December 2006
Monthly Archive
30 Dec 2006 11:26 pm
Homes Sell, and History Goes Private
House museums are struggling in the face of dwindling interest, diminished staff and lack of endowment dollars.
30 Dec 2006 02:51 am
The Bottom Line: Weighing Finances and Feelings for a Decision
The basic question of whether it?s better to rent or buy your second home is one whose answer can always prove elusive, even in a healthy market. And that?s because it?s never solely a financial decision, but an emotional one, too.
30 Dec 2006 02:50 am
Big Deal : The Condo and Co-op Tax Bargain
While property tax assessments across the city rose by more than 9 percent, the assessors reviewed 720 Park. The tax burden on it was cut by 12 percent.
30 Dec 2006 12:00 am
The Ranch, an Architectural Archetype Forged on the Frontier
If asked to name America's most important contribution to residential architecture, most people would probably suggest Abraham Lincoln's log cabin, a Southern plantation mansion like Scarlett O'Hara's Tara (even though it was only a movie set) or George Washington's Mount Vernon.
30 Dec 2006 12:00 am
Split the Mortgage, Get Tax Benefits?
Q: DEAR BOB: I sold my principal residence in January with a capital gain of about $400,000. The same day, I bought another house using the profit as a down payment. I was single until April. Mine was the only name on the title to the house that was sold.
30 Dec 2006 12:00 am
Sea Change In Insurers’ Coastal Coverage
Major insurance companies are throwing cold water on America's new passion for living near the ocean and by the bay.
30 Dec 2006 12:00 am
A Piece of History Saved by a Flood
Enalee Bounds has filled 20 guest books with the names of national and international visitors to the antique and gift shop she has owned for 44 years in Ellicott City's historic district, defying predictions by local banks and area business owners that her country store would never last.
30 Dec 2006 12:00 am
At the end of each year, some people look back, while others look to the future. There's nothing we can do to change 2006, so let's look forward.
29 Dec 2006 06:23 pm
Your Home: Spelling Out Brokers? and Agents? Duties
This just in, from the New York Department of State: expanded definition of who must be loyal to whom in various real estate deals.
29 Dec 2006 06:12 pm
Q & A: All Satellite Dishes Are Not Created Equal
The courts have held that a satellite dish that protrudes into the airspace outside the window is not within the premises covered by the proprietary lease.
29 Dec 2006 06:06 pm
Q & A: Rent-Stabilized or Not?
Whether an apartment is rent-stabilized is a matter of law, not one of agreement, between the parties.
29 Dec 2006 02:37 pm
The Hunt: All in the Family, and Then Some
?A home, whether you own or rent, is still a home.?
29 Dec 2006 02:13 pm
In the Region | Long Island: In This Jackpot, 22 Affordable Homes
At a lottery in Southold on Long Island recently, 22 residents won the right to buy yet-to-be-built homes at prices they can actually afford.
29 Dec 2006 01:38 pm
Make a Resolution to Pay Off Your Holiday Debt
As the New Year is just around the corner, it's time to make your New Year's resolution. This year, why not resolve to pay off your holiday credit card bills and gain the advantages that come from paying off your debt?
29 Dec 2006 12:52 pm
Streetscapes | East 63rd Street: Tracking a Century of Changes Along One Block of Town Houses
On East 63rd Street between Fifth and Madison, two old plain-Jane buildings are getting dressed up in limestone and classical-style fronts.
29 Dec 2006 11:29 am
Living In | Stuyvesant Square: History and a Dog Run, in One Cozy Package
A square created in 1836 and sold to the city by the Stuyvesant family for $5 is known today for priceless qualities: an aura of tranquility, a sense of history and a dog run.
29 Dec 2006 10:41 am
Is The End Of The End Of The Housing Bubble Near?
Is it the end of the end of the housing bubble? The National Association of Realtors (NAR) seemed to think so as it issued its November report on the sales of existing houses, the second month in a row when sales showed slight improvement over the previous month.
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28 Dec 2006 11:10 pm
In many areas where second-home buyers flock, prices are trending downward and slower appreciation has made some would-be buyers into renters.
28 Dec 2006 12:55 pm
Existing Homes Sales Up for Second Straight Month
Sales of existing homes rose in November, giving proof that the housing market has stabilized. How will it fare in 2007 and what is driving such strong home purchase activity?
28 Dec 2006 11:17 am
Realogy Sale Not Necessarily A Done Deal
The widely reported purchase of Realogy by Apollo Management LP last week may just be the opening move in a wild and wooly auction for the company.
Realogy is the 500 lb gorilla of the real estate business. A Realogy company was involved in the purchase or the sale of one out of four homes trading through a real estate agent in the United States in 2005.
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27 Dec 2006 03:11 pm
Dow Hits New High as Sales of New Homes Pick Up
Sales of new homes jumped last month after a big drop in October, helping push the Dow above 12,500.
27 Dec 2006 02:24 pm
Square Feet: A SoHo for the South Boston Waterfront
Developers in Boston see a bright future for Fort Point, a dingy old warehouse district.
27 Dec 2006 11:49 am
Sales of New Homes Rise in November
WASHINGTON -- Sales of new homes rose in November while the backlog of unsold homes fell for a fourth straight month, providing hope that the serious slump in housing could be ending.
27 Dec 2006 11:13 am
New Home Sales Up on Low Long-Term Rates
New home sales were stronger in November than they were in October due to low long-term rates. What will the New Year hold for housing sales?
27 Dec 2006 10:09 am
Holidays Ease Mortgage Activity Despite Low Rates
Even though long-term rates are still very low, the holiday season caused a slow-down in mortgage activity last week. Will long-term rates rise and will mortgage applications continue to be strong for the New Year?
27 Dec 2006 09:35 am
Mortgage Rates Drift and Activity Slows During Pre-Holiday Week
While mortgage activity was down sharply - and expectedly - during the pre-Christmas week at least one mortgage expert saw reason to hope for a busy and profitable New Year.
Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist, in releasing the results of the weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ended December 21, said, "What is interesting to note is that...
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26 Dec 2006 05:50 pm
Home Away: The Vacation-Home Swap
Second-home exchanges are hardly a new concept, but they?re gaining momentum and can offer great rewards.
26 Dec 2006 05:49 pm
Property Values: What You Get for …$1.5 Million
Homes on the market in Naples, Fla., Grand Lake, Colo., and Sedona, Ariz.
26 Dec 2006 12:13 pm
Housing Starts, Permits and Builder Confidence Stabilize In Recent Surveys
Housing permits and starts in November were mixed when compared to October levels according to figures released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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23 Dec 2006 12:00 am
Condos Where Joiners Get Their Wish
Just a few years ago, the abandoned office building on Eastern Avenue in Silver Spring was a bleak eyesore occupied occasionally by homeless people. Debris and weeds filled its parking lot.