Articles

Bush administration allows three-year window Friday, December 21, 2007 By Matt Carter - Inman News President Bush signed into law Thursday a bill creating a temporary tax break for homeowners who are able to persuade lenders to forgive part of their debt, and extends a tax deduction for some families with private mortgage insurance. For

Your credit report is the single most important ingredient that will determine your mortgage rate, down payment required, and what documentation you will need to get your mortgage loan. Someone with a high enough credit score can buy a house with nothing down and not even have to prove they have an income! You are

First, it must be stated that commissions are by law completely negotiable. However, the "traditional" real estate community is still trying to hold on to the 6% commission structure--in some cases even move it up to 7. For illustrative purposes, we will assume a 6% commission because it is still the most prevalent. There are

Savvy buyers, sellers tap new business models for more savings By Susan Romero Inman News Features The competition for listings between so-called "traditional" realty brokerages and commission discounters kicks up a lot of dust, but when the air clears it's apparent that cut-rate brokerages aren't the only force putting downward pressure on realty commissions as a

RISMEDIA More than 12 million surfers or nearly 10% of the online active population accessed real estate and rental sites to facilitate the home buying and apartment renting process in March 2003, Nielsen//NetRatings reports. Real estate and rental sites have become a useful tool for millions of Americans, enabling surfers to research homes, find a

As a broker of twenty-five years, I've always had a problem with how our industry is designed. We spend eons of time consulting with buyers and sellers-for free. We receive no up-front fees, even though we're expected to expend hundreds of dollars per listing (our stock in trade, even though we have no control over

Article criticizes industry's commission structure By Glenn Roberts Jr. Inman News The commission structure in the real estate industry is "an anomaly" that may inflate compensation for services rendered by tens of billions of dollars each year, according to an article published by the AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, which offers analysis and recommendations

Flat-fee brokers may put pressure on traditional commissions By Glenn Roberts Jr. Inman News SAN FRANCISCO -- Traditional pricing for real estate services is bound to crumble, and flat-fee brokers will likely deliver the deathblow -- at least according to Steven D. Levitt, co-author of "Freakonomics," a book that takes an unconventional approach to economics.

Justice Dept. comes down full force on the real estate industry Monday, September 12, 2005 By Jessica Swesey Inman News The Justice Department's lawsuit against the National Association of real estate agents filed Thursday is the latest in an antitrust attack that's taking place at multiple levels. The basic fundamentals of the industry are being questioned

Perspective: Let consumers make real estate choices By Rick O'Neil, president of Help-U-Sell Real Estate. The Wall Street Journal printed a strong editorial, "The Realtor Racket," on Aug. 12, 2005. It touched on a key issue in the battle to preserve traditional real estate commissions – the welfare of consumers. And the question arises: 'Does