Zillow and Trulia are trusted sites for real estate listings, but they also offer rental listings and tools to help you understand the cost of home ownership. But does the math they offer add up? One analysis says no.
Category Archives: Rotten Real Estate News
One Third of American Homebuyers Have Bad Credit
Your credit score is the most important metric in measuring your credit. Banks use your credit score like colleges use a high school GPA: it is a number that tells them how well you will do with them in the future.
A study found that about 30% of Americans were being denied a mortgage because of this one metric. Continue reading
Celebrity Agents: Top Agents or Really Rotten Agents?
Celebrity agents are making their way to TV screens around the country, and these agents are making big news for selling some of America’s largest multi-million dollar penthouses and mega-mansions from coast to coast. But are these agents as trustworthy as they seem? Continue reading
Austin Real Estate Bubble Poised to Pop?
Austin, Texas is riding the wave of an economic boom. Thanks to a combination of great weather, affordable cost of living, and popular events like South By Southwest and Austin City Limits, the capital of the Lone Star State has drawn in new residents and visitors pushing up real estate prices to record highs, but will the highs last, or is the Austin real estate bubble poised to pop? Continue reading
Did SunToWater Solve California’s Water Crisis?
Cities around the country are running out of water and facing a water shortage crisis. According to a report by 24/7 Wall St, nine US cities are on the verge of seeing their water sources go dry. The nine cities are in California, and include include Bakersfield, Fresno, and California’s capital Sacramento. Continue reading
Downtown Detroit Real Estate is Picking Up
The economic situation in the “rust belt,” a Northeastern region with a strong industrial history, has taken a big hit thanks to automation and outsourcing in the automotive industry. At the heart of the losses is Detroit, a once thriving city that has seen major economic losses as the big car manufacturers layoff workers, close factories, and ship jobs to the south and overseas. Continue reading
U.S. to Track Secret Buyers of Luxury Homes
Wealthy individuals around the world are always on the lookout for safe and profitable investment opportunities. Some of those wealthy individuals earned that money through criminal activity, and the United States is on the hunt for tax evaders and criminals using shell companies to act as secret buyers of luxury homes. Continue reading
The Surviving Real Estate Agents
How many real estate agents is too many? At the peak of the 2000s housing bubble, the National Association of Realtors grew to 1.4 million members. Does the United States really need 1.4 million real estate agents? Continue reading
Cops Shakedown Foreclosure Victims
Side businesses are common in America. Industrious workers with full-time jobs spend evenings and weekends working on building their own businesses striving for a little extra income or an opportunity to become a full-time entrepreneur. Some businesses, however, are not quite as savory as others. Continue reading
Agent Pulls Data from Syndication Websites
San Diego real estate firm ARG made waves with this video below, called “the video that rocked the industry.” This agency believes in removing data from syndication websites. But is it a good idea? Continue reading
Real Estate Bubble 2.0 on the Way?
Not even a decade ago, the United States economy suffered the worst financial disaster since the great depression. At the center was a real estate bubble driving prices sky high, increasing consumer debt, and causing upside down mortgages and unmanageable debt payments for borrowers. Continue reading
Ferguson Sees Decline in Home Values
More bad news for the city of Ferguson, Missouri. While the city remains reeling from the turmoil surrounding the death of Michael Brown, the city is now experiencing a decline in home values. Continue reading
Real Estate Agent Public Opinion on the Rise
Of all professions, some have a worse reputation than others. Lawyer jokes aside, one profession worthy of mixed reviews is real estate. Thanks to a few bad eggs, all industry colleagues find themselves fighting a reputation for chasing a quick buck and unethical dealings. Continue reading
Eminent Domain – Eminent Disaster
Eminent domain laws are laws that allow cities, states, and government entities to seize properties for the public good. Sometimes expanding highways or commuter rail systems requires knocking down buildings to pave the way for progress, but these laws are being abused for a completely different purpose. Continue reading
Housing Data Tells a Confusing Story – It Doesn’t Add Up
If you tabulate multiple data sources, housing data tells a confusing story that doesn’t add up. According to Michael Feder, CEO of Radar Logic, a data and analytics company that produces the RPX value for housing markets in the United States, recently released market data isn’t adding up. Continue reading