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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: homes

homes stories: 25 news summaries

1 - 20 of 25 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

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 Tough Times Threaten New England's Triple-Deckers

Foreclosures, neglect thin the ranks of distinctive homes

Jun 20, 09 5:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - The distinctive three-decker homes found throughout urban New England are swiftly becoming an endangered species, the New York Times reports. The homes—mostly built around a century ago to accommodate new immigrants—were snapped up by investors in boom times who rented them out without doing any maintenance. They are... More »

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architecture • housing market • homes • foreclosure • New England • triple-decker

(Newser) - Lawyers nationwide are learning about foreclosure law to help new clients keep their homes, NPR reports. Housing attorneys are even teaching seminars to lawyers, who accept cases pro bono, knowing homeowners can't turn to swamped legal aid offices. Some find it "incredibly rewarding to help someone save their house... More »

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homes • foreclosure • lawyer • attorney • pro bono

 Economy Forces 
 'Boomerang Kids' Back Home 

Experts fear financial strain of dependent, adult kids

Apr 26, 09 2:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - After losing their jobs and homes, some middle-aged adults are losing something else—independence from their parents, the Washington Post reports. The recession is forcing so-called “boomerang kids” back into their childhood homes, raising questions about how easily parents can accommodate refilled nests amid tough economic times. "It's... More »

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children • parents • homes • college • recession • job cuts • job

March New Home Sales Down 0.6%

But that's good news: Numbers are actually better than expected

Apr 24, 09 11:09 AM CDT
(AP) - New US home sales dipped slightly last month but still beat expectations as builders start to see long-awaited encouraging signs about the housing market—including a dip in the inventory of new homes for sale. Sales fell 0.6% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 356,000,... More »

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housing market • homes • home sales • Department of Commerce • home builders • new home sales • economy

OPINION

Feel Good Again About
Your Pricey House

In 10 years, you'll be back in the black

Aug 17, 08 7:59 PM CDT
(Newser) - Bought an expensive house right before the subprime crash? Fret not, writes Chris Ayres in the Los Angeles Times. With 5% inflation, lower interest rates, and a mortgage tax deduction, buyers of pricey houses will be smiling in 10 years. "If you're a boom-time buyer who can still pay... More »

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homes • interest rate • housing crisis • housing bubble • economy • adjustable-rate mortgages

 Arsonist May Have Set Fla. Fires 

Gov declares state of emergency, promises harsh consequences

May 13, 08 4:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - Fires that have raged across Florida over the last 2 days may have been deliberately set, Gov. Charlie Crist said today. Investigators have pointed to the fact that many of the blazes in different places sprang up at once as evidence of arson, CNN reports. Almost 100 homes have been... More »

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Florida • homes • wildfires • damage • Charlie Crist • arson • arsonist

 Sierra Madre
 Blaze Rages On 

Firefighters losing containment on difficult terrain

Apr 28, 08 6:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - A California wildfire that has sparked mass evacuations kept burning up Sierra Madre today, the Los Angeles Times reports. Officials said the blaze was 23% contained, compared to 30% last night, and four of 580 firefighters have suffered minor injuries—but there are no fatalities so far. The fire now... More »

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homes • firefighters • evacuation • wildfires • California wildfires • fire • Sierra Madre

OPINION

Maybe You Shouldn't
Own a Home

Wake up, America: Not everyone can afford the white picket fence

Apr 20, 08 3:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - Should all Americans own their dream home? Not really, writes Joshua Riner in the New Republic—only those who can afford one. But Washington made homebuying easy, sparked the subprime crisis, and is now making things worse by buying up risky mortgages. Officials "need to replace the dream... More »

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homes • mortgage • equity • home equity • homeownership • subprime crisis

10 Lies Homeowners Tell Buyers

Few are above making a fib or two part of the sales pitch

Feb 8, 08 6:41 PM CST
(Newser) - When a homeowner is desperate to sell and a buyer is ready to fork over the cash, the truth about a house is often swept under the rug, MSNBC reports. Watch out for frequent fibs when talking about:
  1. Personality of neighbors and the neighborhood.
  2. Status of home repairs
... More »

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home improvement • housing market • list • homes • infestation • homeowners • existing home sales • water damage

Homeowners Lure Free Labor
With Libations

Remodeling parties
are a risky new rage

Sep 30, 07 5:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Word of advice: Cocktails and power tools don't mix. Renovation parties are sweeping the nation, as homeowners look for ways around rising construction costs. But handing out martinis and sledgehammers doesn’t always produce the best results, the Wall Street Journal counsels, recounting horror stories of crooked tiles, drywall hung... More »

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homes • home renovation • homeowners

Sony Delays Answer to ‘Second Life’

Former trailblazer's ‘Home’ won’t drop
now until spring

Sep 20, 07 1:28 PM CDT
(Newser) - Adding to a string of setbacks, Sony today delayed the release of its competitor for virtual world touchstone "Second Life," until next spring. The interactive world "Home"—made for PlayStation 3—has been demonstrated several times, the AP reports, and was to land before year’s... More »

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Nintendo Wii • Sony • homes • Second Life • PlayStation 3 • Ken Kutaragi • video games

These Streets Are Paved in Gold

Forbes publishes list of most expensive US city blocks

Sep 15, 07 11:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - Forbes has compiled a list of the most expensive real estate blocks in 10 major cities.  It teamed up with date provider Reply! to compile an index of the 'billionaire rows' of the US. In New York, the block between Fifth Avenue, Madison, 69th and 70th Sts. takes the... More »

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real estate • New York City • Boston • United States • list • homes • billionaire

US Median Home Price
to Drop

Projected 1-2% decline for 2007 would be the first since 1950

Aug 26, 07 3:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - The median cost of an American home, now $220,000, is expected to drop this year for the first time since tracking began in 1950, reports the New York Times. The decline will be modest—1 to 2%—but could last into 2008 and 2009, meaning that, adjusting for inflation,... More »

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real estate • housing market • homes • mortgage • home prices • home equity

Katrina Tax Breaks Pay for Luxury Condos

Incentives for rebuilding are buying $1M units in Tuscaloosa, 200 miles from coast

Aug 13, 07 9:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - Investors are using federal tax breaks designed to stimulate rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina to buy luxury condos being built near the University of Alabama’s football stadium, 200 miles from the coast, the AP reports. The Tuscaloosa developments, where units go for up to $1 million, are flourishing while much... More »

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Hurricane Katrina • taxes • Louisiana • homes • natural disaster • Tuscaloosa • University of Alabama • GO Zone • rebuild • house • condominium

9 Perfect Places to Live

Arts, culture, beauty, jobs—these towns have it all, and real people, too

Aug 13, 07 1:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Outside magazine selects 30 sweet spots—the best towns for mixing city life with the big outdoors—and, oh yeah, getting a job, too.  Here are the top nine:
  1. Santa Cruz, California
  2. Jackson, Wyoming
  3. Iowa City, Iowa
  4. Bend, Oregon
  5. Santa Fe, New Mexico
More »

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travel • California • Iowa • New Mexico • list • homes • Oregon • Wyoming • Santa Cruz • Jackson • Iowa City • Bend • Santa Fe

Washed-Out Brits May Be Stuck in Trailers for Months

Thousands of homes and businesses are still drying out

Aug 10, 07 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser) - Victims of the record flooding in England may have to live in mobile homes for months while their property is repaired. Tens of thousands of residences and businesses were badly damaged by floods over the past 2 months, which caused at least $6 billion in damage, Bloomberg reports. And meteorologists... More »

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climate change • England • homes • flood • repair • house • mobile home

Best Home Sellers' Markets

Times are tough, but your house won't sit on the market for long in these towns

Jul 31, 07 5:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - The housing market overall isn't good, but luckily for some, there's an exception to every rule. Forbes points you toward 10 towns where sellers can still finish with smiles on their faces.
  1. Raleigh, NC
  2. San Francisco
  3. Austin, Texas
  4. San Antonio, Texas
  5. St. Louis 
More »

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California • real estate • San Francisco • Texas • housing market • North Carolina • list • homes • Austin • St. Louis • San Antonio • Raleigh

Affordable Southern Suburbs

If you want it all on a budget, these towns may be right for you

Jul 29, 07 10:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - BusinessWeek lists the 25 most affordable suburbs in the South, determined not only by housing prices but also cost of living, violent crime rate, and school test scores. The first 10, in alphabetical order:
  1. Abilene, Texas
  2. Broken Arrow, Okla.
  3. Cary, NC
  4. Charlottesville, Va.
  5. Farragut, Va.
More »

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Texas • North Carolina • list • homes • budget • Virginia • Oklahoma

Home Resales Slump in June as Mortgage Rates Spike

Inventories are down; prices jump

Jul 25, 07 1:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Sales of existing homes dropped in June to a 5-year low because of rising mortgage rates and stricter lending standards. Home resales dipped 3.8% from a 5.98 million annual rate in May to a 5.75 million rate now. "The housing recession looks far from over,"... More »

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housing market • homes • mortgage • recession • houses • resales • economist • US economy • Freddie Mac • quarters • NAR

Scams Target Delinquent Homeowners

'Equity strippers' deceive borrowers behind on their mortgage payments

Jul 3, 07 5:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - A new form of fraud is thriving in the declining housing market, targeting desperate homeowners who are late on their mortgage payments. Known as equity strippers, companies cold-call burdened borrowers, promising a reprieve from their financial woes. In the end, they profit, and the owners end up losing their  home... More »

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fraud • housing market • homes • foreclosure • mortgage • equity stripper • homeowners • borrowers

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