Week in Review: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

Posted on 12. Mar, 2010 by Sherry Chris.

Of all the signs that the economy is getting better, the most exciting, in my opinion, is the shrinking number of foreclosures. It tells me that the “worst case scenario” is getting a little better, as the number of homeowners facing foreclosure decreased 2 percent from the previous month. Additionally, foreclosures in February grew 6 [...]

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Week in Review: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

Posted on 26. Feb, 2010 by Sherry Chris.

This week, we are having what I like to call a “Hesitation Moment.” In different data released this week, the housing market went back in time, with numbers being reported similar to those we saw in the 40s, 60s and 80s. Mortgage applications fell to the lowest level in 13 years and in January, sales [...]

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Week in Review: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

Posted on 12. Feb, 2010 by Sherry Chris.

This week officially kicks off the beginning of real estate season or, as I like to say, the Real Estate New Year. The 2.9 percent increase over December on new “For Sale” homes in January certainly will help the market get off to a great start. I wish everyone a Happy Real Estate New Year [...]

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Week in Review: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

Posted on 18. Dec, 2009 by Sherry Chris.

Happy Holidays! As we look forward to a New Year, we may not see the real estate market recover as much as we all hope. In the Chinese calendar, 2010 will be the Year of the Tiger, which seems appropriate as the animal represents unpredictability. We have seen improvement in the past few months, but [...]

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Selling Through the Cycle

Posted on 23. Oct, 2009 by Robert Albanese.

From years of observation, it is clear that phases in the real estate market can be tracked by changes in inventory levels, home prices and number of homes sold (sides) year-over-year. The ‘initial phase’ of a real estate recovery is indicated when three essential trends emerge.

Inventory levels begin to fall, implying an initial increase in [...]

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Friday Blog Scan: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by Sherry Chris.

The U.S. economy appears  to be on the road to recovery. Yet mortgage delinquencies continue to rise holding back any relative upbeat assessment since foreclosures keep the value  of nearby properties down while eroding the net worth of homeowners and the tax base for communities nationwide.
The Center for Responsible Lending says foreclosures are on track [...]

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The Status Quo is Not an Option

Posted on 14. Aug, 2009 by Nicolai Kolding.

In the coming weeks, you will be reading a lot about our specific ideas on the Next Generation Brokerage.  It’s important to explain why we believe this is necessary.  In our view, this comes down to a matter of necessity.  Simply put, the status quo is not an option.  The numbers won’t fly.
Every brokerage has four [...]

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As the Early Signs of Recovery Emerge, Don’t Pop-the-Cork Just Yet!

Posted on 05. Jun, 2009 by Robert Albanese.

There is evidence that the soft real estate market is stabilizing, but let’s not gets too carried away! Signs of weakness in the real estate sector are slowing and while that is surely a welcome sight, it is important not to confuse these signs with an actual recovery.

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Real Estate Auctions: A New Perspective

Posted on 18. Feb, 2009 by Robert Albanese.

Auctioning real estate, a sales method we most associate with foreclosures, is now being applied to move houses and condominiums not being repossessed by the lending institutions, as the demand for well-priced real estate continues. While some auctioneers say that such public sales will continue to be used for real estate even as the market [...]

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