Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• Home staging tips apply to anyone who hopes to sell

  May 20, 2012 in Business on Page E2 I mentioned “home staging” to a single dad who asked about selling his home this spring. The rest of the men in the group looked at me as if I …

• Spokane home sales up 25 percent, prices off 2.8 percent

  May 10, 2012 in Business on Page A10 Sales of existing homes in Spokane surged in the first three months of the year, while prices fell. Sales were up 25 percent over the last quarter of 2011 and …

• Rebuilding Together serves elderly, poor and disabled

  May 6, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Nearly two decades ago, I watched a Rebuilding Together team complete a dream come true for an elderly woman, then 98. All she wanted was a stack-style washer and dryer … 2

• Real-estate appraiser banks on reputation, experience

  April 29, 2012 in Business on Page E1 Sam P. Wood’s career has revolved around the local real-estate market for more than two decades, first as an agent and, since 1996, also as an appraiser. But his exposure … 1

• Separate residences still offer tax benefits

  April 8, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Before the current, rather liberal tax advantages for home ownership, many older people delayed or declined marriage or remarriage “for tax purposes.” That’s because each person over age 55 was …

• Should known crimes return to sellers’ disclosure forms?

  March 25, 2012 in Business on Page E2 We once bought a large family home in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood where a woman shot and killed her husband in front of the living room fireplace. Should we have been …

• Kelly: Mortgage relief won’t face tax – if you can get it, that is

  March 11, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Due to the decline in housing prices, many home sales are “short sales” in which the purchase price offered by the buyer is less than the mortgage amount owed by …

• Bane’s real estate expertise allows clients to make smart choices

  March 4, 2012 in Business on Page E1 Katie Bane says the best real estate agents aren’t those driven to close deals and make money, but rather those motivated by a desire to help people. She should know. …

• Sales contracts for homes rose 2% in January

  February 27, 2012 The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes rose in January to the highest level in nearly two years, supporting the view that the housing market is gradually …

• Broker’s level of expertise may not be what you’re seeking

  February 26, 2012 in Business on Page E2 When we bought our first home, my wife and I were stunned to discover that the person representing us in the transaction did not have a real estate license. Here …

• Rising sales point to better year for housing

  February 22, 2012 in Business The housing market is flashing signs of health ahead of the spring-buying season. Sales of previously occupied homes are at their highest level since May 2010. More first-time buyers are …

• Tom Kelly: Money to be made in yard, driveway rentals

  February 12, 2012 in Business on Page E2 My father was a physician in a two-man shop. He was also a baseball fan. When he was “on call” and felt things were calm enough to attend a game, …

• Kelly: Essay contests, raffles continue to be tough sell

  January 29, 2012 in Business on Page E2 You’ve reduced your home’s price – twice – yet still no takers. You’ve painted the exterior, purged all unnecessary items in the kids’ rooms and prodded your agent to bring …

• Kelly: Turning home into rental brings enticing tax benefits

  January 15, 2012 in Business on Page E2 Seniors are particularly careful about guarding their assets. With little monthly income, older people still living in their longtime primary residences need to make the most of an eventual home …

• Report: House flippers a big cause of recession

  December 12, 2011 in City LAS VEGAS (AP) — A new federal report shows that speculative real estate investors played a larger role than originally thought in driving the housing bubble that led to record … 36

• Region’s homes selling for less

  December 8, 2011 in Business on Page A8 Average home sales prices in Spokane fell by 4.1 percent in October, in line with national and regional declines driven in part by foreclosures and high unemployment. The Spokane sales …

• Area home sale prices continue to decline

  December 7, 2011 in Business, City Average home sales prices in Spokane fell by 4.1 percent in October, in line with national and regional declines driven in part by foreclosures and high unemployment. The Spokane sales … 5

• Higher property appraisal brings out agent’s competitive side

  November 20, 2011 in Business on Page E2 In a recent column, we asked if a person who serves homebuyers and sellers for a living should be held to different guidelines if they are competing to purchase a …

• New-home sales tick up as builders slash prices

  October 26, 2011 in Business, Nation/World Sales of new homes rose in September after four straight monthly declines, largely because builders cut their prices in the face of depressed demand.

• What does it mean to buy property in receivership?

  October 23, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Mortgage defaults and delinquencies are common. Distressed properties account for nearly one-third of residential transactions. Foreclosures, short sales, banks’ REO (real estate owned) and bulk sales have become terms and …

• Real estate broker enjoys fast pace of new business

  September 4, 2011 in Business on Page E1 Melissa Murphy imagined herself pursuing a career in politics, eventually even running for Congress. But stints in D.C., Olympia and the Spokane mayor’s office left her frustrated with the glacial … 3

• Shoreline plan updates could use a little logic

  July 17, 2011 in Business on Page E2 An older couple had finally decided to move. Their landmark lakefront home, the headquarters for family reunions, community events and Sunday religious services, would soon be offered for sale. They’d … 1

• First-time home buyers face tough competition

  June 19, 2011 in Business on Page E2 First-time home buyers are critical to the housing industry. Once they get in the door, this enables the former first-timer to move up. In a nutshell, first-time buyers help to …

• Spokane home sales up for fourth month

  June 7, 2011 in City The Spokane Association of Realtors reported 382 closed sales for the month, compared with 332 in April. 4

• Rental homeowners can’t afford to be deceptive

  June 5, 2011 in Business on Page E2 We have some friends who rented a home in the mountains for Memorial Day weekend. It was the only weekend of the summer their entire family could gather. Summer jobs, …

• Home-price index at lowest point since 2006 bust

  May 31, 2011 in Business, Nation/World Home prices in major areas have reached their lowest level since the housing bubble burst in 2006, driven down by foreclosures, a glut of unsold homes and the reluctance or … 12

• Store closures offer silver lining

  May 15, 2011 in Business on Page E2 DALLAS — Filling the space vacated by hundreds of Blockbuster and Borders stores may seem like a huge challenge for shopping center landlords, but it may not be. Real estate …

• Scam uses Craigslist to post fake home rentals

  May 7, 2011 in Business on Page A1 A scammer, apparently based in Africa, is posting bogus Spokane house rentals on Craigslist. Realtor Jessica Howerton said she was inundated with calls from potential renters of a home at … 5

• Real estate market deep in high-end homes

  May 1, 2011 in Business, Idaho on Page A1 In 2002, there were four North Idaho homes listed for sale at more than $1 million. Just two sold. But it was a start. 11

• Mortgage forgiveness tax relief differs from home-sale loss

  April 10, 2011 in Business on Page E2 Four years ago, the Internal Revenue Service changed the law that required consumers to pay tax on mortgages forgiven by a lender. Those amounts used to be considered taxable income … 1

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next page ›