such as built-ins and smoker/grill combinations.

The taste argumentThough some barbeque fans swear they can’t tell the difference between food cooked on gas grills and food cooked on charcoal, the charcoal purists insist otherwise. According to them, the flavor that is infused from the smoke of charcoal briquettes or wood coals is what distinguishes an outdoor feast from a standard kitchen meal.

In an effort to address the taste issue, some gas grill manufacturers have built models that add ceramic flavor bars. These bars catch grease drippings and vaporize them into smoke that infuses more flavor into what’s being cooked. A popular brand that uses this flavor bar feature is the Weber® Genesis® series.

So who’s the winner in this category? The jury is still out on this argument, and it probably always will be. Taste is such an individual decision; you may just have to try both grills and see for yourself.

For those who still can’t decide...As you can see, there are pros and cons to owning a gas grill, just as there are advantages and disadvantages to owning a charcoal model.
Still aren’t sure which one is right for you? Do what many families have done in recent years—buy both! If you truly enjoy outdoor cooking, it makes sense to own two models that you use for different purposes. For example, you can use the gas grill for cooking quick barbeque meals during the week, and break out the charcoal grill for when you want to take your time on the weekend.

There are a couple of options available to you if you want to own both a gas and a charcoal grill. There’s the obvious one: buy both grills. But if your budget is tight, or you’re limited on patio space, check out the combination gas/charcoal models such as the Char-Broil® Quickset® series. These grills convert from gas to charcoal and back again with just a little preparation and effort.

So what will it be—gas, charcoal, or both? In the end, the decision comes down to your lifestyle and what features work best for you and your family.

About the Author

Vanessa Kirkland is successful freelance writer and outdoor cooking enthusiast whose articles offer valuable tips and advice for online purchasers of gas grills, charcoal grills, and barbeque accessories.

To keep up with the Joneses, you'll need to spend some money...

You have an elegant gunite swimming pool, mottled granite countertops and a steam shower in your master bath. But in the race for the ultimate home, you're still behind.
Home trends move fast, especially at the very high end of the market, where new ideas take hold. Whirlpool baths, once a rarity, can be found in many a decent new subdivision. Ditto for double-height living rooms. Stainless-steel appliances are practically standard.
--------------------------
It's time for the newest wave of desirables.
Among the current must-haves for very luxurious homes: serene bathrooms with souped-up saunas, towel warmers and heated floors (to bring the spa back home); green elements such as eco-friendly woods and nontoxic building materials; and technology that integrates the controls for lighting, heating, security and other systems.
"The move to make the home more spalike is definitely going strong," says Suzan Globus, a Red Bank, N.J., interior designer and the president-elect of the American Society of Interior Designers. "One of the other trends is creating a seamless integration of technology into the home, making what we call smart homes. We are also seeing an interest in creating sustainable environments."
Low interest rates and a booming housing market have encouraged people in recent years to take out home-equity loans to spruce up their spaces, says Kermit Baker, the director of Harvard University's Housing Studies Center, with the most growth in upper-end kitchen and bath remodels. Though housing prices may be slumping, Americans are still investing in their properties -- an estimated $160 billion over the past four quarters, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard.

Don't Hand Your House Keys To A Thief!

Meet Carol and AnthonyCarol and Anthony Calvagno of Deer Park, N.Y., on Long Island are in a hell like this right now. In 2003, the Calvagnos were in trouble. Anthony Calvagno had health troubles and had lost his job. In order to pay their bills, the couple took out a home equity loan on the Cape Cod-style house that had been in the family for three generations. (At the time, the couple had a $125,000 mortgage on a house worth about $290,000 -- a high-equity target.) But even the home equity loan wasn't enough.

That's when Mitchell Sims swooped in, offering to help, says the couple's attorney, Arshad Majid.

Sims told the couple that he would arrange a bailout, and that they should stop making mortgage payments while he worked out the details. When foreclosure notices started showing up, he told the couple to ignore them, saying he'd take care of it.

Nearly eight weeks after Sims had entered their lives, and the day before their foreclosure was scheduled, Sims told the Calvagnos that the arrangement hadn't worked. Instead, he said they'd have to file for bankruptcy and enter a "special program" in which they'd sign over their house's title to one of Sims' employees and another of his business associates, who also happened to be Sims' brother. They'd be allowed to live in their home as tenants, Sims told them, and their rent payments would go toward buying their home back from him, says Majid. "They were put in the position where they didn't have any choice" but to sell their deed, Majid says.

But Sims never made any mortgage payments. He kept the Calvagnos' rent money and about $50,000 of the couple's money that remained after their creditors were paid.

The Calvagnos had fallen victim to a scam known as equity stripping -- just one of the many flavors of mortgage fraud. Their house was sold. Sims and another person have been put in prison for their crimes. The couple has successfully fought eviction -- so far -- but not everyone is so lucky. Here's a quick look at three of the main ways scammers can steal the roof over your head.

Solve Common Landscape Problems

Think about how many people you'll be having over for dinner on a somewhat regular basis. Plan at least 4 sq. ft. for each of those people. Leave 3' of breathing space around each piece of furniture on the patio to that people can easily move about without bumping into things. 3 Avoid hardscape materials that may become slippery when wet. Make sure these materials provide secure footing under all conditions. Hard surfaces should be slightly sloped to keep water from pooling. 4 If your ideal design has any overhead structures, roofs, etc, make sure they are at least 7' above the ground. If things will be growing underneath, add an additional 5" — 18".

It's better safe than sorry, and in time as the landscape matures, plants will begin to fill in and you'll be glad you added that extra height. 5 When planning which plants go where, remember that they will grow. Most gardeners plant with an eye for what looks good now when setting out plants, forgetting how large the plant will be in 5 years. It's better to plant permanent plants where they can be comfortable and then fill in that grow space with filler type plants that will be short lived or can be easily moved later. 6 Keep tall plants well away from walkways and patio edges. Especially avoid prickly plants from these same areas. More tips to follow next month!