Thursday, April 29, 2010
Buying vs. Renting a Home - Bloomberg
April 29, 2010 — For some people, buying a home makes the most sense while for others renting is the best option. Either way, it's a big decision and there's more to consider than just your monthly payment.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Housing Market Outlook by Richard DeKaser
April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Richard DeKaser, chief economist at Woodley Park Research, talks with Bloomberg Television about U.S. sales of new homes in March and the outlook for the U.S. housing market. (This report is an excerpt of the full interview. Source: Bloomberg)
Thursday, April 22, 2010
How Will Financial Reform Impact Mortgage Rates?
April 22, 2010 — Greg Rand of Rand Realty on the state of industry and the possible dampening affect of financial regulation.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Taylor Sees Debt Maturity as Challenge for Real Estate
April 21 (Bloomberg) -- Dylan Taylor, chief executive officer of Colliers International's U.S. unit, talks with Bloomberg's Deirdre Bolton about the outlook for the commercial real estate market and concerns over debt maturity. (Excerpt. Source: Bloomberg)
Monday, April 19, 2010
How to Avoid Foreclosure Rescue Scams
Business correspondent Rebecca Jarvis spoke about foreclosure scams and how to avoid them.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Foreclosure Filings Rise 16% as Bank Seizures Set Record
April 15 (Bloomberg) -- Foreclosure filings in the U.S. rose 16 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier and bank seizures hit a record as lenders stepped up action against delinquent homeowners, according to RealtyTrac Inc.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Home Prices in Golf Communities Fall Amid Housing Crisis
April 9 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Monica Bertran reports on the impact of the housing crisis on high-end homes in golf communities. (Source: Bloomberg)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Mortgage Fraud Rising - watch out for Foreclosure rescue schemes
watch out for Foreclosure rescue schemes
Jeanetta Standefor's plan to help neighbors avoid foreclosure while making a profit was a scam. American Greed goes inside the story of one woman who bilked 600 investors out of millions.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
How to Know if You Can Afford to Buy a House
Tips for sorting out your expenses to determine if you can afford to buy a home.
Monday, April 5, 2010
The U.S. housing market is poised for a comeback.
Are We Near the Bottom of the Housing Market
April 05, 2010 — Prudential Douglas Ellimans Jason Haber on whether the U.S. housing market is poised for a comeback.
Australia Property Market is Red Hot
Cooling Australia's Red Hot Property Market
Apr. 4 2010 Australia's property prices continue to head higher, bucking the downward trend seen in other regions. CNBC's Amanda Drury finds out if there is a property bubble forming down under, and what can be done to cool the market.
Friday, April 2, 2010
13 Step-by-Step Process of Building a Deck
No matter how simple your project is, you have to have a plan to go with it. Follow the following steps to construct a beautiful deck: Consult your local building inspector; do the preliminary planning; decide the shape, type and size of deck; estimate materials needed and acquire the tools; squaring with strings; prepare the site; place the ledger/header board; trace and dig holes for footings; fasten beams to posts; affix joists; fit desk boards; connect posts for railing; and erect steps.
Now that you have a beautifully designed home, what you need to focus to are the do-it-yourself projects to add beauty to a bland backyard. One way is to build a deck. The best news about constructing one is that it is easy with a straightforward design and you don’t even have to hire a professional deck builder to do it for you as long as you can hammer a nail, saw on a straight line and be good at leveling, then your building experience is sure to be of no major trouble. Now let’s start building a deck by following these steps.
Consult your local building inspector
Before starting any real work, discuss your plans with your local building inspector. You have to acquire a permit to avoid any legal penalty. You may have to prepare the blueprints and design so that the inspector can give you his approval. Also, anticipate a fee if your plans meet the constructing code and local regulations. Once you get the permit, you have to place it on your constructing site. Since this first step needs some special skill, you may choose to hire a contractor.
Do the preliminary planning
There are several influential factors to decide the location and design of your deck. These are the following: anticipated usage, air currents, compatible standing structure, sunlight, privacy, view, security, access to home, terrain and other personal necessity and preferences.
Decide the shape, type and size of deck
This would be the tough part wherein you have to settle on the design. In doing so, you have to consider the function, structural steadiness and appearance. A great tip is to look at different decks of some friends and neighbors. You may also refer to books, magazines and other media.
Estimate materials needed and acquire the tools
After settling on the final kind, shape and size of the deck you are about to build, it is now time to estimate the materials necessary for building. You may not have to do this if you are using a ready-made design but if otherwise, keep in mind that it is better to overestimate since you can use the excess in making benches, planter boxes and such. You can save money through selecting standard lumber sizes and lengths to its extent. Make sure to calculate the dimensions so you don’t run out of materials. On the other hand, you have to acquire tools such as circular saw, tape measure, chalk line, combination square, hand saw, power drill, hammer, level, and framing square. To make sure one’s safety, you may need to have gloves, dust mask, and goggles. You may also need accessories and connectors such as lag screws, carriage bolt, expansion bolt, ring shank nails, spiral nails, joist hangers and post fasteners.
Squaring with strings
Use string and batterboards when marking off the deck to make sure that it is square. Batterboards are hammered to the ground just outside the corners where the deck is to be built. The string will be a guide to picture out the size and appearance of the final result. The squares will also help in excavation and placing the post. Though it will look smaller compared to when it is completely constructed.
Prepare the site
To start with, remove sod using a spade or sod cutter and uncover an area 2 feet bigger than the deck. To avoid unwanted vegetation to creep up the deck, spread a sheet of polyethylene film on the area. When embedding posts, you have to slit this to give way. After the installation of the posts, cover up with gravel, pebbles or maybe wood chips.
Place the ledger/header board
This step is only applicable if you are attaching the deck to an existing edifice. Its placement defines the correct height and is horizontally-positioned. It should be fastened on the wall using lag screws or bolts. To prevent water behind the ledger, make use of aluminum flashing.
Trace and dig holes for footings
The minimum depth in normal soil is 24 to 36 inches deep although you have to rely on the height of the column and depth of the frost line. Posts should be deeper than this to prevent hauling during freeze and defrosting cycles. If you have a lot of holes to dig and in a hurry, you may rent a power posthole digger.
Fasten beams to posts
Locate the height of the preferred deck floor on the posts using a string and level. You can determine the correct height for securing the top of the beam to the post by subtracting the thickness of the joist. Keep post and beam flush or nail down the beam to the post.
Affix joists
Joists are affixed to the house structure with joist hangers or rest on the beam. It may be braced be a ledger board.
Fit deck boards
Use hot-dipped zinc-coated 16-penny nails to install deck boards. The surface of the deck is an essential part of the project since it is the most visible. You may cut and trim excess boards after nailing them on a straight line.
Connect posts for railing
The railing can either be a continuation of the posts that serve as a support of the deck, or it may be connected through bolts to the outer joist or joist extensions. The security of the people who’ll be staying on the deck is enhanced through the railings.
Erect steps
To define the number of steps to be constructed, measure the vertical rise and settle on the best riser size for each single step. You may purchase precut steps at some lumberyards.
This gives the basics on constructing a back yard deck. It is essential to have a complete and polished plan because this will help you anticipate any forthcoming problems. Have fun with your deck.
Now that you have a beautifully designed home, what you need to focus to are the do-it-yourself projects to add beauty to a bland backyard. One way is to build a deck. The best news about constructing one is that it is easy with a straightforward design and you don’t even have to hire a professional deck builder to do it for you as long as you can hammer a nail, saw on a straight line and be good at leveling, then your building experience is sure to be of no major trouble. Now let’s start building a deck by following these steps.
Consult your local building inspector
Before starting any real work, discuss your plans with your local building inspector. You have to acquire a permit to avoid any legal penalty. You may have to prepare the blueprints and design so that the inspector can give you his approval. Also, anticipate a fee if your plans meet the constructing code and local regulations. Once you get the permit, you have to place it on your constructing site. Since this first step needs some special skill, you may choose to hire a contractor.
Do the preliminary planning
There are several influential factors to decide the location and design of your deck. These are the following: anticipated usage, air currents, compatible standing structure, sunlight, privacy, view, security, access to home, terrain and other personal necessity and preferences.
Decide the shape, type and size of deck
This would be the tough part wherein you have to settle on the design. In doing so, you have to consider the function, structural steadiness and appearance. A great tip is to look at different decks of some friends and neighbors. You may also refer to books, magazines and other media.
Estimate materials needed and acquire the tools
After settling on the final kind, shape and size of the deck you are about to build, it is now time to estimate the materials necessary for building. You may not have to do this if you are using a ready-made design but if otherwise, keep in mind that it is better to overestimate since you can use the excess in making benches, planter boxes and such. You can save money through selecting standard lumber sizes and lengths to its extent. Make sure to calculate the dimensions so you don’t run out of materials. On the other hand, you have to acquire tools such as circular saw, tape measure, chalk line, combination square, hand saw, power drill, hammer, level, and framing square. To make sure one’s safety, you may need to have gloves, dust mask, and goggles. You may also need accessories and connectors such as lag screws, carriage bolt, expansion bolt, ring shank nails, spiral nails, joist hangers and post fasteners.
Squaring with strings
Use string and batterboards when marking off the deck to make sure that it is square. Batterboards are hammered to the ground just outside the corners where the deck is to be built. The string will be a guide to picture out the size and appearance of the final result. The squares will also help in excavation and placing the post. Though it will look smaller compared to when it is completely constructed.
Prepare the site
To start with, remove sod using a spade or sod cutter and uncover an area 2 feet bigger than the deck. To avoid unwanted vegetation to creep up the deck, spread a sheet of polyethylene film on the area. When embedding posts, you have to slit this to give way. After the installation of the posts, cover up with gravel, pebbles or maybe wood chips.
Place the ledger/header board
This step is only applicable if you are attaching the deck to an existing edifice. Its placement defines the correct height and is horizontally-positioned. It should be fastened on the wall using lag screws or bolts. To prevent water behind the ledger, make use of aluminum flashing.
Trace and dig holes for footings
The minimum depth in normal soil is 24 to 36 inches deep although you have to rely on the height of the column and depth of the frost line. Posts should be deeper than this to prevent hauling during freeze and defrosting cycles. If you have a lot of holes to dig and in a hurry, you may rent a power posthole digger.
Fasten beams to posts
Locate the height of the preferred deck floor on the posts using a string and level. You can determine the correct height for securing the top of the beam to the post by subtracting the thickness of the joist. Keep post and beam flush or nail down the beam to the post.
Affix joists
Joists are affixed to the house structure with joist hangers or rest on the beam. It may be braced be a ledger board.
Fit deck boards
Use hot-dipped zinc-coated 16-penny nails to install deck boards. The surface of the deck is an essential part of the project since it is the most visible. You may cut and trim excess boards after nailing them on a straight line.
Connect posts for railing
The railing can either be a continuation of the posts that serve as a support of the deck, or it may be connected through bolts to the outer joist or joist extensions. The security of the people who’ll be staying on the deck is enhanced through the railings.
Erect steps
To define the number of steps to be constructed, measure the vertical rise and settle on the best riser size for each single step. You may purchase precut steps at some lumberyards.
This gives the basics on constructing a back yard deck. It is essential to have a complete and polished plan because this will help you anticipate any forthcoming problems. Have fun with your deck.
Pitfalls of Real Estate Investing
Tips for what to watch for when building an investment house to sell.
Manhattan Apartment Sales Jump, Buyers Seek Bargains
April 2 (Bloomberg) -- Manhattan apartment sales doubled in the first quarter as bargain-hunting buyers scooped up co-ops and condos in a market where resale prices have fallen an average 29 percent since their peak. Bloomberg's Deirdre Bolton reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Economist Peter Morici Discusses U.S. Housing Market
March 30 (Bloomberg) -- Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland, talks with Bloombergs Mark Crumpton about the outlook for the U.S. housing market and its impact on the broader economy. Home prices in 20 U.S. cities unexpectedly rose in January, as the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index climbed 0.3 percent from the prior month on a seasonally adjusted basis, matching the gain in December. (This is an excerpt of the full interview. Source: Bloomberg)
When You Should Sell Your House
Assessing when its worth keeping and maintaining a house and when you should sell it and rent.
Dealing With Uncooperative Tenants
Tips for dealing with difficult tenants when trying to sell a house.
Sell Your Home in Short Sale or Rent it?
Tips for renting your condo until the real estate market recovers.
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