Carnival of Real Estate – Architecture, Ann Liebovitz, ARMs

August 10, 2009

3029 comments2009-08-10+16%3A36%3A24Scott+Sambucci

It’s been a few years since we last hosted the Carnival of Real Estate – hope that we can shake off the rust!

I dove into the project planning to offer my opinion on the 1-2 best posts – authors that encapsulated unique content and interesting perspectives. I can’t say any one post was a clear cut “winner” so instead I decided to categorize the submissions and provide a short summary for those posts that were more novel that others. I also infused a few outside links and resources that you may not know about.

(Sidenote – See if you can guess the two words in the post that prompted me to open a dictionary – the real paper and ink kind…)

Just Plain Different

Personally, I’m a big fan of TED .com, so when Margaret Garcia submitted her 100 Incredible Lectures for Architects of the Future, I couldn’t help but notice the first on the list was a TED presentation. Certainly an unexpected submission to receive in this week’s Big Tent. (I love this one on TED.com by Michael Moschen on juggling rhythm and motion. Visually phenomenal. If you’re more of a podcast fan, I suggest the Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders lecture series. This is what data geeks like me listen to while I’m working instead of the Jonas Brothers.)
Turns out the Anne Liebovitz might lose her home according to Diane Tuman at Zillow.com. (This reminds of the recent Jon Stewart’s recent piece on Tim Geithner’s home selling troubles. I typically don’t watch the Daily Show, but found this segment from Greg Mankiw’s blog which I do read and suggest it.)
My wife and I just vacationed in Costa Rica and rented a condo from an American couple who funds orphanages throughout Central America, so this post caught my eye – Connie Green offers some market viewpoints if your interested in Nicaragua Real Estate.

Real Estate Marketing

Jonathan Dalton in Phoenix looks at some of RE.net 2.0 with some suspicion, even as an early blogger and tech-adopter. You know what? That’s a good thing. I see far too many agents diving into technology tools without understanding how (or if) it fits into their business. Twitter, Facebook, and the rest are great tools – if you know how to work them into your practice.
But for those going headstrong into social media marketing, here are some basic tips. The author loses points for citing Wikipedia though. (I’m a part-time lecturer in the Economics Department at Cal State – research papers submitted citing Wikipedia are immediately returned to students for revision… I don’t offer extra credit or curve exams either. Yes, yes, I know. I’m a hardass.)

Market Perspectives

Bob Schwartz suggests a new government foreclosure program – Shared Homeowners Assistance Management (or SHAM for short). He’s not a big fan of allowing those foreclosed to become renters of their same properties. Cindy Jones offers an alternative – public employees such as firefighters, police officers, and teachers should be offered a lease-to-own option in foreclosed properties in neighborhoods where they are typically priced out.
Tim Johnson at Relocation.com writes about sellers finally getting the hint about pricing their homes. If you’re looking for a well-priced condo in Vegas, check out CityCenter project troubles in the desert.
Condos in Vegas? Here’s some not-so-shocking news – there LOTS going up for auction according to Jacqulyn Richey on Las Vegas Real Estate News – but check out the specifics she provides in her post. Great research here.
But if you want a condo with sand AND water, Larry Walker discusses Cocoa Beach, Florida and his big butt.
Want to know what homebuyers are really thinking? The Money Blue Book Blog discusses his changes in net worth each month and outlook for buying a home now.
If you need a mortgage to go along with these properites, Dan Green offers advice on timing your mortgage rate, even suggesting that perhaps an ARM mortgage might be the way to go. (Gasp! Quick – somebody call the cops!)