 | Real Estate Outlook:
What's in Store for 2009?
 What will the new year bring for housing and real estate? It's easy to look at all the negative economic news in the headlines and say - there's no sign that 2009 is going to be any better than 2008.
But here's a different perspective to consider from one of the country's veteran financial analysts -- Richard Bove of Ladenburg Thalmann, an investment banking company.
In a research report issued late in December, Bove said he sees a positive dynamic taking shape in the current cycle. The government has intervened aggressively in the markets to push
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interest rates down -- most notably in the home mortgage sector.
Though it takes awhile for low-cost money to begin having its effect, Bove said he expects "housing prices to stabilize and/or rise (in 2009) after a
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Buy Now And Beat
The Spring Rush
 Down market. Up market. It doesn't matter. Spring showers typically bring spring buyers.
But if you wait for the seasonal thaw you'll join what could be a throng of market savvy buyers who have already scoped the lay of the land and are elbowing for position.
In many communities, an over-supply of homes for sale with reduced prices, foreclosures, auction sales and sellers shopping for short sale buyers, all make it an opportune time not to procrastinate.
"We are seeing a confluence of events that contributes to the increase in the number of closed sales," said Quincy Virgilio, president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors in San Jose, CA.
"Interest rates are at a record low and the affordability index nears a 5-year high. For first-time buyers, rents are skyrocketing and that's an added incentive to buy a home now," added Virgilio.
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Is A Mortgage Modification
For You?
 Home loan modifications are designed to save homeownership, but they've also created a new mortgage maze pitted with "buyer bewares."
Both government-sanctioned counseling agencies and local community service agencies concede they have been swamped recently by demand for loan modifications.
The demand stems from a proliferation of federal, state and local level foreclosure relief and bailout efforts from both government and the private lending industry.
Mortgage modifications have been around for years, but those recent relief efforts have raised the profile of the mortgage workouts as an alternative to foreclosures, short sales, auctions, and bankruptcy.
The demand has opened the floodgates of loan modification services now offered by real estate agents, mortgage brokers, attorneys, government agencies, lenders, and other professionals.
No matter where they start, homeowners seeking mortgage modifications are at the mercy of lenders. The workouts are often voluntary and, completed on a case-by-case basis, they frequently come without standardized
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Improve Value Through Landscaping
 A lot has been written about landscaping yards for curb appeal because buyers see the outside first when they drive up to a home. So it makes sense to make this area as attractive and inviting as possible. Doing that requires thinking about what would really make a property alluring.
You don't have to spend thousands of dollars landscaping a home when you're about ready to put your home on the market. Instead, investing a few hundred dollars could make a huge difference to a buyer. In fact, curb appeal can be the sole reason prospective buyers ever end up entering a home. That's why listing agents will often give their sellers tips to help them fix up their homes. Here are a few things you can do.
Daily News and Advice
Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.
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