Study: Exterior Improvements Bring Better Returns - RealEstate.com

December 17, 2010

A report from the National Association of Realtors finds that those looking at potential home improvement projects before putting their properties up for sale should focus on exterior jobs, because they generally bring in a better return.

The study found that of the 10 projects that brought in the best return for the investment involved, nine of them were exterior projects. The most cost-effective project was the installation of a steel entry door, which actually brought back an average of more than 102 percent of the investment after the home was sold.
Study: Exterior Improvements Bring Better Returns - RealEstate.com

Washington Post Reports - DC Now Requires Mediation Offers Before Foreclosures

Mediation offer now required before D.C. foreclosures

Thousands of foreclosures are put on hold

During the housing boom, millions of homeowners got easy access to mortgages. Now, some mortgage lenders and government officials have taken action after discovering that many mortgage documents were mishandled.

By Benny L. Kass

Friday, December 3, 2010; 10:23 AM
Click Here for Full Article

Washington Post Reports: Public Officials Scrutinize Foreclosure Processing

Foreclosure mess prompts growing number of public officials to slow down process
By Ariana Eunjung Cha

Washington Post Staff Writer

Thursday, November 11, 2010; 10:23 PM

One month ago, the city of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs of Cook County became a foreclosure-free zone. It wasn't the banks or judges that instituted the moratorium, because they were still moving cases forward at a rapid clip. The holdup was elsewhere: at the sheriff's office.
Click HERE for Full Article



States launch foreclosure probe

Scenario: Real Estate Double Dip  Scenario: What if US house prices experience a double-dip, falling for several quarters before finally stabilizing? Potential Outcome: Some economists continue to predict a coming double-dip for both residential and commercial real estate, citing the huge number of underwater loans, vacancies, and foreclosures yet to come to market. A double dip in housing could drag down the rest of the economy and threaten the economic recovery. Potential Timeframe: Within 1 Year

The following macro indicators would be most impacted by this scenario.

	Current	Projected	Scenario Impact
US House Prices	148.91	117.14		-21%
Commercial RE Prices	1.13	0.88		-22%
US GDP Growth	1.70%	-0.96%		-2.66 pts
Consumer Confidence	48.50	32.56		-33%
Copper	$3.81	$3.17		-17%
Economic Analysis By HiddenLevers

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

Washington Business Journal Reports:DC home Prices Up!

Thursday, October 7, 2010, 12:02am EDT

Modified: Thursday, October 7, 2010, 11:01am

Home prices up as national average falls
Washington Business Journal - by Jeff Clabaugh
Read more: Home prices up as national average falls - Washington Business Journal
 
The latest report on home prices shows a quarterly decline nationwide, but gains in median prices in the Washington market.

The report, from real estate data provider Clear Capital, says median home prices nationwide fell 0.2 percent from the second quarter to the third quarter, but remain 2.4 percent higher than a year ago. By region, the Northeast was the only region to show a quarterly gain in prices.
Washington remains one of the top 10 performing markets, with quarter-over-quarter prices up 3.9 percent and year-over-year prices up 7.4 percent, according to Clear Capital.
Baltimore ranked as the 14th-best performing market on a quarterly basis, with median prices up 2.4 percent, though prices are down 2.9 percent from a year ago in Baltimore.
The biggest quarterly drop in prices among large metropolitan areas was Atlanta, down 11.6 percent from the second quarter.
Read more: Home prices up as national average falls - Washington Business Journal