The Helmsley Carlton House is being sold to a partnership between private-equity firm Angelo, Gordon & Co. and Extell Development for about $170 million.
Bank of America plans to announce that it is eliminating $35 overdraft fees on debit-card purchases as the bank tries to stay ahead of a sweeping round of regulations.
With European property markets beginning to recover from the market downturn and global recession, there are signs that the REIT revolution could be at hand.
Adam Levy lives in a 10-story building that he converted into seven spacious floor-through apartments, including his own duplex penthouse that he finally completed last fall.
Backers said Northwest Florida Beaches International would bring new businesses and residents to the Florida Panhandle; critics said it would also bring environmental problems.
Arash Yomtobian and Lehman share an L-shaped studio apartment.Little more than a week after buying an apartment Arash Yomtobian?s employer, Lehman Brothers, announced plans to declare bankruptcy.
Zandra Brockman bought a home through a city partnership.A city agency and nonprofit groups build or rehabilitate moderate-income housing, then scrutinize buyers? credit. And they avoid the national foreclosure crisis.
On 43rd Street off Eighth Avenue is a new seven-story building that offers low-income housing and affordable rehearsal space, which are both in short supply.
At Montauk Shores, a green vintage trailer and an unheated one-bedroom cottage are for sale. Plots in a low-key mobile-home park of 199 trailer-condos interspersed with a few stick-built shacks in Montauk Shores are available, but the structures cannot be replaced by houses.
As of April 21, Mr. Jaccom, 54, will become the chief executive of the tristate hub of Colliers International, a full-service commercial real estate brokerage company.
Stephen and Diana Zondorak bought a $137,000 co-op in Croton-on-Hudson even though they had been thinking house and had been preapproved for much more. ?We think it's best to run lean,? Mr. Zondorak says.A look at the strategies of buyers venturing into the market shows Westchester as no longer being in free fall but still poised precariously.
The new owner of John Lennon and Yoko Ono?s Nutopian Embassy, ?a conceptual country? with no boundaries and ?no laws other than cosmic,? has put it on the market.
The recession may have done a number on your credit score, even if it spurred you to reform spendthrift ways and cut up your credit cards. For many, the drops have come at the same time that lenders have tightened their standards and demanded higher scores to get the best interest rates.
One day in February, it was an empty, snow-covered lot in Bethesda. In 32 hours, the property held a six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath French country mansion with a walkout basement.
Pedestrian-friendly Huntington Terrace in Bethesda is celebrating its centennial this year. Narrow streets -- about 20 feet, curb to curb -- pass homes with mature trees and modest front yards. Children can walk to Bradley Hills Elementary School without having to cross busy streets.
We are a nation of bargain hunters, especially when it comes to real estate. And what could be a better bargain strategy than this? Snap up a foreclosed, partially completed house for a song, finish it up and own a really nice home for less money than buying a finished house.
Caesar Dudley moved to Lamond Riggs in 1959, attracted to the affordable, well-built brick homes, the civic involvement and the convenience of city living.
As every beachcomber knows, salvaging treasure can require patience. ¶ Vacation areas around the Washington region have been buffeted by the real estate market collapse and the recession. Going into spring, optimistic market watchers are focusing hard on any glimmers of a revival while bargain...
As if losing one's home in a foreclosure or short sale were not already sufficiently traumatic, many former homeowners are learning that the day they turn in their keys may be only the start of an even more prolonged housing-induced misery.
It's been more than 16 months since Eugene and Patricia Harrison last paid the mortgage on their Perris, Calif., home. Eleven months since the notice got slapped on their front door, warning that the house would be sold at auction.
We want to refinance our home loan. We are at 5.75 percent and might be able to get 4.85 percent on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage. We would save $87 to $104 per month, and we are thinking about adding extra money each month to pay off the loan faster.
Many real estate agents are sensing an emerging trend of multiple generations living under the same roof, according to a national survey by Coldwell Banker.
The ending of winter and approach of spring intensify cabin fever and turn gardeners' thoughts to the potential that greenhouses -- and their fancier cousins, conservatories -- offer.
DEAR TIM: Can you moderate a discussion between my wife and me about bathroom tubs? What exactly is a bathroom tub fixture? I think it's a light above the tub. Also, my wife believes soaking tubs in the bathrooms will add value to our home, but I'm skeptical. Finally, can you clear up the confusion...
How about this for a new and ingenious real estate money machine? Every time a house sells during the next 99 years, 1 percent of the price goes back to the original developer or is shared among investor partners. Ka-ching!
Once you have your new bathtub, be sure to care for it. All too often, people ruin bathtubs in short order using cleansers that create permanent scratches. Carefully read the manual that comes with your tub. Most list approved cleansers that will not harm the surface of the tub.
I want to keep my basement dry with a dehumidifier but am sometimes away from the house for extended periods and can't empty a dehumidifier every day. Can you help? -- Elaine
Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary and Thomas J. Stanley, author of "Stop Acting Rich . . . and Start Living Like a Real Millionaire," take questions on money matters.
The Obama administration announced Monday that borrowers with little or no equity in their homes will have another year to take advantage of a refinancing program that so far has made little progress.
THE OPTIMUM policy for the home foreclosure crisis is to modify the loans of as many distressed homeowners as possible. Making mortgage terms more affordable by mutual agreement enables families to stay in their houses, props up neighborhood home values and saves banks the huge costs of seizing and...
There is an old joke in journalism that if three of anything happens, you've got a trend story, no matter how vaguely tied together the three things may be.
Mention historic preservation, and people visualize venerable buildings and neighborhoods within cities. Thanks to public attitude and policy shifts in recent decades, countless urban districts and edifices have been officially designated historic and, in many cases, saved from the wrecking ball.
I am president of a six-unit condominium association in the District. Five of the owners reliably pay their monthly condo fee, but one does not. She owes more than $3,500. What options do we have? We understand that the unit owner is also delinquent on her mortgage payments. Can we foreclose on the...
We are still in our house almost 2 1/2 years after refinancing, and the rate on our interest-only mortgage is 6.5 percent. If I have $10,000 that I will not need in the foreseeable future, can I send that amount with our next payment to help pay down the principal on the loan? Or am I better off...
If you are planning to take out a mortgage or refinance, you might want to hear this blunt message from federal officials: Don't fly blind. When you're shopping among competing lenders for the best terms and fees, make sure you know which quotes come with a guarantee and which do not.
Lamond Riggs Date Published: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST
BOUNDARIES: Kansas Avenue to the northwest, Eastern Avenue to the northeast, Riggs Road and Galloway Street to the south and Blair Road to the west
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is developing a program to test whether cutting the mortgage balances of distressed borrowers who owe significantly more than their homes are worth is an effective method for saving homeowners from foreclosure.
Sales of newly built homes unexpectedly plummeted in January to their lowest level in nearly five decades, providing more evidence of the housing market's fragility.
Seth Greenstein used to jog around the upper Northwest Washington neighborhood of Barnaby Woods, even though he found it kind of boring. "You know -- brick colonial, brick colonial, brick colonial," he said. He had been living in an equally boring rambler in nearby Chevy Chase, just a few blocks...
Cabell's Mill, a Fairfax County community of 308 homes, is sandwiched between two extremes: the ever-congested Interstate 66 and the 650-acre Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. And it's exactly that blend of commuter convenience and nature that many residents find appealing.
Why is it not surprising that questions this month have been related to the weather? Top concerns included broken plants and snow and ice safety. Readers have also been asking about an invasive alien pest that could overtake the native box elder bug among pests that seek the warmth of your home.
LAS VEGAS -- President Obama unveiled a $1.5 billion program to aid the states hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis, a small but targeted effort to address a housing problem that continues to resist government solutions.
Borrowers fell behind on mortgages at a slightly slower rate late last year, but the overall number of homeowners in financial distress remained at record levels, according to industry data released Friday.
Does the assumability option on Federal Housing Administration loans offset their high mortgage insurance premiums? That is a great and very timely question. The value of assumability is as high as it is ever likely to be because of the broad consensus that interest rates in future years will be...
DEAR TIM: I've tried cleaning the tile grout on the floors of my home, with little success. The grout just doesn't come clean. The tiles themselves don't look like they used to, even though I'm using those newer pad-cleaner contraptions. What do you recommend? -- Judith P., Forest Park, Ill.
We would like to introduce a new columnist, Harvey S. Jacobs, a real estate lawyer and investor based in Rockville. He will write about all aspects of residential real estate law, addressing concerns of buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and small investors. The Housing Counsel column by Benny L....
Rates for 30-year home loans edged lower for the second straight week, mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said Thursday, but they remained above last year's record lows.
Even as populist anger at Wall Street has reached a crescendo this winter, the Obama administration's drive to eliminate what critics call a lucrative tax break for wealthy financiers has stalled in Congress.
Despite back-to-back snowstorms that shut federal offices for days, the Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance last week on the two tax-credit programs that are powering the country's real estate markets -- the $6,500 credit for repeat buyers and the $8,000 first-time-buyer credit.
You can buy oxygen bleach at stores and online. (Full disclosure: I manufacture and market my own brand.) However, there is a wide range of quality. Some products are not as pure as others. Not all of the products have the same amount of active ingredient; some have more filler in them than oxygen...
A mortgage crisis like the one that has devastated homeowners is enveloping the nation's office and retail buildings, and few places are likely to be hit as hard as Washington.
Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary hosts a discussion with Thomas J. Stanley, author of "Stop Acting Rich . . . and Start Living Like a Real Millionaire," The Color of Money Book Club selection for February.
The Obama administration is facing increasing pressure from lawmakers and housing advocates to retool its troubled mortgage relief program a year after its debut as the housing crisis continues to deepen and spreads to more creditworthy borrowers.
As the U.S. housing market boomed in the past decade and fueled a bull market in mortgage investments, Norway's government-owned fund went along for the ride -- and the fall.
The refinancing wave that swept the nation when mortgage rates hit historic lows last year is petering out, leaving behind millions of homeowners who could not qualify for the best rates.
Diversity abounds on Jose Rodriguez's grocery store shelves. Basmati rice from India shares space with Venezuelan corn flour. Palm nut oil from Ghana resides near cassava bread from the Dominican Republic. Signs in English and Spanish hang above the aisles.
DEAR TIM: I saw a vessel sink in a powder room while attending a party, and I can see now why vessel sinks are so popular. How do they differ from traditional sinks that drop below the surface of the countertop? Are special plumbing connections needed? -- Susan M., Clarkston, Mich.
My wife and I are getting divorced. I am prepared to give her the family home so our children will not be disrupted. Our mortgage lender will not relieve me of our joint obligation to make the monthly payments, but I hope that will not be a problem. We have been told that a lender can use the "due...
The average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 4.97 percent this week, down from 5.01 percent last week, mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday. Last year at this time, rates on 30-year mortgages averaged 5.16 percent.
Local governments in the Washington area have been spreading massive amounts of de-icers for snow and ice removal. These materials can harm streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay as they wash from paving, and can harm pets, plants, wildlife and aquatic life.
Nature's assaults are never-ending, but humans and what they build also cause environmental disturbances, one of which is unwanted noise -- intrusive noise, ugly noise, discomfiting noise. We have the knowledge and techniques to cope with unwanted noise, but sometimes we don't or can't use them.
With all the bad news about underwater homeowners and strategic walkaways, you might think that American homeowners' equity holdings are in the tank. But the least-publicized recent statistic on real estate is that, despite these scary reports, home equity is again on the rise.
If your home is the size of a corner office, it helps to have an exceptional view. "I live among the monuments," says Glen Ackerman, looking out toward the Mall from the terrace at his 600-square-foot Penn Quarter condo. "When you live in such a small space, you use the city as your living room."
THERE IS NO END in sight to the federal bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac . President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget proposal said as much in a few phrases that promised nothing more definitive than continued "monitoring" of the two mortgage giants, which have been operating since mid-2008 in the...
It's a tradition on Wall Street to offer predictions early in the year about where the economy is headed, whether companies will prosper and what will happen in the stock market. Here, Ed Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research, a New York-based firm providing independent investment strategy...
Thousands of Washington area homeowners are receiving their property tax assessment notices from their local jurisdictions. But many homeowners, will see their property tax assessments fall as the housing market continues to suffer.
It's easy to drive past Murray Hill as you navigate Indian Head Highway, Route 210. But this conveniently located community of ramblers and split-levels in Prince George's County is worth a look.
Many planting practices that were thought critical to the health of trees are simply myths. Some ideas that have long been accepted by experts have proven to be incorrect. This is understandable because it can take generations to comprehend the sophisticated systems of these magnificent plants.
Rents have increased more in the District than they have in most major cities, and renters are spending a larger portion of their paychecks to keep a roof over their heads, according to an analysis released Friday by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute that examines the city's rental housing market.
Say you own property in Rehoboth Beach, Del., which calls itself "our nation's summer capital." It has appreciated greatly over the years, but now you want to sell it. You have heard that you can defer any capital-gains taxes by doing a Starker exchange under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue ...
Can you know what it feels like to stand in a house without actually standing in it? Can a computer-generated image of an interior that includes every detail, right down to the high-heeled shoes on the floor of a dressing room where the imaginary owner kicked them off, truly convey a sense of place?
My daughter and her now-former husband bought a house in 2000 with a variable-rate loan. They ended up filing for bankruptcy and were paying off what they owed on the house. They got divorced two years ago, and she got the house. Her payments increased approximately $250 per month when the loan a...
DEAR TIM: I just moved from the city to the country and was informed by a neighbor that septic cleaning should be added to my list of things to do. I've never had a septic tank and now am concerned about how to care for it. How often should I clean my septic tank? Is this something I can do? What...
Thinking of cashing out some equity when you refinance your mortgage? Sure, that used to be what millions of homeowners did when they needed extra money.
Lyme disease left Kathy Fowler's hands so stiff that she couldn't type. She couldn't remember simple directions. Intravenous antibiotics helped, but Fowler, a health reporter for WJLA (Channel 7), wanted to explore alternative treatments as well.
Housing Counsel, by Benny L. Kass, can be found this week at http://washingtonpost.com/realestate. He discusses how owners can secure a tax-deferred exchange of a second home. His column will return to the print edition.
MURRAY HILL Date Published: Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST
BOUNDARIES: Indian Head Highway to the west, Livingston Road to the north, Hart Road to the east and E. Barrett Road to the south
The share of borrowers who are falling seriously behind on loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration jumped by more than a third in the past year, foreshadowing a crush of foreclosures that could further buffet an agency vital to the housing market's recovery.
In ways large and small, the 2010 International Builders Show held last week in Las Vegas reflected the still-troubled home-building industry. One entire exhibition hall was vacant, most exhibitors rented smaller spaces than usual, and the dancing models in the upscale showers -- standard fare for...
A few years ago, Mount Vernon Triangle was an area known for parking lots and prostitution. Today, it is a popular destination in the District for young home buyers, where new high-rise condos sit amid remnants of what was once an urban wasteland.
DEAR TIM: My dad passed away, and I was cleaning his tool room out. One of the tools I saved was a large L-shaped piece of flat metal that has ruler markings on it all over the place. I've been told this is an aluminum framing square. What are framing squares used for? Is it practical to own one? I...
The sight of thousands of collapsed structures in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, may lead you to wonder whether a strong earthquake could cause equally widespread, catastrophic building collapse in an American city.
El Niño is back. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center reports that El Niño has gained slightly above-average strength over the Pacific Ocean since December, signaling that its effects might persist into the spring. What that means to gardeners in the...
My fiance and I offered to buy a home owned by a bank. The bank responded to our offer but said it would not pay for Federal Housing Administration fees or inspections. There are two other offers on this home, and the other buyers are also obtaining FHA loans.
Rates on 30-year mortgages remained almost flat this week as the Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates near record lows to help the economy recover.
Call it three birds with one stone: The federal government hopes to help low-down-payment home buyers, investors who fix up foreclosures, and communities burdened with too many bank-owned and foreclosed homes -- all with one potentially far-reaching policy change.
Fannie Mae, the largest U.S. mortgage-finance company, is offering buyers of its foreclosed homes as much as 3.5 percent in closing-cost assistance to help clear an inventory of properties acquired during the housing slump.
Americans want smaller houses, and they are willing to strip some of yesterday's most popular rooms, such as home theaters, from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences last week at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas.
My wood entry door was beautiful about 10 years ago but has been dried out by direct sun and is now unsightly. It had a stained, wood-toned finish. How can I restore it?
BOUNDARIES: Mount Vernon Triangle is due east of Mount Vernon Square in Northwest D.C. It is bounded by New York Avenue to the north, Massachusetts Avenue to the south and west, and New Jersey Avenue to the east.
CHICAGO
UBS Renews, Consolidates in Chicago
By Andrew Deichler
UBS is extending its stay at One North Wacker Drive in Chicago, also known as the UBS Tower. The Swiss financial services firm has renewed for 400,000 square feet in the office tower...
In this week's edition of In The Pipeline, Forest City's Atlantic Yards mixed-use project is scheduled to finally break ground this week. Meanwhile, another long delayed development project, the Guasti Historic District in Ontario, CA,has begun with...
Defense Venture Group Ltd. purchased the Belden Wire Building in Fort Mill, SC, from BMB Steering Innovation Inc. for $7.3 million, or approximately $28 a square foot.
The 257,114-square-foot, Class B industrial building is in the submarket of Lancaster...
This week in the Retail Roundup, CoStar reports on expansions or new concepts at TJX Companies and Kohl's; closings, cutbacks, bankruptcy, default, receivership or foreclosure news at Swoozie's and the Northgate Mall; acquisition, merger, loan, sale...
This week's People of Note includes the following markets: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, National, Northern New Jersey, Phoenix, St. Louis and Tampa/St. Petersburg.
NATIONAL
CBRE Names CFO; Turns Over Reins of...
Turman Commercial Painters purchased 1448 Center Park Drive at Coffey Creek Business Park in Charlotte, NC, from JA Miller Properties LLC for $570,000, or nearly $57 per square foot.
Turman will move its expanding business into the 10,000-square-foot...
CVS Pharmacy completed the purchase of an outparcel on North 16 Highway in Denver, NC, from Ht Denver LLC for $1.3 million, or about $565,217 per acre.
The 2.3-acre outparcel where the new pharmacy will be resurrected is in the new and up and coming...
State Employees? Credit Union purchased acreage on Providence Road in Charlotte, NC, from Brice Family Holdings LLC for $2.2 million, or approximately $519,235.31 per acre.
The 4.237 acres are made up of two parcels on the corner of Providence Road...
HCP Inc., a health care REIT, purchased the Emeritus of Eastover building at 3610 Randolph Road in Charlotte, NC, from Sunrise Senior Living for $8.85 million, or about $148 per square foot or $102,907 per unit.
The sale, which was an all cash deal...
Charlotte Endodontics, a root canal specialty practice, sold 130 Providence Road in Charlotte to BH Property LLC for $2.7 million, or about $253 per square foot.
The two-story, 10,676-square-foot, Class C office building was built in 1976 and is...
Maidenform leased 58,987 square feet of space at the Cumberland Industrial Center at 4740 Corporation Lane in Fayetteville, NC.
The one-story facility was delivered in 1996 and features four loading docks and two drive-in bays. It is on 9 acres in...
CoStar compiles news of corporate expansions, relocations, extensions, closures, layoffs, lease cancellations and mergers in the weekly Lease Up/Lease Down news report, a concise read keeping you updated on major corporate moves affecting commercial...
CoStar compiles news of corporate expansions, relocations, extensions, closures, layoffs, lease cancellations and mergers in the weekly Lease Up/Lease Down news report, a concise read keeping you updated on major corporate moves affecting commercial...
