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• 8 historical figures who ate disgusting things

  Holy Kaw!

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:26 pm

  Before you read this article, you may have thought your dog had the grossest eating habits ever. But Fido's penchant for poo is nothing compared to some of these sickos highlighted in Cracked. For example, Victorian scientist William Buckland: He didn't just stop at the meat of animals, either. While on a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, a strange mark was found on the floor. A debate broke out as to what the stain could possibly be, at which point Buckland got on his hands and knees, licked the stain and confidently announced it to be bat piss. But the craziest thing Buckland ever did, at…

• Players' clubs: The homes of the Grammy nominees

  msnbc.com: Real estate

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:01 am

  The hottest acts in the music business earn their pay by living in the recording studio or on the road. But even pop stars need a place to call home every once and awhile. Here are some of theirs.

• Hillwood starts construction on Alliance apartments

  Residential Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm

  Hillwood Multifamily, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based Hillwood Properties, has begun construction on the second phase of Monterra Village, which is a 130-acre mixed-use community project at Alliance Town Center. The phase includes 262 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom upscale unit designs. It's the ideal time to bring additional apartments to the market, said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. There's rapid population growth in north Fort Worth and a growing demand for apartments in the submarket with limited supply, he said...

• Reading Rates: MBA Application Survey – February 08 2012

  Paper Economy - A US Real Estate Bubble Blog

  SoldAtTheTop

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:52 am

  The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) publishes the results of a weekly applications survey that covers roughly 50 percent of all residential mortgage originations and tracks the average interest rate for 30 year and 15 year fixed rate mortgages as well as the volume of both purchase and refinance applications.The purchase application index has been highlighted as a particularly important data series as it very broadly captures the demand side of residential real estate for both new and existing home purchases.The latest data is showing that the average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage…

• S&P/Case-Shiller HPI down in November

  Bubble Meter

  James

  31 Jan 2012 | 6:32 am

  The November numbers for the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index are out. The 20-city index is down 3.7% year-over-year and down 1.3% month-over-month:Home prices posted a steep, month-over-month drop in November, falling 1.3%, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city report. Prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities the index covers.Prices are down 3.7% from a year ago, and off 32.8% since they peaked in the summer of 2006. The index is currently only 0.6% above its March, 2011 low."Despite continued low interest rates and better real GDP growth in the fourth quarter, home prices…

• 

  Holy Kaw!

• 8 historical figures who ate disgusting things

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:26 pm

  Before you read this article, you may have thought your dog had the grossest eating habits ever. But Fido's penchant for poo is nothing compared to some of these sickos highlighted in Cracked. For example, Victorian scientist William Buckland: He didn't just stop at the meat of animals, either. While on a visit to St. Paul's Cathedral, a strange mark was found on the floor. A debate broke out as to what the stain could possibly be, at which point Buckland got on his hands and knees, licked the stain and confidently announced it to be bat piss. But the craziest thing Buckland ever did, at…

• 5 explanations of why teenagers act the way the do

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:22 pm

  Understanding the teenage mind could be a life's work. For those of you who don't have that kind of time, however, Mental Floss gives five things that could explain the mind of the teenager. For example, parents, have you ever wondered if your teenager is somehow getting dumber? Parents of teens often wonder what happened to the bright child they used to have. How can someone go from getting A’s to getting C’s when they seem to be doing the same amount of work? Once again, changes in the brain are to blame. While the merits of IQ tests are debatable, scientists used to think IQ…

• Surviving the loss of a star employee

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:16 pm

  Some groups have stellar members who carry the team. That's all well and good until that member leaves. Then what? This Smartblog video will help you answer that question: Full story at Smartblog on Leadership. Top news for leaders. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Disneyland circa 1957 [video]

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:14 pm

  This video was shot in 1957, less than two years after Disneyland had opened. The footage is newly restored and ready to take you to the happiest place on earth as it was in its early days.  Full story at Mental Floss. All the top Internet videos in one place. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• People unplugging their TVs during the Super Bowl

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:08 pm

  There's no faster way to ruin an American's day than to unplug his or her TV during the Super Bowl. Think we're exaggerating? Take a look at these folks go form 0 to 60 in less than a second, all thanks to Jimmy Kimmel's latest Challenge.  Full story at Jimmy Kimmel Live. Top sports news. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

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  msnbc.com: Real estate

• Players' clubs: The homes of the Grammy nominees

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:01 am

  The hottest acts in the music business earn their pay by living in the recording studio or on the road. But even pop stars need a place to call home every once and awhile. Here are some of theirs.

• Listing of the Week: The home Big Mac boxes built

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:17 am

  The Utah home former GOP presidential contender John Huntsman Jr.'s father built is on the block. This is no ski cabin. It's more like the whole chalet.

• Big foreclosure servicer indicted for 'robo-signing'

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:43 am

  In one of the first criminal prosecutions in the post-housing bust era, DocX has been indicted on forgery charges by a Missouri grand jury, The New York Times reports.

• Sponsored By:

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:43 am

• Mortgage relief: Partial solution better than none

  6 Feb 2012 | 11:24 am

  The architects of the joint state-federal mortgage releief plan believe it would be better for homeowners to get a partial deal than nothing at all, according to sources close to the talks.

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  Residential Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Hillwood starts construction on Alliance apartments

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm

  Hillwood Multifamily, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based Hillwood Properties, has begun construction on the second phase of Monterra Village, which is a 130-acre mixed-use community project at Alliance Town Center. The phase includes 262 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom upscale unit designs. It's the ideal time to bring additional apartments to the market, said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. There's rapid population growth in north Fort Worth and a growing demand for apartments in the submarket with limited supply, he said...

• FNF reports lift in Q4 and yearly earnings

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:53 pm

  Fidelity National Financial Inc. reported a 32.1 percent increase in net income year over year in the fourth quarter and a 0.93 percent increase in net income for the year 2011 compared with 2010. FNF reported net income of $175.1 million, or 78 cents per diluted share, in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the company reported net income of $132.5 million, or 58 cents per diluted share, according to a public filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For the year, FNF reported net income of $379...

• Maui housing market shows mixed results

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:35 pm

  The median price of a condominium on Maui rose 15 percent in January, but the price of a single-family home fell 18 percent, according to statistics from the Realtors Association of Maui. The median price of a Maui condo in January was $339,000, compared to $295,000 in January 2011. That was based on sales of 89 condo units, which was a 2 percent increase from 87 sales a year ago. The median price of a single-family home on Maui last month was $408,000, compared to $495,415 in January 2011. That was based on sales of 49 single-family homes, including one on Lanai, which was 9 percent fewer…

• MAAR summit hits on highs — and lows — of local commercial property markets

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm

  The commercial real estate elite descended on Germantown Performing Arts Centre this morning for Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ 2012 Commercial Property Forecast Summit, which was punctuated with sector-by-sector outlooks by local experts — some bright, and some not so bright. Office space lacking tenants for smaller spaces Providing a perspective on the local office real estate market was Ron Kastner, senior vice president at CB Richard Ellis Memphis. Despite sustaining a decline in vacancy of just 1 percent in 2011 across all submarkets, Kastner reported the local office market…

• Mount Sinai sells Miami Heart Institute to Lionheart

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pm

  Mount Sinai Medical Center has found a buyer for its Miami Heart Institute site: Miami-based Lionheart Capital. Lionheart on Wednesday announced the closing of the deal for the waterfront site, at 4701 N. Meridian Ave. in Miami Beach, although the deed had yet to be recorded in county records and the price was not disclosed. The nonprofit hospital bought the nearly 700,000-square-foot facility on 7.2 acres for $63 million in 2000. The buyer did not disclose its plans for the property, either. In 2010, Lionheart acquired the remaining condominium units at 2700 North Ocean in Singer Island and…

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  Paper Economy - A US Real Estate Bubble Blog

• Reading Rates: MBA Application Survey – February 08 2012

  SoldAtTheTop

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:52 am

  The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) publishes the results of a weekly applications survey that covers roughly 50 percent of all residential mortgage originations and tracks the average interest rate for 30 year and 15 year fixed rate mortgages as well as the volume of both purchase and refinance applications.The purchase application index has been highlighted as a particularly important data series as it very broadly captures the demand side of residential real estate for both new and existing home purchases.The latest data is showing that the average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage…

• Economic Jolt: Job Openings and Labor Turnover December 2011

  SoldAtTheTop

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:50 am

  Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released their latest monthly read of job availability and labor turnover (JOLT) showing that private non-farm job “openings” increased 8.79% since November climbing 20.36% above the level seen in December 2010 while private non-farm job “hires” declined 2.28% from November but rose 3.69% above the level seen in December 2010Job “layoffs and discharges” declined 4.74% from November falling 1.36% below the level seen last year while quitting activity declined 2.45% from November remaining 3.41% above the level seen in December 2010.It’s…

• On The Stamp: Food Stamp Participation November 2011

  SoldAtTheTop

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:23 am

  As a logical consequence of the prolonged economic downturn it appears that participation in the federal food stamp program is continuing to rise.In fact, household participation has been climbing so steadily that it has far surpassed the last peak (which looks like a minor blip by comparison) set as a result of the immediate fallout following hurricane Katrina.The latest data released by the Department of Agriculture shows that in November, 94,086 recipients were removed from the food stamps program with the current total still increasing 5.82% on a year-over-year basis while household…

• Envisioning Employment: Employment Situation January 2012

  SoldAtTheTop

  3 Feb 2012 | 6:56 am

  Today’s Employment Situation Report indicated that in January, net nonfarm payrolls increased with private nonfarm payrolls adding 257,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declining to 8.3% over the same period.Net private sector jobs increased 0.23% since last month climbing 2.06% above the level seen a year ago but but remained a whopping 4.47% below the peak level of employment seen in December 2007.

• Full Time Workers Fully Under Pressure: January 2012

  SoldAtTheTop

  3 Feb 2012 | 6:49 am

  Today’s employment situation report showed that in January the full time unemployment rate declined to 8.8% of the civilian workforce but remains near the highest rate seen in 41 years.The Bureau of Labor Statistics considers full time workers to be those “who have expressed a desire to work full time (35 hours or more per week) or are on layoff from full-time jobs”.Full time jobless workers currently account for roughly 88.5% of all unemployed workers.

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  Bubble Meter

• S&P/Case-Shiller HPI down in November

  James

  31 Jan 2012 | 6:32 am

  The November numbers for the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index are out. The 20-city index is down 3.7% year-over-year and down 1.3% month-over-month:Home prices posted a steep, month-over-month drop in November, falling 1.3%, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city report. Prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities the index covers.Prices are down 3.7% from a year ago, and off 32.8% since they peaked in the summer of 2006. The index is currently only 0.6% above its March, 2011 low."Despite continued low interest rates and better real GDP growth in the fourth quarter, home prices…

• December housing starts down 4.1% month-over-month; up 8% year-over-year

  James

  19 Jan 2012 | 9:12 am

  Housing starts fell in December compared with November. (FYI, housing starts numbers are usually seasonally adjusted.) However, they are up about 8% year-over-year. Keep in mind that we've had abnormally good weather this winter, which is great for home building.It wasn’t exactly a banner December for the home-building industry.The nation’s builders started construction on 4.1% fewer homes compared with a month earlier. Construction decreased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 657,000 in December, the Commerce Department said Thursday.But the news wasn’t all gloomy. The main reason…

• The clueless Fed

  James

  16 Jan 2012 | 3:06 am

  The release of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting transcripts from 2006 show how little America's top economic minds understand how leveraged asset bubbles harm the economy:As the housing bubble entered its waning hours in 2006, top Federal Reserve officials marveled at the desperate antics of home builders seeking to lure buyers.The officials laughed about the cars that builders were offering as signing bonuses, and about efforts to make empty homes look occupied. They joked about one builder who said that inventory was “rising through the roof.”But the officials, meeting every…

• DC-area homes of the 2012 presidential candidates

  James

  13 Jan 2012 | 4:54 am

  A bunch of websites are posting photos of the 2012 presidential candidates' homes, probably sparked by this Zillow Blog post. Here are the homes the candidates have in the DC area:Newt Gingrich7410 Windy Hill Ct, McLean, VA 22102Value: $1,284,400Rick Santorum10607 Creamcup Ln, Great Falls, VA 22066Value: $1,305,100Jon Huntsman2121 Leroy Pl NW, Washington, DC 20008Value: $3,303,100Immediately prior to his purchase of the home, it was used as the residence for contenders on the Bravo reality TV show "Top Chef: Season 7".Barack Obama1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500Value:…

• Zillow CEO on housing market

  James

  5 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am

• 

  Home mortgage rates and real estate news - CNNMoney.com

• Big states set to make mortgage deal real

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:35 pm

  New York and California will join just about all the other states in a settlement with the nation's largest banks aimed at helping homeowners struggling with loans bigger than the value of their homes, according to a person familiar with the talks.

• Homes in foreclosure decline by 130,000

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:09 am

  Slowly, but surely, the foreclosure crisis seems to be abating.

• Foreclosure deal has 40 states, but others balk

  7 Feb 2012 | 4:24 am

  More than 40 states have signed on to a draft deal settling claims of improper mortgage servicing that's aimed at relieving homeowners struggling with loans bigger than their home's value.

• Home repairs: Which jobs come first?

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:27 am

  Lean times call for budgetary triage. But while you should clearly opt for orthodontics before Disneyland, the choice is tougher when it comes to home maintenance.

• Finally, a foreclosure settlement (Maybe)

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:21 am

  States have until late Monday to agree to the latest draft deal aimed at relieving homeowners struggling with mortgages bigger than their home's value.

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  Yahoo! News: Business - Real Estate

• Hard-hit Californians more optimistic about economy (Reuters)

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:08 am

  Reuters - Two thirds of Californians believe their personal financial situation will improve in the next 12 months, a sign that residents in one of the hardest-hit states in terms of unemployment and foreclosures are becoming more optimistic about the U.S. economy, according to a survey issued on Thursday.

• Mortgage deal nears as holdout states join (Reuters)

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:32 pm

  Reuters - California and New York, two big holdout states in a $25 billion mortgage settlement, are expected to join the deal, smoothing the way for an announcement on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter.

• Housing regulator acted on "ideology": lawmakers (Reuters)

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:58 pm

  Reuters - Two Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday accused the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from blocking the firms from reducing principal on the mortgages they back for reasons of "ideology."

• Builders group sees pickup in housing this year (AP)

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:24 pm

  AP - The U.S. housing market will begin to mount a turnaround this year, building toward a solid recovery in 2013, according to a forecast issued Wednesday by the chief economist of a homebuilding industry trade group.

• 'Shadow Inventory' Is Killing the Housing Market (Time.com)

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:35 pm

  Time.com - One factor hurting the prices of homes that are for sale is the enormous number of homes that aren't for sale but that should be

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  Today's Real Estate News

• Zillow releases mortgage app for Android devices

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pm

  Company released iPhone version of Mortgage Marketplace in June 2011read more

• 10 hottest markets for out-of-area house hunters

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:21 pm

  Trulia: Florida metros account for 7 top spots on listread more

• Popular neighborhood attributes: kid-friendly and hip

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:57 am

  Robot Workshop reports most popular search termsread more

• The legendary pads of Grammy winners past

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:25 am

  Homes where icons from the Grateful Dead to 'The Boss' made historyread more

• 'Will work for food': real estate survival stories

  AlishaAlwayBraatz

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:10 am

  You need to eat, and so do your clientsread more

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  Information Central

• VISIT USA Act

  shogan

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:28 am

  A new visa program for overseas investors is slowly wending its way through congress. We’ve covered it before in the blog, but a member recently asked for an update . There hasn’t been a whole lot of recent discussion of this topic in the larger publications (NYT, WSJ, etc.), so we provided what we could locate in other sources. We also provided older articles and blogs that will provide context and opinion, as well as legislative information with summaries, actions, and committee assignments. Recent Articles/Blogs VISIT-USA Act Would Give Home Buyers a 3-Year Visa, (LawInfo [blog],…

• Biking and Walking

  Dave

  3 Feb 2012 | 12:32 pm

  America remains predominately a country of automobiles. Only an average of 3.5 percent of commuters get to work by bicycle or foot. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but a new report from the Alliance for Biking and Walking extolls the virtues of the two modes of transportation as being within the public interest: Where bicycling and walking levels are higher, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes levels are lower. Higher levels of bicycling and walking also coincide with increased bicycle and pedestrian safety and higher levels of physical activity. Increasing bicycling and walking…

• What We’re Reading: Jan. 28 – Feb. 3

  Dave

  3 Feb 2012 | 7:47 am

  Declining segregation, green remodeling, where to post what, and the rise of the singletons Using US Census data, researchers at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research have published a report on the continued decline in segregation in American cities. Once interesting point for REALTORS: the authors suggest that the extension of mortgage credit was a prime factor in encouraging suburban integration; the list of cities with the largest declines in segregation since 2000 includes several caught up in the subprime housing bubble during the same period. What’s old is new again, or…

• The Average REALTOR® (Cont’d)

  Dave

  1 Feb 2012 | 8:26 am

  click on the image to visit its flickr page Our archivist saw my earlier post on the average REALTOR® and wanted to point out that NAR’s first member profile was conducted in 1949. While much has changed, several demographics – such as age – remain remarkably similar. Click on the image to the left to see a larger image on Flickr.

• The Average REALTOR®

  Dave

  1 Feb 2012 | 7:18 am

  A member asked us this week how the ‘average’ REALTOR® has changed over the last few decades. The short answer is surprisingly not very much. Member Profiles in published form go back at least until the mid-1970s, but it’s a bit tough to make an apples to apples comparison. Back then only agents with a broker or broker associate license could call themselves REALTORS® and the surveys reflected this. And even after sales agents were added as REALTORS®, up until the early 1990s, member profile reports divide data between broker and agent. So it is hard to get an overall…

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  Mortgage News Daily

• MBS RECAP: 2/8/2012

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:17 pm

  Posted To: MBS CommentaryMBS Live : MBS RECAP Open MBS Live Dashboard FNMA 3.5 103-28 : +0-04 FNMA 4.0 105-21 : +0-02 FNMA 4.5 106-25 : +0-01 FNMA 5.0 108-01 : +0-01 GNMA 3.5 105-08 : +0-02 GNMA 4.0 107-32 : +0-03 GNMA 4.5 109-09 : +0-03 GNMA 5.0 110-31 : +0-02 FHLMC 3.5 103-18 : +0-05 FHLMC 4.0 105-07 : +0-01 FHLMC 4.5 106-08 : +0-02 FHLMC 5.0 107-24 : +0-03 Pricing as of 4:04 PM EST Afternoon Market Updates A recap of MBS Market Updates provided by MND Analysts and streamed live to the MBS Live Dashboard . 1:28PM : ALERT: Limited Reaction to Good-But-Not-Great 10yr Auction Bond markets have…

• Mortgage Rates Flat to Slightly Improved After Auction, Greece News

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:46 pm

  Posted To: Mortgage Rate WatchFor several sessions in a row, Mortgages Rates have moved in the opposite direction from the previous session, although even the bigger examples of these movements haven't been enough to nudge 3.875% out of the "best-execution" position. The same back-and-forth movement continued today as rates improved ever so slightly after rising slightly yesterday. Keep in mind, that the term "rates" in this context refers to the combination of the interest rate itself and the closing/borrowing costs required to obtain that rate. We explain more about Best-Execution…

• Mortgage Rates Flat to Slightly Improved After Auction, Greece News

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:10 pm

  Posted To: MBS CommentaryFor several sessions in a row, Mortgages Rates have moved in the opposite direction from the previous session, although even the bigger examples of these movements haven't been enough to nudge 3.875% out of the "best-execution" position. The same back-and-forth movement continued today as rates improved ever so slightly after rising slightly yesterday. Keep in mind, that the term "rates" in this context refers to the combination of the interest rate itself and the closing/borrowing costs required to obtain that rate. We explain more about Best-Execution calculations…

• Ally said to be Shopping Mortgage Unit

  Jann Swanson

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:05 am

  Posted To: MND NewsWireOne of the financial institutions that are party to the reported settlement agreement with the attorneys general of the majority of the states is reportedly on the auction block. According to Bloomberg News, Ally Financial is talking with private equity firms about selling its mortgage unit, Residential Capital LCC , through a pre-package bankruptcy. Any sale of the company would be complicated by its recent financial history. The company was founded as General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) in 1919 by General Motors as an intermediary to provide financing for the…

• Bond Markets Improve Following 10yr Auction and Fed Selling

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:01 am

  Posted To: MBS CommentaryAfter the 10yr auction, production MBS and the long end of the yield curve didn't move much at first. But it now seems that some additional bid for the 10yr was on hold until after the Fed's Scheduled selling that ended at 2pm. As that was wrapping up, 10's made another move lower in yield to test the the pivot point just over 1.96% that can be seen in the chart below. First, here's the full text of the MBS Live alert that went out after the auction: Limited Reaction to Good-But-Not-Great 10yr Auction (1:28PM) Bond markets have reacted in a generally positive way to…

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  REITS & Finance Industry News - REITS & Finance Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Arundel's town centers may garner impact fee money

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:25 pm

  Anne Arundel County officials may give town center projects in Parole, Odenton and Glen Burnie priority status when it comes to distribution of county impact fee money. The money would help pay for transportation upgrades near the three projects. The County Council would have to pass legislation for the plan to proceed. Read more in the Annapolis Capital.

• Anne Arundel nixes Key School plans to expand

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:19 pm

  Anne Arundel County won't allow the Key School to build athletic fields on the Annpapolis Golf Course, saying it violates the county's open space laws. The Annapolis private school planned to build athletic fields on the property. It planned to buy the golf course and develop 40 acres for athletic facilities. Read more in the Annapolis Capital.

• Falls Road mill project wins $2.4M in state tax credits

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pm

  Baltimore developer David Tufaro’s $40 million renovation of an old Falls Road mill won $2.4 million in tax credits through a highly sought-after state program aimed at revitalizing aging communities. Tufaro’s project is one of six projects selected to receive a total of $6.96 million in tax credits. Forty-five applicants sought the lucrative tax breaks, which have become harder to come since the recession. The six applications selected for the 2012 tax credit were based on a set of criteria, including those outlined by the U...

• Hillwood starts construction on Alliance apartments

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm

  Hillwood Multifamily, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based Hillwood Properties, has begun construction on the second phase of Monterra Village, which is a 130-acre mixed-use community project at Alliance Town Center. The phase includes 262 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom upscale unit designs. It's the ideal time to bring additional apartments to the market, said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. There's rapid population growth in north Fort Worth and a growing demand for apartments in the submarket with limited supply, he said...

• REATA adds UCR duo to its broker mix

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:17 pm

  Two of San Antonio’s leading real estate firms — REATA Real Estate Services and United Commercial Realty — are making some staff changes. REATA has announced that Michael Jersin and Warren Richardson have joined the firm. Jersin, who was previously president, chief operating officer and a partner at United Commercial Realty (UCR) San Antonio, joins REATA as a partner. Richardson, who was an associate with UCR, joins REATA as a senior associate. Meanwhile, Craig Garansuay, a principal and vice president at UCR, has been named acting president and executive managing director of the…

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  About.com Real Estate Business

• Loan mods on decline as banks opt for short sales | Breaking News | PE.com - Press-Enterprise

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:57 pm

  Loan mods on decline as banks opt for short sales | Breaking News | PE.com - Press-Enterprise. This article reports some major re-default percentages for loan modifications and that short sales ...Read Full Post

• Florida grants real estate licenses to felons

  2 Feb 2012 | 12:31 am

  Florida grants real estate licenses to felons - Letters - BradentonHerald.com. The link is to a letter to the editor.  In NM we have to be fingerprinted and have a background check.

• Are You Alienating Friends & Social Contacts?

  22 Jan 2012 | 3:41 am

  Social media use by business, and definitely by real estate professionals, is growing by leaps and bounds.  And, if you read here much, you know that I'm a big fan of Google+, the new social spot on the Web.  However, there's a lot of disagreement about how much to engage our prospective customers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Google+.  Some would say, and they practice it, that if a little works then a lot must work better.  I do know that when I connect with a real estate professional in Google+, if I start getting multiple posts/day, especially if they're…

• Don't Call an Inspector an "Idiot" in Email!

  19 Jan 2012 | 6:54 am

  What have you called an inspector lately?  Or, how about an appraiser?  It's probably best that we do this in a room alone, not in a mass email. 'Idiot' comment spurs lawsuit.

• Google+ Shakes Up the Search World

  19 Jan 2012 | 4:14 am

  Just this week, Google+ became an integral part of Google Search results with "Personal Results."   It's creating quite a stir, some negative.  Twitter is in a snit because they think Google has an unfair advantage, and others just think it's not going to be useful....Read Full Post

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  The Mortgage Reports : Today's Mortgage Rates & Strategy

• FHA Streamline Refinance Changes : Banks To Stop Verifying Income, Job, And Credit

  Dan Green

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:01 am

  In a huge win for FHA homeowners, the FHA will exclude Streamline Refinances from its "Compare Ratios". In response, expect banks to open the FHA Streamline Refinance floodgates. You'll get a "true" FHA underwrite going forward -- no verification of income, job or credit required.

• Mortgage Insurers Give Fannie Mae Permission To Speed Up Short Sale Timelines

  Rob Chrisman

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:14 am

  Fannie Mae has been given the authority to proceed with a short sale or complete a deed in lieu of foreclosure by five mortgage insurers, without needing to secure their approval.

• The Cash-In Mortgage Refinance : Bring $1,000, Save $1,718

  Dan Green

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:30 pm

  With Freddie Mac's published mortgage rates now sub-4 percent, homeowners are doing what it takes to refinance into today's low mortgage rates -- even if it means bringing some cash to closing.

• The FHA Has Programs For Homeowners In Need — But Will They Work?

  Rob Chrisman

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:06 pm

  The FHA has many programs to offer lenders and borrowers, but many lawmakers and industry professionals are unsure if the FHA is up to yet another challenge of this scale.

• 2011 Federal Income Tax Deadline Extended Two Days To April 17, 2012.

  Dan Green

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:45 pm

  It's Tax Season. This year, you get 2 extra days to file -- taxes aren't due until April 17, 2012. Estimate what you'll owe the IRS with this helpful calculator.

• 

  RealCentralVA.com

• Lunch at the Whisky Jar

  Jim

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:25 am

  Yum. He had me at the warm, thick cut bacon that topped my chicken sandwich. Note that that is chicken breast, bacon and a hard boiled egg. Lots of whisky, and the desserts sounded tremendous … but those will have to wait for a dinner visit. Search the Charlottesville MLS Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCentralVA.comwhere this was originally posted. Lunch at the Whisky Jar

• Fun with Foreclosures – You Never Know What You’re Going to Find

  Jim

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:43 am

  Search the Charlottesville MLS Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCentralVA.comwhere this was originally posted. Fun with Foreclosures – You Never Know What You’re Going to Find

• What are the Negatives of Living in Charlottesville?

  Jim

  6 Feb 2012 | 11:04 am

  I don’t “sell” Charlottesville – I educate and inform my clients so that they can make the best decisions possible. Charlottesville is truly a great place to live; while I’ve been here for only 24 years, I wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else. With that preface, there are negatives about Charlottesville and while they’re all relative (traffic) I’d like to think there are solutions. I’ve been having this conversation on Google+ and on Facebook in advance of posting here. My answer to the question: Perhaps the single greatest negative with…

• Calculated Risk calls the Bottom of the Real Estate Market

  Jim

  6 Feb 2012 | 10:13 am

  First there are two bottoms for housing. The first is for new home sales, housing starts and residential investment. The second bottom is for prices. Sometimes these bottoms can happen years apart. … For new home sales and housing starts, it appears the bottom is in, and I expect an increase in both starts and sales in 2012. I place a great deal of credibility in Calculated Risk; I’ve learned a tremendous amount there over the years. I’m not certain the bottom is quite here in the Charlottesville area, but I’m inclined to think we’re close. Search the Charlottesville…

• How Much Does this House Cost? (To Run)

  Jim

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:18 am

  How much does this home cost to run? It’s become one of the most important question my buyer clients ask … and an answer that Sellers need to be prepared to answer. In today’s market, much more so than the previous one(s), buyers are much more cognizant of the costs to operate a home. Everyone can calculate the PITI payment – Principal + Interest + Taxes + Insurance What’s not easily calculable by buyers is - - How drafty is the house? - What’s the natural gas bill? - What’s the electric bill? - What’s the water bill? - Trash/recycling is a fairly…

• 

  Daily Real Estate News

• Agents Make Unexpected Finds in Foreclosures

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am

  Watch for skeletons in the closet ... literally.

• Mortgage Applications Soar 7.5% on Low Rates

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am

  Record low mortgage rates continues to spur more demand for loan applications.

• Fannie Starts Accepting Online Offers for Properties

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am

  Make your offer online, Fannie Mae is telling real estate agents for the launch of its new nationwide program that allows you to submit and track offers for Fannie Mae-owned properties via a new Web site.

• Major Foreclosure Servicer Charged With Forgery

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am

  One of the largest companies in the nation to provide foreclosure services to lenders has been indicted on charges for widespread "improprieties against home owners."

• Infamous Texas Squatter Finally Gets Evicted

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 am

  Kenneth Robinson wrote an eBook and had a Web site devoted to his success in squatting in a $340,000 McMansion while paying only $16 to live there for the last eight months. But a judge recently ordered him to to leave.

• 

  Video - CNNMoney.com

• Japan's geezers turned gamers

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:24 pm

  In a nation known for its aging population, arcades have become popular with Japan's elderly, prompting some to even host 'senior nights.'

• I'm an economist: Elect me president!

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:30 pm

  Boston University's Laurence Kotlikoff is a long-shot for the White House, but he says his economics expertise qualifies him.

• Bair: Banking rules could be tougher

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:51 am

  Former Chair of the FDIC Sheila Bair says the Basel III standard is important progress, but capital ratios could be more stringent.

• Fed dissenter opens up

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:46 am

  Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker says more transparency can be a good thing.

• Why the Fed can't fix the housing problem

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:02 am

  Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker says the housing market is still suffering from oversupply which will take years to correct.

• 

  Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com

• Big states set to make mortgage deal real

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:35 pm

  New York and California will join just about all the other states in a settlement with the nation's largest banks aimed at helping homeowners struggling with loans bigger than the value of their homes, according to a person familiar with the talks.

• Chinese inflation rate picks up

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:01 pm

  China's inflation rate rose in January, which may dash hopes that the country's central bank will soon take more action to support economic growth there.

• 'Ethical iPhone' protest hits Apple stores

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:52 pm

  Apple is facing demonstrations on Thursday at a half-dozen of its retail stores around the world from customers concerned about how Apple's suppliers treat their factory workers in China and other overseas locations.

• Groupon stock plunges on net loss

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:39 pm

  Welcome to the big leagues, Groupon. Shareholders punished the stock in after-hours trading Wednesday after the daily deals site posted a surprise loss for its first quarter as a public company.

• New nuclear reactors set for approval in Georgia

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:07 pm

  The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to approve licenses to build to two new nuclear reactors Thursday, the first approvals in over 30 years.

• 

  Congress: Congressional News, Schedule, Votes & More - The Washington Post

• Boehner vows action to overturn Obama administration rule on birth control

  Peter Wallsten, N.C. Aizenman

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:46 pm

  Seeking to accentuate a political vulnerability for President Obama, Republican lawmakers on Wednesday intensified pressure on the White House over a controversial new health-care rule that critics say violates religious liberty — vowing to press for legislation to repeal it unless the administration relents. Read full article >>

• Legislators consider special session later this year

  Anita Kumar

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:30 pm

  State legislators said Wednesday that they may return to Richmond for a special session later this year to deal with tax credits bills or the health benefits exchange — or both. Sen. Walter Stosch (R-Henrico), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has sent many of this year’s tax credits bills to a tax reform commission that could make recommendations to legislators during a special session this summer. Read full article >>

• Adoption law ‘conscience clause’ advances in Va. Senate

  Laura Vozzella

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:01 pm

  A flurry of Democratic amendments failed Wednesday to stop a bill in the Virginia Senate that would allow private, state-funded adoption agencies to turn away parents based on sexual orientation or religious beliefs. Read full article >>

• Featured Advertiser

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:33 pm

• The GOP’s new push to defang the CFPB

  Suzy Khimm

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:33 pm

  Republicans couldn’t stop President Obama from installing Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But they hope they can rein the bureau in by passing legislation. The House GOP is now moving forward with bills that would remove the CFPB director from overseeing the Federal Deposit Insurance Company and allow Congress to directly control its funding every year. The bills are DOA in the Democrat-controlled Senate. But the GOP’s new bills provide a clear guide to what is likely to happen to the CFPB if Republicans take full control of Congress and/or the…

• 

  44

• Obama to sign final legislative bill sponsored by Gabrielle Giffords

  David Nakamura

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:16 am

  Gabrielle Giffords has resigned from Congress, but her impact goes on. The former Democratic lawmaker from Arizona, who is recovering from wounds suffered in the Tucson shooting spree last year, will join President Obama on Friday when he signs into law the last bill she sponsored in Congress. Read full article >>

• Obama on Super Bowl Sunday: ‘I deserve a second term’

  David Nakamura

  5 Feb 2012 | 2:12 pm

  President Obama said Sunday that he deserves to be reelected because his administration has made progress on the economy, but he acknowledged there is much more work to do. “I deserve a second term, but we’re not done,” Obama said during a pre-Super Bowl interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer. Read full article >>

• Riding high on jobs report, Obama seizes offensive against Congress, Republicans

  David Nakamura

  3 Feb 2012 | 1:17 pm

  The sluggish state of the economic recovery has been at the heart of Republican attacks on President Obama, as he begins to make his case for reelection. Over the past several months, though unemployment began to decline, the White House has maintained a cautious optimism, noting each time that although economic signs were improving, much more work remained to be done. Read full article >>

• Obama to appear in Falls Church to announce mortgage refinancing plan

  David Nakamura

  1 Feb 2012 | 5:59 am

  President Obama will appear at a Falls Church community center Wednesday to unveil a plan to ease the sluggish housing market by making it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages. Obama’s proposal would allow borrowers to refinance at federally insured lower rates even if they owe more than their homes are worth and could produce an average annual savings of $3,000 per homeowner, an administration official said. Read full article >>

• Obama offers plan to help small businesses, start-ups

  David Nakamura

  31 Jan 2012 | 8:53 am

  A week after his State of the Union pledge to create a stronger economy, President Obama on Tuesday sent Congress a legislative package aimed at accelerating small business growth and removing roadblocks for start-ups. Read full article >>

• 

  The Fix

• Mitt Romney allies attack Newt Gingrich in Ohio

  Rachel Weiner

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:15 pm

  Romney hits Gingrich in Ohio, a bunch of Florida lawmakers are changing races, Americans for Prosperity is helping Scott Walker and Ron Paul has a plan. Make sure to sign up to get “Afternoon Fix” in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m! Read full article >>

• A hyper-regional GOP delegate race? Here’s how

  Aaron Blake

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:07 pm

  Rick Santorum’s trio of victories in Tuesday’s contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri virtually assures that the Republican presidential race will, on some level, be a delegate race. And if that delegate race drags on for a while, it could very well pit different regions of the country against one another. Read full article >>

• The culture war is back

  Rachel Weiner

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:27 am

  One unintended consequence of the improving economy: The culture war is back. Last night, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum proved that social issues can still pack a punch. For months, the Republican presidential candidates have hammered away on the economy — and only the economy — as they crisscrossed the campaign trail. But over the past few days, longtime social issues -- contraception, abortion and gay marriage -- have taken the stage in the campaign. Read full article >>

• Featured Advertiser

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:52 am

• Santorum downplays contraception in victory

  Rachel Weiner

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:52 am

  In his Missouri victory speech Tuesday night, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum devoted a substantial chunk of his remarks to the Obama administration’s decision to mandate birth control coverage with very limited exceptions for Catholic employers. Read full article >>

• 

  Economy: Economic News, Policy & Analysis - The Washington Post

• At the Pentagon and in Israel, plans show the difficulties of an Iran strike

  Walter Pincus

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:43 pm

  If you are not prepared to go to war, you cannot threaten that “nothing is off the table” as you search for diplomatic solutions. Thus there are completed plans, updated daily, at Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv and at the Pentagon for carrying out attacks on Iranian facilities in a last-ditch effort to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Read full article >>

• Mario Monti, Italy’s prime minister, aims to set a new growth agenda for Europe

  Howard Schneider

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:05 pm

  Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has slashed pensions, begun a broad economic restructuring and agreed to a European treaty that tightens fiscal controls — all in the name of proving his country is serious about controlling debt. Read full article >>

• Reconciliation

  Suzy Khimm

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pm

  —What to expect when you’re expecting a rhino escape. —Women-only train cars are catching on in Japan. —How you view the economy depends on which political party you belong to. —Taking a class with Professor Tim Pawlenty. Read full article >>

• Q&A: Rep. Diana DeGette on the White House’s contraceptives decision

  Sarah Kliff

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 pm

  Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) is co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. The group huddled this afternoon to discuss the health reform law’s mandated coverage of contraceptives that has recently come under fire. With the White House standing firm behind the provision, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has promised legislation that would overturn the rule. DeGette and I spoke this afternoon about where things stand now, what she’s heard from the White House and why she welcomes a controversy over contraceptives: Read full article >>

• Featured Advertiser Chicago Booth Business Forecast

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 pm

    Ads by Pheedo

• 

  The Nation's Housing by Kenneth R. Harney: Latest Column & Archive

• Spending on home renovations now exceeds value of single-family construction

  Kenneth R. Harney

  3 Feb 2012 | 11:34 am

  Do you fit any of these descriptions? • You came through the housing bust and recession far more debt-averse than you were before. • You’ve been reluctant to consider selling your house because you don’t believe you’ll get what it’s really worth. Read full article >>

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau scrutinizes appraisals and other realty fees

  Kenneth R. Harney

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:55 am

  The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, is working on a real estate issue that gets to the core of the agency’s purpose: the often opaque and costly fees that buyers, sellers and refinancers are hit with at closings. The bureau is reviewing ways to bring more clarity and better disclosure to this process. Read full article >>

• Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac give mortgage servicers power to aid jobless homeowners

  Kenneth R. Harney

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:02 am

  If you or someone you know has lost a job and are in danger of falling behind on mortgage payments, here’s some potentially important news: The two largest players in home mortgages, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are revising their policies on forbearance when unemployment interferes with a borrower’s ability to stay current on a loan. Read full article >>

• As consumer credit scores plunged in 2008-2009, lenders raised their standards

  Kenneth R. Harney

  7 Jan 2012 | 9:10 am

  How big a whack did your credit score take during the grim years of economic distress following the housing bust? Was it 20 points, 50 points, 100 points — or maybe no drop at all? These are key questions affecting millions of potential home buyers who hope to qualify for mortgages as well as current owners looking to refinance. New research from a major credit-risk evaluation company suggests that the drop in huge numbers of Americans’ scores was dramatic. Read full article >>

• Our post-Iraq obligation

  1 Jan 2012 | 4:27 pm

  As a combat veteran of World War II, I was moved by the Dec. 28 letter from an Iraq veteran who wrote of being disheartened by the Obama administration’s “hardly concealed rush” from Iraq. The writer has earned the right to question our current course, which appeared to be based on our conclusion that the Iraqis have no legitimate call for our continued presence. We removed them from the threatening bonds of a dictatorship and helped them reach a level of self-government which, whether or not they succeed in maintaining it, they would not likely have achieved on their own. Read full…

• 

  WSJ.com: Economy

• Greek Deal Remains Elusive

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:48 pm

  Greek political leaders have ended their meeting after seven-and-a-half hours without an agreement on austerity proposals.

• U.S. Officials Lower Jobless Forecast

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:46 pm

  The recent spate of good economic news has led White House officials to lower their projections for the unemployment rate this year, with a top adviser saying the 8.9% estimate that will appear in the White House's budget proposal Feb. 13 is already "stale and out of date."

• German Data Pose Growth Risk

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:48 pm

  Germany's seasonally adjusted exports fell more sharply than imports in December, posing downside risks to the country's growth for the fourth quarter.

• Little Room for New Workers

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:43 am

  The U.S. job market is finally growing stronger by almost every key measure, except one: Not enough people are quitting.

• Americans Ramp Up Borrowing

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:24 am

  In another sign that the credit freeze is thawing, the Federal Reserve said Americans ramped up their borrowing at the end of 2011.

• 

  WSJ.com: Real Estate

• Mediterranean Style in Greenwich

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:21 pm

  Near downtown Greenwich, Conn., this waterfront home with a large interior patio was inspired by the owner's European upbringing. Floor-to-ceiling windows show off views of the Long Island Sound.

• Home Prices Pop in Hot Valley Turf

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:25 pm

  The current technology boom has rippled out into the housing markets in Silicon Valley's core towns, but the ripples aren't reaching much beyond that, as home values fell at the end of last year in a majority of the Bay Area.

• A Taste of Bali for Sale in Sebastopol

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:43 pm

  A Balinese-style home on 8.3 acres in Sebastopol is on the market for $3.6 million. Two llamas, two cashmere goats and a sheep, named Violet, are negotiable as part of the sale.

• Pyramid Cos.' Carousel Plan Rides Again

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:49 am

  Developer Robert Congel's drive to create one of the largest malls in the country, in Syracuse, N.Y., is back in gear after almost being upended by the economic downturn and a nasty court battle with Citigroup.

• It's Hardly a Ball for 11 Times Square

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:36 am

  The risks of speculative office building are obvious at the 11 Times Square skyscraper. More than a year after it opened, the 1.1 million square-foot building is about 60% empty and unleased.

• 

  WSJ.com: Buying & Selling

• The House a Storm Built

  3 Feb 2012 | 6:11 pm

  When violent winds knocked down trees and damaged their home, a Minnesota couple seized the opportunity to start over.

• Eateries Cross the Bridge to Williamsburg

  2 Feb 2012 | 9:27 pm

  In a New York real-estate fantasy come true, young foodies driven from the East Village by rising apartment rents are seeing many of their old restaurant favorites appear in their new neighborhood, Williamsburg.

• Anna Kournikova Sells in Miami

  2 Feb 2012 | 8:04 pm

  Anna Kournikova sells in Miami, Nobu Matsuhisa Buys in Los Angeles and a Kauai beachfront home asks $24 million.

• Home Sales Drop In Connecticut

  2 Feb 2012 | 7:46 pm

  A real-estate tracking group says home sales in Connecticut dropped 13% in 2011 and sank to the lowest total since the firm began monitoring property data in 1987.

• A Modest Home for Palm Beach

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:24 pm

  This 2,286-square-foot house, built around 1925, has no garage but does boast original details like pecky cypress ceilings, handblown stained-glass panes in the powder-room door and Cuban tile floors.

• 

  WSJ.com: Home and Garden

• Annabelle Selldorf on the Morgan Library

  3 Feb 2012 | 3:36 pm

  The New York architect does a close reading of the Morgan Library's lofty design.

• Shopping for Delftware

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:03 pm

  Old or new, the traditional blue-and-white pottery can be an excellent value—and fun to hunt down.

• Capturing Country-House Chic

  20 Jan 2012 | 2:16 pm

  A new book offers ideas for taking rustic living up a stylish notch.

• Tinseltown Touch for the Coffee Table

  20 Jan 2012 | 1:30 pm

  Billy Haines's Prism Vase is the first reissued accessory by legendary Hollywood decorator.

• Desk Lamps With Glowing Good Looks

  20 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pm

  Contorting lightsabers aren't the only way to illuminate a work surface.

• 

  WSJ.com: Tax Report

• Frequent-Flier Tax Traps

  3 Feb 2012 | 6:45 pm

  Consumers who got a chunk of frequent-flier miles as a reward for signing up for a new Citibank credit card are upset that Citi has sent a list of recipients to the IRS. Does this mean such rewards are taxable?

• The Disappearing IRA Charitable Donation

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:13 pm

  What should would-be IRA donors do this year, with the law still in limbo?

• The Road Ahead for Taxes

  10 Jan 2012 | 9:49 pm

  With Washington unlikely to address major tax questions soon, taxpayers are facing a lot of guesswork. Here's what to do now.

• How to Dodge Last-Minute Tax Traps

  24 Dec 2011 | 11:38 am

  Racing to meet year-end deadlines for charitable and personal gifts and investment tax planning? Read this first.

• What's Next for Offshore Accounts?

  10 Dec 2011 | 8:44 pm

  The IRS is ramping up efforts to flush out taxpayers hiding money abroad—even as new opportunities are emerging to move money offshore legally.

• 

  WSJ.com Video - Real Estate

• One of the Highest Skyscrapers in U.S. Auctioned

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:23 pm

  The Southeast's tallest skyscraper, Atlanta's Bank of America building, went on the auction block Tuesday. (Video: Fox 5)

• An American Mansion Mediterranean-Style

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:25 am

  This 12,000 square feet Mediterranean-style home in Connecticut was inspired by the owner's childhood in southern France. The mansion boasts an inner patio and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Long Island Sound. The house is listed $12.9 million.

• Hong Kong Apartment for $3.9 Million

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:46 pm

  This 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath apartment in Hong Kong's Mid-Levels neighborhood is selling for $3.9 million. WSJ's Andrew LaVallee and Deborah Kan discuss.

• Luxury Loft in TriBeCa

  6 Feb 2012 | 3:19 pm

  This sleek loft in an old apothecary building in TriBeCa boasts maple floors, nearly 360-degree views of New York City and the Hudson River, and countertops made with the same marble found in the garden at Museum of Modern Art.

• Slower Office Construction Could Mean Higher Rents

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:23 am

  WSJ's Eliot Brown reports unsettled lenders are facing higher costs while investors are shying away from starting new office buildings. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn

• 

  Examiner NEP RSS

• Gingrich's Iowa bounce helped by Cain backers

  Hayley Peterson

  18 Jan 2038 | 7:14 pm

  Hayley Peterson Examiner Staff Writer DES MOINES, Iowa -- Republican presidential contenders Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann are attracting most of businessman Herman Cain's former Iowa supporters, according to Steve Grubbs, Cain's top Iowa adviser. Cain lost roughly 25 percent of his Iowa supporters in the month of November, after several women alleged Cain sexually... washingtonexaminer.com

• Romney's watchwords in Iowa: Divide and conquer

  Michael Barone

  3 Jan 2025 | 5:05 pm

  Michael Barone Senior Political Analyst Elections are contests held during a moment in time between candidates who have records stretching back, often far back, into the past. So there is always a tension between the man (or woman) who is running and the moment. That tension is greater than usual when the contest is for the nomination of a political party dominated by a... washingtonexaminer.com

• Police search Freedom Plaza Occupy camp, remove some tents

  Aubrey Whelan

  5 Feb 2012 | 5:10 pm

  Aubrey Whelan Examiner Staff Writer U.S. Park Police continued their sweep of the District's two Occupy encampments with an afternoon inspection of the tents at Freedom Plaza that saw several shelters removed from the square for violating a camping ban there. The inspection was markedly different from Saturday's... washingtonexaminer.com

• THE 3-MINUTE INTERVIEW: Caroline Cunningham

  Examiner Staff Writer

  5 Feb 2012 | 5:05 pm

  Cunningham is president of Trust for the National Mall, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, working to restore and maintain our monuments. Did you grow up with the National Mall? Yes. When I was young we'd come to Washington every summer because my cousins lived in Arlington. The fireworks and the Lincoln Memorial were my first experience of the Mall. Having lived in Washington 25 years this month, it never ceases to inspire and amaze me. The Mall is... washingtonexaminer.com

• Mayor Gray to hit familiar themes in State of the District address

  Alan Blinder

  5 Feb 2012 | 5:05 pm

  Alan Blinder Examiner Staff Writer D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray will for a second consecutive year focus much of his State of the District address on the city's fiscal health, its school system, crime rate and economic development, a top aide told The Washington Examiner. "The mayor has a general overarching group of themes that he's talked about before," mayoral spokesman... washingtonexaminer.com

• 

  Washington, D.C. Business News - Local Washington, D.C. News | The Washington Business Journal

• Wait, no, Groupon not profitable yet

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:48 pm

  Groupon Inc. fell short of profitability in the fourth quarter of 2011, defying Wall Street expectations that the daily deal company would post modest earnings in its first quarterly report since going public. But LivingSocial's chief competitor did see a big jump in sales, recording $506.5 million in revenue last quarter, up nearly 200 percent from the same period in 2010. That's not great news for LivingSocial. While still in the red, the Chicago-based company appears to be capturing a greater portion of the daily deals market since its November IPO...

• Md. judge approves Penn Camera deal

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:34 pm

  A federal bankruptcy court judge in Maryland approved the transfer Tuesday of three Penn Camera Exchange Inc. leases to Chicago’s Calumet Photographic Inc., above the objections of two Washington-area landlords that claim they won’t get paid under the terms of the deal. The ruling lets Calumet take over the leases Penn Camera held in Rockville, Tysons Corner and D.C. for $600,000, including $250,000 in cash and $350,000 due in six months, according to bankruptcy court records. Calumet has also agreed to assume up to $100,000 in gift card liabilities and will be able to reduce that…

• What Groupon earnings mean for LivingSocial

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:52 am

  Groupon is slated to release its fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday after the closing bell, its first such report as a publicly-traded company. The Chicago-based rival to LivingSocial is expected to turn a profit. For our purposes here, Groupon's Q4 financials will give us a fuller (though far from complete) picture of where the two competing companies stand in relation to each other. Analyst Jeffrey Houston of Chicago-based Barrington Research Associations Inc. expects Groupon to report earnings per share of 2 cents, partly the result of its transition from acquiring new subscribers to…

• David Robertson to resign from Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:45 am

  David Robertson, the executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, will resign in January 2013, when his current employment contract expires. Robertson informed COG’s board of directors of his decision Wednesday, saying he plans to pursue a new career opportunity in Portland, Ore. Robertson did not elaborate on his future plans in a prepared statement. “For almost ten years I have had one of the best jobs in the National Capital Region,” Robertson said in a statement...

• Labor or business: Who in D.C. has the most political cash?

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:43 am

  A Washington-area union is sitting on a pile of political cash ahead of election season. The Annapolis-based Service Employees International Union, MD/DC State Council ended January with $183,413 cash on hand. The political action committee's closing balance more than doubles that of any other PAC registered with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance. Of the 49 PACs that filed with the finance office for the six month period ending Jan. 31, fewer than 10 represent labor. The second largest union balance belongs to the Mid-Atlantic Political Action Committee, funded by a coalition of United Food…

• 

  Reuters: Business News

• Credit Suisse slumps to Q4 loss

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:17 am

  ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse posted a surprise fourth-quarter net loss after taking almost 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.1 billion) of charges to speed cost cutting and offload risky assets to meet stiffer capital rules.

• Rio Tinto dividend surprise masks aluminum hit

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:15 am

  MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Global miner Rio Tinto hiked its dividend by a third and said it was confident about its long-term outlook despite reporting a drop in second-half profits and taking a $9 billion charge on its struggling aluminum business.

• Qantas, Korean Air check A380s for wing cracks

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:38 pm

  SYDNEY/SEOUL (Reuters) - Qantas Airways and Korean Air will carry out inspections for wing cracks on their Airbus A380 superjumbo planes earlier than previously scheduled, after European air safety officials ordered global checks, warning of a safety risk if the defects were not fixed.

• Alibaba.com shares halted; Yahoo update?

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:25 pm

  SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Trading in shares of Alibaba.com Ltd was halted on Thursday pending an announcement regarding its parent, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, which reportedly plans to buy back the 40 percent stake in it held by Yahoo Inc.

• Greek minister heads to Brussels with incomplete bailout deal

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:38 pm

  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek leaders failed on Thursday to agree on a reform and austerity program, the price of a financial bailout to avoid a messy default, forcing Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos to go to the country's financial backers with an incomplete deal.

• 

  Yahoo! Finance: Top Stories

• Euro, shares advance on Greek deal hopes

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:40 am

  The rally in the euro and European shares advanced on Thursday as Greece edged closer to a bailout deal and on expectations the Bank of England and the European Central Bank will maintain support for the ...

• Credit Suisse slumps to Q4 loss

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:40 am

  Credit Suisse posted a surprise fourth-quarter net loss after taking almost 1 billion Swiss francs of charges to speed cost cutting and offload risky assets to meet stiffer capital rules. "Our performance ...

• Rio Tinto dividend surprise masks aluminum hit

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:40 am

  Global miner Rio Tinto hiked its dividend by a third and said it was confident about its long-term outlook despite reporting a drop in second-half profits and taking a $9 billion charge on its struggling ...

• Vodafone Q3 results hit by weak southern Europe

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:40 am

  Vodafone posted third-quarter results slightly below forecasts as increasingly tough trading in Spain and Italy overshadowed solid performances in emerging markets and northern Europe at the world's largest ...

• Qantas, Korean Air check A380s for wing cracks

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:40 am

  Qantas Airways and Korean Air will carry out inspections for wing cracks on their Airbus A380 superjumbo planes earlier than previously scheduled, after European air safety officials ordered global checks, ...

• 

  MarketWatch.com - Top Stories

• Earnings Watch: Updates, advisories and surprises

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:31 am

  A roundup of the latest corporate earnings reports and what companies are saying about future quarters.

• Caixin Online: A world flying blind

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:44 pm

  The outlook for the global economy is gloomy and leaders lacking vision are to blame. Eventually, this will come back to haunt us, Andy Xie writes in a commentary for Caixin Online.

• Asia Markets: Japan, Australia stocks weak after China data

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:47 pm

  Japanese shares decline and Hong Kong stocks fluctuate in a choppy trading session, as a higher-than-expected reading on Chinese inflation and uncertainty over ongoing Greek debt negotiations sideline buyers.

• Currencies: Dollar eases slightly against rivals

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:39 pm

  The dollar index eases slightly amid some signs of progress on Greece’s ongoing debt negotiations.

• Economic Report: China inflation heats up, casting doubt on policy

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:17 pm

  China’s consumer prices rise at a faster-than-expected rate in January, as food prices surged ahead of the Lunar New Year, sparking debate over what the numbers are really saying.