AltWeeklies Wire
Real Estate's Wild Ride Is Far from Overnew

Should we be reassured because foreclosure rates actually dipped significantly between September and January? It's not necessarily a sign of renewed vigor and health in the housing market, some analysts say.
Pasadena Weekly |
Joanna Beresford |
03-30-2009 |
Housing & Development
On the Hunt for Empty Housesnew

Some real estate speculators see foreclosed houses as golden opportunities, even as many of their colleagues lose everything.
The Inlander |
Daniel Walters |
03-12-2009 |
Economy
Tags: real estate, foreclosures
Developer Tibor Hollo Helped Build Miaminew
Tibor Hollo knows Miami real estate as well as anyone — he has been through its booms and busts — and he is convinced the city will bounce back. Indeed, he's betting everything he's right and plunging millions of dollars into his next project: a thousand-foot tower downtown on Biscayne Boulevard.
Miami New Times |
Tim Elfrink |
02-02-2009 |
Housing & Development
After the Crash, There's Little Recourse for Those Wronged by WaMunew
The problem for plaintiffs in suits against WaMu is who to go after now. Rob Williamson, an attorney who filed a class-action suit against WaMu over what he claims were hidden and excessive fees, puts it this way: "The defendant no longer exists."
Seattle Weekly |
Nina Shapiro |
12-02-2008 |
Economy
Vermont's Second-Home Market Hits the Skidsnew
In an economic downturn, the vacation-home market is more adversely affected than the primary-housing market, for the obvious reason that vacation homes are luxury items. And, since Vermont has one of the highest state rates of vacation homes in the nation, the state has been taking it on the chin.
Seven Days |
Ken Picard |
11-21-2008 |
Housing & Development
Why Are 'Green' Apartments So Rare in D.C.?new
"People say they want green, but they still want their SUV," says the CEO of DCRealEstate.com. "People want green when it comes to condominium apartments -- if they can have everything else for the same amount, they'll take it. But they often don't choose it."
Washington City Paper |
Ruth Samuelson |
11-20-2008 |
Housing & Development
Seattle's Foreclosure Vulturesnew
A crashing housing market is just another profit opportunity for some scavengers.
Seattle Weekly |
Nina Shapiro |
11-17-2008 |
Economy
Dirty Secrets of the Real Estate Collapsenew

There's lots of blame going around for this economic crisis. How we got here was simple: too much credit and too much debt for too many years. But why are hard-working people, many Hispanic, losing their houses?
Reno News & Review |
Madeline Zook |
11-07-2008 |
Housing & Development
The American Dream's $700 Billion Price Tagnew

The most important lesson of the country's recent financial turmoil has gone untaught: The United States might be better off financially, economically, and socially if it were more like San Francisco and were a nation of renters.
A Foreclosure Shell Game in Baltimorenew
Seven neighbors, 11 foreclosures, and more than a million dollars' profit in one neighborhood.
Baltimore City Paper |
Edward Ericson Jr. |
10-07-2008 |
Economy
New Orleans Archdiocese is Closing Parishes, and Some Parishioners Wonder Whynew
The mass is ended, but some parishioners are not going in peace. They suspect the decision to close some Catholic parishes was more about real estate values than a priest shortage.
New High-Rise Condos Betting on Nashville's Pursuit of Coolnew
Welcome to the new Nashville skyline: It's frighteningly high, undeniably modern and so ... money. It's no Nashville you've ever seen, because it's every bit an image straight out of Miami or Los Angeles -- or at least a show set there.
Nashville Scene |
Tracy Moore |
08-22-2008 |
Housing & Development
What Was the Role of the Real Estate Appraiser in the Housing Bust?new
Predatory lenders get most of the blame for the housing bust, but real estate appraisers -- many pressured by lenders -- were accomplices.
Style Weekly |
Diane York |
06-11-2008 |
Economy
Smart Tips for First-Time Home Sellersnew
From tips on how to go about purchasing a house to materials proclaiming the advantages of owning a property, new buyers don't have a shortage of print and online references. But how about people selling their homes for the first time?
The Georgia Straight |
Carlito Pablo |
06-02-2008 |
Housing & Development
Our Presidential Candidates Won't Talk About the Death of Cities -- Will Our Governors?new
Americans tend to believe that sprawl is a natural consequence of "free market" forces when, in fact, it is a consequence of governmental decision-making. Alas, the people who would lead our national government are not addressing sprawl. That means that the long-avoided discussions America ought to have on race, climate change, energy, highway construction, and agriculture will all continue to lack a certain element of reality.
Artvoice |
Bruce Fisher |
04-25-2008 |
Housing & Development