Public Policy "NEWS"

There are different types of real estate, each with its pros and cons which you need to consider to determine which type will bring you the most profits. Real estate is real property that consists of land and improvements, which include buildings, fixtures, roads, structures, and utility systems. Property rights give a title of ownership to the land, improvements, and natural resources such as minerals, plants, animals, water, etc. For anyone looking to understand how the industry works and what each of the major categories represents, the explanations on this link will be a helpful guide.

Buying a home is a big commitment, and searching for that home can be a big headache. In a market where mortgage rates are fluctuating and consumer confidence is still shaky, finding your new pad is tough. Find homes for sale in Pittsburgh and all of Western PA. Use the site's many tools to assist your home search that can help you narrow your search, so you don't have to settle.

The consumer bureau is considering whether to shed light on this by mandating two disclosures — what the appraiser is paid and what the management company is taking. Should you care about this? Absolutely. Although banks and mortgage lenders maintain that there is no need for additional disclosure, appraisers, builders, realty brokers and others say the costs of appraisals to consumers have increased in the last few years, while the quality and accuracy of the work have declined. In a poll of its members last year by the National Assn. of Realtors, 70% reported consumers were being charged higher appraisal fees at closing — sometimes $100 more than was the typical charge previously.   House Bill To amend title 9 of the United States Code with respect to arbitration. - You Say What?  Tell Congress How to Vote

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Between 2010 and 2018, landlords filed 505,924 eviction proceedings   in Los Angeles County Superior Court, a figure that the report, titled “ Priced Out, Pushed Out, Locked Out ,” calls “shocking” and “staggering. The county has made enormous investments in addressing homelessness, but these efforts are not enough, says Nisha Vyas,   director of Public Counsel’s homelessness prevention law project. What we’re seeing is that as soon as people are housed in shelters, they’re replaced on the streets by people who are newly homeless. Los Angeles County Homeless Services Authority’s 2019 Homeless Count, which found that while 24,493 homeless residents were placed into interim housing in 2018, about 37,000 homeless residents were without shelter for the first time. The report’s authors also reiterated alarming statistics on the number of residents in Los Angeles who are rent burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. According to an analysis of

AB 1482 could expand rent control in Los Angeles and now includes a “just cause” provision AB 1482 will have to be vetted next by the senate appropriations committee. If it ultimately approved in the full Senate (it already passed the Assembly) and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, it would make it illegal for property owners to raise rents more than 7 percent, plus the Consumer Price Index, in one year. The CPI averages about 2.5 percent in California. Homes constructed in the past 10 years would be exempt, and the law would expire in 2023. The bill was heard by the committee Tuesday afternoon during a marathon session, but because several committee members were absent, it didn’t get the votes it needed until shortly before midnight. Several Los Angeles advocates, including a rep for Mayor Eric Garcetti and organizers with ACT-LA, were at the Capitol in Sacramento to register their support. California is one step closer toward having statewide rent control. I

Calculate New House Payment If you owe less than $726,525, you may be shocked by how much Quicken Loans can reduce your total mortgage payments. Try this radically simple mortgage experience and see if you can lock a low rate that will never rise.

Fearing Privatization: Public Housing Activists Push Back Against RAD : Public housing residents say the Minneapolis housing authority shouldn't convert the Elliot Twins towers using HUD's RAD program.

Single-Family Subsidies Are Needed Outside Hot Markets : There isn’t a tax credit program available to spur investment in single-family residential neighborhoods, but an alliance is working to change that.

Find Luxury Homes and Mansions for Sale : Find your new luxury home in Los Angeles with Mansion Global, the new luxury real estate listings service.

Things a Real Estate Agent Would Never Have in Own Home - PureWow : According to Noemi Bitterman of Warburg Realty, a real estate agent would never have these 11 features in their own property.

If you owe less than $726,525 on your home, use Congress's free refi program. The program itself is totally free and doesn't add any cost to your refi. You'll be shocked when you see how much you can save. Make one extra mortgage payment each year Instead of paying a little more each month, make one extra monthly payment each year. One way to do this is to save 1/12 of a payment every month, and then make an extra payment after every 12 months.

OWNING VS. RENTING Our goals are simple -- to ensure that you're happy with the home you buy and that you get the best deal you can. This describes why owning should be less expensive than renting. OWNING SHOULD BE LESS EXPENSIVE THAN RENTING Here's a guideline that may change the way you view your seemingly cheap monthly rent. In order for you to see how expensive a home you could afford to buy while having the same approximate monthly cost as your current rent, simply do the following calculation: Take your monthly rent, multiply by 200 = purchase price of home Example: $ 750 x 200 = $150,000 So, in the preceding example, if you were paying rent of $750 per month, you would pay approximately the same amount per month to own a $150,000 home (factoring in tax savings). Now your monthly rent doesn't sound quite so cheap compared to the cost of buying a home, does it? Even more important than the cost today of buying versus renting, what about the cost in the fut

REASONS TO SELL Our goal is to help you make the right decision about whether to sell your house. When you do, we want to make sure that you get the best possible price. People's reasons for wanting to sell their houses are almost as varied as the houses themselves. People's reasons for wanting to sell their houses are almost as varied as the houses themselves. Here are some of the common, not-so common, and downright bizarre reasons that have prompted sellers we've known over the years to put their houses on the market: School district Neighborhood Better job opportunities elsewhere Recent marriage or divorce Recent death of spouse Additional debt burden due to layoff, medical expenses, disability, or overspending Serious house defects that they don't want to fix Increased space desires for expanding family Diminished space requirements now that kids are grown Noisy neighborhood Unfriendly neighbors Neighborhood shopping Climate