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Title: RISMedia » Consumer News and Advice
Link: http://rismedia.com
Description: Leader in Real Estate Information and News. Real estate industry news, profiles, and articles for agents, brokers, and consumers. National print magazine available.

Are Worse Days Ahead as Economy Contracts?
By Kevin G. Hall RISMEDIA, February 3, 2009-(MCT)-The U.S. economy contracted 3.8% in the final three months of last year-the biggest such shrinkage in almost 27 years-as a deepening recession gripped the nation, the government reported Friday. As bad as that number was, mainstream economists had been expecting a much bigger contraction, and Wall Street cheered. All [...]

8 Predictable Closing Day Obstacles - How to Avoid Them
By George W. Mantor RISMEDIA, February 3, 2009-Whether you represent the buyer or the seller, you want to use your knowledge and expertise to prevent your transaction from failing to close. Numerous factors contribute to the failure of a contract between buyer and seller of real estate. Financing, possession dates, disclosures, due diligence, inspections, pre-closing contingencies, [...]

Some Families Doubling Up, Downsizing as Economy Falters
By Cristina Bolling RISMEDIA, February 3, 2009-(MCT)-With the economy and housing market in a slump, some growing families are making do with the space they’ve got instead of moving to a bigger home. That means their kids may start doing something that kids don’t do much these days: share a room.But experts say some simple tricks [...]

Hope in the California Housing Market - Lower prices, Interest Rates Equal Opportunity for Buyers
By Jenny Shearer RISMEDIA, February 3, 2009-(MCT)-Guadalupe and Ariana Sanchez represent hope in the housing market. The 28-year-old couple with four children just bought their first home. “We got it pretty cheap. Right now is the best time to buy,” said Guadalupe Sanchez, a carpenter. Sanchez toured 20 homes, bid on four, and landed a deal with a [...]

Homeowners Refinance at Lower Mortgage Rates
By Jim Wasserman RISMEDIA, February 2, 2009-(MCT)-When California state employee Tim McManus peers into the future, he sees 4.5% interest. “I’m hoping it will go down more. One more drop,” says the Sacramento homeowner with a first mortgage at 6% and a second at 7.75%. Sacramento’s Debbie Fernandez has already locked in at 4.875%. That will knock $300 [...]

FHA Loans Become Hot Option - Less-stringent standards Spurs Local Popularity
By Chris Churchill RISMEDIA, February 2, 2009-(MCT)-The use of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration is soaring in the Capital Region, growth that comes as many home buyers are struggling to qualify for more traditional loans. Many lenders, skittish as foreclosure and default rates rise, have discontinued mortgages for borrowers with less-than-perfect credit or little [...]

EcoBroker Announces Alliance with RESNET to Provide Cost-Saving Energy Benefits to Consumers
RISMEDIA, February 2, 2009-The Association of Energy and Environmental Real Estate Professionals (AEEREP.org) and EcoBroker International announced a partnership with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). The partnership links AEEREP’s and EcoBroker’s real estate professional members to the industry’s most trusted source of energy raters, further helping consumers evaluate and make energy improvements to their [...]

10 Easy Ways to Become a Green Homeowner
RISMEDIA, January 31, 2009-OptHome, an online resource for homeowners, says it’s easier and less expensive to go green than homeowners may think. Suggest these few simple and cost-effective tips that your clients can incorporate into everyday living to help turn their home into a more energy-efficient investment. 1. Recycle. It’s free, reduces household consumption and increases [...]

Friday?s Featured Listing - Antiquity Subdivision Focuses on Historic American Architecture
RISMEDIA, January 30, 2009-Gaze up and down the streets of the Antiquity subdivision in Cornelius, North Carolina and you’ll see pristine homes and a carefully developed neighborhood. Constructed by the Cunnane Group out of Charlotte, Antiquity is a nationally recognized “Smart Growth” plan featuring a vibrant, walkable community integrated with planned commercial and retail areas. The [...]

Economy, Cold Snaps Accent Need for Winterizing Homes - Tips That Save
RISMEDIA, January 29, 2009-Citing unseasonably cold weather in many parts of California and drawing upon the experience of having provided service to hundreds of thousands of homes, member firms of the Home Warranty Association of California (HWAC) are alerting homeowners to the energy and cost saving benefits of “winterizing” their residences. While noting that winterizing initiatives [...]

What to Know About Reverse Mortgages
RISMEDIA, January 28, 2009-If you’re over 62 and a homeowner you have a unique opportunity to get significant, spendable value from your home, even if you still hold an existing mortgage. Recently, LendingTree launched a reverse mortgage service for interested senior homeowners looking to talk with lenders who can help them consider using the equity [...]

Save Energy - Pull the Plug on Electronics
By Bryan Redemske RISMEDIA, January 27, 2009-(MCT)-It’s like leaving the closet light on all day and all night, all year. When 12 months are up, you will have spent between $50 and $70 to keep that light burning. That’s an undeniably wasteful way to blow 50 bucks, but that’s how much energy is lost in an average [...]

Foreclosure Moratorium Spurs New Interest in Short Sales
By Tom Gordon RISMEDIA, January 27, 2009-The national foreclosure moratorium imposed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, major banks such as Citibank and Bank of America, and a host of state governments has created a “breather” for homeowners in default. By working with loan servicers, some homeowners will be able to modify their loan terms and [...]

9 Trends Not to Miss for Your Home
By Charlyne Varkonyi Schaub RISMEDIA, January 27, 2009-(MCT)-Walk into the American Red Cross 2009 Designers’ Show House in southern Florida and it looks like business as usual. A French parcel-gilt turquoise chandelier in the living room. A custom-made chest inlaid with mother of pearl imported from the Middle East in the “Glamour Girl” bedroom. A totally [...]

Downsizing a Home Requires Cutting Contents, too
By Greg Pearson RISMEDIA, January 23, 2009-(MCT)-The kids have moved out. Those three bedrooms are looking awfully lonely. That spacious backyard that once served as a barbecue pit/football field/volleyball court now looks like a breeding ground for weeds, not to mention back-breaking acreage during mowing season. You want to move to something smaller, but the task seems [...]

Falling Prices Push Homes Sales Up: Expert Points to ?Bargain Shopper?s Market?
RISMEDIA, January 22, 2009-(MCT)-Rose Vicente is tired of waiting. Sixteen months after she and her husband, Manny, put their Simi Valley home up for sale for $650,000, they decided they couldn’t put their life on hold any longer. Although they still are waiting for a buyer, the Vicentes purchased a home in Wildomar, Riverside County, and plan [...]

A New Estate on the Grounds of the Former Western White House
RISMEDIA, January 22, 2009-President Richard M. Nixon came to San Clemente, California in 1969 and established a Western White House where dignitaries gathered, treaties were signed, and where the Nixons resided at the time of the David Frost-Richard Nixon interviews. The grounds of the Western White House were subdivided into 16 lots in the 1980s. Construction [...]

New Listing: New Realty Firm Sees Opportunity in Tough Economy
RISMEDIA, January 22, 2009-(MCT)-It may seem counterintuitive to launch a real estate firm during a recession that has sent home sales and values falling, but the founders of Rosner Doherty Realty in New Haven, Conn. say the challenging market added to the allure of starting the company. “It gave us an opportunity to get involved when [...]

Moving with Pets - Impossible or Possible?
RISMEDIA, January 21, 2009-With people moving worldwide for work, Boxers are going bicoastal and cats are clearing through customs on a daily basis. Moving isn’t just stressful for people, it’s equally stressful for pets. So when it comes to moving pets, pre-planning is very important as animals can be very sensitive to changes in their [...]

Setting the Mood with Color
By Jean Patteson RISMEDIA, January 21, 2009-(MCT)-Color affects mood, as every pop psychologist knows. Considering the pall of gloom cast by the dire economy, it’s no wonder color-trend forecasters are predicting a bumper year for yellows and purples-the former to cheer us up, the latter to calm us down. Not that everyone is rushing out to purchase [...]