Tom Kelly

Auctions have become a convenient, efficient method of moving inventory in a hurry and that includes all types of real estate.

Panelists said they expect appreciation rates to slow to roughly 4.3 percent next year, on average, eventually falling to 3.4 percent by 2018.

The study defined luxury listings as those valued four times the median asking price in an area.

According to Bellevue-based Imprev, an agent's most valuable leads still come from traditional sources - open houses, past-client referrals, for sale signs, and walk-ins to brokerage offices - significantly outranking online sources.

According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, there were 8,086 pending deals (mutually accepted offers) during October, down from the year-ago total of 8,312 sales. Eleven counties had fewer pending sales last month than a year ago.

Men take on more of the financial aspects, while women tend to take the lead on planning aspects, such as neighborhood research.

While many potential buyers were still absent, the report did reveal some bright spots for those emerging from a housing crises.

The survey found that the majority still believe in the financial and lifestyle benefits of home ownership.

More than 70 percent of the U.S. housing stock was built prior to 1990, and an aging housing stock may present more opportunities for buyers searching for a bargain, according to RealtyTrac's Aging Homes Analysis.

Developers have either demolished or converted the removed space into other uses, such as apartments or condos.

The MBA expects that the Federal Reserve will decide to taper its $85-billion per month bond-purchasing program in early 2014 and end it altogether in September 2014.

Given the active housing market, the case also sent a reminder to buyers and sellers on the importance of a solid roof and also of disclosing any known defects with the structure.

Blackstone has invested an estimated $5.5 billion in homes, buying up mostly foreclosures in Western states and turning them into rental properties.

The study also found that more than a quarter of homeowners do not expect to pay off their mortgage by the time they turn 65.

The builders' remodeling market index moved to its highest reading since the first quarter of 2004.

Real estate investors across the country earned an average gross profit of $54,927 on single-family home turnarounds during the third quarter.

The record penalty would cap weeks of heated negotiating and underscore the extent of JPMorgan Chase's legal woes.

Why are potential homebuyers in this country age 50 and older typically lopped into an active adult group even though some of them could be worlds away from being "active"?

The median lot size for single-family homes that began construction in 2012 was three quarters of an acre in the New England area compared to 0.14 acres in the Pacific Division, which includes Washington and Oregon.

The 36-acre transit-oriented neighborhood will encompass "urban style housing," plus offices, retailers, restaurants, parks, and a hotel, all built with a "focus on sustainability" and mobility choices, which will include nearby light rail.

As of January 13, 2014, anyone over the age of 62 who wishes to tap the equity in their home without making a payment to repay the debt via a reverse mortgage will now have to show the ability to pay the property taxes and homeowners insurance needed to stay in the home.

"Our September National Housing Survey results show that the improvements in consumer housing attitudes witnessed in recent months softened ahead of the government shutdown," said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae's senior vice president and chief economist.

Robert Shiller, who co-developed the S&P/Case-Shiller Composite 10 Home Price Index, has said he's concerned some markets across the country may be over-correcting and starting to resemble a housing bubble.