Realty Times Real Estate News and Advice Updated November 10, 2009 Real Estate Outlook: Pending Sales Rise A record jump in pending home sales -- pointing to higher numbers of closed transactions in the next two to three months -- tops the housing economic news this week. FULL STORY-> Court Rejects Expert Mold Testimony More often than is widely acknowledged, courts come up with good and sensible rulings. When that happens, we do well to acknowledge them. In the case of Dee v. PCS Property Management, California's Second Appellate District Court of Appeal affirmed the good ruling of a trial judge. Inasmuch as the case had to do with claims regarding mold, it is of more than a little interest to a variety of parties involved with real estate. FULL STORY-> Public Needs Better Protection from Drug Grow-ops, say Alberta Realtors Police say marijuana cultivation has reached "epidemic proportions", posing a threat to public safety. Now Alberta Realtors have sponsored the creation of guidelines to clean up properties that have been used as grow-ops. FULL STORY-> Washington Report: Expansion of Tax Credit Congress's extension and expansion of the $8,000 tax credit through next June 30 should take the pressure off first time home buyers who've been rushing to close deals before the November 30 deadline. FULL STORY-> Flipping Properties Require Margin and Fixed Expenses The flipping of houses. What better way can a common man build his millions? Well, not many. It really can be a quick way to create wealth as long as the flipper doesn't let the flippee house take over his life and bank account. FULL STORY-> Washington Report: Expansion of Tax Credit Congress's extension and expansion of the $8,000 tax credit through next June 30 should take the pressure off first time home buyers who've been rushing to close deals before the November 30 deadline. FULL STORY-> Investor Report: Have We Finally Hit Bottom? It's a question that's relevant to investors in just about any once-hot market that's gone from boom to bust: Have prices finally bottomed out? Or could they be poised for still further declines? FULL STORY-> Sellers' Quick Lawn Fix It's one of the most unsightly and often hard to fix trouble spots for homeowners -- a lawn that has gone to the dogs! FULL STORY-> Flipping Properties Require Margin and Fixed Expenses The flipping of houses. What better way can a common man build his millions? Well, not many. It really can be a quick way to create wealth as long as the flipper doesn't let the flippee house take over his life and bank account. FULL STORY-> Developing Your Referral Strategy To develop referrals, start with a referral mindset. A referral mindset exists when every prospecting, marketing, and customer service action is accompanied by the realization that the contact could lead not only to new business, but also to positive word-of-mouth and the recommendation of your service to others. FULL STORY-> Market Conditions The National Association of Home Builders is reporting that the sale of newly built, single-family homes fell 3.6 percent in September FULL STORY-> 30-Year Fixed Rate Falls Below 5 Percent Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.98 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending November 5, 2009, down from last week when it averaged 5.03 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.20 percent. FULL STORY-> Restrictive Growth Management Was A Necessary Condition for the Housing Bubble Peter L. Mosca shares an excerpt of a radio show interview with the Cato Institute's Senior Fellow Randal O'Toole who discusses a new study that examines how restrictive government policies choked off growth, encouraged localized housing bubbles, and triggered the current financial crisis. FULL STORY-> Is Your Agent Experienced in Distressed Properties? If you are buying a short sale, foreclosed home or other distressed property, you ought to have someone experienced in distressed properties working for you. FULL STORY-> Three Auction Principles Needed For Success It would be hard to convince Orlando Realtor Troy Fletcher that he is in the middle of a recession. After all, the 27 condominiums he listed sold within about four hours one recent Saturday morning at Celebration, FL, totaling over $6 million. FULL STORY-> More Real Estate News and Advice...