Real Estate
On Real Estate
Hail damage? Check your policy before a disaster
We are addressing this issue now, as the one-year anniversary of the storm is approaching, and that may impact repair coverage through insurance. Because many homes and roofs were damaged,…
Business
Downside of low mortgage rates is fewer sales
Ryan Carson, right, and his wife, Jenny Roraback-Carson, have an unusual problem. Because the mortgage rate on their home in Seattle is so low, it doesn’t make much sense for…
Business
The art of landscaping
Creating an enjoyable outdoor living space adds more than just equity
Business
Disorganized remotes? Seven creative answers
The J-Me Cozy Remote Control Tidy is one of a number of remote-control organizers that can help you get control of all the remotes in your living room.Julie Rubin/Associated Press…
On Real Estate
County inventory suggests it’s a buyer’s market
The statewide report shows a 6.2 percent decline of single-family home sales this year, and La Plata County is down 1.7 percent. The Bayfield market had the largest increase of…
Business
Growth in the million-dollar market
Durango-area luxury home sales grow as second-home buyers return to market
Business
Designers cooking up color-happy kitchens
Historically, however, kitchens actually were pretty peppy, says Deborah Baldwin, editor of This Old House magazine. “Pastel greens, blues, creams and peaches reigned until the early 1930s, when casual, built-in…
Business
Foreclosure filings drop as fewer homeowners fall behind
The low number of foreclosures also means it’s becoming more difficult for bargain-hunters to find distressed properties on the cheap. “It is a positive factor for real estate values,” said…
On Real Estate
Real Estate Contracts 101: The basics
The most common form is the state-approved contract to buy and sell real estate. This document allows the buyer and seller to come to an agreement on price and terms…
Business
Iceland’s design industry growing, branching out
While Viking runes, vintage Northern architecture and eons-old natural elements inspire much of the country’s design and craft work, “the field is young, and we’ve taken steps to develop the…
Business
FAA says real estate agents’ use of drones is illegal
Alan McNeil flies drones over Iowa farmland for Peoples Co., a land brokerage firm.Chris Gannon/The Des Moines Register It’s a great way to interest potential buyers, agents say. The only…
On Real Estate
Crunching numbers for county market
There were 442 home sales in the first half, as compared wth 471 last year and 356 in 2012. These numbers point to a relatively flat market, but there has…
Business
Millennials aging into homeownership
Recent New York University graduates Herrie Son and Kyle Komline look at a home for sale in Nashville, Tenn.Samuel M. Simpkins/The Tennessean file photo The report says households in their…
Business
Home countertops getting more creative
Custom-designed by Fu-Tun Cheng of the Berkeley, California-based Cheng Concrete, they feature colors like brick, flowing lines and pictures of nautilus shells. “With concrete, there is a lot of room…
Business
FAA eyes lower building height limit near airports
The government wants to dramatically reduce the height limits of buildings near hundreds of airports, but the proposal is drawing fire from real estate developers, local business leaders and members…
On Real Estate
Extra care needed when buying a condominium
The purchase of a home in a common-interest community is the acquisition of a place to live and becoming part of an existing business that maintains and repairs the common…
Nation & World
World Briefs
KIEV, Ukraine – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko shook up his faltering military Thursday, appointing a new defense minister and top general while speaking angrily about the years of decay and…
Business
A neoclassical moment emerges in home décor
Classical style offers elegant lines, rich history
Business
Cash home sales make big jump in Iowa
A sign sits in front of a home for sale in West Des Moines, Iowa. All-cash home sales have more than doubled in the last year, increasing from 19.1 percent…
On Real Estate
What to look for in home inspections
Real estate brokers tend to categorize inspections in three areas: Health and safety issues Sometimes, home inspections yield potentially dangerous health hazards. It is best to understand the impact these…
Business
U.S. homebuilding declined 6.5 percent in May
Workers continue construction on a housing plan in Zelienople, Pa. Housing starts are up 9.4 percent over the past 12 months, but most of that gain is in apartment construction.Keith…
Business
Denver City Council might toughen law on affordable housing
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is one of many City Council members who would like to rework the city’s affordable housing ordinance.The Denver Post The plan also would give developers alternatives…