Home

Overseas buyers snatching up pricey homes Premium Content

By Inman News, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=54442231">Global connections</a> image via Shutterstock.

Though U.S. home sales to foreign buyers declined slightly in the year through March 2012, a preference for more expensive homes pushed the total sales volume of international sales up by 24 percent, according to an annual report from the National Association of Realtors.

NAR's 2012 Profile of International Home Buying Activity includes results from 1,745 member respondents surveyed in April 2012. The survey covered purchases of U.S. residential real estate by international clients in the 12 months through March 2012. International clients were divided into two groups: foreign buyers with permanent residences outside the U.S., and buyers who are recent immigrants of less than two years or temporary visa holders residing in the U.S. for more than six months.  more...

Resolving uncompleted repairs

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=47631304" target=blank>Ceiling leaks</a> image via Shutterstock.

DEAR BARRY: We purchased our home six months ago and hired a home inspector who was referred by our Realtor. The inspector identified a list of problems involving plumbing leaks, roof damage, ungrounded electrical outlets, a faulty heater, and more. The agent promised in writing that these issues would be repaired before the close of escrow. That was months ago, but none of the defects have been addressed.

We also learned that someone was murdered less than 50 feet from the house. What can we do? --Alicia  more...

Otixo: HootSuite for cloud storage Premium Content

By Tom Flanagan, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=94487455">Cloud computing</a> image via Shutterstock.

Many real estate professionals are now taking advantage of free storage space in the cloud, and have integrated services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft Skydrive into their business.

In many cases, we utilize the latest and greatest apps. The problem is that we're typically left with a plethora of individual apps, with no way of connecting the services and streamlining our data across multiple platforms.  more...

5 award-winning home designs

By Inman News, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=99357119">Architectural blueprints</a> image via Shutterstock.

Explore five outstanding American home designs awarded by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for 2012. Custom home projects, remodeled or new, completed between Jan. 1, 2005, and August 2011, were eligible for recognition by the 105-plus-year-old institute.

These houses are part of the AIA's Housing Awards Program, which recognized 10 home projects this year; the following five award winners comprise all the awardees from the program's category "One- and Two-Family Custom Residences."  more...

New REO-to-rental program seeks returns for investors

By Paul Hagey, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=44006419">REO property</a> image via Shutterstock.

A public-private partnership is trying a new foreclosure-to-rental strategy in Oakland, Calif., that will involve purchasing, renovating and renting up to 100 homes in two of the least affluent, inner-city neighborhoods in this city on San Francisco Bay.

Columbia, Md.-based Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit with 30 years of experience investing in affordable housing projects, and Oakland, Calif.-based property management startup Waypoint Homes, which has focused on turning distressed single-family homes into rentals since its founding in 2008, have teamed up on the project.  more...