If you read my previous post, then you know that the answer is Ivanka Trump.

What else is hot? Street smarts. Street smarts are always hot.

So. Are you a builder or a real estate investor? If so, tell me what you think of my street smarts and I’ll tell you what I think of yours. We can probably do some business together. Read the rest of this entry »

Intown Insider readers - take note of the name Bernard Markstein - he’s the VP of Forecasting and Analysis for the National Association of Home Builders, and he knows his stuff. Bernard Markstein is looking for the bottom…

“We have yet to see the bottom of the current housing downturn, and the recovery will be slow and steady and heavily dependant on local economic conditions, affordability factors and level of exposure to poorly performing subprime loans, economists told a group of real estate reporters last year.

The recovery will take longer than first anticipated, said Bernard Markstein. Many analysts and observers previously were expecting housing markets to perk up later this year, he said, but then the subprime market began showing signs of weakness in early 2007.

“We’re not going back to a party, but rather a nice simple diet of bread and some chicken broth,” he said.

Markstein and others expected the market to reach bottom sometime in the Fall of 2007. That hasn’t happened yet in many, many markets around the USA. Read the rest of this entry »

So, the biggest and best real estate investment that I’ve made so far was the 1998 purchase of a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, beautiful home built in 1907 with a studio apartment downstairs that generated $850 per month income, about 200 feet from the Variety Playhouse. My wife at the time found us a great buy we were looking at Intown property for a year, ready to get out of Duluth. Intown living began for me when we mortgaged about $300,000.00 or so for the purchase of that property in 1998.

So, I got the article from the astute forecaster Mr. Laing in April 2002. I got it. I was a true believer. I tried to get the point across to my ex-wife, who agreed to divorce in 2002 in the month of May. The biggest asset that we shared was the piece of real property at 1059 Euclid Avenue (some of you may remember this house as the one with the motorcycle cop in the window “ if you don’t, then you had to be there.

In the divorce agreement, I agreed to let her be the real estate agent. I was not a practicing agent at the time, and if you believed my ex-wife at the time, then you would think that I was one of the worst human beings on the face of the earth.

I’m not, for the record. Read the rest of this entry »

I hardly ever read Barron’s magazine, but it is a venerable newsprint institution – it’s the Dow Jones Business and Financial Weekly for Pete’s sake. Jonathan Laing is one of the Senior Editors…check out his handsome mug.

Jonathan R. Laing

Senior Editor
Barron’s

Mr. Laing writes feature articles and cover stories for Barron’s. He has written many market-moving articles, and his investigative reporting is renowned on Wall Street and in editorial circles. Mr. Laing has been featured on CNBC, Batchelor & Alexander and The John Batchelor Show.

Mister Laing moved my market back on April 15, 2002. That pivotal day was the day that I paid $3.50 at the news stand for a Barron’s. The cover page copy was:

LOOK OUT BELOW

Home prices in many areas of the country are about to fall for the first time in a decade. Here’s why.

Damn. That was on April 15, 2002. Read the rest of this entry »

I used to read columns by real estate expert Bob Bruss on a weekly basis - when I read a great one, I saved it.

Bob died last year. RIP. Bob was a brilliant man.

Our real estate market in Atlanta is driven by Buyers right now. Sellers are at their beck and call. Bob’s insights in this article are valid and everything that he says here is exactly what I think.

Top 5 reasons buyers won’t commit to purchase

Friday, June 08, 2007

By Robert J. Bruss

Spring is the traditional peak sales season for houses and condos. Summer is also usually very good until the traditional August slump, especially for families who want to relocate before school starts. More prospective home buyers are in the market at this time of the year than during any other season. Read the rest of this entry »

Get in the monthly habit of visiting www.intowninsider.com .

You can visit more often, if you like.

If you come by once a month, like sometime after the 23d or 24th of every month, I’ll always have a monthly update from the previous month.

I read this every month. You should too. Read it here at the Intown Insider.