There’s a remarkable article in The Washington Times of March 20th, perhaps the last public interview with outgoing HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Mr. Jackson, according to the paper, “said he has no sympathy for people with high incomes and education who knowingly took out risky loans with backloaded payments. That is the reason why the [...]

read full story of "Saying No To Yuppie Discrimination"

The last several years have been brutal to the insurance industry and policy holders. Things like terrorist attacks, huge court awards, shrinking reserves and a stock market in the toilet have conspired to hammer profits. The industry has reacted by ratcheting up premiums, discontinuing or limiting certain coverages, adding exclusions (like mold) and terminating higher [...]

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There’s no index to track fear, but that could be the unspoken reason why the National Association of Realtors is expecting flat sales until the middle of the year.
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read full story of "Realty Viewpoint: Pending Sales Shows Buyers’ Fear Still In Control"

Manhattan condo prices jumped a whopping 36 percent the first quarter of 2008 to a record $1.9 million, according to the Manhattan Market Overview. The gain reflected higher price bumps at the upper end of the condo market with median sales prices lingering at $1.1 million — up 17 percent over the same time last [...]

read full story of "Condo Trends: Big Apple Provides Big Gains"

Thanks to a recent act by the state Supreme Court there’s some good news for sellers of distressed properties in California. The action had nothing to do with foreclosure procedures, bankruptcy cramdowns, predatory lending, or any of the other mortgage crisis topics du jour. Rather, its effect, by implication, is that sellers whose homes are [...]

read full story of "Court Action Will Increase Market Exposure for Distressed Property Sales"