Look at you! You’re going to buy a house! Yay! Wait, what should you do to get ready? Bankrate has 3 Steps to Take Before Buying A Home. They are:
real estate
Zillow Accurate Within 7.8%
By 2.16.07
A recent WSJ survey found that online property valuation site Zillow is accurate within 7.8% of the actual sales price.
The Journal looked at transaction prices recorded for 1,000 recent home sales in seven states, using data from First American Real Estate Solutions, a data provider in Santa Ana, Calif., and compared those prices with Zillow estimates, which didn’t yet reflect the sales. The median difference between the Zillow estimate and the actual price was 7.8%
Stage Your House and Sell It For More Money
By 2.13.07
What are the three best things people can do to get a home ready to sell?
Buy Your House Online And Save Thousands
By 2.9.07
The Van Eses are using Seattle-based Redfin, one of several new brokerage services that hope to revolutionize home buying by rebating part of their commissions back to buyers. The challenge is aimed at traditional firms that charge full commissions, which often total tens of thousands of dollars in today’s high-priced Southland market.
10 Ways To Build A Down Payment
By 1.19.07
If the one thing standing between you and your dream home is a down payment, Bankrate has some suggestions that may help you come up with one:
KFC Accidentally Tries to Buy Building From PETA
By 1.17.07
PETA hates KFC. KFC, presumably hates PETA. Who knew it would destroy a real estate deal?
Zillow Adds Sale Listings
By 12.7.06
Sellers can now post homes for sale on Zillow, a feature the free online home valuation service added today.
DIY Title Search
By 11.1.06
The cost of acquiring a home can be ratcheted up significantly if the buyer doesn’t pick their own title-insurance company.
Consumerist Ask Metafilter Round-Up
By 10.10.06
• Which pets are more apt to eat their deceased owners? [Link]
Posterboy For The Housing Bust
By 10.9.06
Ah, more oogie in the wake of the recessing housing froth. Meet Casey Serin, a 24-year-old with $2.5 million in debt.
Mortgage Fraud Festered Under Housing Bubble, Feds Investigate
By 10.6.06
In ’05, a small company bought up run-down duplexes in northeast Indiana at $50,000 a pop. Less than a month later, they were selling them for $120,000 to church secretaries, truckers, retirees and factory workers.
UPDATE: Identity Thief Who Beat Up Fox Reporter On Camera Pleads Not Guilty
By 9.15.06
Generally speaking, your hopes of a successful plea of “not guilty, millud!” fade into the ether the second you beat the crap out of a news reporter on live television.
Don’t Let Foxtons Real Estate In The Hen House
By 7.24.06
Real-estate mega lister Foxtons prides itself on only charging 3% instead of the standard 6%.
Young Urban Professionals Think Paying High NYC Rents Unfair
By 7.21.06
The New York Times has a fascinating article about what it’s like to try to find an apartment in that Mecca of Self-Entitlement, New York City.
The News; Home-Wreckers
By 6.20.06
• Bernanke should commission Bob the Builder to sing them a cheer-up song. “Builders’ confidence lowest in 11 years” [CT]
Georgian IRS Fat Cats Want Slice of Swedish Property Pie
By 4.21.06
We’re still sorting our way through all of the nightmare tax stories we solicited from you guys. Here’s one we pulled out about the pains of paying taxes internationally that I personally sympathize with — did you know the US government expects you to pay taxes for five years after emigration on your foreign, also-taxed income?
RealEstateABC Challenges Zillow
By 3.31.06
Zillow, the popular real-estate site that gives home valuations in specific areas with a google maps mashup, has a new competitor.
