Octagon house comes full circle

By Nancy McKeon, Published: July 8 | Updated: Thursday, July 7, 4:42 PM

As designer of Poplar Forest, one of the first octagonal houses in America, Thomas Jefferson probably would have liked Susan Cooper’s house in McLean.
Seen from the roadway, Cooper’s eight-sided house looks farm-friendly, or maybe nautical, like the lighthouse in St. Michaels, Md. — crisp white brick against the surrounding lawn, with a red standing-seam metal roof and a porch that encircles the house at ground level. A second octagonal level sits atop the first, set a few feet back from the edge of the roof below. Popping up in the middle of this confection is a windowed belvedere topped by a cupola, again echoing the eight-sided shape. An oversize glass-topped breezeway attaches the left side of the house to a two-car garage.

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Sell your house faster in a tough market

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By Donna Rosato June 27, 2011: 10:27 AM ET

(Money magazine) -- It's an extreme buyer's market -- and home values could fall another 5% by year-end. Here's how to meet the challenge faster, cheaper and better.

Faster

Underprice the place by 10%. Doing so will be painful, no question. But with cheap foreclosures still flooding real estate markets around the country, listing your home for less than comparable ones in your neighborhood is the best way of unloading it as quickly as possible. By making your home look like a bargain, you'll attract a crowd, says Steve Murray, editor of Real Trends newsletter_ and ideally start a bidding war. Remember: Your listing price is not necessarily your selling price.

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3 ways to save on home costs

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By Beth Braverman June 22, 2011: 6:23 AM ET

(Money Magazine) -- 1. Negotiate on repairs and upkeep
Price trend: Contractors, still facing a slumping real estate market, will strike a deal to get your business. In a May survey by consumer review website Angie's List, 81% of contractors say they'd negotiate labor costs; more than a quarter say they'd drop prices by more than 10%. Service providers like house cleaners and landscapers are cutting rates, too. Click here for full article

Fixed mortgage rates steady near yearly lows

Bellwether 30-year fixed rate up slightly to 4.51 percent

By DEREK KRAVITZ

updated 6/30/2011 11:28:57 AM ET

NEW YORK — Fixed mortgage rates were mostly unchanged this week, hovering near their annual lows.

The average rate on the 30-year loan rose slightly to 4.51 percent, Freddie Mac said Thursday. It hit its lowest level of the year three weeks ago, at 4.49 percent.
The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage, a popular refinancing option, stayed at 3.69 percent. It reached its low point of the year two weeks ago, at 3.67 percent.

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