Ed Butler’s Real Estate Blog

The Latest From VARBuzz

• Home prices rose in October — 5th straight month December 29, 2009
  According to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, home prices rose in October, marking the fifth month in a row they've done so -- it's up 3.4% from May (when it hit bottom). That's the good news. The bad news is that prices are still lower (7.3% lower) than they were a year ago. The other [...]
• Coming In 2010: Standardized Good Faith Estimate AND Updated Settlement Statement (HUD-1) December 21, 2009
  The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development approved  (some time ago) two updated forms that are CENTRAL to the real estate transaction.  These two new forms will go into effect on January 1, 2010: Good Faith Estimate (pdf) HUD-1 Settlement Statement (pdf) The new forms (and accompanying rules) are intended to help home buyers (who are obtaining [ […]
• Blog Brawl 4 Winner! December 18, 2009
• December’s Commonwealth Online is, er, online December 17, 2009
  In case you missed the SMTP version of Commonwealth Online, delivered to your e-mail inbox on Tuesday this week, here’s the HTTP version for your reading pleasure, as well as the top five most-clicked links (as if you care what other people think): VAR’s Online Short Sales Center Three hours of short sales video training with Lem [...]
• NAR releases Q3 market reports for Virginia Beach and Washington DC December 17, 2009
  Right click to download the reports: Washington DC Virginia Beach More market data resources (a normal left click will work on these): VAR’s Q3 home sales reports NAR reports for other areas of the country
• HUD releases webcast on final RESPA rules December 17, 2009
  New RESPA rules go into effect on January 1, 2010. Get the skinny on the new HUD-1, GFE and other new rules in this new webcast from HUD (streaming Windows Media file).
• Va Homeowners Alliance posts for December 16, 2009 December 17, 2009
  Norfolk Officially Takes Over the USS Wisconsin at Nauticus The Navy has finally granted owernship of the USS Wisconsin to the city of Norfolk, according to the Virginian-Pilot. The city will take over and begin working to make the entire ship open to the... Click headline to read the full story. Fourth Lane of I-95 Northbound Opens in Northern [...]
• Blog Brawl voting ends 12/17 December 16, 2009
  (Updated 'cause I got my ante- and post-meridian confused. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.) Click here to jump to the voting post.
• Blog Brawl 4: It’s Voting Time! December 15, 2009
• What’s blue, white, and eight storeys tall? December 15, 2009
  VAR in Times Square, natch. A closer look: