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Author Archive for Steve Cook
Steve Cook is managing editor of Real Estate Economy Watch, which was recognized as one of the two best real estate news sires of 2011 by the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Before he co-founded REEW in 2007, he was vice president of public affairs for the National Association of Realtors. In 2006 and 2007, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in real estate. During his 30 years in public affairs, Cook has been a broadcast news correspondent, served two Members of Congress as press secretary and was a senior executive in the world's largest independent public relations firm in Washington and Chicago.
Few aspects of modern life have been transformed as much by the Internet as house hunting. Last year, 90 percent of all homebuyers—and 93 percent of first-time homebuyers—used the Internet to find a home. However, as powerful and pervasive as it is, online real estate…
Written by Steve Cook on February 18, 2013
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If you’re thinking about buying or selling a house soon, you’ve likely heard talk of “buyers’ markets” and “sellers’ markets.” Simply put, a buyers’ market occurs when there are more homes for sale than available buyers. Conversely, in a sellers’ market, demand outstrips supply. In…
Written by Steve Cook on January 28, 2013
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What does the coming year promise for residential real estate investing? Will it be a good time to try your hand at buying a foreclosure and renting it out? Will rising home values be a positive or negative factor? Where will the best markets be…
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself against losing a mortgage due to a low appraisal when you’re buying or selling a home. 1. Don’t rely solely on website valuations from Zillow, HomeGain, Trulia, or other real estate websites. The automated valuation…
If you’re planning on selling or buying a home any time soon, you would be well advised to brush up on the latest news regarding appraisals. Be ready to take steps to avoid the kind of appraisal problems that are killing thousands of mortgage deals…
Written by Steve Cook on November 26, 2012
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Have you moved and decided to rent out your old house rather than sell it at today’s depressed prices? Are you renting out your vacation property? Did you buy a foreclosure or short sale with a residential mortgage and—after you fixed it up—begin renting it…
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